A familiar face in the City with a fresh Indigenous perspective

Winnipeg, MB, June 5, 2017 – Marymound, a leading child welfare organization in Manitoba, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sonia Prevost-Derbecker as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 5, 2017.

Prevost-Derbecker is a known entity to the education and child-welfare sectors. Having worked as the national Vice President of Education with Indspire for the past three years, she is welcomed back to Manitoba and her home community in the North End of Winnipeg.

“Sonia brings a unique skill-set to our team that will help us evolve to the next level,” says Rémi Gosselin, Marymound’s Board Chair. “Sonia’s background and expertise made her an obvious choice to lead us. The Board is very pleased with her appointment as our new CEO; this is a real win for Marymound.”

Sonia is a woman with many firsts. She sat as a director on the first Métis Child and Family Authority Board, was the first to develop and manage the Ndinawe Transitional School, the Ndinawe Youth Resource Centre and Ndinawe Second Stage Home, and the first Executive Director for the All Nations Coordinated Response System. Sonia also served as a school trustee with the Winnipeg School Division No. 1 as one of the very few Indigenous candidates elected in the past 100 years.

“This is a great time to join Marymound as it transforms its approach to meet community needs,” Prevost-Derbecker says. “The organization was built on a foundation of caring that remains today and the potential opportunities that exist to provide even greater support is promising.”

Due to the organization’s natural evolution in recent years, Sonia’s primary focus will be cultural integration and maintaining, delivering and strengthening services, treatment and the continuum of care for all children and youth at Marymound.

“We currently serve a high percentage of indigenous children and youth, and we intend to provide programming that reflects their needs and culture with a culturally proficient workforce that cares for them moving forward,” explains Prevost-Derbecker.

This approach is congruent with the legacy of supportive service that Marymound has been known for over 100 years. As one of Manitoba’s largest child and youth-serving agencies, it is clear that the impactful service and support will continue into the future.

About Marymound: Marymound is a leader in providing a continuum of care, from early intervention to support for independence as the organization’s children and youth transition out of care and into their adult lives.The reputation of the organization for service excellence makes it the agency of choice for Child and Family Services in Manitoba. Since 1911, Marymound has cared for over 90,000 youth and families and because of increasing need, now helps over 3,000 youth annually.

Marymound helps youth and families with the challenges of growing, learning and parenting to achieve independence while realizing their full potential. To learn more please visit www.marymound.com.

For further information please contact:

Ken McIntyre
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
Marymound Inc.
Direct: 204-336-5505
Cell: 204-999-6108
Email: [email protected]