Meet our Team

Board of Directors

Paul Brent

Saturna Island

PRESIDENT

Paul Brent is a Saturna Islander having graduated from a “weekender” in the early 90’s to a full-time resident in 2007. Paul’s career was spent in transportation and resources, in both the public and private sectors, encompassing line and executive level positions and most of the latter half as an independent consultant. Paul is in his third term as an Island Trustee and serves on multiple boards and commissions in the Southern Gulf Islands. He is currently the Chair of the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre.

He drives the Lion’s community bus, has two dogs and a working wife, who keeps him in a style to which he has become accustomed.

Ed Andrusiak

Galiano Island

VICE PRESIDENT

Ed discovered Galiano in the early 1970s, built a house near Stockade Hill in 1986 and retired to the Island full time with his wife Sher in 2010. Ed holds a M.Sc. from UBC and spent most of his professional life in park program operations, planning, design and management. He has worked in parks at all four levels of government, including an eight-year stint on the CRD Galiano Island Parks and Recreation Commission. Ed ran his own private sector consulting company for thirteen years planning and designing interpretive and education programs for parks, museums and visitor centres. He has worked on tourism plans in Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC, including an eco-tourism plan for the Galiano Island Visitor Association in 1988 and the current Experience the Gulf Islands community tourism plan approved by the CRD Board.
Ed continues to work closely with the SGI Community Economic Sustainability Commission and the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership Society as well as with IMERSS a newly formed ecological research non-profit society on Galiano. Ed’s ongoing interests include reconciliation, community investment and developing an appropriate economic model for the southern gulf islands that is not only sustainable, but regenerative.

Peter Paré

Pender Island

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Peter Paré and Lisa Baile have owned property on Pender Island for 39 years and in the last decade Peter has been a volunteer with a number of Pender and Gulf Island groups. He has been Chair of Moving around Pender Alternative Transportation Society which, in partnership with trail groups on the other SGIs, has been instrumental in establishing trails on private land. MAP also initiated the Pender Island Community Bus, “Bussa-Nova” and has provided land transportation on the Penders for the Tour des Iles. Peter is on the Board of the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resources Centre, the Gulf Island Trails Society and has served on the Pender Island Parks and Recreation Commission. Peter is currently Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Pathology at UBC.

He and his partner Lisa Baile built their log house on Pender and are presently active with the Pender Ocean Defenders and the Salish Sea Sinister Sisters and their Misters who are attempting to protect the environment in which we live and specifically the preservation of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Deborah Goldman

Mayne Island

Deborah Goldman is a resident of Mayne Island and has a BA (Women’s Studies and Health Sciences) and a Procurement Certificate. Retired from a 30-year career with the BC Government in Child Welfare Services with vulnerable children and families, Deborah worked not only as a Social Worker and Team Manager but in Finance as a Contract Manager travelling throughout the province. She has lived on Mayne Island for 9 years and is the Mayne Island representative on the CRD’s Southern Gulf Islands Community Economic Sustainability Commission and also represents Mayne on the board of the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre.

Deborah is the president of the Mayne Island Housing Society, the Vice-President and Producer of the Mayne Island Little Theatre, and is a facilitator of the Designing the Future of Mayne Island Strategic Planning Initiative to address sustainability issues of the community. Additional interests include gardening and food security, building her Mayne Island home with her contractor husband, and enjoying the Gulf Island life.

Mike Hoebel

Galiano

Michael Hoebel is a long-time resident of Galiano Island. He earned a Ph.D. in ecology from UBC and is a retired provincial civil servant, former university professor, and secondary school science teacher. He is currently the Galiano representative on the CRD’s Southern Gulf Islands Community Economic Sustainability Commission and also represents Galiano on the board of the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre.

Michael also currently chairs the Galiano Health Care Society, and is Vice-Chair of the Galiano Community Loan Fund Society. He is a member of the Galiano Island Parks and Recreation Commission. Off-island, Michael serves on the boards of the Vancouver Island Community Investment Coop and the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning.

