ontario care collective

Dear OCC Members, Partners, and Friends,

It is a tremendous privilege to write to you for the first time as President of the Ontario Care Collective.

Before looking ahead, I want to recognize our Past President, Jennifer Dyment. Jenn is an extraordinary leader and advocate for our sector, and on a personal level, an incredible mentor to me. During my two years as Vice President, I learned so much from the way she leads - with conviction, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to the people and organizations we represent.

As OCC’s first President, Jenn played an enormous role in shaping our Collective and strengthening our voice. I am deeply grateful for her leadership, her friendship and the example she set. I step into this role knowing there is a strong foundation beneath me. Thank you, Jenn.

Over the past two years, I have seen firsthand what can happen when organizations across our sector come together around the things that matter most. I have learned a great deal from our members, our Board, and our partners through shared experiences, honest conversations, and a willingness to challenge one another’s thinking.

I step into the role of President with a great deal of excitement, a healthy respect for the responsibility, and probably more questions than answers!

Our sector is complex. The needs of the people we support are changing, expectations of providers continue to evolve, and the systems around us do not always make the work easy. At the same time, there is enormous strength in the people and organizations that make up this sector. Collectively, we bring decades of experience, expertise, creativity, and practical knowledge about what it takes to provide quality, person-centred, trauma-informed, and relational care.

I want OCC to continue bringing knowledge together and turning that into a meaningful, collective voice. I hope we remain in a place where we can talk honestly about what is working, what is not, and what needs to change. There are things that need to change and advocacy is strongest when grounded in the experiences of the people receiving care and the realities of the people doing the work.

 I also look forward to continuing with Jenn’s legacy of building relationships - with one another, with government and system partners, with other professionals and sector organizations, and with the communities we serve. We will not always agree, and that is okay! Good collaboration does not require us to think the same way: It requires us to stay at the table, remain curious, be clear about our goals, and be willing to learn from one another.

Most importantly, I hope that we never become so focused on systems, regulations, funding, and policy that we lose sight of why this work matters. At the centre of everything we do, are people and relationships. They remain at the heart of my work and will continue to guide how I approach this role.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in me. I am incredibly proud to be part of the Ontario Care Collective and am excited about what we can accomplish together. Please continue to bring your ideas, questions, concerns, expertise, and, of course, your senses of humour to the conversation.

There is important work ahead, and I am looking forward to doing it together.

-Ashley McCurley, President