A changing of the guard is about to happen at the local CMHA.
Current CEO Mark Graham is retiring at the end of the month and the board of directors has appointed his replacement.
Ellen Watkins will take over the role on February 10th.
Watkins has been with CMHA HKPR since April of 2021, when she began the Director of Corporate Services role. Officials say she has been instrumental in moving the Agency to a new level of engagement, whether that be through the Strategic Plan Art project or Restructuring the Crisis Program and launching 9-8-8.
“I look forward to the opportunity to continue to grow and develop our team from the solid foundation built by Mark Graham over the past 32 years. I appreciate each member of our CMHA HKPR community, who demonstrate daily, the capacity to think about our system in new ways, with the courage to shift to maximize our potential. We are a dynamic, passionate, client-focused, and brilliant agency with the capacity to continuously improve community mental health. I am extremely proud to be selected to lead our team,” says Watkins.
Prior to her role with CMHA HKPR, Watkins worked at PRHC in Quality and Process Improvement, designing and launching the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic and Assessment Centre, and various other quality projects. Watkins also has a wealth of experience in the private sector, working in managerial roles at Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Frito Lay and Quaker.
