Community in a better place thanks to efforts of Randell
RANDELL RETIRING AS CITY’S COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
For the past 19 years, Diane Randell has devoted herself to fighting racism, homelessness and other social issues in Lethbridge. At last, she is taking a well-deserved rest and thanking the community for working towards a welcoming and inclusive society.
Monday marked her final day working as the Community and Social Development manager for the City of Lethbridge, and also her birthday. A retirement party was organized by friends and colleagues, and held on Tuesday.
“It’s been an honour and it’s been a privilege to serve,” she said. “One of the things I hope is this important work continues with compassion and humanity.”
This isn’t where Randell imagined her career would go, but given all she’s accomplished, it seems to be exactly what she was born to do.
Raised on a cattle ranch north of Waterton, she is no stranger to hard work. As one of nine children, each were tasked with daily chores and the expectation to continue post-secondary education.
“It taught me a lot,” said Randell. “It taught us about resilience, it taught us about work ethic, about relying on each other, and I think maybe that first sense of community came from watching my mom and dad in the community and that connectedness with neighbours.”
In high school, she always wanted to go into medicine for a career. After graduation, she headed to the University of Calgary for nursing.
Her first job was as a staff nurse in Pincher Creek, then as a nurse in Calgary and in administration doing organizational development and planning.
Randell worked in health care until she began working with the City.
Some would think the two careers are worlds apart but Randell drew some parallels.
“I learned a lot about myself and about community because when you’re a health-care professional in a smaller community you become involved in the community. A big shift, but it taught me a lot.”
She began as a Family & Community Support Services co-ordinator with the City. Lethbridge was identified as one city to focus on housing and homelessness, so in 2002, she worked with then director of community development, Tom Hudson, to implement housing and homelessness initiatives. And so Social Housing in Action was built, along with Gary Bowie and his team.
Randell held on to employment a little longer than most. One of her goals before retiring was she hoped Lethbridge could declare it had ended street homelessness.
Although last year’s provincial pointin-time homeless population count showed there were still eight people “sleeping rough” on the streets, there’s no denying how far the city has come through the work of SHIA and the community.
“From where it came from, that’s an 87 per cent decrease from 2008. Overall homelessness has decreased by 68 per cent,” she said. “That’s real kudos to our community, community leaders and council who have made that happen, and had the trust in our innovative approaches.”
The big shift came with the 7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness, a collaborative forum which includes Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
“It was the 7 Cities who said just building shelters, we’re just managing homelessness, we’re not making a difference. So it’s time we do something different.”
They met with the provincial government and secured funding to do some administration projects with Housing First, which provides permanent housing and support programs. The Housing First program “took off” said Randell, and in 2009, the province put forward a 10-year plan to end homelessness, while the 7 Cities did the same.
“That was a huge step and that’s when we started to actually see differences,” said Randell. “So to be part of that building and to work in the community — there’s about 100 people involved and they’ve stuck with it ... I have so much respect and consider it a great privilege to have worked with them.”
Besides SHIA, Randell also worked with social policy, which didn’t exist until 2005. Council determined it was important to pull together a Community and Social Development committee of council.
That’s when social policy priorities came forward such as the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination, Vibrant Lethbridge, which addresses poverty, and Beyond Your Front Door — building welcoming, inclusive neighbourhoods.
Randell holds high respect for community leaders “who are willing to step out and take ownership for something that is an issue that impacts them.”
“I have been so fortunate to work with so many amazing groups,” she said. “It’s that respect and that strengthening of what you want to see when you get the whole system in a room to make a difference.”
One of her career highlights was being appointed to Alberta’s Interagency Council on Homelessness. She said “it’s been a joy” to see the work they’ve accomplished provincially and nationally.
“It has been a journey,” she said. “But it’s just built and built and built and I firmly believe the success is because of the community.”
Additionally, her experience working with the Indigenous community has been “overwhelming.”
“I’ve learned so much and yet I know so little,” she said, stressing the importance of the Reconciliation work the city is working on.
It’s all about “the interconnectedness between communities and the relationships we build to achieve outcomes,” she said. “It’s working in and with community that’s so important.”
Randell said she knows that legacy will carry on through the team she’s worked alongside for years.
“I hope I’ve been able to model some of the things that are really important to do that work, but I know that they’ll build on it and that’s great.”
In addition to her city and nursing career, Randell is a founding member of the Abreast of Bridge Dragon Boat Team, a founding board member and past Chair of the Lethbridge Dragon Boat Festival and a member of the U of L Senate. She has been recognized by Rotary International, the YWCA and is a recipient of the Queen's Jubilee Medal.
In true Diane Randell fashion, she worked right up to the very last minute of her shift on Monday. Now that she’s retired, she looks forward to spending more time with her young grandchildren, travelling with her husband, and taking some time to rest. After a well-deserved break, she plans to continue to stay active within the community.
“I don’t know what it will be yet. I just need to take a break and figure out what and who I am now that I’ve retired. The next stage will evolve and I’m excited about that.”