• Amanda Brown - North Vancouver
• Elsie Gerdes – Armstrong/Vernon
• Jim Poole – Delta
• Sue McIntosh (formerly Thomson) – White Rock
• Leanne Lange – Port Moody
• Margaret Easton – Port Coquitlam
• Sandra Goth – Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island
• Brian Zeiner – Langley

Sherry Baker is the part-time Executive Director and Linda Hall is the part-time Executive Assistant. There are Regional Mentors throughout the province who support the work of the Association.

Board Bios

Amanda Brown - North Vancouver

Amanda was Secretary of the Board of Directors for 2010–2011 and previously completed two years as Co-Chair. She is BCACRN’s link to Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. Amanda, a social worker, is VCH’s lead on issues related to the Adult Guardianship Act and with specific focus on abuse, neglect and self-neglect of vulnerable adults. Her role is to support staff, provide education, develop and roll out materials related to VCH responsibilities and to work and partner with community agencies in this area. Amanda was one of the founding members of the North Shore CRN, and was their Co-Chair from 2001 – 2003. Amanda has a particular interest in integrating less formal supports into community responses in keeping with the spirit of being least intrusive and most effective in the legislation so that all resources are used most appropriately. She lives and plays in North Vancouver with her husband and two sons.

Elsie Gerdes – Armstrong/Vernon

Dr. Elsie Gerdes was a member of the Age-Friendly Leaders Partnership which has now been integrated into the Seniors’ Healthy Living Advisory Network of which she is a member. She is Past-President of the BC Old Age Pensioners Organization(BCOAPO). In this capacity she served as a member of the Premier’s Council from October 2005 to November 2006, at which time the Council presented its report, “Aging Well in BC” to the provincial government. Since then, she has tried to keep the Council’s 16 main recommendations in the public forum, working as an advocate to promote and defend the best interests of elder citizens in BC. She is a member of the Vernon/Lumby/Armstrong Community Response Network. She is also a former Municipal Councilor and past chair of the North Okanagan Regional Health Board. With over 36 years of community health experience, Elsie has received many awards, including a UNBC Honourary Doctoral degree of Laws, where she played an instrumental role in bringing the University to fruition. As well, she received the James Robinson Memorial award from UBC for significant contributions to Public Health. During her public health experience she was regional representative to the Registered Nurses’ Association of BC, a board member of the BC Public Health Association, and the BC Healthy Communities Association. In all these capacities she developed collaborative relationships with many diverse players. In her time off she grows orchids and enjoys walks with her dog.

Jim Poole – Delta

Jim is a long standing member of the BCACRN Board acting as the role of founding Treasurer, a position which he continues to hold. He has given continuous guidance and support to the board and staff with regard to the financial health of the Association. Jim has served as chairperson of the Delta CRN from 1997 to 2003. He is now a community member of the Delta CRN. Jim has been involved in social services for all his working career, being involved in various aspects of fundraising, public relations and other related activities.

Sue McIntosh (formerly Thomson) – White Rock

Sue is standing for re-election for the BCACRN board after serving one – two year term. Sue has been the Executive Director of the White Rock/Surrey Come Share Society for the past 32 years. During Sue’s tenure with the Society she has expanded the services and programs to better meet the growing needs of seniors in Surrey/White Rock. Current programming is designed to support seniors and their families through a combination of on-site programs such as the Day Programs for Older Adults and community programs such as the Senior Connectors, Meal Programs and the 140 Friendly Visitors Volunteers. Trained originally in Sociology/Psychology, Sue has continually augmented her skills and training to ensure that the growing population of people 65+ have programs and services that empower and educate them. She identifies skills in developing grant applications, organizational issues, education, and a passion to go beyond the ‘status quo’. In her off time she enjoys her family, hiking, skiing, scuba diving, gardening, winemaking, dancing, traveling and, best of all, reading.

Leanne Lange - Port Moody

Leanne works as the Clinical Specialist, Adult Abuse & Neglect at Fraser Health Authority. In this role she provides clinical consultation, support, and education to staff across the Fraser Health Region who responds to situations of abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults. Leanne shares the role of chairperson with Margaret Easton. When Leanne is not at work she enjoys spending time with her daughters, husband and their dog.

Margaret Easton - Port Coquitlam

Margaret has over 30 years experience in Financial Institutions, working with Canadian Chartered Banks, Trust Companies and Credit Unions. In addition, Margaret has obtained her Bachelor of General Studies, a Baccalaureate in Women’s Studies, a BC Instructors’ Certificate, a Masters degree in Liberal studies and an Elder Planning Certificate. Margaret’s experience with her customers over the years has increased her awareness of the importance of providing education, policies and appropriate products to meet the evolving needs of Canadians for tools that will address life planning issues, fraud preventions, capacity issues, and assisted decision making. Margaret has worked with a number of community agencies to provide public awareness seminars, has worked closely with the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies, and has been accepted into SFU’s Gerontology degree program commencing in September 2011.

Sandra Goth – Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island

Sandra has worked for the last 20 years as a service provider and manager in the West Kootenays and on Vancouver Island. She is on the board of Cowichan Green Community and Abbeyfield Pennell House. She has served on the board of the United Community Services Cooperative and the BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses. She is a member of the Cowichan Hospice Society, the House of Friendship Society and Women in Black. She has worked as a Board Development consultant. Her present involvement with Abbeyfield has piqued her interest in issues of concern to older adults. Sandra has experience in journalism, facilitation, writing letters of support and position papers, editing proposals and writing policy. She is the mother of six adult children and numerous grandchildren. Her special interests are writing, painting, reading and hiking.

Brian Zeiner – Langley

Brian Zeiner, a lifelong learner, maintains a successful organization effectiveness practice based on 20 plus years experience coaching corporate, owner operator and non-profit organizations and cultures. Brian specializes in creating change-capable organizations, continuous improvement programs for speed and flexibility, conflict resolution, assessing and measuring team and work environment effectiveness, management and leadership training and development - resulting in an increase in productivity, efficiency, cost saving, employee and client/member satisfaction for long term economic success and sustainability.

Until 2003, the PGTBC provided modest funding to communities to support the development of CRNs. This initiative arose from the implementation of Part 3 of the Adult Guardianship Act: Support and Assistance for Abused and Neglected Adults. While the initial implementation phase is winding down, the many CRNs in the province continue to need on-going permanent funding and support. The PGTBC gave the Association a “kick start” with a very generous donation presented at the BC CEAS (B.C. Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors) Annual General Meeting in September of 2003. In March of 2004, communities received their first funding from the Association to continue their important and necessary work.

The purposes of the Association are:

• To promote safe communities, through the development of community networks where individuals and private and public sector organizations can participate in activities to prevent abuse, neglect and self-neglect of adults
• To support communities in their responses to adults who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing abuse, neglect or self-neglect
• To sustain these community networks by establishing a diversified funding base for their activities
• To support other initiatives that benefit adults experiencing or at risk of experiencing abuse, neglect or self-neglect
• To receive gifts, bequests, funds and property, and to hold, invest, administer and distribute funds and property for the purposes of the Association; and
• To do all such other things as are incidental and ancillary to the attainment of the foregoing purposes and the exercise of the powers of the Association.

• Every CRN in the province that is active or has funds is recognized by the Board of Directors and is able to appoint one representative to be a voting member of the Association.
• Meetings may be held by teleconference, electronically, or in person.
• Voting may be done by voice, e-mail, regular mail or in person.
• We will always strive to make decisions by consensus, and this principle will be reflected in our policies.

Constitution and Bylaws Revised as of January 1, 2012

To learn more about the provincial and local roles of CRNs, click here - 150Kb PDF