This month’s podcast features Mark Friesen, a familiar face at Vantage Point for his work on the team as a consultant for many years. Mark was instrumental in the development of our Capacity Lab, a series of learning opportunities designed for not-for-profit leaders to apply the Lifecycles Model. It allows them to take a step back from the day-to-day to identify where their organization’s growing pains exist and strategize how to move forward. In this episode, Mark explains the Lifecycles Model and how Capacity Lab came to be out of a need for this overarching self-evaluation, and a space where leaders can convene to support each other in their assessments and strategic planning. 

Mark Friesen is the Executive Director at Columbia College, Canada’s longest established International not-for-profit college. He currently facilitates a monthly peer network of leaders dedicated to reimagining governance in the non-profit sector. Mark has served as a volunteer, association founder, and an executive director, and has led fundraising, strategic planning and program development efforts in the sector for over 20 years. During his time at Vantage Point, BC’s leading not-for-profit capacity builder, Mark shifted his focus to governance; working with groups to enhance or redefine organizational decision making. Working with the Crown Agency Board Resourcing Office of BC, Mark guided the province to shift the governance and training material of BC’s public sector organizations away from shareholder accountability and towards governance in the public interest. 

Mark obtained his Masters’ in Urban Studies at SFU, where he received a Graduate Fellowship in 2012, the Doug Drummond Research Fellowship in 2013, and graduated with the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal in 2015 for his research into governance at the scale of the city-region. He served on the City of Vancouver Election Task Force, is Chair of the Our Place Inner City Governance Committee, and sits on the Board of the Ripple Coast Society. When it comes to governance, Mark has a unique perspective on the role that not-for-profits have in supporting a democratic society which you can explore here: https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_friesen_rediscovering_democracy_in_our_communities 

Columbia College is BC’s oldest university transfer educational institution. Their mission is to foster student success, build a desire for lifelong learning, and provide pathways to higher education. Columbia College nurtures community engagement and prepares international students for life in Canada. Through teaching excellence and a commitment to student support, the Columbia College community values an inclusive and mutually respectful learning environment.