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Goodbye Dr. Carol Matusicky – I will miss you

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Sun121420matusicky As 2007 draws to a close, I feel it is important to share a few thoughts about my friend and colleague Dr. Carol Matusicky, who recently retired as the Executive Director of the BC Council for Families.  In reality there are very few words that can do justice to the great work that Dr. Matusicky has done on behalf of BC families to create “family-friendly” environments, policies, programs and much more in British Columbia.

I have known Carol for many years now and have had the great honour of working with her on several work-life projects in BC. I learned many things from her; patience, persistence and simply – how to be caring to everyone you work with.  Carol leaves behind a legacy of good works and accomplishments.  I have always felt at ease knowing that Carol was guiding, influencing and keeping watch on the day to day issues that impact families in British Columbia.  There is little doubt that she will be missed in countless ways by many, many people throughout BC and Canada.

Thank you for all you have done Dr. Matusicky.  Enjoy your time in retirement. I will truly miss you.

Dr. Carol Matusicky Retires as Executive Director of
the BC Council for Families

The board and staff of the BC Council for Families bid a heartfelt farewell to retiring Executive Director Dr. Carol Matusicky, who officially left her position with the Council on November 30, 2007.

Carol’s 25 years of leadership at the Council have been an inspiration to many.  Her remarkable achievements and her career in service to the families of BC were honoured at a retirement celebration at Hycroft Mansion in Vancouver, December 4, 2007. 

Master of Ceremonies Alan Mirabelli, recently retired Executive Director of the Vanier Institute of the Family, paid tribute to Carol’s contribution to Canada’s family service sector: “Carol is sought after for her expertise and more importantly, for her ability to create collaborations that endure and engage the spirits of many who make a difference on a day-to-day basis. Carol’s unique contribution is to be able to think at a global level and to apply the learning at the level of the daily routines of families …  In a world where we take family for granted, Carol has invested a lifetime fostering a vision of collaboration, support, compassion, generosity of spirit and care.  Carol’s efforts and contribution will endure for generations.” 

Carol has an M.A. in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Adult Education and Family Studies from the University of Toronto.  She has been in the Canadian Who’s Who since 1993, and the Who’s Who of Canadian Women since 1995. In 1999, she was awarded the President’s Award from the Public Health Association of BC in acknowledgement of leadership at the local, provincial, and federal levels in increasing awareness of the need to support families and children to achieve a healthy society. As Executive Director of the BC Council for Families, Carol worked tirelessly to create a “family-friendly environment” in this province, advocating for more government and community resources to be placed at the “front end” of the system so that more supports are there to “build” families and not just to “fix” them. Placing prevention, promotion, and early support as valued and essential parts of the continuum of support and services to families is a message that is consistently called for by the BC Council for Families.

The appointment of a new Executive Director will be announced by the Board of Directors once the selection is officially confirmed.