Voice of the Turtle September 2012 Board Election Special
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Voice of the Turtle September 2012 Board Election Special If you have any questions please contact Tim Readman, SRABC Executive Director Thank you for your nominations o Over the last few months members of Stroke Recovery Association of BC have sent in nominations for people to be on our Board of Directors. No elections are needed this year o Because all nominations are unopposed we will not be holding elections this time. o The new Board Members will officially take their positions at the AGM on Saturday October 27th (SEE OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING ON PAGE 5 ) Here is the list of people that were nominated: o Penny Swales - Northern Region o Ben Sullivan - Vancouver Island Region o Atul Gahdia - Director-at-Large o Casey Crawford - Director-at-Large (Casey was appointed as Board President after Dan Kennedy relocated to Montreal) o Calvin Lee - Director-at-Large (Calvin was appointed as Board Treasurer after Marc Montrichard relocated to Toronto) o Victoria Yang - Director-at-Large 1 Stroke Recovery Association of BC Spring 2012 Voice Of the Turtle Board Nomination Special Here is the list of people that are continuing for the second year of their term: o Mary Joan Giffin - Interior Region o Greg McKinstry - Vancouver Region o Ann Wreford - Director-at-Large (Secretary) o Kate Keetch - Director-at-Large We had no nominations from the following regions: o Fraser (Abbotsford, Langley, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Surrey, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam) o Mainland (Delta, White Rock, Richmond, Burnaby North, Burnaby South) The following Board Directors are leaving in October having completed their terms. We thank them for their generous donation of time and talent. o Gail Bellward, VP o Allan Thackray, Legal counsel Also: o Dan Kennedy, our President, left us in June when he relocated to Montreal. Casey Crawford was appointed as President when Dan left. o Marc Montrichard, Treasurer, resigned in September after relocating to Toronto Here are the biographies of the new Directors: (Biographies for all current board members are on our website under ‘Who We Are) Ben Sullivan has been a member of the Comox Valley Stroke Recovery Group for 2.5 years, and the support and education he has received have been a huge part of his on-going recovery. Ben feels that his experience within the organisation and his unique personal history combine to make him a qualified candidate to sit on the Provincial Board of SRABC. Having suffered a stroke in 2008 at the age of 38, he has faced a different set of challenges due to his age, than those of older stroke survivors; from the impact of a stroke within the family, coping with a reduced income and the stresses felt by many caregivers especially within a family dynamic. I addition to his personal experience Ben has a wealth of volunteer and professional experience. Ben has worked for the last 7 years, first full time and now part time as a community support worker. Additionally Ben spent 6 years as a volunteer on the Comox Valley suicide prevention hotline. Each position demonstrated his ability to support and work with those experiencing significant physical and mental challenges. Ben was a member of the L’Arche Comox Valley for 2 years. Ben was part of a team that promoted and strengthened supported living for adults with mental delays. These examples combined with Ben’s ability to relate to his fellow stroke survivors has left him feeling confident about his potential role to support and help grow the provincial Association as it moves forward. 2 Stroke Recovery Association of BC Spring 2012 Voice Of the Turtle Board Nomination Special Calvin Lee My grandmother had a stroke in her old age, and I have seen how a stroke can affect a patient’s speech and paralyze the body. I believe SRABC has a worthy and noble cause in helping stroke patients recover. Accounting Experience: I can bring to the Board expertise in accounting. I am a Chartered Accountant living in Vancouver, and I work for Fairholm & Company, Chartered Accountants, a CA firm that specializes in charities and non-profit organizations auditing and consulting in Greater Vancouver. I can offer a strong financial background in a not-for-profit organization such as Stroke Recovery Association of BC, as well as an extensive network of Chartered Accountants and other professionals. I have been involved in volunteer work all my life - at my church, at local community centers, as well as the Chartered Accountants Institute where I organize events for CA's. As a Chartered Accountant I am familiar in charity compliance with Canada Revenue Agency (including the T3010 charity return), fund accounting, board governance, internal controls, and have dealt with many Audit Committees and Boards of Directors of charities over my 5 years’ experience as an accountant that specializes in not-for- profit organizations. I am well-respected in the Chartered Accountants