Photo: Contributed
There’s a new executive director at the Canadian Mental Health Association in Vernon.
Julia Payson comes to the CMHA from the Community Action Initiative, a funding agency focused on building capacity in the mental health and substance use sector.
Payson brings more than 20 years of not-for-profit experience to the CMHA, having previously held senior leadership positions with the Canadian Cancer Society and John Howard Society of B.C.
She is also an active volunteer with Vantage Point, where she facilitates non-profit leadership training.
Payson grew up in the Okanagan and got an undergraduate degree from UBC. She spent five years working for Medecins Sans Frontieres before settling down in Vancouver.
She says she is “thrilled” to be returning to Vernon to take on her new challenge at the CMHA. She looks forward to “ensuring we continue to advocate for more mental health services in our community to meet the growing need.”
She will be actively working to promote early intervention and prevention education and programs to better service our community.
Payson takes over for the outgoing Sue Rossi, who is retiring after three years at the head of the Vernon Branch.
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