Board Volunteers
Clinton Pazdzierski - Chairman
Clinton is a 'corrected dyslexic', having taken a Davis Dyslexia Correction Program. His experience during the program week had such an impact on his life that he is determined to dedicate as much time as he can to helping those in similar circumstances. He spent several years in finance and at present is employed in his family's business. His wife Melanie is a Graphic Designer, and they have a son, Baden, and a daughter Kastle.
Guy Murphy - Secretary
Guy Murphy, a lawyer, lives in North Vancouver with his family. One of his two sons was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 5 and later with dyslexia. Guy's personal experience with his son inspired him to volunteer his time where he felt it would do the most good. Guy is the former President of the Autism Society of BC and for many years was also a member of CACIE, an advisory committee to the North Vancouver School District, which focused on special needs students and their needs in the education system. Guy enjoys spending time with his family and friends, photography and compiling digital film collections.
Carolyn Van Meenan - Treasurer
Carolyn's 9-year-old son completed the Davis Program with Sue Hall in 2003. Carolyn enjoyed helping him with the follow-up and he achieved life-altering results. Carolyn's positive attitude, combined with her understanding and belief in the Davis programs is such that she now tutors other post-program students. As a mother, Carolyn understands the uncertainty that follows once a student has completed the program. "Am I doing this right?" "Where do we begin?" As experience can be a good teacher, Carolyn empathizes with both the dyslexic child or adult, their parents and their support team.
Carolyn has previously served as the Treasurer to the Simon Fraser University Childcare Society, as well as the Accountant and General Manager to the Diamond University Center at Simon Fraser University.
Rita Schmidt
Rita is the mother of two children with dyslexia and one without. Her oldest daughter, Monty, completed two programs (reading and math) at the Davis Dyslexia Association International Center in Burlingame, California and is now a "corrected" dyslexic and a willing ambassador for Davis training. Rita was a research scientist in the field of molecular biology for ten years before becoming a biotech licensing attorney. She is also a trained and experienced mediator as well as having facilitation experience. Her children have attended Waldorf schools for the last six years and she is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Waldorf School. One of her hopes is that Davis Learning Strategies will become a standard part of the Waldorf curriculum.
George Hall
George has been involved in The Whole Dyslexic Society from its foundation, by osmosis, being the founder's son. He has helped physically, fetching and carrying, cooking at the Summer Camps, setting up displays and was the auctioneer at SHIFT 2007. He has helped Sue mentally and emotionally providing most of the fun and laughter at social functions and very insightful summaries of situations. George is wonderfully dyslexic and thinks further outside the box than most. Having graduated from the Vancouver Waldorf School, he is studying for his Bachelor of Science. George now feels he would like to become a Board Director, and would particularly like to help the actual function of the Board.
Joe Wozny
Joe is the father of a Davis student and is impressed with the achieved results. Joe is a devoted family man and a successful businessman, philanthropist, academic lecturer and musician. However, he does not blow his own trumpet, so this bio does not do him justice, but it is all we have at present! Joe would like to help our Society in many ways. Amongst his considerable skills in the business world, he enjoys using technology to bring communities together.
Adrian Boston
Adrian has two post graduate degrees in Social Sciences. His academic interest is closest to Sociology, Science and Technology that includes sociology of the Information Age, and sociology of innovation. He teaches these concepts to communication and industrial designers at Emily Carr Institute. He is also a founding member of a firm that conducts R&D of tactile technology. The technology provides a richer experience with computers and systems by engaging the sense of touch that makes interaction physical and lifelike.
He believes that dyslexia is the result of circumstances: an education system built on experiences transcribed in textual medium and a language based in phonetics rather than visual representation. He believes Confucius was correct in claiming, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
Sue Hall – Ex-Officio
Sue is a Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator, and Alternative Health Practitioner. She founded the Whole Dyslexic Society in 2001. Sue came to dyslexia honestly. She is dyslexic herself, with ADD tendencies that allow her to multi-task, her son is dyslexic, and so is his Dad! Sue believes in finding the cause of a problem, and releasing it, rather than treating the symptoms. She enjoys facilitating personal empowerment, via Davis Dyslexia Correction programs, information talks, and Professional Development Day presentations, and believes Davis methods should be available to all, regardless of income.
Sue knows there is much confusion surrounding dyslexia, especially what it really is. The world of education and remediation is still functioning on seriously out-of-date definitions and information. The disability lies within the education system not the individual. She knows that it is time to SHIFT our perception of this natural ability that brings both talents and challenges. Her mission is to build a 'whole picture' and help the dyslexic and their families, find the choices that suit them best as individuals, ensuring they can honour their innate learning style.
