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President's Message

Our Foundation has a proud legacy of giving back to the communities of North and West Vancouver, Lion’s Bay and Bowen Island and is part of a network of over 180 Community Foundations across Canada.   

 

Since its establishment in 1988, the Foundation has granted over $3 million to a host of charitable programs that address critical community needs.

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Our mission? To build and manage lasting funds that supports social, cultural, recreational, enviromental and educational programs for North Shore residents.

 

From an initial endowment of $1,550 in 1989, our funds have grown through the generosity of many donors and benefactors: both big and small. Today, the foundations assets are over $5 million. It is the investment income generated from these funds - and from contributions from donors like you - that allows us to provide annual grant assistance to deserving community causes each year.


We invite you to get involved in the work of the Foundation – learn more about our work; consider donating or helping as a volunteer, or perhaps even serving as a member of our Board.

 

Join us! Explore our work, donate, volunteer, or even consider a board position. Give back, get involved - it’s rewarding for you and transformative for our community!

 

Jordan Willms
President and Board Chair

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MEET OUR DIRECTORS

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Jordan Willms, President

Jordan is the VP Customer Performance at Finning International and lives in Lynn Valley with his wife and two young daughters. In his spare time, he and his family make use of all the perks the North Shore has to offer including skiing, mountain biking, hiking, as well as visiting local libraries and community centers. If he could meet anyone, he would love to meet his great grandfather James Gladstone, who was the first indigenous senator to be appointed in the Senate of Canada.

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Sohail Kamal, 
Director

Grants Commitee Chair

Sohail Kamal is the GM of North Shore Sports Medicine, with 15 years of experience building a team to help folks on the North Shore live the best lives they can live. His focus is on building and supporting the most dedicated, community-minded physiotherapy, kinesiology, and massage therapy team on the North Shore. He also has a strong interest in mentoring staff and members of the community and takes pride in shaping those around him. He has lived on the North Shore for over a decade with his wife and two children. An avid sportsman, he enjoys backcountry skiing and hockey, and dabbles in the occasional triathlon, especially those that feature an open water mass start.

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Shannon Henderson, Director

Shannon Henderson is a proud Skwxwu’7mesh ‘Uxwumixw (Squamish Nation) member, located

in the Coast Salish Territories which consist of 23 villages and residing in Xwmelch’sten

(Capilano) village. She is a sixties scoop survivor, taken at a very young age of three. Her family

fought for her and successfully brought her home at much later age. Since Shannon’s return to

her village, she has reclaimed her identity and history. As a mother and Grandmother, it’s her

honour to carry on family traditions of the culture.  

 

Shannon is also a Board Director of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, President of the Orange Shirt Day Society.  As a person who comes from a long line of Residential School Survivors, she has seen the intergenerational impact and effects that families have faced. Shannon is passionate about creating Reconciliation learning opportunities for all communities by sharing her story and educating on the true history of our Indigenous peoples and honouring the lands we live, work, and play on.She believes in coming together to help all communities thrive in Reconciliation. 

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Aly Karmali,
Director

With over 25 years in the banking and financial sector, Aly is currently the VP at Ernst & Young LLP. He is an avid golfer and frequently enjoys the wonderful golf courses the North Shore has to offer. As someone who loves to travel and experience new cultures, it was no surprise that when asked if he could have dinner with anyone in the world (dead or alive) he picked Anthony Bourdain!

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Michael Boehm,
 Past President & Director

With a background in commercial banking, Mike has been the VP of Business Development at KPMG for the past 15 years. He and his wife Shelley have raised 4 children in North Vancouver, and are deeply invested in making the North Shore a better place to live. Mike combines his creative vision with a strong business acumen and passion to make a difference in his community. One can find him enjoying the North Shore outdoors in his spare time. In his next life, he would want to come back as himself, but with all the life lessons he has learned thus far.

