The Abbotsford Hospice Society Board of Directors

The Abbotsford Hospice Society has a governance Board with a minimum of ten community members drawn from a range of expertise and skills. They are elected annually by the membership of the Abbotsford Hospice Society at the Annual General Meeting, and they assume fiduciary and philosophical responsibility for the charitable entity legally registered as the Abbotsford Hospice Society.

2008-09 Board Members

JOHN SMITH
Chair

John Smith was a career banker for 42 years, and worked with HSBC Bank Canada for 27, retiring in 2006. His community involvement has been extensive. John served as President of the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce for 3 years in the early '90s. He was elected as School Trustee and served on the Abbotsford School Board for 24 years, and as Board chair for 12. He is a Past Director of the Career Technical Centre (a member of the founding Board). He was Commissioner on the Abbotsford Parks, Recreation and Culture Board for many years, and currently remains a Commissioner. Effective December 2005, he was elected for a 3-years term as Councillor for the City of Abbotsford. John also serves on many communities of the Council, including Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, Finance & Audit, Social Committee, By-Law Committee, CIDAC, etc. In December 2005, he was appointed Director of the F.V. Regional District Board and F.V.R.D. Hospital Board.

John was awarded the Governor General's Canada 125 Medal and the Queen's Jubilee Medal for community service. He is a Rotarian with the Abbotsford Rotary Club, and has been the recipient of two Paul Harris Awards (Rotary medals) for community service. He is also a Charter member of the Abbotsford Executive Association and President of the Friends of UCFV, a non-profit society of business people, citizens and community leaders working to advance UCFV to full university status.

VIVIENNE CHIN
Past Chair

Vivienne Chin is an international justice consultant and a principal of Dandurand, Chin and Associates. She is a Senior Associate of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (Vancouver), a part of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network of Institutes. Her previous experience includes three years as Secretary General of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association in London, UK, and eight years as a Senior Commonwealth Fraud Officer, for the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, an intergovernmental organization based in London, UK.

She is or has been involved in municipal, regional, national and international projects which have included areas such as drugs and human security, crime and drug prevention, marijuana grow operations, corruption and bribery, money laundering, transnational organized crime, terrorism, trafficking in human beings, violence against women, victims and witnesses, juvenile justice, and the evaluation of law enforcement programs as well as operations. She is currently involved in a project on prison reform in Southern Sudan.

Vivienne served on the Board of Directors for the BC Coalition for Safer Communities from 1999 to 2001. She currently Chairs the Board of Directors for the Abbotsford Hospice Society. She is a Member of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Pacific Institution/Regional Health Centre (Corrections Service of Canada). She was also a volunteer organizer with the British Columbia Summer Games of 2004 as well as Director of Culture and Special Events for the 2006 BC Seniors Games in Abbotsford. Vivienne is currently President of the Central Fraser Valley Fiddlers.

ANGELO REA
Vice Chair

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. One of my passions in life as motivational speaker is to communicate and teach others in the area of growth and development. There are many psychological and philosophical issues that we face in life and people need to know that these issues are experiences that bring us through life building experiences. There a many motivational topics, and leadership and employee development sessions available to your organization. As a communicator, my desire is to help facilitate the process of healing to those who are in need of a life changing experience and to coach individuals and businesses to grow and excel through life coaching.

I was born in St. Catherine’s, Ontario and raised in Thorold, Ontario in a family of eight children. You are right, I am from a large Italian family and yes, I am the baby. Of course, I was a mamma’s boy. It was through the experience of losing my mother in 1989 that has given me the compassion and empathy to reach out to others. She was the sweetest and dearest person in my life. My life did change and I took on a role that I want to share with others. When your world is broken and you are suffering through a life crisis you need to know that you are not alone. There is healing and help by working through your crisis.

My educational experience takes me to Tyndale College and University, where I received my Bachelor’s of Theology in 1990. I received my Funeral Directors and Embalming license from the Province of British Columbia in 1994. Then in 1996, I graduated from Trinity Western University with a Master of Theological Studies. My educational experience has greatly helped me to understand human behavior and thought. It also has helped me to practice continuous learning in my related fields.

