‘Unstoppable’ in Vancouver

For most of his eight years at Covenant House Vancouver (CHV), Herb Eibensteiner has led our multi-phase expansion to provide new space and enhanced programs for young people facing homelessness in British Columbia, Canada.

Then, just a few weeks before the youth moved into their new and beautiful building, CHV asked Herb to take over the reins as chief executive officer from retiring CEO Krista Thompson. Now, Herb leads our mission in Vancouver in its entirety - what he calls "a dream job."

"I'm really looking forward to working with the entire organization. I think that excites me the most," Herb says. "Moving into these new spaces, new beds, new programs, strengthening the culture and leading with our values. I think that we are going to be unstoppable."

Herb has worn several hats at CHV and his portfolio has continually expanded, from director of finance and operations to chief operations officer and, now, chief executive officer, a measure of the trust he has inspired and the skill and commitment he brings to the mission.

Besides overseeing CHV's expansion, Herb led a technology overhaul that turned out to be extremely timely, just ahead of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition, for many positions, to remote work.

Herb also oversaw the response to the pandemic itself, leading a team charged with defining and implementing a strategy to protect youth and staff. "We kept everybody safe and had almost no on-site transmissions," he says.

The expansion of space and services Herb oversaw will allow Covenant House Vancouver to serve more young people facing homelessness - in a beautiful new shelter facility, in transitional living apartments, and in a residential program for youth dealing with substance use and addiction.

Herb says Covenant House Vancouver is a special place to work. "It is the feeling you get when you're part of helping these young people have hope and get onto a different trajectory towards a brighter future. It means a lot to me."

He appreciates that Covenant House staff live their values. "The amount of heart in this organization is orders-of-magnitude more than anywhere else that I've ever worked," he says. And that extends to our supporters as well, he notes. "They are fantastic and generous and caring."

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