Iris Unger has had over 25 years of experience in the non-for-profit sector working in the areas of economic development, entrepreneurship, employment, community development, women’s issues, special needs, poverty,education and immigration. She is currently the Executive Director of YES Montreal, a provincially mandated, non-for-profit charity that assists individuals in obtaining employment or starting small businesses in Quebec.
Prior to her work at YES, Ms. Unger was involved in Community Planning and Allocations for Federation CJA and was responsible for the disbursement of close to $10 million to a variety of social service agencies and programs.
Ms. Unger started her career at the YMCA doing community development and then returned later to become the Director of Economic Development at the NDG Y where she was instrumental in the creation of a variety of projects, including the loan circle project for women and a variety of microenterprises for the disadvantaged. She was a founding member of the Board of the NDG/Cotes des Neiges CDEC.
From 1992-1996 she served as the Executive Director of the Oxford, Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Visitors and Convention Bureau. Ms. Unger has a BA from Concordia and a post-graduate degree from McGill.