Gordana Radan is the chief executive officer of Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), one of the leading immigrant-serving non-profits in the Prairies. At CCIS, Gordana leads a team of over 450 employees and 2,000 volunteers in the design, development and delivery of innovative programs and services that support the settlement and integration of immigrants and refugees in Southern Alberta. Prior to becoming the CEO, she was the Director of CCIS’ Business, Employment and Training Services (BETS) division where she led a team of over 100 employees in developing and providing several groundbreaking employment and training programs that address the needs of Southern Alberta’s employers and promote the labour market integration of immigrants and refugees. Some of these programs have been recognized as promising practices within Canada’s settlement sector. 

Gordana came to Canada as a refugee from the former Yugoslavia in 1995. Upon her arrival, CCIS’ refugee reception house, the Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre (MCRC), served as her first home. Her passion for creating new and better ways to serve newcomers is rooted in her unique lived experience and her depth of understanding of the newcomer experience. 

Through high-level involvements in various boards and committees, Gordana contributes her expertise to several community-based and migrant-focused initiatives that improve the outcomes of newcomers to Canada. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) and sits on the Stakeholder Advisory Board of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration (CERC Migration).