Always up for a challenge - Meet our staff: Margarita Shabash

Some of the most amazing skilled people work at CCC.  This ensures our clients get the very best therapy in North America.

Margarita (Rita) Shabash, Financial Coordinator at Calgary Counselling Centre (CCC) is never one to turn down a challenge. It was only a year and half ago that Rita started here, and she has already whipped our accounting system into shape. With her 15 years experience in accounting and her Masters in economics and trade, she was definitely the right candidate for the job.

Of the work she has done at the Centre, Rita is most proud of putting together a more streamlined, third party billing and payment system. She’s also built relationships with external funders to help with the processing and payment of our accounts receivables. It took time and wasn’t easy, but today because of Rita’s help, the future of CCC’s finances is bright.

“It was a real challenge my first few days working here,” says Rita. “I saw there was so much to do and I got a bit overwhelmed.  But then I decided, ‘this is my baby and I can create this’. I was happy to take on the challenge and am so proud of where we are today, with the great help of others.”

Rita’s success at the Centre can be attributed to her hard work and dedication to everything she does.  “When I don’t know something I get someone to teach me, and I put 110 per cent into learning it,” says Rita. “I can be taught anything.”

A case in point in 2004, when Rita moved to Calgary from Russia with her family, she did not speak any English. She persevered, signed up for a six month English course and soon after was fluent enough to look for accounting jobs.

While Rita was in her job hunt, our own Dianna Campbell-Smith, Director of Counselling mentioned there was an opening for an accountant at the Centre. Although Rita hadn’t worked for a charitable organization; she had worked with Dianna before and was impressed by Dianna’s excitement for the Centre and wanted to be part of our team.

“Before CCC, I had no idea what kind of spirit there is at a non-profit,” says Rita. “It’s very exciting to be a part of this organization.”

Rita will never stop learning and finding new ways to challenge herself. The next challenge she’s getting ready for is to conquer riding and owning her own motorcycle.

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