After seven years as our intrepid President and CEO, Margo Long will be stepping away from YESS. Her last day will be September 15, and until then we will be relishing our time with her as Outgoing CEO and also happily welcoming our Incoming CEO: Corey Mowles.
Corey and Margo will work together over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition. Corey has already settled in as the Chief Operating Officer of YESS over the past year, and we look forward to his vision and leadership as CEO.
And now, in their own words, we would like to share more from Margo and Corey.
Letter from Margo
Almost seven years ago, on September 15, 2017, I accepted the role of CEO at YESS. My goal was to stay five years—to build a financially stable YESS that can stand on its own with many great leaders, and then to get out of the way. As a team, we have created a much more stable and sustainable organization financially, and I believe today we also have an organization full of many great leaders at all different levels and roles. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan—we could not have predicted a global pandemic in the middle of things, nor did we know the big choices we would make and vision we would build. But we did. We have built such a powerful vision and road map for the future that now it is about consistent execution, continuing to build our leadership culture and getting the work done.
And I am not the one to do that. As hard as it is to say so, my work here is done. YESS doesn’t need a visionary change maker for the next five years; YESS needs a leader and a collaborative leadership team that can ensure you build the path forward together.
And so, on September 15, 2024, exactly 7 years later, I will be leaving YESS.
And the new CEO will be our very own Chief Operating Officer, Corey Mowles.
Over the last six months, the board and I have been working diligently on a recruitment and succession plan, and the board went through a recruitment process throughout March, April, and May and chose Corey to be the next CEO of YESS.
I believe with all my heart that Corey is the leader to host all YESS leaders over the next five-year journey to achieve our goals.
The road ahead will not be easy, but it is clear and completely achievable if you do it together. I cannot ever begin to thank you for trusting me to be a new leader and to help you find your vision.
I do not know what I am doing next but know that I will always be a member of YESS.
With so much love,
Letter from Corey
I am incredibly excited and honoured to step into the role of Chief Executive Officer at YESS, and I approach this opportunity with enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility. Taking over from Margo, whose leadership has been a guiding light for the organization, I am highly aware of the significant shoes I must fill. Her contributions have been foundational, and I am committed to building on her legacy with dedication and innovation.
Working alongside such a talented and passionate team to implement YESS’ bold new strategic plan is not just an exciting challenge, but a privilege. This plan captures our collective vision for the future, encompassing ambitious goals and initiatives that will propel YESS to new heights. It will be thrilling to draw on the diverse experiences and insights of each team member, ensuring that our strategies are informed by the best thinking from across our organization.
I am looking forward to learning and leveraging our combined strengths to navigate the path ahead. The collaborative spirit and commitment to excellence that define our team are qualities I deeply value. I am grateful to Margo for her exceptional guidance, to the Board for their confidence in my ability to lead, and to the entire YESS team for their support and congratulatory messages. Together, I am confident that we will achieve remarkable things and make meaningful strides in our mission. Thank you for this opportunity to contribute to and grow with such an outstanding organization.
Sincerely,
Corey Mowles is an accomplished, forward-thinking executive with a 20-year portfolio of leadership experience across diverse industries. Intellectually agile with a track record of quickly building trust-based relationships, he possesses a unique blend of skills in strategic planning and execution, talent development, coaching, and non-profit leadership. Recognizing it is people who drive results, he is a self-professed Culture Champion who encourages teammates to grow by “failing up.”
Corey has been fortunate enough to have held leadership roles in not-for-profit and philanthropic organizations in Edmonton, including the Alberta Construction Safety Association and the Edmonton Humane Society. Most recently, Corey has been an integral part of YESS in the role of Chief Operating Officer, devising and executing both strategic and operational plans, building new organizational infrastructure, cultivating a positive work culture, establishing and sharing best practices, and optimizing process efficiency.
An advocate for youth in crisis, Corey is passionate about YESS and is grateful for the opportunity to lead the organization’s bold new strategic plan to establish 24/7 Youth Support Centres across the Edmonton region. Corey is committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment where young people can thrive and reach their full potential.
Originally from Edmonton, Corey is married to his wife Talli, and they have three teenage daughters. A lover of live music and a lifelong fan of the Edmonton Oilers, Corey is a graduate of MacEwan University and earned his MBA from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.