Board Information
The Board of Directors is elected by the general membership at the annual meeting, and the Board is responsible for electing its own executive.
The role of the Board of Directors is to establish and govern policies that provide direction to the Executive Director of the Society, who is then responsible for implementation. In most cases, the Board of Directors makes decisions as a whole. In some instances, a few Directors will form a committee to perform a specific function or address a specific issue and make recommendations to the full Board. The Board’s role and function is defined by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society which are approved by the general membership of the Society.
The following are the most commonly agreed upon roles for the Board of Directors as an entity:
- To establish and maintain the legal and corporate existence of the Society.
- To be accountable for the assets of the Society and the actions undertaken by it.
- To take responsibility for formulating goals, objectives, policies and guidelines for programs both in the long and short-terms and establish properties.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken and the appropriateness of the planning process as they relate to the needs of the individuals being served.
- To provide continuity of experienced leadership so that major staff changes will not weaken the Society and to employ the Executive Director with whom the Board shares leadership.
- To set policies for the Executive Director to implement and achieve and to allow the Executive Director to make day to day decisions without interference.
- To work as a team with the Executive Director to accomplish the Society’s objectives.
Governance
The Kootenay Society for Community Living (KSCL) is a non-profit society registered under the provincial Society Act. The business operations of KSCL is guided by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, actions requiring membership approval, various government laws and regulations, union contracts, and other third party contracts.
The Board of Directors of the Society (the “Board”) has adopted these Governance Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) to assist the Board in the exercise of its responsibilities. The Board may modify or make exceptions to the Guidelines from time to time in its discretion and consistent with the duties and responsibilities owed to the Society and its Stakeholders.
KSCL current Board Members for 2022 to 2023:
Tim Smeltzer- President
Tim is a retired business owner of Midwest Mechanical, Castlegar and now is a consultant. Tim has resided on the KSCL Board for 8 years from 2014-2022. Tim will provide a wealth of knowledge and familiarity to the operations of KSCL.
Bruce Gerrand – Vice President”I am a long time Castlegar resident, coming here in September 1969, and starting a career as a teacher/administrator. My wife Clara and I raised two children, Michael and Lisa both of whom have families of their own. When I retired from the public school system, I taught at the UBC Teacher Education Program at Selkirk College. My family and the amazing recreation of our area have been large parts of my life. I am privileged to be part of KSCL and all the great things the organization does for the Community”
Marla Gonzalez Plasencia
Marla has worked as a community service provider since 2001 and she had several interagency contacts and cross support collaborations throughout that time. Her work focused on client centred care and empowers individuals to reach their full potential while improving service delivery. Marla has also participated in program, policy, and curriculum development as well as advocacy at the local and provincial level. In 2017 Marla completed a degree in Child and Youth Care with an Indigenous specialization.
Judy Madelung – Treasurer
“I am pleased to be a member of the Kootenay Society of Community Living board and bring my career experiences of thirty plus years that was dedicated to administration/finance/management disciplines to complement the KSCL board. My current board positions with the Kootenay Gallery and Castlegar Arts Council and as a former board member of the Castlegar Golf Club has instilled a strong understanding of the responsibility of being a board member. I am committed to work collaboratively with KSCL board members to ensure KSCL continues to be a progressive service provider advocating for the best opportunities for members of our area communities while maintaining necessary resources and being financially sustainable.”
Aneeda Mota – Director
Growing up in Castlegar and raising a family with my husband in this beautiful Kootenay landscape, has been a true gift. After spending 21 years working in a local Credit Union, I decided to change gears and became a College Student in my mid 40’s to gain as many new insights as possible in supporting children with special needs. As my first year joining the Kootenay Society for Community Living board of directors, I will endeavor to learn many things in the years to come from the wealth of knowledge amongst our present members and hope to bring forth many insights from being a parent of children with special needs, and a supporter of many families who endeavor to advocate for their loved ones with diverse abilities.
Clara Gerrand – Director
“From the time of my youth in Saskatchewan, I always wanted to be a teacher. I have fond memories of the students (including many students with diverse needs) in my cooking classes in the middle school here in Castlegar where I was fortunate to have worked most of my career. My children and grandchildren still like to gather in my kitchen as I try to create the next treat for them. Gardening and friends are my other passions as I am extremely happy tending to my flowers or enjoying a coffee with a friend. I am proud to be a part of KSCL.”
Brian Reiter – Director
“I was employed as a Power Engineer in industry in Saskatchewan and BC for 40 years and am now retired. I am a parent of a son with Special Needs who is serviced by KSCL. I have served on a similar board in Saskatchewan as KSCL is here. I bring an interest in advocating for people serviced by KSCL and filling a need as a volunteer for the KSCL Board.”
Joseph Nevoral – Self Advocate
Joseph is a Self-Advocate that lives in Castlegar. Joseph has many hobbies and interests and he’s excited to be part of the Board of Directors. Joseph is also a participant at our Community Options Day Program.
Irene Preto – Secretary
Irene Preto is a Professional Engineer (Chemical Engineering) and certified Project Management Professional. As the Manufacturing Manager at Mercer Celgar she leads a team of about one hundred workers. At Mercer Celgar she has also held the positions of Operational Excellence Manager, Manager of Asset Strategy and Operations Specialist in Digester & Brownstock Screening. Previously, Irene worked for Natural Resources Canada at the Canadian Forest Sector (CFS) and in the CANMETEnergy bioenergy research laboratories. At CFS Irene helped create the Investment in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) Program and led the Carbon Footprinting analysis for FPAC’s BioPathways Project. Irene lives in Castlegar with her husband and best friend Fernando. They are passionate about food, gardening and traveling.
Maggie Williams – Director
“As an individual who was classified as “Learning Disabled” in my youth, which I prefer to recognize as a “Learning Difference”, I know what overcoming those difficulties and intricacies meant to me. With this understanding, I am proud to serve as a member of the Kootenay Society of Community Living Board and all that they do to support our beautiful community. I am eager to bring my background and experience to contribute to the wonderful and various services they provide. Originally from Toronto, ON, I moved to the Kootenay’s in 2016. My arrival was supposed to be a short visit but I never left, instead I found the place I call home. My professional background is providing operational and administrative support in the Financial and Insurance industry. What brings me the most joy is spending time with my loved ones, being up the mountains or on the water, reading and cooking.”
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