One British Columbian has been named and five have been reappointed to the board of directors for Community Living BC (CLBC), to oversee the organization and its operations within the policy, mandate and budget set by the B.C. government.

The board of directors brings together individuals with a wide range of experiences and skills. The board includes people who are actively involved in the community living sector, including one self advocate and parents of children with developmental disabilities and special needs.

Continuity on the board provides the needed stability as CLBC moves forward on implementing the 12 recommendations identified in the deputy ministers' review of the agency, released earlier this year. This work is improving supports and services for people with developmental disabilities and their families and will continue under the stewardship of an experienced board.

Minister of Social Development Stephanie Cadieux has been working with the board of directors over the past nine months to ensure the board is aligned with government's plan to improve cross-government supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Each board member is committed to making the changes necessary at CLBC to deliver on the 12 recommendations.

The new member is John McCulloch, who is active in his community as director of the Planned Life Advocacy Network and Tyze Networks of Care. He is also the former vice president of the Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports and former president of the Whole Dyslexia Society. He has a son with special needs who recently graduated from high school. Reappointed for one additional term are Denise E. Turner (chair), Mark Duncan, Norah Flaherty, Ernest H. Malone and Arn van Iersel.

Board members are appointed by the Minister of Social Development for a term of up to three years. The minister may renew a board member for one additional term of up to three years.

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Melody Wey
Ministry of Social Development
250 508-5030

BACKGROUNDER

Community Living BC - board member biographies

New board member:

John McCulloch
John is active in his community as director of the Planned Life Advocacy Network and Tyze Networks of Care. He is also the former vice president of Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports and former president of the Whole Dyslexia Society. He has a son with special needs who recently graduated from high school in Vancouver. John completed his A Levels at Trinity College, Glenalmond in Scotland, and holds an MA in economics and law from St. John's College, Cambridge University.

Reappointed board members:

Mark Duncan
Mark is a professional engineer with a masters degree in public administration. He is currently president of AeroEdge Consulting Inc. specializing in strategic transportation, security and aviation assignments. In addition, Mark is a board member of the BC Corps of Commissionaires and vice chair and secretary of the British Columbia Aviation Council.

Norah Flaherty
Norah has been involved with the advisory committee to the Community Living BC board as a parent of a child with a developmental disability. She has also served on the board of the École Française Internationale de Vancouver and has held various executive positions on the parent advisory committees of the Vancouver school board. Norah is also a member of the Autism Society of BC and volunteers with the Disabled Ski Association of BC.

Ernest H. Malone
Ernest retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2005 as the chief superintendent, corporate management officer for B.C. and the Yukon. He is also a board member and past president of the board of directors for the Vancouver Oral School for Deaf Children.

Denise E. Turner
Denise is a recipient of HRH Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Award for outstanding service to British Columbia and to Canada. She has served on several boards of directors in the past including vice chair of the board of the BC Provincial Health Services Authority; board chair of the YWCA of Vancouver; board chair of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland; and a director and trustee of the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies.

Arn van Iersel
Arn is semi-retired after a 31-year career with the Province of British Columbia, having served as deputy minister for the Ministry of Children and Family Development, as comptroller general and as acting auditor general.

Current board members:

Darryl Harand
Darryl is a self-advocate with a long history in working at the local and provincial levels of the developmental disability community. Darryl also sits on the board of the BC Self-Advocacy Foundation and is a society liaison for the Kelowna and District Association for Community Living. He has supported people with developmental disabilities to advocate for themselves.

Elizabeth Hunt
Elizabeth is a Kwakiutl First Nation lawyer and also a professor at Thompson Rivers University. She has a long history of volunteerism in community. She coaches skiing on weekends, and is a member of the Equity and Diversity Committee of the Law Society of BC. Elizabeth is a mother of two young children and lives in Williams Lake.

Roberta Kjelson
Roberta spent her 34-year-long career in communications both in the public and private sector. She has extensive involvement in the Kamloops community through the B.C. Games for Athletes with a Disability, the Kidney Foundation of B.C. and other organizations. Roberta currently serves on the board of trustees for the Kamloops Art Gallery.

Janet Marston
Janet is involved in various community and professional associations. She currently serves on the board of directors for Women's Health Research Institute and also chair of the Human Resources and Governance Committee at Community Living BC.

For a full biography of each board member, please visit CLBC's website at: http://www.communitylivingbc.ca/about/board-of-directors/

Contact:

Melody Wey
Ministry of Social Development
250 508-5030