Kerby Centre welcomes new board member

Kerby Centre is excited to announce that Gordon Nott of Medicine Hat has officially joined its board of directors

Nott’s brings with him not only a wealth of experience in volunteering, non-profit work and seniors advocacy but also a local perspective for Kerby Centre as it enters its second year of running the Veiner and Strathcona Centres in Medicine Hat.

“I look forward to supporting the Kerby administration team here in our city and building upon the opportunities and programs already available,” he said in a release. “Their enthusiastic work to enrich lives within our senior community is inspiring and I cannot wait to start.”

“We offer a sincere congratulations to Mr. Nott,” said Medicine Hat Councillor Andy McGrogan. “By including a local voice of someone who is so passionate about the senior population, we are confident that member needs will continue to be met.”

Not only does Nott have a variety of experience with non-profits, but Medicine Hat is also his hometown. Born there in 1942, Nott got his start in volunteering in the 70s with his involvement in minor sports.

“I was never a hotshot at baseball or hockey,” Nott said. “My purpose was to bring them along as individuals. Their personal growth, learning concepts of teamwork and respect for one another … for me, it was all about the young people and developing them as individuals.”

In the 80s, Nott moved to Sherwood Park. There, he worked with the Robinhood Association — an organization that assists individuals with disabilities in a number of group homes.

He returned to Medicine Hat in 2003, however, and kept working with non-profits and volunteering — partly spurred on by his experiences visiting aged family members and other older adults in the community.

“It was discouraging to see many other residents who didn’t have any support line at all,” Gord said. “I saw a need, it was time in my life to give back in the community because I’ve been so fortunate. That’s the bottom line.”

At the start of the 2010s, he got involved with the Seniors Advisory Committee in Medicine Hat, and he was chair when the Veiner Centre was lost in the flood in 2013. Nott was at the forefront of negotiations to help re-establish the centre within the city.

Now, he’s seen the Veiner Centre bounce back yet again, this time after Kerby has taken over operations in the midst of the worst of COVID-19.

“You can hear the buzz now. The buzz is back…” Nott said. “Kerby is … doing a fantastic job. They are bending over backwards to help individuals there.”

For Nott, the most important part of his new position on the Kerby Centre Board of Directors is bringing his community-minded focus to his work.

“The key thing is to listen,” Nott said. “As a member of a board, that’s one of the key factors. Being open-minded and a good listener.”

“I’m here to support the folks that are managing Veiner … and if there’s something that can be done to help them, I’ll listen.”