Diane Cornish
Diane is a retired lawyer who practised intellectual property law with a national law firm in Ottawa. She and her husband retired to Gabriola in 2010.
Recognizing that Gabriola is run by volunteers, Diane has been on the board of directors of numerous non-profit organizations namely, the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society, Village Vision, and the Gabriola Recreation Society. Currently, she is a director of People for a Healthy Community and the Gabriola Health Care Foundation.
As a lawyer, Diane developed strong analytical, critical thinking and advocacy skills. These skills, along with her ability to manage and motivate people, allow her to contribute to the governance of the Foundation and to help expand its outreach into the community.
Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley
Dyan is GHCF President, and chair of the Board Development Committee. A member of the Foundation Board since 2021, Dyan is also actively involved in the Gabriola Health and Wellness Collaborative, Sustainable Gabriola, and sits on two working committees of the Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice.
A 25-year career in the BC Public Service culminated with senior management positions in the Ministries of Health, Child and Family Development, and Women’s Equality. Dyan’s PhD research (political science, human geography, and sociology) examines how citizens are activated to find solutions to critical issues in their communities. She focuses her volunteer work on harnessing the potential of community to build capacity and resilience to improve health outcomes for all and sees the Foundation as a critical partner in that work.
Dyan is an avid gardener, reasonably good singer, mediocre golfer, and proud grandmother of six.
Don Elkington
Don is retired CEO and founder of manufacturing and global distribution companies, which have been recognized as among Canada’s 50 best managed companies. He has also been as active and successful in his work with charities, particularly with Arthritis Research Canada (ARC). His leadership, commitment and philanthropic support have been integral to ARC’s growth and evolution, and he is currently Past Chair of its Board of Directors.
And now Don is bringing his extensive experience and resources to our Foundation. He has volunteered to help our fundraising initiatives as a member of the Communications, Community Relations, and Fund-raising Committee.
Carol Fergusson
Carol Fergusson has had an interesting and diverse career path affording her the luxury of a deeper understanding of the human condition. A fashion designer by trade, Carol has also been an Assistant Gallery Director for Indigenous Artist Roy Henry Vickers; owned her own gallery on Gabriola Island; developed a two year, intense Fashion Design Diploma for The Education Company; Vice President and Head Designer for Quantum Apparel Group; event planner specializing in luxurious and personalized dinner parties in Vancouver; Gabriola Chamber of Commerce Board member, and a mean field worker from a youth spent in the berry fields.
Carol is dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion with a focus on continuing the work of Reconciliation. Carol is also passionate about mental health education and recently conceived a program for anxiety through GAC with a registered clinical counsellor, an MFA professional artist and a qualified facilitator with experience in the mental health field. Carol enjoys marketing, problem solving, photography, cooking, volunteering and has an extensive collection of clothes and shoes.
Harvey Graham
Harvey is a founding Director and Treasurer of the Gabriola Health Care Foundation. He retired to Gabriola after a long accounting career with a major accounting firm in Toronto in 2002 and has been volunteering here ever since.
Marc Herrmann
Marc’s career in engineering, project and construction management spanned 35 years. The first 18 years were in design and construction of mine plant site power systems. The final 17 years were in Project Services and Project Management in the context of designing and building new and retrofit mining projects, Hydro substations, and transmission line projects. During his 7 years as Project Services manager, Marc hired and provided project staff in planning/scheduling, cost control, procurement, construction contracts, administration, and document management. He increased the staff from 32 to over 100 at its peak.
Marc retired in 2014 and along with his wife moved to Gabriola full time in 2016. Volunteering in an official capacity is new to Marc and like many he feels the Gabriola Health Care Centre is a vital aspect of maintaining a healthy community lifestyle on the Island. He believes that looking after the GHCF’s facility is not a duty but an honour and privilege. He welcomes the challenge and writes that he will “do his utmost to fill the big shoes left by his predecessor”. He adds: “Given my background I feel I can contribute in many ways: from hands-on to team approach, ensuring that the facility is maintained to the highest standard and working collaboratively with the GHCF board to achieve its initiatives and objectives.”
Lu Lazzarotto
Lu Lazzarotto joined the Board in 2022 after answering a call for volunteers to help recruit doctors. She has a background in journalism and was a Community Coroner in northern BC. Living in the north and moving many times in her life has given Lu an understanding of the difficulty in living without a family doctor, and of recruiting to small and remote communities. Lu and her husband retired to Gabriola in 2019.
Jeff Malmgren
Jeff Malmgren works as a consultant with a focus on collaborative process, engagement strategy, and health system transformation. His greatest interest is the integration of services and supports for health and wellbeing at a local level. His further background includes journalism, communications, and sports administration. He has worked extensively with for-profit and not-for-profit boards, elected councils, and collaborative tables, both as a consultant providing strategic and governance support and as a member, most often in a chairing role. On Gabriola he currently chairs the Islands Trust Advisory Planning Commission. He is a past president of the Gabriola Arts Council and has provided strategic support to several other organizations on the Island.
Jeff comes to your Health Care Foundation with an understanding of the current intersection of need and opportunity. He sees that, on Gabriola as in most BC communities, significant risk currently surrounds our health system, in terms of both the provision of adequate services and the increase in health and wellbeing issues to be addressed. But he also understands that Gabriola has huge assets that can be mobilized to address these risks. He views our social agencies as strong and resilient. He considers the Health Centre that the community built and the Foundation stewards, to be an incredible cornerstone providing great care. He believes that, perhaps most valuable of all, as a community we have not just a willingness but a desire to work together, to take collective responsibility, and continue to build a resilient, well community.