Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island announces new board chair and five new board directors
Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island (CHFVI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Allyson Prescesky as board chair and the election of five new members to the CHFVI board of directors. Allyson has served on the board for the past two years, most recently as vice chair. New board members include retired nonprofit executive Dr. George Andrews, chartered financial analyst Colin Beaver, retired pediatrician Dr. C. Mark V. Jones, public sector and business leader Brad McRae, and marketing and communications leader Zahra Rezaie.
“I am delighted to welcome George, Colin, Mark, Brad, and Zahra as new board directors and Allyson as our new board chair,” said Veronica Carroll, CEO, Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. “They each bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their fields and help us to ensure that our board represents the communities we serve. They will be a tremendous help as we continue to work actively to address the lack of equitable access to health services and supports for Island children, youth, and families.”
CHFVI’s board of directors is comprised of individuals from the medical, business, financial, cultural, and volunteer communities of Vancouver Island and the surrounding islands. The full slate of board members for 2026-27 approved at the Foundation’s September 24 Annual General Meeting, will provide counsel and guidance in the direction and operation of CHFVI’s islands-wide programs and services.
Allyson and Veronica expressed their gratitude to outgoing board chair Paul Murray and directors Lindalee Brougham, Colleen Evans, Cory Herrera, Don Hubbard, and Jim Schneider for their outstanding terms of committed service to the board. They also thanked Paul for agreeing to remain on the board in the role of past chair citing his inspirational leadership in working to expand the Foundation’s network of Homes Away From Home through building Jesse’s House in Nanaimo, which will open in spring 2027.
The following is a full list of the board of directors for 2026-27:
Board chair: Allyson Prescesky, Associate Vice-President, Community Impact & Corporate Communications, Coastal Community Credit Union
Vice chair: Sydney Waddington, Executive Director, Global Brigades Health & Development Canada
Treasurer: Steve Gaskin, wealth management professional
Secretary: Paula Tyler, retired senior public servant
Past chair: Paul Murray, Principal Consultant, Brentwood Advisory Group
Directors:
Dr. George Andrews, retired nonprofit executive
Colin Beaver, chartered financial analyst
Karen Etches, retired federal executive
Bruce Johnson, retired structural engineer
Dr. C. Mark V. Jones, retired pediatrician
John McKendrick, infrastructure consultant
Brad McRae, public sector and business leader
Zahra Rezaie, marketing and communications leader
Duncan Selwood, entrepreneur
