Richard sold his business in the 1990’s and began to look for a new challenge. He soon found that challenge on the streets of Victoria where he saw hundreds of people who, for various reasons, appeared to have lost their way in life. Richard launched the Youth Employment Project (YEP) in 1998. YEP boasted a 76 per cent success rate, meaning that of the nearly 500 homeless clients enrolled in the program, more than three quarters are still gainfully employed and are maintaining economic self-sufficiency. Leblanc then discovered the concept of a Therapeutic Farm Community (TWC). Under the TWC model, each individual is supported as a "whole person" and develops confidence, a positive value system and a career plan to help ensure personal and employment stability throughout their life. Leblanc’s dream is to apply the TWC model to help the hundreds of people who now call the streets of Victoria "home".

Rob is a Victoria, British Columbia athlete, community activist and entrepreneur. Rob is the race coordinator of the following Greater Victoria charity running events: the Michael Dunahee Run and the St Patrick’s Run for Big Brothers and Sisters. Rob has been a volunteer board member of the Royal Victoria Marathon for 20 years and its Race Director for 11 years. Rob Reid founded the Runners of Compassion Society in 1998, to raise funds for local charities and international causes. Rob is a member of the United Way Cabinet (2005 – present) and is the United Way Leadership Presentation Chair. Rob serves on the Telus Community Board 2007-2008 and is a volunteer with the Victoria Community Council. Rob is a volunteer with the Terry Fox Foundation and was the Victoria Chairperson for 2005 Terry Fox television special. Rob has received the following community & business awards:

• British Columbia Achievement Foundation's Community Achievement Award in 2006
• Paul Harris Rotary Club Award – 2006
• Kiwanis Distinguished Service Sports Award - 2005
• Community Sports Person Runner Up – CFAX Community Awards
• Business Person of the Year – 2004 – Victoria Chamber of Commerce
• Small Business Award – 2003 – Victoria Chamber of Commerce

John is the Chief Financial Officer of Abebooks Inc. and has over 25 years of business and financial experience. He has worked for Amazon.com's marketplace division, Exchange.com, an early competitor of eBay, and Rounder Records - the world's largest independent record label. John relocated to Amazon's Seattle headquarters in 1999. John initially served as chief financial executive for Amazon's fledgling marketplace division before being appointed director of finance, planning and analysis. He also spent two years in AbeBooks' hometown of Victoria, BC, (2003-2005) with Power Measurement - the energy management technology firm - as its chief financial officer.

Four time Olympic rower, child advocate, and community champion, Silken Laumann brings a wealth of board experience including chairing the International Board of Right to Play for six years, serving on the Nike Corporate Board, chairing the Lou Marsh Award and currently sitting on the board of Goodlife for Kids Foundation. Silken was involved with the Courage to come back awards both in Toronto and Vancouver for a total of seventeen years. For several years, Silken ran a not-for-profit called Silken's Active Kids Movement which aimed to increase opportunities for kids to be active in the communities. Through her work at Silken's Active Kids Movement, Silken became increasingly passionate about community connection.

 

"Our communities need to continually look at ways of increasing connection," explained Silken Laumann. "Much of my work at Silken's Active Kids Movement was aimed at building connection between neighbours and school communities. On a broader scale, our communities need to find ways to reintegrate the mentally ill, the disenfranchised - the homeless. I believe Woodwynn will be a lasting legacy of hopefulness and change that our community can be proud of - one that will be modelled in other communities in Canada."

 

Dr. Young holds a B.A. and an M.A. in criminology and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University. His dissertation on social workers’ attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide in the U.K. was completed in spring, 2006. Dr. Young has been involved in the Justice Studies Program at Royal Roads University in some capacity since its inception; he joined the program as a core faculty member in January, 2008. Currently, he teaches courses on comparative legal systems, social policy and culture, and research methods.

Other topics of interest to Dr. Young are in some way or another related to social justice. He has conducted research on youth gangs, euthanasia and corrections and has several publications in academic journals and books. Dr. Young’s research interests include an exploration of the linkages between homelessness, mental disorder, substance abuse and crime, and the development of policies and programs which can reduce the severity of these social problems. To this end, he is involved in the proposal for a therapeutic community in the greater Victoria area.

Robin is a partner and senior consultant with Focused Change International and an Adjunct Professor at UVic Business. He has held senior executive positions within several industries and his consulting experience includes both the private and public sectors involving start-ups, mergers, turnarounds, creation of high performance organizations and leadership development. Robin is PacificSport Victoria board member and served as a Venue Chair during the Commonwealth Games in Victoria. He has a MBA from SFU and a BA in industrial psychology and economics from UBC.

Dr. Mason is a general medical practitioner with a focus in sports medicine. She works with Canadian National Rowing Team athletes and also a medical advisor with WorkSafe BC. She holds a graduate certificate in Health Systems Leadership from Royal Roads University, and volunteers extensively for organizations that promote fitness and education worldwide. She earned a gold medal as an athlete in the 1987 World Rowing Championships, and competed as a rower in the 1984 Olympic Games.

Doug Potentier was born in Victoria and spent his formative years in Ontario, Belgium, England, Washington DC, and Alberta before returning to Victoria in 1969. Formerly Deputy Chief of the Victoria Police Department, Doug Potentier has over 31 years experience in policing, including a three-year posting to work with the RCMP on security planning for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. After retiring from policing in 2001, he formed Tazak Consulting Ltd., and later served as CEO of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. In addition to currently serving as board Past Chair of the British Columbia Automobile Association, he also serves on the CAA national board representing BCAA. Doug is also a Director on the board of the Peninsula Co-op (Victoria) and with Federated Co-operatives Limited (Saskatoon) and is the FCL Calgary Region Chair. In the community, Doug was a 20-year member and a past president of the Victoria Harbourside Rotary Club, and also served the United Way of Greater Victoria as a speaker for the "Leadership Giving Program." Victoria made him an Honorary Citizen in 2004. He has been a member of the Canadian Institute of Professional Management since 1998 after receiving his Canadian Management Professional (CMP) certification. He earned his ICD.D certification following the Institute of Corporate Directors training in 2008.

BA (Hons) Monash Univ. (Melbourne, Australia) 1976; LLB - UBC 1979; Called to the British Columbia Bar 1981. Mr. Margetts' preferred area of practice is general civil litigation. He is a Life Bencher and past President of the Law Society of British Columbia. Mr Margetts has chaired and sat on many Law Society Committees, including Executive, Discipline, Credentials and Practice Standards. Mr. Margetts is the Past President of CanLII and the Past Chair of the British Columbia Justice Review Task Force. Outside the law, Mr. Margetts is a past Secretary of the YM/YWCA (Victoria) and a past Director of the Vancouver Island Road Relay. He annually sits on the Civil Justice Working Group of the Attorney General’s office.