Bidding farewell to longtime loans administrator

At the grocery store, at community events, at local parks, Sue Gravelle is apt to run into someone who was able to start or grow their small business with a loan from Community Futures North Okanagan. This week, as she retires after a 30-year career with the organization, much of that time as loans administrator, Gravelle’s contribution to the business community is being recognized.

Long-time loans administrator Sue Gravelle, left, in an early Community Futures North Okanagan photo.

Gravelle says she enjoys running into past clients, who often stop to chat and share where their business journey has taken them.

“It’s always interesting to see how they’ve prospered and how we’ve played a part in giving them a hand up, so it feels good,” says Gravelle. “I will miss it.”

Gravelle joined CF North Okanagan in 1994 as a receptionist, and her skills with both people and administration were quickly recognized when she began working closely with then loans manager Vic Harwood, a critical champion of what Community Futures would become in Vernon. At the time, the non-profit was just a small team offering self-employment services and lending, from micro-loans of about $3,000 to help self-employment clients start their business, to major financing up to $150,000 for purchase, start-up or expansion of businesses —and it was all processed by papers and cheques.

Some of the early clients with full circle stories Gravelle recalls are Bill Wood of Paragon Maintenance, who went through the Self-employment Program and later earned the building maintenance contract three years after CF North Okanagan moved into its current building on 33 Street in 1996.

“He’s still doing our building maintenance, 25 years on,” she says. “He knows the building better than anybody.”

Gravelle also thinks of Nancy Wilde, who launched her signage business, Wilde Imagination, with support from CF North Okanagan in 1994. Wilde recently joined the CF team as an employment advisor helping others start a new career journey.

Whether it was the clients or her team, Gravelle says what kept her in the role for so many years was this: “The working relationships were paramount—I worked with six different loan managers over the years and all of them were great people, just fantastic— but I also enjoyed the work. I touched so many loans and people in the community.”

Gravelle’s 30-year career and retirement was recognized alongside CF North Okanagan’s 40^th anniversary, which saw Open House celebrations Oct. 23.