Volunteer Service Abroad CEO resigns

Volunteer Service Abroad CEO resigns

Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) today announced the resignation of Dr Gill Greer as chief executive officer of VSA, effective 4 August, 2017.

Dr Greer has been CEO of VSA since July 2012, and has led the organisation as it has grown its volunteer numbers, innovated new models for volunteering and increased the number of its partnerships in New Zealand and internationally.

Dr Greer said "VSA has been a great organisation to be part of, and I have been privileged to be its CEO, and to share the unique interaction between staff, volunteers and partners across the Pacific and in New Zealand."

Under Dr Greer’s leadership, VSA played a significant role as part of an international group of development agencies to advocate for volunteering to be included in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international roadmap for development until 2030. Successful advocacy ensured that volunteer effort is recognised at the highest level in the SDGs and the Finance for Development Agenda. Dr Greer says "It was rewarding for VSA to play a key role in this - volunteering, whether at home or across borders, brings about change that goes beyond what can be counted."

VSA’s Council Chair, Evan Mayson, thanked Dr Greer for her enormous contribution to VSA’s success. "Gill has been able to apply her extensive international development experience to the benefit of VSA. She joined VSA the year of our 50th anniversary, as we were undergoing a transition from working across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region to concentrate on our close neighbours in the Pacific." Her legacy is a development organisation which is more resilient and effective, and ready for the significant challenges in the future. We are recognised around the region for delivering results - as the growth in numbers of our partners and volunteers shows."

Mr Mayson says there is still much more that can be done internationally, and for this to happen VSA will be looking for more volunteers. This will mean getting even more New Zealanders actively engaged and supporting our international volunteering activity. Our organisation is forward-looking in its approach to development and, under Dr Greer, has been working to tackle some of the biggest development issues facing the Pacific region, including climate change, a bulging youth population and inequality for women and girls. At the same time, VSA has continued to deliver in other critical areas such as economic development and health, including water, sanitation and hygiene.

The VSA Council has now begun the process of recruiting a new CEO to build on the work of Dr Greer and increase the impact and extent of VSA’s volunteer services on our development partners in the Pacific and beyond.

ENDS

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