Calgary, AB (Rural Roots Canada) – Two years ago, Chris Franc had a goal of becoming “CEO of 4-H Canada.”
Last month, she became exactly that.
“It’s been on my list for a really long time,” she said. “About two years ago, I ended up putting it on my vision board, CEO of 4-H Canada, and started really working towards that.”
Franc took over as CEO in January. Earlier this month, she attended the 4-H Canada Leadership Summit in Calgary, her first major event as the national organization’s top executive.
“This is the best way to start a new job, especially with 4-H because you get inspired and excited, and it’s just such great energy,” Franc said. “Rapid fire for sure, but the best way to get started.”
Franc brings more than 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She grew up in the city with no connection to agriculture or rural life. That changed when her career brought her into that world, eventually leading her to work with Hugh Maynard, who served as 4-H Canada’s interim CEO before Franc.
“He was a mentor, is a mentor and has been for a long time,” Franc said. “He introduced me to 4-H, he introduced me to rural life, rural community and really changed the trajectory of my life.”
Her time as executive director of the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions also prepared her for the role, given how closely that world overlaps with 4-H.
“It’s been a surprising step-by-step heading in that path,” Franc said. “A steady progress.”
Franc now lives on a dairy and maple syrup farm in Très-Saint-Sacrement, Que., with her husband and two daughters. Her seven-year-old joined the Ormstown 4-H club last year, and her three-year-old isn’t far behind.
“I’m a new 4-H mom,” Franc said. “It’s been trial by fire that way, too, with 4-H. But I feel like I’m already bleeding green as they say.”
RELATED: 4-H leaders gather in Calgary for national leadership summit
Her first weeks on the job have been intense but felt natural.
“It’s like drinking from a fire hose in the best way possible, though, because there’s so much information and it’s a really exciting time for our organization,” Franc said.
4-H Canada is coming out of a period of turbulence and is now focused on re-stabilizing through a new strategic plan. Franc’s priorities for the first year include building a funding strategy, developing programs and services for provincial organizations and finding more meaningful ways to engage stakeholders.
One of the bigger challenges is leading a national organization that looks very different, depending on where you are in the country.
“The provinces are doing great things and have very different ways of working,” Franc said. “Trying to get them all on the same page about some things, it’s never going to happen and nor should it. So that’s where you step back. But finding the commonalities, the ways where we can grow and improve together and capitalizing on that, that’s the place to go.”
Franc thinks 4-H matters more than ever as young people spend more time on screens and less time connecting face-to-face.
“They say the next great pandemic is going to be the pandemic of loneliness because people are in their own spaces and they’re not socializing,” Franc said. “The importance of 4-H for youth is the community, the social aspect, and those life skills that you develop along the way.”
Saturday evening at Leadership Summit, Franc watched a group of youth give a demonstration on blacksmithing. They were a bit shy at first, but had the audience laughing in no time.
“You could tell it was their moment,” Franc said. “Watching youth grow from six to 25 and become powerful, awesome people, it’s fascinating. And to be a part of that in even the smallest way is really exciting for me.”
Photo Credit: 4-H Canada
