Board Members 2022-2023
Beatrice Gill Norman: Chairperson
Beatrice is a Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 15 years of project management experience in multiple industries. She is also a Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner with over 5 years of experience managing large and complex transformation programs in the financial services industry. Beatrice has a Master of Arts in International Relations from UNSW in Sydney, Australia, Bachelor of Arts from UBC. She also acts as a sessional instructor in business at Langara College, where she teaches Grant and Proposal Writing for the Non-Profit Sector.
Alma Lee: Vice Chairperson
After a career promoting writers and reading at the House of Anansi Press in Toronto in 1971. Alma moved to the west coast in 1984 and founded the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival in 1988.
Alma has served on several boards - the founding Board of Aids Vancouver, the Alliance for Arts & Culture Cultural Society, the Performing Arts Lodge and the Koerner Foundation. She was a member of the Granville Island Trust for five years and was Vice-Chair of the British Columbia Arts Council. She also served as chair on the board of the Granville Island Cultural Society.
She is currently writing book reviews and working on a novel. Alma also created Writers ‘Inn’ Residence at the Wickaninish Inn in Tofino. Most recently she helped to fundraise for the new Carol Shields Prize.
Patrick Couling: Secretary
Patrick is now retired from a 30-year position at the Board of Directors for the False Creek Community. He is also involved in a variety of activities that gave him the experience in facilitating the development of our Centre, as well as managing a variety of projects.
Fred Zhuang: Treasurer
Fred is a CPA. He is engaged in the automotive industry. As the controller, he oversees accounting, evaluates financial performance, and provides strategic advice to the owner. He is interested in the social well-being of our local community and believes in SGSC's mission to support the well-being of seniors. Fred understands and embraces the organization's vision to include a new style of program presentation combining in person and virtual elements. He is excited about this opportunity to join the board and is looking forward to contributing his expertise to help SGSC to move forward.
Les Blond: Director
Les was a barrister at a private practice for 40 years before retiring in 2011. He served as the director for several non-profit societies, including the Rotary Club of Vancouver and the Arbutus Club. He was also the national committee chair for Constitutional and International Law with the Canadian Bar Association.
Naftaly Ramrajkar: Director
Naftaly comes from the hi-tech sector of industry. He is a Professional Engineer registered in Ontario, holding degrees in electrical engineering specialized in Electrodynamics & Semiconductors from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Naftaly is a result-oriented executive with a unique combination of technical and management acumen, focused on achieving results. He has demonstrated success in executing projects with an emphasis on safety, cost, timeframe, resources, and the environment. Recently, together with previous ED Douglas Dunn, he completed Policy & Procedures for South Granville Senior Centre in compliance with Council of Accreditation standards. He was a co-founder of Smart Autonomous Solutions (Powerline Sensors) and Zincnyx Energy Solutions (Fuel Cells). Naftaly loves High-End Audio as a hobby and is fluent in English and Hebrew.
Iro Lugo: Director
Iro was born in the Dominican Republic, on a beautiful Caribbean island... " on the path of the sun;" as described by its national poet, Pedro Mir. From an early age she was drawn to: art, social studies and community initiatives. At the Siena Heights College (USA) she obtained a BA in sociology that comprised French language studies at the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland). Afterwards Iro completed a Teacher’s Certificate Program at the University of Alberta (Canada) and a Master in Educational Leadership at the University of Alabama (USA). In a varied career path with the US Peace Corps she held the positions of: Language Instructor in Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica and of Language Coordinator and as an Elementary School teacher at the Carol Morgan School of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Iro carried out several educational initiatives to benefit the under-privileged children in the Dominican Republic. Since 2008 upon her arrival in Vancouver she has volunteered at the 411 Senior Centre, the United Church and the South Granville Seniors Centre. Iro enjoys nature, learning about other cultures, learning new things, dancing, traveling and most of all spending time with her grandchildren. She hopes to contribute to the well being of others, to making the world a better place and to give back with gratitude to such a generous country like Canada.
Irene Loncar: Director
Representative of Holy Trinity Anglican Church who lease the premises to South Granville Seniors Centre.