My background is extensive and my experience in the area of motivational speaking and leadership development is vast. In my past 17 years, my work experience has been in providing support to bereaved families and bringing leadership training and development to my leadership team and employees. Also, I have been a guest speaker at many functions and have written many articles in trade magazines. I began my apprenticeship in Abbotsford, British Columbia with Woodlawn Funeral Home in 1992. The following four years, I was the Manager for Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home and Woodlawn Mt. Cheam Funeral Home in Chilliwack. In the year 2000, I was transferred to Vancouver as the General Manager for Ocean View Funeral Home and Cemetery. In 2003, I became the Manager of Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Care Centre. As of May 2007, I was appointed as the Area Manager of the Fraser Valley Dignity Memorial Funeral Homes, which include Woodlawn and Henderson’s Funeral Homes in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. I also oversee First Memorial Funeral Services in Aldergrove.

ARNO NEUMAN
Secretary

Bio to follow.

LESLIE McCONNELL
Treasurer

Leslie lived on the Sunshine Coast for twenty-three years. She moved to Abbotsford with her husband and daughter in 1996. Leslie is a CGA and a partner of Meyers Norris Penny a local accounting firm. Leslie continues to enjoy giving back to the community through her involvement with AHS.

CHRISTOPH REINERS
Member at Large

Christoph Reiners joined the board of the Abbotsford Hospice Society in October of 2009. He has lived in Abbotsford for the past seven years. Christoph emigrated from Germany in 1992. He holds a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained in Vancouver, BC in 1994. As the parish pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Abbotsford, issues surrounding bereavement and palliative care are both familiar and important to him. Christoph believes that life is better when lived in and for community. Currently, he also serves on the executive of the Abbotsford Christian Leaders Network and is an advocate for pragmatic and compassionate approaches to homelessness. Christoph is married to Jackie and the two are the parents of three school aged boys.

FIONA HARRIS
Member at Large

Married, with one son and has lived in the Fraser Valley for over 33 years. Fiona is the Advertising Manager of The Abbotsford News and has been an active member of the Abbotsford Community for many years.

Fiona has held numerous volunteer positions with the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, including Chair of the Service to Members Committee, 1995 Vice President, and 1996 President of the Chamber of Commerce. Currently, she sits on the Abbotsford Chamber Business Excellence Committee. Fiona is a member of the Abbotsford-Matsqui Rotary Club, and has served in numerous executive positions, including President. She has been awarded a Paul Harris Fellow by the Abbotsford Matsqui Rotary Club. She also serves on the Board of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre, and is currently Board President on the School District #34, Superindent's Community Circle Committee, the Cultural Diversity Awards Committee, Canada Day Committee and Community Leader Awards Committee. She has previously served on the Board of the Abbotsford Symphony, the Board of the Kinsmen Rehabilitation Foundation of British Columbia, the Langley Hospital Capital Campaign Committee, the Cabinet of the United Way of the Fraser Valley, and on the Abbotsford Matsqui Fire Safety Society. She was a member of the Advanced Speakers Club of Vancouver and holds a Toastmasters CTM designation as well as a CAAP designation (Certified Advertising Agency Practitioner) from the Institute of Canadian Advertising.

JOHN RICHARDSON
Member at Large

Born in a small lumbering town with access to Pacific waterways through the Alberni Inlet, Port Alberni became home during John's early years. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he moved to Vancouver with his parents. It was in the east end of this city that he began his education at Lord Nelson School.

In 1950, John's family moved back to the Alberni Valley, where he completed high school at Alberni District High. Following a five-year apprenticeship, he worked for three years as a machinist, then felt called called into ministry with The Salvation Army. He attended The Salvation Army College, served Army congregations across Canada for eighteen years, then spent fifteen years in Public Relations and Development work, raising funds and making known the Army's story to the private and corporate world. He gleaned a broad spectrum of education, during those years, through many conferences and life experiences.

John's work was not carried on alone. One year following graduation from The Salvation Army College and appointment to a small northern town of 5000 in Peace River, Alberta, his life partner, who also graduated the following year from the same Toronto institution, joined him in ministry. Their journey together, John believes, has been the greatest experience of his life. He and his wife were able to share the many areas of ministry presented to them as a couple. Now, five children later, scattered across North America, with nine grandchildren to add to the richness of life, John and his wife feel truly blessed.

Since their retirement in 2002, the skills of two careers are redirected into this, their chosen community.

REX LEONARD
Member at Large

Rex is a long-time resident of the Fraser Valley. He has been involved with the Abbotsford Hospice Society since 1998, serving in various positions on the Board's executive committee, most recently as Chair of the Board of Directors. He is a chartered accountant, and is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

The Abbotsford Hospice Society announces the resignation of Craig Carmichael and Cindy Boury from the Board of Directors. AHS would like to thank Cindy and Craig for their contributions over the years and wishes them all the very best in their future endeavours.