Announcement: Michelle McQuigge Appointed Chief Executive Officer of BALANCE for Blind Adults

We are delighted to announce that Michelle McQuigge will join BALANCE for Blind Adults as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 21, 2025.

In addition to her governance work with BALANCE as a senior volunteer, Michelle has had a distinguished 20-year career in journalism at The Canadian Press, where she currently serves as Weekends and Special Projects Manager. In this role, she oversees a national team of journalists, leads complex editorial projects, and has demonstrated exceptional skills in communication, leadership, and crisis management. A longtime champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Michelle has led initiatives that have driven meaningful organizational change across the media landscape.

Board Chair Robin Dafoe, expressed the following, on behalf of the board, “We believe that Michelle’s unique combination of leadership, expertise, lived experience, and strategic vision makes her the ideal person to lead BALANCE at this pivotal time. We are confident she will build on the remarkable legacy of Dr. Deborah Gold, continuing to move the organization forward in impactful and innovative ways.

Over the past 10 years, Deborah has led with vision, integrity, and a deep commitment to the mission of disability inclusion. Her remarkable contributions include driving strategic planning, cultivating and expanding partnerships, securing vital funding, enhancing services, and establishing a performance-driven, client- and staff-focused culture. Most recently, her leadership in developing our new shared office space, strengthening board-management practices, and  expanding services across the province of Ontario, has laid a solid foundation for the future. Deborah has truly transformed BALANCE into a workplace where people want to be, a community where all feel valued, and an organization with which funders, donors and sponsors wish to partner. We are profoundly grateful for her extraordinary service.

We were pleased to receive significant interest in this leadership opportunity. We want to thank all the applicants who expressed their passion and interest in BALANCE. I’d like to extend sincere thanks to the Executive Search Committee of the Board for their thoughtful and dedicated work throughout this important recruitment process.

Please join us in a heartfelt farewell to Dr. Deborah Gold and a warm welcome to Michelle McQuigge as our new CEO!”

Michelle McQuigge shared the following message upon her appointment:

“It’s an incredible honour to be the first blind person to take the helm of BALANCE for Blind Adults. Being named to this role is both a privilege and a responsibility, particularly at a time when disabled people in Canada and around the world are once again confronting barriers we thought we had already dismantled. I’m eager to draw on both my lived experience of blindness and the knowledge I’ve gained of Canada’s disability communities and political landscapes throughout my journalism career. My goal is to build on the BALANCE reputation as a best-in-class service provider, to become a trusted voice in the push for systemic change.

There is much to learn, and my door—figuratively for now, and literally once we move into our new headquarters—will be open to all. Thank you to the Board of Directors for this incredible opportunity, and to Dr. Deborah Gold for the strong and vibrant organization she has built. Most of all, thank you to the BALANCE community. I can’t wait to begin this new chapter with your guidance and support. (And yes, Chief Morale Officer Lucy the Guide Dog is also looking forward to meeting everyone!)”