CEO Queenie Choo celebrates 10 years leading S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

This August the CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. celebrates a decade at the helm of an organization that continues to grow and innovate in the settlement sector, despite today’s challenges.

Once a new immigrant to Canada herself, Queenie Choo has now spent 10 years leading one of Canada’s largest social service organizations for newcomers. Choo, a trained nurse and Alberta Health Services leader, joined S.U.C.C.E.S.S. in 2012 and has led the non-profit through continuous change in the areas of immigration, mental health, seniors care, affordable housing and social services.

Choo is also the CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation, a critical role at a time when community need has grown during the pandemic while donations shrank, yet we rely on donations and funds raised through our charitable arm to function.

During this time, Choo has overseen the growth of our affordable housing program from 300 units in 2012 to nearly 900 units today at 10 facilities in Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver. She has led the expansion of our social services into the community, including social prescribing programs for isolated seniors, expansion of different languages in our Help Line to support mental wellness in the community, and the building of Storeys in Richmond and Riverwalk in Vancouver. Under her leadership, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has assisted waves of Syrian and Afghan refugees and Ukrainian arrivals. Choo is also active in the community as a staunch advocate against anti-Asian hate.

Over this time she has also made waves. In 2013, Choo and other members of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. were recipients of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to community. In 2018, she was the first Chinese-Canadian woman to be bestowed the title of Honorary Captain of HMCS Vancouver by the Royal Canadian Navy. Earlier this year, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. was named Service Provider of the Year by industry summit Metropolis Canada and was nominated as a 2022 YWCA Woman of Distinction.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. itself celebrates a milestone next year as we mark our 50th anniversary in 2023. We’ve grown from a grassroots group formed by caring community members in Vancouver’s Chinatown in 1973 to a multinational multilingual non-profit with 40+ client service centres in Canada and abroad, serving more than 70,000+ clients each year.

For more information and to interview Queenie Choo please reach out at the contacts below.

For more information
Elaine O’Connor
Director, Strategic Communications and Partnerships
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
[email protected]

About S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
Founded in 1973, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is one of the largest social service agencies in Canada. It offers a wide range of programs and services that promote the belonging, wellness, and independence of people on their Canadian journey. Program and services are offered in the areas of newcomer settlement, English language training, employment and entrepreneurship, family, youth and seniors programming, health education, community development, seniors care, and affordable housing. For more details, please visit www.successbc.ca

About S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation
Incorporated in 2001, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation is a charitable organization that raises funding for S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and its affiliated organizations supporting S.U.C.C.E.S.S. mandates that focus on strengthening our diverse communities. For more details, please visit www.successfoundation.ca

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