New Faces at WJS: Welcome Cassie McCaffrey!
Welcome Cassie McCaffrey
Cassie McCaffrey is WJS’s new Chief of Client Services. She’s already rolled up her sleeves and jumped into the deep end of her role – so now’s the time for us to get to know her a little better with a short Q&A.
Q: What do you think makes WJS different from other organizations?
A: For such a large organization, WJS is very flexible and responsive. With other organizations I’ve sometimes run into “invisible barriers,” that is, barriers that make providing service to individuals more difficult and complex than necessary. That’s not been my experience at WJS. Everyone works very hard to be responsive and efficient in our work. I really appreciate the common sense approach. Our work is difficult enough, so having the flexibility to be creative is refreshing.
Q: Why did you want to work with WJS Canada?
A: What sold me on accepting the position was the intelligent and fascinating people I met during my interview process. I was interviewed by board members and employees from across the organization and this allowed me to get a lot of insight into the types of people who work for WJS — thoughtful, intelligent, respectful and service oriented. A perfect fit for me!
Q: What’s the most important part of your role as Chief of Client Services?
A: Every day, I come to work with the hope of making a difference. What that means in practice will probably change over time, but I think it’s important not to lose sight of that greater goal. Speaking with WJS employees and getting their feedback on what they need has definitely helped me determine my priorities. Effective team building, providing a supportive work environment, continuous learning opportunities and ensuring we continue to engage in best practices for those we serve. Your priorities are my priorities and this is what I’m most excited to tackle.
Q: What do you hope for WJS’s future?
A: It’s an exciting time at WJS right now. Organization-wide, we’re investing in some really good structural work to help us be sustainable into the future. All this hard work is being done with the goal of providing the best care to those we serve. I look forward to sharing the strong, impactful testimonials from those we work with to inspire the next generation of WJS employees.
Q: Will you share something about you that we may not already know?
A: Sure! One of my favourite places is Nicaragua. I’ve traveled there many times and have visited several different regions. Unlike Costa Rica, Nicaragua is not heavily commercialized or influenced by American amenities. It’s beautiful, peaceful and full of interesting places to see and things to do. If I was an anthropologist, it’s a place I would love to study.
Q. We hear you have a sweet tooth?
A: Ha! I am very cautious about what I eat; however, I have a terrible weakness for chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate pie, chocolate bars, chocolate mints, chocolate mousse, chocolate brownies, hot chocolate, chocolate fountains- even 100% dark chocolate. Nom nom nom nom!
Thanks for sharing Cassie, and welcome aboard!