Jean Deschenes

Pender Island

Jean happily discovered Pender Island in 1986 and has never left. After travelling for a year following secondary school, Jean spent 10 years as a tax lawyer’s Legal Assistant. With a combination of legal tax experience and accounting credentials, she became an Income Tax Auditor working in Toronto, and then Vancouver. Upon moving to Pender Island in 1986, Jean provided accounting and business services to individuals and businesses. Since 1992 Jean has owned and operated construction related businesses based on Pender, also serving Mayne, Galiano and Saturna Islands. Working on all the islands gives Jean the opportunity to meet many island residents and experience the different communities.
Currently, Jean volunteers as:
• President - Royal Canadian Legion Pender Island Branch 239
• Commissioner - Southern Gulf Islands Harbour Commission
• Committee Member - Magic Lake Estates Water and Sewer Committee
• Treasurer - Salish Sea Marine Rescue Society, supporting Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue, Station 20, Pender Island
• Treasurer - Magic Lake Property Owners’ Society, supporting Thieves Bay Marina, Magic Lake Tennis Courts and Sea Urchin Playground
Jean likes to volunteer for community projects and events, shares a garden plot at the Pender Island Community Garden, and enjoys the magnificent island life with her two Yorkshire Terriers, Teala and George.

Richard Blagborne

Saturna Island

Richard Blagborne is a retired architect whose professional career included responsibilities for strategic planning, master planning, urban design, exhibition planning and programming, architectural design, and project management.
His interest and profound knowledge of international expositions led to senior appointments with master planning teams at Vancouver Canada’s Expo86, Seville Spain’s Expo92 and independent consulting roles with international exposition planning teams in Germany, Hungary, Portugal and China.
A 30 year resident of Saturna Island, he has led numerous community initiatives such as saving of the East Point Light Station Fog Alarm Building and the creation of the Heritage Centre, the Moby Doll orca symposium “Reflections on Change”, design and construction of the Saturna Ecological Education Centre residential camp, rehabilitation of Saturna’s heritage Community Hall and board member service in several local organizations.
A keen marine heritage enthusiast, he manages the on going care of the community longboat Saturnita, and too large a fleet of his own boats. Occasionally he does manage to run away to sea on his delightful wooden cutter Marie Rose (built on Pender Island 43 years ago).

Staff

Melody Pender

Pender Island

Executive Director, SGI CRC

Melody arrived on Pender Island in 2006 to take on the expansive role of Human Resource Manager at the Poets Cove Resort. Since that time she has been a key figure in the development of many Island initiatives and has worked in a variety of positions. A keen observer of the needs of the Southern Gulf Islands (SGIs), Melody has connected with many people establishing intermediary actors and partnerships to the benefit of organizations and the government. As a community leader embedded in the social networks, shared vision and decision making of the Southern Gulf Islands, Melody became a founding member of the SGI Community Resource Centre which opened in 2016. With a background in Finance and Human Resources, Melody is the current Manager of the SGICRC overseeing a growing staff and the implementation of numerous programs to help build community services on all the SGIs.

Kylie Ali

Pender Island

Program Manager

On Pender Island, Kylie oversees the overall operations of programs with the island coordinators on Mayne, Saturna, and Galiano. She has 13 years of experience in community development, and currently works as a project manager for the City of Surrey and as an on-call teacher at Pender Islands School. Her BA in English and Education help her write reports and create programs that encourage learning. She is known to be an advocate who is always trying to improve the community around her.

Andrea Mills

Pender Island

Program Manager, Volunteer and Youth Engagement Program

Andrea has a background in recreation management (focusing on integration for children with special needs) in both the Children’s Camp and Recreation Centre environments. Since coming to Pender, she has worked primarily at the Community Hall, Health Centre and the Gulf Island Centre for Ecological Learning where she has developed activities and programs for the community. As a volunteer, she has helped develop and run the Community Bus pilot project, the Youth Leadership Program at the Community Hall, and is presently working on the development of a SGI Volunteer Program. The CRC makes use of her capacity with desktop publishing, community networking and program development. Andrea is currently developing a Youth Engagement Program on the Southern Gulf Islands.

