Meet the GHS Board

The GHS Board meets at least once a month. If you have questions or comments for the Board please email our president at info@gabriolahousing.ca.

The Society’s Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings are announced by the Board to all members by personal email, advertised in the newspaper, posted on our Facebook page, and also posted on this website’s Home Page.

Education, housing, finance and board experience

• Worked as an adult educator, including teaching group facilitation skills
• Involved in affordable housing issues on Gabriola for ten years
• Understands the general structures and procedures of the Islands Trust
• Understands general financial management of non-profit organizations
• 25 years of experience serving on boards of registered charities, including serving as Secretary, Treasurer, President.

Environmental standards and regulations, government liaison, business finance, and board experience

• Senior technical resource person for Canada’s largest environmental testing company
• 20 years of experience on not for profit Boards, including GIRO
• Liaises regularly with provincial and federal governments on environmental matters
• Previously president of $10 million company
• Many years of experience with business finance
• Previously Treasurer of GIRO

Secretary: Carol Hemrich

Housing, Education, advocacy, landlord experience, and Board experience

• Served on the Board of People for a Healthy Community, Gabriola
• Worked in education at public and university levels (30+ years)
• Involved in affordable housing issues on Gabriola for 5+ years
• Advocacy on senior’s issues, housing and health care
• Serving as GHS rep on the GILSS Board
• Landlord experience for 35 years, including currently

Board member: Dave Adair

High performance builder and community-focussed employer with board experience

• 18-years owner operator of Blackfish Homes
• Focus on energy-efficient homes and renovations
• Sits on multiple boards within the homebuilders’ association
• Local employment provider to an island team of 10
• Part-time hobby farmer and beekeeper

Board member: Kristina Baerg

• Has been both a landlord and a renter
• Experience working with marginalized people including BC First Nations, persons with disabilities, people living in poverty and women survivors of domestic violence
• Experience in group facilitation, negotiation and mediation, and conflict resolution
• Experience in policy development and drafting legal agreements
• Conference, special project and festival planning and management experience
• Has served on the board of non-profit organizations and advisory committees; currently with the Board of the Gabriola Island Memorial Society working to establish a site for green burial on Gabriola

Board member: Jennefer Laidley

Communications, government liaison and advocacy, community outreach, board experience

• 20+ years experience working in non-profit policy, advocacy and communications roles
• Served as lead on numerous complex communications initiatives, research projects, advocacy activities, and community-based campaigns
• Extensive experience with poverty-related issues including affordable housing policy advocacy
• 20+ years of experience on non-profit boards
• Currently serves on the Gabriola Island Advisory Planning Commission and volunteers at People for a Healthy Community
• Lead researcher and writer of the 2020 Gabriola Health Report

Board member: Bill McCallum

Non-profit and co-op housing; tenants’ rights and Rentalsman issues; mediation; project management

• Has rented and house shared
• Board member or consultant for the founding of several non-profit and co-op housing projects in northern BC and lower mainland
• Participated in submissions for the original Rentalsman and Tenant Rights Act and two subsequent reviews
• Mediated for various groups on rental and tenancy disputes
• Was Canadian Union liaison to First Nations communities for two decades
• Several decades as construction site supervisor and/or project manager, including analysis and bidding, on projects up to several millions including BC and Canada government projects
• Served 8 years part time with Election BC on the investigation, identification, and solutions to marginalized voting communities

Board member: Wayne Mercier

Housing, communications, and advocacy

• 17 years direct service work in housing (supported housing, subsidized housing, youth housing, halfway houses, crisis homeless resources)
• Advocacy on environmental, community, housing first, and crisis response issues
• Poet, public speaker, performing artist, and educator
• Experience with community facilitation and moderation in unstable and/or crisis situations