community as well as church community. Experience on Committees: I am the Chairman of the Young CA Forum Committee for 2012- 2013. The Young CA Forum organizes educational and social events for CA’s. As the Chairman, I set meeting dates and agendas then chair the Committee meetings. I am acquainted with the CEO and President, and work with senior staff at the Chartered Accountants Institute. In the past, I have served as President of planning committees for various youth camps, liaising with external parties such as venue booking, transportation booking, and working with a vice- president and 5 sub-committee leaders. Experience with Seniors and Community Work: I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from UBC. I have considered careers in medicine, physiotherapy, or pharmacy before embarking onto a career in accounting. I have volunteered for many years at hospitals and senior homes. I volunteered at Holy Family Hospital (a member of Providence Health Care in Vancouver to which St. Paul and St. Vincent Hospitals belong) in their physiotherapy department. My father, who holds a Master of Social Work degree, has been a psychiatric social worker at Riverview Hospital for over 20 years. I have played piano at senior homes such as Villa Cathay Care Home and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. I have also volunteered at Killarney Community Center for 5 years - since 2007 - filing income taxes for seniors and low income families, as a volunteer for the Canada Revenue Agency’s “Community Volunteer Income Tax Program”. Experience in Education: I am involved in the Chartered Accountants' School of Business through marking of exams, and writing exam questions and solutions. I also have over 10 years of teaching experience as a private piano and music theory teacher. 3 Stroke Recovery Association of BC Spring 2012 Voice Of the Turtle Board Nomination Special Victoria Yang is a Senior Manager, Enterprise Planning & Account Management at ICBC. She has extensive experience in strategic project planning and delivery, business transformation and product management in both private and public sectors. Born and raised in a Chinese family; Victoria has studied in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Montreal, Vancouver, and Vienna and is fluent in four different languages. She has a Masters of Science degree from McGill University and a MBA degree from UBC. Beyond her academic and professional achievements, Victoria has worked closely within the community as well. Her volunteer experience includes time with Disabled Children's Foundation of China, retirement homes in China and Montreal, hospitals in Montreal and church shelters. Victoria has also raised corporate funding for YMCA Corporate Challenges and Ride to Conquer Cancer. Victoria is currently a Board Member at Oak Counseling Services Society. Victoria and her family supported her grandmother who survived a severe stroke, subsequently being paralyzed and lost speech for 24 years. She knows how a drastic life-changing event it can be for stroke survivors and families; and how essential a support system is required afterwards. When she discovered the SRABC via Vantage Point, the Association's commitment of "assisting stroke survivors and their caregivers to improve their overall quality of life, and its vision of "every stroke survivor in BC has respect, inclusion, and support in their home community" really spoke to her. Through her visits to the SRABC’s Shaughnessy and West Vancouver branches, she witnessed how much important good community support meant to the members. She was touched by the passion and dedication of the volunteers and the organizers. Victoria is confident that the Association will continue to bring positive results to stroke survivors and their caregivers Victoria’s Goals 1. Increase SRABC brand awareness and influence; 2. Improve existing operation efficiency; and 3. Broaden SRABC influence to a more diverse membership mix Victoria is determined to work with the rest of the Board to strengthen governance and implement policy where it makes sense to achieving the above goal. She will also work with the Executive Director and the Board in setting the proper strategic direction to make SRABC a better association for stroke survivors to meet their needs. Her action plan includes association partnerships, annual projects for fundraising and continuous improvement. 4 Stroke Recovery Association of BC Spring 2012 Voice Of the Turtle Board Nomination Special Stroke Recovery Association of British Columbia OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING To be held on October 27th 2012 at 10:30am Room #5 (2nd Floor) Creekside Community Centre, #1 Athletes Way Vancouver, British Columbia Registration: 10:30-11:00 am (including refreshments) Annual General Meeting: 11:00 am Sharp Phyllis Delaney Life After Stroke Awards Luncheon: 12:30 pm, please see page 12 for details More details will be sent to your branch on September 24, 2012 For those unable to attend in person there is a proxy voting system available.