Envision Halifax is on Sabbatical and, in the way I’m sure only Envision would think to do it, we celebrated tonight at the Halifax Hub.  We celebrated the Sabbatical because it was a conscious, intentional choice to pause and, more importantly, we celebrated the many people and successes that fueled Envision and the leadership program.  Four years of  a leadership program, 80 graduates and countless others who worked in the thick of things and all around the edges.  If not for ALIA, the United Way and the McConnell Foundation, Envision would not have come into being.

We don’t know half of what has been seeded or sprouted because of Envision and all the people it touched.  Envision alumnae are out in the world, in Halifax and beyond, doing things differently because of their experiences.  New networks have sprouted and cool work is happening as a result.  People have changed.  I have changed.

Envision Halifax shifted the shape of my leadership and my world.  Envision Halifax was a leadership journey for me. It appeared in my life when I was looking for my next leadership development opportunity – I just wasn’t expecting it to be in a leadership role.  It brought me to ALIA which brought me to the Art of Hosting world.  I came home to community in all of these places and over the years I came home to myself.  I learned about relationships, about trust, about staying power – and also about letting go.

Yes, I gave a lot of volunteer time to Envision.  So did a lot of other people.  Tonight, I was gifted with s symbol of recognition for all those hours and for my contribution to igniting a culture of civic engagement.  It is a beautiful gift that I cherish.  The irony is, Envision Halifax has been gifting me all throughout the five years of my involvement and I don’t think it will stop any time soon, even with Envision on Sabbatical.

Thank you Envision.  Thank you to all the amazing friends and colleagues I have met through Envision who have taken me to places and relationships I could not have imagined.  The beautiful and beautifully inscribed crystal bowl really wasn’t necessary and the very gesture of it has touched me deeply.