Welcome to Kristen Sivertz
Recently, Central Admin had the pleasure of welcoming Kristen Sivertz to the team as our new Policy and Research Associate. She’ll be working with Lyn Policha on the monumental task of bringing our Policies and Procedures manual up to date. Lyn’s retirement date is looming large, and Kristen has some pretty big (and very stylish) shoes to fill Read on to learn more about Kristen.
Q: Tell us about your new role at WJS.
Mine is the nine-month, part-time position of Policy & Research Associate. I’ve been given the exciting opportunity to help our Policy Analyst, Lyn Policha, review, edit, and revise WJS’ policy and procedure manuals – and no, I don’t mean “exciting” sarcastically. I’m a bit of a research and writing nerd, so I’m genuinely looking forward to tackling this project and contributing to a final product that is functional and accessible to everyone at WJS, and to our funders and accreditors too, of course.
Q: What do you think makes WJS different from other organizations?
It’s only my second week, but having worked in the private and non-profit sectors, WJS seems like an interesting bridge between the two in terms of its structure, mission, and general atmosphere here at Central Admin. It’s a private company, but I get the sense that the staff and management are driven by a personal commitment to delivering quality services, not just serving the bottom line.
Q: Why did you want to work with WJS Canada?
The job posting jumped out at me because a) it called for a lot of research and writing (nerd alert!) and b) it’s located in Maple Ridge, which is super convenient for me. After learning more about the company itself, I was drawn to WJS’ mission to contribute to the community by assisting those who are struggling to be a part of it and/or regain their independence. I work best with a good objective and when I can identify with the values of my employer and co-workers.
Q: What’s the most important part of your role?
Over the next nine months, I will be helping to develop more accessible policy and procedure manuals – in WJS Source (SharePoint) and hard copy – that will better assist the company, its programs, and staff moving forward in their long-term and day-to-day decision-making. Because I am completely new to the company, I can approach the review and updating of its policies and procedures with a new and objective perspective, which I think will be useful in building on Lyn’s extensive knowledge and experience. I hope that in these next several months, I’ll get a chance to work with all of you – directly or indirectly – to arrive at a format and design that works across all programs.
Q: Will you share something about you that we may not already know?
I love community theatre! I used to be an active member of the Emerald Pig Theatrical Society in Maple Ridge and the Metro Theatrical Society in Vancouver… but it’s been many a year since then. I’d like to get back into it; maybe now with the great work-life balance my position at WJS offers me, I will! 😊
Q: What do you do outside of work?
Mostly I watch and listen: late-night talk shows, Netflix, music, and podcasts. I made a New Year’s Resolution to jog at least three times a week – it’s officially the first NYR I’ve ever kept up. I ran my first full 5k race last month (came in about 600th out of 2400) and now I’m training for a 10k in September. I also volunteer every week or so with two non-profits here in Maple Ridge. I like to paint and play the ukelele, but I am not very good at either.