Board of Directors

Executive:

Sheldon Cleaves

President
My involvement with ALS started 20 years ago, in 1997 when my mother (by adoption), was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 79 and passed away a short time later.
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Vice President
I am a 59-year-old retired lawyer. I am married with two adult children. My husband, John Legge, is also a lawyer currently practising at Gall Legge Zwack in Vancouver. I grew up in Edmonton and attended university there.
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Donna Bartel

Immediate Past President
Donna has been involved with the ALS Society since her mom’s diagnosis late 1999.
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Ian Hayward

Secretary

Ian’s connection with the ALS community commenced with his brother, Geoff’s diagnosis in 2018. Ian was profoundly impressed by what the society was able to offer his brother on his journey with the disease and when Geoff passed in 2020, Ian was inspired to make himself available to the Society to assist in any way possible.
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Norm Louie

Treasurer & Chair of Finance Committee
Recently retired as CFO for the Overwaitea Food Group which runs the Save On Foods, Coopers Foods and Urban Fare supermarket chains, Norm and his wife, Lisa, just saw the additions of two more grandchildren to the family.
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Dr. Elizabeth Bannerman

Director & Chair of Psychological Support Program, Member – Pt. Services Committee
Dr. Bannerman is a Registered Psychologist in the province of British Columbia. The scope of her practice is in health and rehabilitation psychology, and the treatment of depression, trauma, and anxiety disorders.
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Directors:

Jas Baweja

Director
I first started volunteering with the ALS Society of BC in 2015, wanting to give back while searching for my own path after graduating with my Bachelor’s degree.
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Bob Bryant

Director
Bob was born in Vancouver and grew up in Richmond BC. He moved to Surrey in 1983 to raise a family where he currently lives with his wife Karen of 43 years. He has two adult children and four grandchildren.
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Jeff Derby

Director
I retired from Western Forest Products after 28 years as manager of the Western Red Cedar division overseeing sales in excess of $200 million per year.
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Linda Fontana

Director, Member – Pt. Services & Fund Development Committees
Linda Fontana grew up in Kelowna BC and after university she lead and supported business since 1988, as a business owner, consultant, speaker, business training development and recruitment specialist in Canada and the United States.
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Louise Gauthier

Director
Louise became involved with ALS Society of BC in 2018 after her Mum (Linda) passed away with limb onset. From the tremendous support Linda received from ALS BC through the Loans Cupboard, counseling, and Support Group it felt natural for Louise to give back after her Mum passed away.
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Brad MacKenzie

Director, Member – Advocacy Committee
Prior to exhibiting the first symptoms of ALS in 2016, at the age of 30, Brad MacKenzie graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Science (Electrical Engineering).
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Ellen Mahoney

Director at Large, Pt. Services Coordinator and Support Group Facilitator in Victoria
Ellen Mahoney infuses passion, creativity, energy and fun into everything she does. Drawing on her extensive clinical background in health care, she brings a compassionate and genuine approach to everything she does.
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Erin Sowerby Greene

Director and Mid Island Walk Coordinator
Erin Sowerby Greene was born and raised in Aldergrove, BC and relocated to Nanaimo in 2018 where she now lives with her two dogs, cat, horse and husband. She is a graduate of UBC and BCIT and works in the field of natural resources.
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Dave Walman

Director & Chair of Patient Services Committee, Member – Fraser Valley Walk Committees
Dave has been associated with ALS BC since 2004 when his wife was diagnosed with ALS. At that time, he and his wife were both nurses working at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
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Jim Williams

Director, Member – Finance & Advocacy Committees
Named for his grandfather, founder of Williams Moving & Storage, Jim is still leading the William’s Group into its 90th year in 2019 as a property holding company.
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Honourary Life Directors:

Dr. Andrew Eisen MD., FRCPC

Director, Member – Pt. Services Committee and Honourary Life Director
Dr. Andrew Eisen is presently Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia. He is a graduate of the University of Leeds in England (1959).
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Dr. Charles Krieger

Honourary Life Director
Dr. Krieger is the Professor of Kinesiology at SFU. He is focused on a cure, or effective treatment for ALS. He frequently does neurological testing at the GF Strong ALS Clinic.
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