DAWN GUTZKE, nominated by Lianne Cretin on behalf of the Family Place Board of Directors
Her welcoming smile and compassionate ear have greeted patrons of the Family Place for the past nine years. For eight of those years, Dawn Gutzke has served as the Executive Director of the Family Place. Under her leadership, the Family Place has become financially self-sufficient. Two of the largest fundraisers, the Festival of Trees and the Family Place Garage Sale, are cherished community events that always draw large crowds.
Delays in her son’s speech brought Dawn to the Family Place in 2010. She became a volunteer after experiencing the powerful personal impact that the Family Place had made in her life. She started working there in September 2011 and was quickly promoted to executive director in January 2012.
Her efforts have increased public awareness of the services offered by the Family Place and have made it a family resource centre which meets many needs in our community. She continues to foster and build partnerships with the Department of Social Services, Inclusion Weyburn, Envision Counselling, Speak to Me (speech therapy) and Jumpstart. She currently manages 12 staff, five summer program staff and reports monthly to the Family Place Board of Directors.
In 2014, the Family Place was one of five organizations in Canada to be recipients of The Prince’s Charities “Seeing is Believing” program. Dawn worked long hours with no extra compensation but the result was an opportunity to showcase the Family Place to Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor and many prominent business leaders. As The Family Place representative she met Prince Charles in person in Winnipeg during the Royal Canadian Tour.
Dawn resides in Francis with her husband of 16 years, Darin, and their two teenage sons
