MVA, CEO part ways as funding cuts loom

Amid budget woes and facing major cuts to staffing and services, the Meewasin Valley Authority board is parting ways with CEO Lloyd Isaak.

The organization announced the change Friday. An interim CEO is expected to be announced in the coming days. The MVA, which is responsible for conservation and development along a huge stretch of the river valley, receives its core funding from the City of Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan and the provincial government, plus grants and donations. In March, the MVA announced planned cuts in an effort to “maintain relevancy” as it deals with a $443,073 shortfall.

In a statement, Isaak said he is confident the community will continue to ensure the future of this living conservatory, also voicing his thanks to staff, volunteers and donors who have helped create and maintain Meewasin’s legacy.

The organization’s goal, MVA board chair Colin Tennent said in a statement, is to continue to achieve its mandate as much as possible “within the resources we now have available, and that will serve the community and the province in the best ways possible.

“This means we need to find ways to operate more efficiently, and seek out opportunities that will enable the organization to operate with less reliance on external funding, and this requires a new direction in management at this time.”

In March, the government said its contribution to the organization in 2017-18 will be cut by $409,000, while the U of S’s will decline by $34,073. That means the MVA will receive $500,000 from the province and $647,000 from the university this year. Isaak has said the shortfall is expected to reduce the MVA’s core funding to about $2.2 million next year.