Board of Directors 2011/2012

Bob Cronin, Chair

Bob retired as an Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for the Province of BC and also served as a professional social worker, executive, and Deputy Minister in the BC Ministry of Social Services. Bob has served on numerous boards and committees and has served Beacon Community Services' Board since 2006. He and his wife, Charlotte, have lived in Esquimalt for the past 36 years.

Penny Thomsen, Vice-Chair

Penny and her husband, George Glover, have lived in North Saanich since 2006. She retired as the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, in 2004. Penny was also the Board Chair of the Local Health Integration Network in Central Toronto.

She currently also sits on the Board of Impact BC, an organization designed to work across BC's health system to support service improvement, and chairs the Board of Directors of the North American Quitline Consortium. She has volunteered as a member of Beacon Community Services' Board since 2008.

Detlef Beck

A former manager with Vancity Credit Union's Community Investment division, Detlef is now a consultant in the fields of organizational and community development. His professional life has included responsibility for developing and implementing a regional commercial investment strategy for Vancity, leading social initiatives at Dockside Green (a LEED platinum development in Victoria), and serving as a manager of Community Economic Development at Coast Capital Savings.

Detlef has more than 30 years of experience in business and community economic development in BC and has served as a city councillor for Kitimat and director of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, as a director of the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, and as a director on numerous non-profit boards in the Community Living movement.

Currently a director of the United Way of Greater Victoria, Detlef has also taught in the SFU Community Economic Development Diploma program throughout BC. He continues to mentor business students at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University. He and his partner Courtney have resided in Victoria for the past six years. Detlef has been a member of Beacon Community Services' Board since 2010.

Ian Boorman, Executive Member-at-Large

Ian joined the Board in 2007. He is past President of Boorman Investment Co. which is a company involved in Property Management, General Insurance, and Real Estate sales and leasing. He has also served as a director on the Victoria Real Estate Board, as director and Commodore of the Capital City Yacht Club, and he is a member of the Victoria Entrepreneurial Club and Uplands Golf Club. Ian and his wife Sandy live in Oak Bay, where they've resided for more than 40 years.

Geri Hinton

Geri is retired from a successful career in health-related administration, policy, research and education. Her professional background includes serving as CEO of a not-for-profit home care agency, working as director for the British Columbia Office for Seniors, and providing counsel to the BC Continuing Care program and the Response Office for the Seaton Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs. A Registered Nurse, Geri also applied her expertise to teaching RN students and to clinical community practice.

A volunteer with St. John Canada for more than 40 years, Geri is currently a member of that organization's BC/Yukon Provincial Council and its Honours and Awards Committee. She was also elected its vice chancellor, community services, Priory of Canada.

In addition to her service to St. John and Beacon Community Services, Geri currently serves as chair of UVic's Centre on Aging Advisory Board and is a member of the World Health Organization and Public Working Agency of Canada's working group on disaster preparedness and vulnerable populations. She also sits as a committee member of the BC Ministry of Health's Patients as Partners Project as well as its committee on Dementia Protocols in acute care and emergency.

Geri, who is widowed, lives in Saanich with her dog, Willow, where she has resided for more than 27 years. She frequently visits with her grown daughter, who lives in Victoria, and with her adult son and his family in North Vancouver.

Sue Hodgson

A resident of Greater Victoria for more than 25 years, Sue spent her childhood along the shores of the Bay of Chaleur, in Dalhousie, the northernmost town of New Brunswick and a culturally rich and diverse community with three main culture groups: the Micmacs, Acadians and Celtics. Besides enjoying the daily lifestyle of beachcombing, boating and windsurfing, Sue grew up in a family committed to forest management and a love for fish and wildlife. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a BA in Social Sciences, and her professional background is  in publishing. She has served as director of Page One Publishing and is former publisher of the Peninsula News Review and Boulevard Magazine. She is now the owner of Seaside Times, a Saanich Peninsula community publication dedicated to exploring the people, places and ideas of our West Coast culture. Sue has been a member of the Board of Directors for Beacon Community Services since 2007  and lives in North Saanich with her two school-aged children.

