The Board of Directors of the Mennonite Benevolent Society is pleased to announce Ms. Sujata Connors as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  Sujata is a values, faith-based leader, with over 20 years of progressive leadership experience.

Sujata was born in Halifax and raised in New Brunswick.  Having grown up in a small town of 2500 people, Sujata deeply values community and connection and very much appreciates the need of the residents at Menno. She started her career in nursing working both in the UK and Canada. She transitioned to leadership roles and has worked for a number of years within the BC Health Authorities, currently serving as a Director within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.  Her career has been predominantly focused on supporting seniors and providing high quality health services that promote wellness, independence and choice through a person-centered approach.  Additionally, Sujata has been actively involved in collaborative partnerships to build coordinated care and streamlined systems across local and regional levels.  She has led facility redevelopment, rebuilds, capital planning and property management to support clinical services.

Sujata holds a Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science. She has also had significant training in quality improvement through the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council as well as the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement.

I want to extend my appreciation to the senior leadership team for providing interim leadership.  They will work closely with Sujata to ensure a seamless leadership transition to Menno over the next few months.

We are confident that Sujata will bring leadership, fresh eyes, thoughtfulness, creativity, care and devotion to the position.  She will be starting at Menno Place on February 22, 2023.

Carol Dyck, MBS Board Chair
on behalf of the MBS Board

This month’s hymn is a All Creatures of our God and King. This inspiring expression of praise found in nearly every hymnal was originally written in 1225 by one of the most interesting figures in all of church history. Giovanni Bernardone, who was better known as Saint Francis of Assisi, was a medieval monk who spent his lifetime as an itinerant evangelist, preaching and helping the poor people of Italy.

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The hymn, “Jesus Paid It All”, has ministered to and blessed countless numbers of people for more than a century. “A woman scribbles a poem on the flyleaf of her hymnal, an amateur church musician unknowingly creates a matching tune, an unknown pastor provides encouragement and another hymn is born.”

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A favourite hymn for many, “Be Thou My Vision” has a storied history going back to the 8th century! Find out more about this hymn and other helpful resources for seniors.