CEO of Operation Smile Inspires Students and Hires Grads!
Mark Climie-Elliot, CEO & Chief Smile Officer of Operation Smile is no stranger to Humber Fundraising Management and the International Development postgrad programs.
He has spoken for several years, sharing his experience from community programs, to leading fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society, to working as a sought-after consultant to landing his dream position as CEO of Operation Smile Canada. He talks about bringing passion, service, excellence and leaving your ego at the door when building a career in the charitable sector and trying change the world we live in for the better.
This fall his talk was more special than ever. Mark joined us to speak about the daunting task of keeping Operation Smile's work going during the pandemic. With wait lists for service growing, donors became even more generous. The team is now mobilizing to help the 175,200 children each year, world-wide, born with a cleft lip, cleft palate or both. Doing this work is full of new challenges, ranging from travel regulations to vaccination mandates. Being able to hire, Operation Smile turned to Humber and hired recent alum, Kaitlin Waters, who had completed her postgrad in International Development in 2021. She joined him to speak to our current class, providing some sage advice for students, "It's hard to stay motivated, especially during a pandemic. Keep pushing forward with your classes. It's hard work, but worth it!". Kaitlin is helping provide service to Operation Smile's volunteer and community engagement programs.
Congrats to Kaitlin and thank you to Mark!