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Richard Walton, Director

Richard Walton is a retired CPA who  also served 13 years as Mayor of  North Vancouver District. He currently serves as a director of the Fraser Basin Council,  and the BC Land Title and Survey Authority. E-Comm 911. He holds a BA from UBC, an MA from SFU, and the ICD.D designation from the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors. He is a long  term resident of Vancouver’s North Shore and continues to be active in community affairs.

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Saravan Veylan,
Director

At MLT Aikins, Sarvi works closely with business owners and operators in a variety of industries, including tourism, financial services, retail, health care, mining and natural resources. He has recently been involved in several high profile commercial and industrial property transactions and developments; private company mergers, acquisitions and combinations, multi-jurisdictional structured sale transactions, and corporate restructuring transactions and proceedings. 

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Tim McMorran,
Vice President

Tim McMorran is a community leader and banker with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services sector. He currently leads the commercial banking business for Envirovision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union, prior to which he was Market Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC. In his free time, Tim can be found enjoying the wonderful outdoors with his wife and two children, as well as coaching sports. He brings a practical sense of direction and stability to the NSCF as Board Vice President. In his next life, he would love to come back as Ricky Gervais and "call it the way it is!"

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Sarah Lloyd,
Director

As a Chartered Professional Accountant #CPA and member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators #CBV, I work with Canadian businesses helping them to become bigger, stronger & more profitable through tailored BDC financing and advisory support.

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Micheline Cromar, Director

Micheline Cromar is a Regional Manager at MD Financial Management. She brings over 20 years of leadership experience across various financial organizations. She relocated to the North Shore from Toronto in 1999, and happily transitioned into the West Coast lifestyle of beachcombing and hitting the slopes in the same day. She enjoys skiing, hiking, boating, and playing the piano, and loves to catch up with her 3 grown-up children. If she could have dinner with any person, she would pick Kamala Harris, to hear in her own words her inspirational journey to become the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history and ask her what she aspires to do next.

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Brett Terrillon,
Board Treasurer

A third-generation North Shore resident, Brett and his wife currently live in the historic and hip waterfront community of Lower Lonsdale. Working as a Senior Manager at KPMG, he lends his money savvy to the NSCF by serving as the Board Treasurer. An avid runner, Brett spends his free time training on the North Shore trails. In his next life, he would want to come back as a dog, because “it would be so fun!”

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Raf Sansalone,
Director

A North Shore resident for the past 47 years, Raf has recently retired from a long career as Director of HR at Bordon Ladner Gervais LLP. In addition to lending her unique skill set to the NSCF, she enjoys reading and taking yoga classes, as well as spending time with her family. Given a choice, she would love to have dinner with Oprah.

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​Alex Izzo,
Director

Alexander Izzo is a Business Strategy Consultant, with more than 20 years of experience developing business and marketing strategies for a global technology company. Working in the industries of  Government, Healthcare, Banking, Finance, and Oil and Gas he has focused on delivering client solutions in Business Services, Business Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive computing and Business Process optimization. Originally from Toronto, he has settled in the North Shore with his wife and 2 children and spends time coaching in the NVFC, NSGSC, and WVFHC, as well as snow boarding, playing golf and enjoying the North Shore life. In his next life, he would love to come back as an extrovert because that would be a nice change, or Luke Skywalker because Skywalker became a living legend, and was remembered as one of the greatest Jedi in galactic history.

MEET OUR team

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Elaine McHarg,
CEO

Elaine boasts a corporate career that spanned 30+ years including fifteen in executive leaderships roles, plus over a decade in local leadership roles with non-profits serving Vancouver’s North Shore. Most recently she was Vice President, Philanthropy and Partnerships of West Vancouver Foundation. Prior to this she held senior positions with North Shore Credit Union, Credential Financial, The Ethical Funds Company, and CIBC. Elaine is well known locally for her community contributions in community engagement, sustainability, commitment to inclusivity, and dedicated volunteerism including Chair of the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

our board

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