For Immediate Release
November 17, 2016
The Board of Directors of Easter Seals Ontario is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin J. Collins as President and CEO, effective January 30, 2017. Reporting to the Board of Directors,
Kevin will lead the growth revenue strategy of the organization through effective leadership of the Fundraising portfolio, provide vision, direction and inspiration to the executive team, staff and volunteers, raise the profile of Easter Seals in Ontario, be a visible and vocal advocate of Easter Seals’ work and enhance the organization’s credibility. He will also work closely with National and provincial colleagues as well as private sector funders to ensure strong and effective partnerships in the goal of helping clients lead full and independent lives. For the past 94 years, Easter Seals Ontario has been helping children and youth with physical disabilities experience greater independence by providing programs and services such as financial assistance for essential mobility equipment and communication devices, as well as opportunities to attend fully accessible summer camp.
“As many of you know, Easter Seals Ontario has been fortunate in having a very dedicated and enthusiastic leadership team for many years. On behalf of the Board, I welcome Kevin as the new CEO and a leader that will also bring direction, enthusiasm and passion in all that he does with our team, our clients, and our community stakeholders,” says John Herhalt, Board Chair.
Kevin is currently the Executive Director of Friends of We Care, a position he has held since 1999. Friends of We Care is a network of member sponsor organizations from the foodservice and hospitality industry dedicated to bring joy to kids with disabilities. Through Kevin’s tenure the organization has raised over $20.5 million for Easter Seals Canada. We Care is Easter Seals Canada’s largest annual contributor.
Kevin has a long-standing history working with children with disabilities and Easter Seals. He was born with Cerebral Palsy and uses a walker himself for mobility. He was the Easter Seals Provincial Ambassador “Timmy” in 1976 and in 1991 joined the organization as Manager of Corporate and Special Events.
Commenting on his new role, Kevin says, “I believe this appointment is providing me the opportunity to come full circle. Attending Easter Seals camp as a child and youth helped me develop life skills and formed the base of who I am today. It is exciting to be part of the Easter Seals Ontario team, our supporters and volunteers as we work with all kids with physical disabilities across the province. Our goal is to help provide the services they need, and to guide them to focus on their abilities not their disabilities.”
With this announcement, we also want to thank and congratulate Carol Lloyd for the outstanding leadership she displayed as President and CEO since 2006 and her years of dedicated service to Easter Seals since 1996. Reflective of Carol’s commitment to Easter Seals, she will remain on staff in the short term to support the transition and will report to me.
John Herhalt
Chair, Board of Directors
Easter Seals Ontario