For Lux, serving on the Board for REACH Edmonton is all about giving back

“I’m originally from the Calgary area but Edmonton is just a better fit for me,” they say. “Now that I’ve made this my chosen community, I want to give back.” 

Lux joined the board in 2021, with an interest in learning more about executive leadership and expanding their knowledge and connections in the non-profit and social serving sector.  They are also excited about learning more about strategic planning on longer term scales. 

Professionally, they manage the Family Resource Network for C5 in the North East of the city. 

“Being a part of the REACH board allows me to learn more about those pieces,” says Lux.

 “I think backbone agencies are needed in the sector,” they say. “There are so many doing the work but sometimes the work overlaps or there aren’t enough agencies supporting behind the scenes by recognizing gaps, doing research, and bringing people together to work collaboratively with the community.” 

“This is something REACH does really well and it’s an important aspect of community work,” they add. 

With two decades of experience working in social serving agencies and education, Lux has a strong understanding of the communities REACH’s partnerships often aim to serve. 

 “As a gender-diverse person of colour, I see safety differently,” says Lux. “I don’t speak about safety the same way, I just see the issue differently.” 

Volunteers are an essential part of what keeps Edmonton running, and boards are a part of that. 

“It’s about recognizing what gifts you have to give too the community and what are the best ways to use those gifts,” says Lux “A big part of why I wanted to join the board is that representation matters. In a lot of places of leadership on boards there aren’t a lot of people of colour or gender diversity, so instead of just complaining, I thought I could be a part of that representation.”