Jo-Anne Kahan

A lawyer with her own practice in Brentwood Bay, Jo-Anne has previously served as a research and policy analyst for British Columbia's ministries of Finance and the Attorney General.

Prior to undertaking the study of law, Jo-Anne's professional experience also included a strong background in business and management. In addition to other positions, she served as Assistant Executive Director for the Lower Nicola Indian Band, managed various administrative aspects of a 220-bed extended care facility in her capacity as an office manager, and operated her own research consulting firm, where she provided a range of government, business, and non-profit clients with advice in strategic planning, marketing, policy and business development.

Jo-Anne's previous community service has included serving as treasurer for minor hockey associations, as an advisor at the University of Victoria's Law Clinic, and as a director of the Independent Living Housing Society. She currently serves as Chair of the Independent Living Housing Society's Board of Directors.

In addition to her Juris Doctorate in Law, Jo-Anne holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with a major in Labour Relations and a minor in Marketing. A Peninsula resident since 1999, Jo-Anne and her spouse, George, have six children, five grandchildren, two cats and two dogs.

Keith Rolfe, Treasurer

Keith joined the Board in 2009. Currently retired, he is a Chartered Accountant and was a partner with Deloitte & Touche from 1977 to 1991; his final two years were as a National Partner.

Keith's list of professional and community activities is substantial. Some highlights include: acting as a lay bencher for the Law Society of Alberta; serving on the Police Advisory Committee for the Town of Sidney; chairing the Eye Care Disciplines Advisory Committee (Alberta); chairing the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Board in Calgary; being a volunteer consultant with the Canadian Executive Services Organization (CESO); and hearing appeals under the Health Professions Act in Alberta. During his time on the Board, he has continued as a volunteer in BCS's community volunteer income tax program.

Keith and his wife, Angela, have lived in Sidney for the past five years.

Chuck Rowe

Chuck is a recently retired healthcare executive with 38 years of experience in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. For 31 years, he served with the Vancouver Island Health Authority in various leadership roles including Vice- President Human Resources and Executive Director for Central Island. He has served as Executive Director of the Royal Jubilee Hospital and the Victoria General Hospital as well as site Administrator for Saanich Peninsula Hospital.

Chuck has served as past Chairman of the Board of the Healthcare Leaders Association of British Columbia and has been awarded Honorary Life Fellowship in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Canadian College of Health Service Executives.
A graduate of Sir George Williams University in Montreal, he holds a post-graduate Diploma in Health Administration from the University of Toronto. He has held the position of Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, at the University of British Columbia.

Chuck is an active member of the mentorship program at the University of Victoria, has served with the United Way of Victoria for over 30 years, and has co-chaired the Health Division of the United Way Campaign Cabinet. Chuck has lived in Saanich for 31 years.

Sue Wilson, Board Secretary

A Beacon Community Services' Board member since 2010, Sue's background is in information technology (IT) management. For 15 years, she worked in a variety of roles in the healthcare IT field. Sue has a wealth of experience at the executive level in both the private and public sectors and in Ontario, BC and the United States. She chaired the volunteer board of the Toronto chapter of Children's International Summer Villages and has been a participant in the Leadership Victoria program. Her last position before retiring was with Sierra Systems, as the Director for the Health and Human Services sector in Victoria.

Sue and her husband, Al Hurd, have resided in Victoria for the past six years.

Isobel Mackenzie, Ex Officio

Isobel has been the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer for Beacon Community Services for more than fifteen years. She has an extensive background in community services and has spent her career in the public and not-for-profit sector. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Victoria, a Certificate in Health Care Leadership from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Science degree in Public Policy with the University of London.

Isobel has worked for the provincial government with the Ministry of Finance and was a senior research analyst with the Economic Development Commission. She has published papers on the retirement industry in Victoria and on sick leave utilization in the home support industry.

In addition to her professional work, Isobel has served her community on a wide number of initiatives and has served as a publicly-elected School Trustee for the Greater Victoria School District.