Bill McElroy is a former naval officer and City of Victoria councillor, whose working life has been devoted to public service, including nine years with the Province of B.C. and 15 years in the not-for-profit sector.
He has been the executive director of five different organizations and has also been an active community volunteer for over 41 years, including service as a director on over 20 not-for-profit boards, mainly with groups that assist families and children.
The Out from the Shadows conference in 1998 heightened his interest in the sexual exploitation of youth.
Later, as the director of Canadian Programs for Save the Children Canada, he worked with Cherry Kingsley to develop the Out from the Shadows program and helped develop a network of sexually exploited youth across Canada, gaining an understanding of the factors behind the sexual exploitation of children and youth.
After leaving Save the Children Canada, he became the treasurer of the International Centre to Combat Exploitation of Children. He began attending meetings of the Capital Region Action Team for Sexually Exploited Youth in 2006 and became chair in 2007.
He is currently chair of Pacific Centre Family Services Association and Treasurer of the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee.
Bill received the B.C. Solicitor General’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2011.
The Sooke Region Vounteer Centre is holding a Volunteer Fair on June 6 at Edward Milne community school from 3:30 to 7 p.m. This will be an opportunity to meet the various groups and organizations who rely on volunteers; and for those who wish to make a difference, the opportunity to find a place where they can help.