An examination of current immigration trends and policies provides us with insights into where newcomers are settling in BC and how we can work together to bridge integration and community. When we know who is coming to BC, where they are settl)ing, and what skills and assets they come with, we can work together to ensure that services and educational opportunities are available to support their integration process. Successful integration is a two-way street, and communities offering programing and services are much more likely to have higher retention rates, ensuring economic and social stability and overall community wellness.
Katie Crocker is the Chief Executive Officer of AMSSA, a British Columbia provincial umbrella association that strengthens over 80 member agencies as well as hundreds of community stakeholder agencies who serve immigrants and newcomers. She represents the BC Settlement Sector on the National Settlement and Integration Council and is a Board Director for the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA-ACSEI), the national body for settlement associations. Katie is also on the Executive Committee of the UBC Centre for Migration Studies and is the Co-Chair of Pathways to Prosperity. Along with her background in not-for-profit management and her knowledge of the settlement and integration sector, Katie brings an expertise in supporting neuro-diverse children and their families as a mother of a child with Autism and a Board Director of UNITI. She has a deep interest in the settlement and integration journey of newcomers and strives to learn about and take accountability for the inherent privilege she has to live, work and raise her children in these unceded territories that have been stewarded by First Nations since time immemorial. Since joining AMSSA in 2014, she has worked with the Federal and Provincial governments to grow AMSSA’s technological expertise to provide online and e-learning opportunities for service providers throughout BC as well as on a national level. She excels at working collaboratively with teams and external partners to support diversity and inclusion in our communities and consistently seeks innovative and streamlined ways to bring services to those in need. She has an extensive experience of working with the AMSSA membership to enhance their service delivery, provide training and capacity building opportunities, and engage in meaningful consultation processes. Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Masters of Business Administration.
