The new executive director of SIGN (The Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbors) says he has already been impressed with the passion of the organization's employees and the scope of its programs in Yorkton.
Andrew Sedley took over the helm last week at the non-profit, which employs more than 80 people and provides 19 different services in Yorkton. He succeeds Richard Sevigny, who was released from the organization in January for reasons that were never made public.
Sedley, 32, is younger than the organization he now leads. He says he hopes to bring a level of energy and commitment to the job that will benefit SIGN and its partners.
"SIGN has been such a valuable organization in the community for many, many years. Its initiatives and programs have been so beneficial to the community, and I really see that as something that I would like to continue on with."
Born and raised in Yorkton, Sedley has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Regina. Since 2005, he has worked for various community-based organizations in Yorkton, most recently with Sunrise Health Region as the local population health promotion coordinator.
Although Sedley, like most people in the city, is familiar with some of the work of SIGN, he says that the organization's offerings are broader than he imagined.
"I have worked in partnership before with SIGN, but being a part of SIGN now, even in this short amount of time I've learned so much more about what SIGN offers and what we have available in the community."
As examples of SIGN services that may fall below the radar for many people, the new executive director names the monthly suppers of the Family Support Program; the employee assistance and fee-for-service counseling options available to individuals, couples, and families; and the before and after-school activity programs at MC Knoll and Yorkdale Schools.
Sedley says he hopes to raise the profile of many of these programs in the coming months and further partnerships in the community to develop or enhance SIGN's services.
Meanwhile, he continues to get to know SIGN's many employees, whose dedication he says continues to impress him.
"There's an amazing group of people that we have here, and that's really what's made SIGN so successful in the community."
