Staff

Executive Director

Ron brings a variety of executive leadership experiences to the AHS. His progressive career spans int’l experiences in advanced education, allied health care & in marketing & communications with CBC TV.  His interest in hospice & palliative care was cultivated through his senior leadership position with Canuck Place Children’s Hospice in Van. & more recently with the Canadian Cancer Society.  Ron & his wife Mary Ellen are former long term residents of Abby.

Bereavement Services Manager

Myra joined the AHS staff in 2014.  Her education, work history, and volunteer roles prepared her for the work, but it was the death of her late husband that gave her a deep appreciation for good grief support. 

Myra has a dual-track in her work: one is to offer grief support to adults through one-to-one companioning and a variety of grief support groups; and the other is education. Myra facilitates the training program for those who wish to engage as client support volunteers and she also is available to speak to community groups.    

Palliative Services Manager

Tina has always been interested in the Hospice movement and began her work with the Abbotsford Hospice Society as a volunteer grief support companion, offering support to the dying  and to those grieving the death of a loved one. Her current staff position of Palliative Services Manager was preceded by the staff position of Volunteer Coordinator. Tina’s understanding and appreciation of the mission of AHS and of the role of the volunteer enabled  her to recruit, encourage, and equip the volunteer team. When the Palliative Services Manager position became open, Tina served in that capacity alongside the duties of Volunteer Coordinator. It was at that time that Tina recognized that her passion was to build a program that would effectively serve and support those who are dying  and their families, whether in Holmberg House, in the hospital, or in the community. 

Children's Services Manager

Leanne had the fortune of joining the AHS team in September 2018. Her educational and professional background is rooted in the helping sciences where she has worked with individuals from infancy through late-adulthood. Her personal experiences have greatly deepened her dedication to helping others; being mom to 3 incredible kiddos and becoming a widow in 2016. Her hope is to help children better understand their grief, as well as promote healthy ways for managing it. Honoured by the opportunity to work alongside kids, supporting their positive growth, Leanne is also inspired by the resilience she sees within the kids and families, as well as the colleagues and volunteers she works with at AHS.

Children's Services Coordinator

Youth Program Manager & Complex Care Counsellor

Dr. Jassal joins the AHS as of 2017 and brings with her a kaleidoscope of diverse skills from a cosmopolitan upbringing. She specializes in global matters such as: holistic health and wellness, counselling, death, dying and bereavement, research, conference work, and more. Lakhbir is trained in a number of approaches and believes that no single psychological method is right for everyone. Further, Dr. Jassal considers herself a humanitarian, explorer & yoga enthusiast.

Day Hospice Program Manager

Cyndi joined AHS  in August 2019 as the Day Hospice Program Manager. Cyndi’s first touch point with Abbotsford Hospice was many years ago, when attending an Adult Grief Support Group following the sudden loss of a loved one. Cyndi brings with her a varied background in the healthcare field, as well as years of volunteer service within the community. The past decade and more, has been focused on supporting persons living with dementia and their families. This is a journey Cyndi knows well, as she was a primary support & caregiver for her family and mother, who lived with Alzheimer’s disease. Cyndi is excited to begin this new chapter with AHS. Away from work, Cyndi enjoys the gifts of nature – walking, paddle boarding, skiing, travelling and spending time with her blossoming family. 

Donor Relations & Development Manager

Marion is a results oriented executive and entrepreneur with in depth experience in the private, not for profit and government sectors. Her career includes developing a warranty business that became a market leader in the automotive sector. Marion’s public sector and industry experience has demonstrated her ability to influence public policy at the highest level, provincially and nationally.  She has been involved with AHS in a variety of ways since 2002.

Development Officer, Community Giving

Tania joins the AHS Team as of October 2018 and brings with her a broad range of experience from an eclectic background in Hospitality, Media and Event Coordination.  Recently, she has worked for the Chilliwack RBC Cup as the Volunteer Coordinator, Rogers Broadcasting Inc., The Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce and Chilliwack Community Services as the Event Coordinator.  Through her sponsorship affiliation with Rogers Broadcasting, she became exposed and appreciative of AHS and the wonderful services that they provide. As a recent graduate of the Canadian Tourism College Event Management Certification Program, Tania brings a passion for raising funds and connecting to the community through events and relationships.  She enjoys the arts, music, hiking, horseback riding, cooking, many water sports, traveling, spending time with family and friends and is a lover of animals.

Development Officer, Major Giving

​

Finance Director

Angie has been working part-time at AHS since September 2012.  She brings with her over 20 years of experience, including her work for a number of non-profit organizations.  Over the last 5 years, Angie has also been working towards a degree in E-Commerce with an accounting major through Athabasca University.  When she’s not working for the AHS, she can be found around town with her husband and 3 children.

Office Manager/Communications & Marketing

Heidy joined the AHS team in 2015. Her role consists of part-time at the front desk where she enjoys greeting visitors and guests as they walk in the front door and part-time in the marketing/communications role. It is a great balance of both. Since starting with hospice, she has learned a great deal about the invaluable service that is provided to the community through our programs and feels honoured to work in such an amazing place. During her time off, she enjoys creating art, reading, spending time with friends and her four children.

Client/Office Coordinator

Susanne joined AHS in November 2018 working part-time as the Office/Client Coordinator. Susanne learned about the Abbotsford Hospice at the beginning of 2018 and volunteered her services to assist patients and families in documenting their family photos and stories. She then took the Volunteer Training and began as a volunteer in August 2018 at Holmberg House on the 2nd floor and continues to be a volunteer. Susanne loves genealogy & photography and lives in Langley with her husband and has two grown sons.

Volunteer Coordinator

Joining the staff in 2019, Beckie’s professional and volunteer experience has prepared her for a season of robust service at Holmberg House, Abbotsford’s Hospice. Beyond working with different faith communities and owning her own local business, Beckie has consistently functioned in volunteer capacities – doing everything from conducting Christmas orchestras to serving on Elementary School PACs to providing grief support for students.

She came to appreciate the need for a Hospice/Palliative process when her Dad passed away in 2002. She is thrilled to provide support for the AHS team as Volunteer Coordinator. Beckie and her husband Jarrett live on Glenn Mountain in Abbotsford. They have five dearly loved kids, two of which are away at University and are missed terribly. (But there IS less laundry to do)