We are excited to announce a new leadership structure for the Moms Stop the Harm (MSTH) Board of Directors, effective immediately. Christine Moore and Alexander McClelland will serve collectively as Co-Chairs, with Cassie Van Camp stepping into the Vice-Chair role. Ruth Fox will continue as Secretary and Kim Nam as Treasurer.
We also want to express our deepest gratitude to outgoing Chair, Traci Letts, who has completed her Board term after years of extraordinary service, dedication and leadership. We are profoundly grateful for everything she has contributed.
This change in leadership comes as MSTH begins a six-month process of organizational renewal. Over this period, we will transition to a purpose-driven governance board and work to stabilize and strengthen the core working of the organization. As we shift to a governance board, for some, it can feel distant and bureaucratic. A purpose-driven approach keeps advocacy, passion and lived experience at the centre of this work.
For many years, MSTH’s board was deeply involved in every part of the organization’s work, from operations and programs to finances and member engagement. That commitment helped build MSTH into what it is today. As we have grown, however, it has become clear that we need a structure that is sustainable for volunteers, gives staff clear roles, and keeps the board focused on direction and oversight. This has been discussed for some time, and we are now putting a clear plan, with a target timeframe, into action.
Over the next six months, our focus will be on:
Strengthening operations, including financial controls, compliance and establishing clear roles between the board and staff;
Deepening member engagement, with regular updates and opportunities to connect with the board;
Creating a sustainable board environment, through updated bylaws, board roles, orientation and succession planning;
Keeping advocacy at our core, the new National Advocacy Working Group (NAWG) will lead as the heart of our advocacy work;
Working in collaboration with staff, members and programs to ensure needs are met and supported throughout this transition.
We are guided throughout by a commitment to transparency, respectful and relational ways of working, good governance, and honouring those who came before us. Of note, as the board becomes focused on retaining members with key organizational skills, the NAWG will be the place to ensure regional representation within MSTH.
What’s next
We will share more about these changes with staff and members in the coming weeks, including a series of informal online meet and greets where you can get to know the board, share what you are passionate about, and tell us what you believe we are doing well and what we could do better.
Thank you for your continued support as we enter this next chapter together. Please reach out to us if you have any questions. We are deeply committed to MSTH and look forward to supporting a transition that is swift, transparent, and focused on ensuring the strength and sustainability of our work.
Alexander McClelland and Christine Moore, Co-Chairs, on behalf of the MSTH Board of Directors
Christine Moore, Co-Chair (Alberta)
Christine is Vice President of Finance for the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business and holds the Accredited Director (ACC.Dir) designation. She brings deep experience in financial leadership, governance, risk management and strategic planning, and has served on numerous boards and advisory committees across Canada. Christine became an advocate after losing her eldest son, Christopher, and is dedicated to reducing stigma, supporting families and improving systems of care.
Alexander McClelland, Co-Chair (Ontario)
Alexander is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Criminology at Carleton University. His community-based research focuses on criminalization and public health, and he is the author of Criminalized Lives: HIV and Legal Violence (2024). A longtime HIV activist, he is a founding member and former chair of the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization. Alexander lost his uncle to opioid toxicity in 2022, as well as friends and colleagues to the drug policy crisis.
Cassie Van Camp, Vice-Chair (British Columbia)
Based in Victoria, Cassie coordinates the Harbour Supervised Consumption Site and the Addiction Medicine Consult Service for Island Health. She has worked in harm reduction and substance use care for more than a decade, mainly alongside people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness. Her work draws on outreach, advocacy and community organizing, grounded in a belief in dignity, safety and care for everyone.
