Roxie Van Aller came to Oliver about 11 years ago. What a ride!. This mother of 4 moved with her hubby into the Rockcliffe area and looked for an occupation. She applied for a job at the Boys and Girls Club but another person got the job….but that left an opening.

Roxie was hired as a counsellor at a small organization (Desert Sun Counselling) which was operating a couple of small programs. “Sometimes I would look around and no one else was there” said Roxie.

Shortly after she was asked to lead the organization as Executive Director and she said yes. Since then the number of programmes has expanded a great deal and the Desert Sun group has two offices one in Osoyoos and the new HQ at the Neighbourhood Learning Centre at SOSS.

Then her husband Mitch Van Aller announced that he, after 11 years at work, was off to Kelowna to take over a big job of Director of Operations at School District #23 Central Okanagan.

So what’s next? Roxie says the house is listed and she is looking for a position in Kelowna. But all that takes time.

Roxie says “I was never been a big city girl and love Oliver for its small town feel and getting to know so many friends and collaborators in over a decade on the ground – actively involved in two towns.