Mamie Hutt-Temoana

Pender Island

Program Supervisor, Gulf INLET

Mamie is the former CEO of the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC, an organization that reached out to more than 20,000 beneficiaries with 500 staff and 350 programs. With 30 plus years of experience planning and developing organizations in addition to their management and evaluation, Mamie has worked for legislative offices, community service agencies as well as a variety of social enterprises. In 2014, Mamie opened the Salmonberry Inn on Pender Island which received several hospitality awards. She is currently the Program Manager of the Edu-Tourism Sustainability Project of the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre (SGICRC) and is helping the Southern Gulf Islands to build capacity within their social, cultural and environmental ecosystem. Dedicated to fostering knowledge of best practices for community organizations both in BC and overseas, she brings with her expansive community and international development experience in 10 countries in the South Pacific, Eastern Europe, South East Asia as well as Canada.

Monica Morten

Saturna Island

Island Coordinator, Gulf INLET

Monica Morten, MA is a clinical counsellor with over 20 years of experience working in the field of counselling and non-profits. She is committed to helping bring sustainable, education-based tourism to the SGI’s. Monica enjoys developing programs and special events that involve the local community and working with local stakeholders to increase community engagement. Originally from North Vancouver, she now makes her home on the beautiful Saturna Island.

Veronica Vos

Saturna Island

Island Coordinator
Veronica has lived on Saturna Island for 5 years. As a young resident, she is passionate about the social and economic health of our islands. She has worked in a wide array of Customer service-based jobs including owning and operating her own local business. The experiences have helped her understand how important it is to be able to access local resources and programs. She is excited to be part of the Southern Gulf Island Resource Centre team in the hopes of being able to help local area residents access the resources they need to live a viable and sustainable life on the beautiful island of Saturna.

Max Stockholder

Mayne Island

Island Coordinator

Max Stockholder comes to us with experience working in food security, mental health, poverty reduction, and homelessness. He has a passion for program development, community building, and food security. Before working in social services, Max was a graphic designer for the Yellow Pages Group and holds a diploma in Interactive Design. Max has been a Mayne Island part-timer his whole life and has recently made the move to full-time resident, along with his wife Vanessa, son August, and baby daughter Ruth. He is very friendly so say hello when you see him out and about.

Carol Wilson

Galiano Island

Island Coordinator

Carol has worked for and with community businesses & organizations both on and off-island including the Access to Media Education & Activity Centre Societies locally; Kitsilano Neighbourhood House & Vancouver Rape Relief in Vancouver & also managing operations in a community development project living and working on a remote Fijian Island.
With Galiano as home base for 23 years, Carol’s professional life in the travel industry has led her to live and work across Canada and 7 countries abroad. She is deeply appreciative of diversity, equity and social inclusion and this, balanced with her ease of connecting with people wherever she touches down, keeps Carol an empathetic advocate with practical skills & knowledge to work with the CRC team in the community to develop programming to enhance & expand island living.

Priscilla Maki

Pender Island

Career Advisor, Employment Services

Priscilla moved to Pender Island in 2018. She has worked in the public school system as a classroom teacher, librarian, and counsellor. She comes from a diverse background where she facilitated ESL and GED classes in a private postsecondary school. She also counselled substance abuse client in a treatment centre and in remote communities.
She has a keen interest in career development and enjoys helping clients become excited about all aspects of a job search: discovering their skills, promoting their strengths, and finding employment. Priscilla has a M.ED in Counselling Psychology and is a Certified Career Practitioner.
Priscilla likes to keep busy and is an avid walker, cyclist, sewer and builder.

Tania Honan

Pender Island

Administrator, Employment Services

Tania moved to Pender Island in 2002, building a home and raising a family. She has worked for non-profits for 11+ years, and has 20+ years of experience in Bookkeeping and Admin, with a diploma in accounting. Tania initiated the local Pender Organic Community Garden Society, is actively involved with Pender Solstice Theatre Society, has served as the Coordinator for the Friday Community Gathering, served on several society boards, and in general, supports events and projects that contribute to overall community wellbeing.

Jim Peacock

Pender Island

Program Coordinator, Community Justice Program

Jim has been a Pender Islander since 2010. As the first President of the SGICRC, he couldn’t be happier to see how far the centre has come in the last few years. He has been involved with Restorative Justice since 2012 after a career as an instructor and program coordinator at Vancouver Community College. Today, he and the volunteers in the program are excited to bring the CJP’s vision of “inclusivity, accountability, compassion and respect” to all the Southern Gulf Islands.