This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bill Sinclair (he/him), the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at The Neighbourhood Group (TNG).
Introducing Bill
Bill is a driver in every sense of the word. After getting his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology at the University of Toronto, Bill went on to study at the Factor Inwentash School of Social Work. Since graduating, he has committed his life to community development and solidarity work.
Bill lives in Toronto and takes advantage of all the city has to offer in his downtime. You can find him reading a book in the sun on a Saturday afternoon or attending a play at his local theatre in the evening. Like many of us, Bill is a music lover! Each year, he travels to the Mariposa festival in Orillia to watch his favourite artists perform live. While he doesn’t have a favourite music genre, Bill has a soft spot for folk music and classical artists.
Professional Life
Bill started working with TNG as a summer student in the employment centre whilst at university. Upon graduating, he launched his career as a Housing and Volunteer Coordinator at York Community Services, before returning to TNG in 1999 as an Executive Director. Now the CEO, Bill supports TNG’s Board of Directors and offers his years of wisdom and guidance to our staff. He argues that, as an organization, TNG should be responsive and reactive, centring the needs, desires, and visions of community members above all else.
Bill shares an undeniable passion for social justice and advocacy work. To Bill, his work at TNG is so much more than a job. He sees TNG’s initiatives as solutions to the city’s problems, offering folks of all socio-economic backgrounds the space to come together and (re)build strong, resilient communities.
Words of Wisdom
I learnt a lot from my chat with Bill. It quickly became clear to me that after thirty years in the non-profit sector, he has plenty of knowledge to share! His first piece of advice? Cultivate and nurture your relationships. Bill’s first boss at TNG as a Canada Summer Job student hired him six years later in a senior role as a Program Director and Associate Executive Director. The people you know are everything. Bill also reminds me to think big. If the time is right for you, things will happen. When Bill first graduated from U of T, he worked as a frontline housing worker at Keele and Eglington. At the time, most resources for homeless and precariously housed folks were concentrated in the city’s centre. Bill envisioned a youth shelter in the City of York, working to serve folks locally. He shared this vison with his colleagues and then the mayor, and within five years, Horizons for Youthopened its doors! Whilst the journey was far from easy, Bill identified a need in his community and sought to address it without hesitation. His story reminds us that experience is not always the key to success. Dream big, voice your ideas, and work relentlessly to put them in motion. As you continue all the work you do, remind yourselves of this.
Visions for the Future
The needs of the community are every-changing, and thus it can be difficult to consolidate a single vision for the future. Before leaving TNG, Bill would like to invest more in community housing efforts. To date, TNG has 438 housing units. In the coming future, he would love to partner with the City of Toronto to increase this number. He is also working to implement more services in the Eastern, Western and Northern regions of the city.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of Bill’s attention is focused on offering support, resources, and services to those most affected. He reminds us that when faced with a crisis, communities will respond differently. It is our collective responsibility to listen actively to what our communities need. To our Trusteed Groups: reflect on what you have learned from the pandemic. Engage with the needs of your community, and work with it to nurture, cultivate and rebuild. As always, TNG and The Trustee Hub are here to support your endeavours. We believe in you!
Want to Contact Bill?
Follow him on Twitter @BillTNGCS, or on LinkedIn at Bill Sinclair.