AND THE TEAM CONTINUES...
Marilyn Boston – Newsletter Editor
Marilyn has recently retired from a long career as a Registered Physiotherapist. She has worked in hospitals in five provinces, with the Nisga'a in the Nass Valley, owned her own private practice for twenty years and was an Investigator with the College of Physical Therapist of B.C. She and her husband John, have two sons, one of whom took the DDC program as an adult. She practices Tai Chi and is very keen on outdoor activities which she enjoys with John, namely cross country skiing, biking and hiking. She is learning the Word for Mac program 'on the job' with some difficulty, but stoic determination!
Advisors
Donna Doerksen (past Board Director)
Donna is a teacher and has worked in the field over the past 30 years in a number of capacities, including classroom teacher, teacher-librarian, distance educator and most recently an advocate/teacher for special needs students who are enrolled in distance education in the lower mainland. She came to know about dyslexia, its challenges and gifts from many of her students over the years. One week, one of her students, a non-reader, became a reader and a confident learner and she was intrigued and determined to find out more about dyslexia, its correction and the Davis methods that had so quickly transformed her student.
Donna is married to Glenn and together they are raising two teens. Her own children face some learning challenges and this has given her first hand experience of the difficulties faced by children who learn differently from their teachers. She recognizes the challenges that face parents who work so hard to advocate and to assist their children to become successful learners in the public education system that is not always as responsive or flexible one would hope. Donna is working to open up our education system to visual spatial learners so these talented individuals can succeed and their learning style be recognized and honoured.
Davis Advisor - Gerry Grant
Gerry Grant, himself dyslexic, is a licensed and certified Davis® Dyslexia Correction Facilitator as well as being the only Davis® Program Specialist and Davis® Workshop Presenter in Canada. Gerry majored in psychology and has experience as a volunteer in literacy programs. It was this experience that led Gerry to try and find a more efficient method to help people with reading problems. Gerry has had a full-time practice in Waterloo, Ontario since 1999, and has worked with children and adults throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. Now he is focusing on the Facilitator training programs.
The Whole Picture - Helen Babalos
Helen is presently supporting her family's Greek Restaurant, in North Vancouver. She has three children, and she met Sue Hall at the Vancouver Waldorf School. Helen enjoyed teaching for many years, has experience in the catering world, the world of property management and alternative health. She loves art, literature, film, gardening, and warm weather, being of Greek origin! She has extensive knowledge of Boards and has lead The Whole Dyslexic Society's strategic planning. Sue sees her as a 'wisdom keeper'!
Education - Lori Wallace
Lori is the mother of two children, her youngest (now a teenager) being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and the "gift" of dyslexia. A graduate of the Special Education Teaching Assistant Program at Capilano College, Lori has worked for the past several years as a special education aide. Lori has also completed the Davis Dyslexia Tutor Program and regularly attends workshops and conferences on autism, with a particular interest in learning difficulties and social challenges. Lori is the Co-Founder of Friend2Friend, a puppet program which is performed in schools, educating children about how to be a successful friend to a child with autism. With another parent, Lori visualized the program, wrote the scripts and performed the puppet programs all over the Lower Mainland. During her three-year tenure, Lori and the Friend2Friend puppets performed in front of over 24,000 school children.
and finally OUR DREAM TEAM
Glenn Bailey, President of the Bailey Group, Philanthropist
Glenn is a visionary who brings with him over 28 years of business development experience. He started his first job when he was in Grade 12 at the Oasis Automatic car wash in West Vancouver. "Shortly after that, I saved money - I worked doing other jobs - and I started up a little ski business. So I was an entrepreneur from when I was 17 years old." Now a very successful entrepreneur, Glenn has been involved in the start-up and development of small to large sized companies. Glenn Bailey co-founded Canadian Springs Water Company and grew the company to 230 employees, with over 32,000 accounts and it is now the country's largest water company.
After several nominations, Glenn won the Canadian Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1990 followed by a 40 under 40 Vancouver Business Award for his many accomplishments. Following the sale of Canadian Springs in 1996, the Bailey Group was founded. Over the last 28 years Glenn Bailey has achieved close to 1 billion in sales and developed 1/2 million sq/ft in residential and commercial properties. He is an enthusiastic, encouraging supporter of The Whole Dyslexic Society.
Geoffrey Hair, President of Blenz Coffee Company
A proudly Canadian company.
Rex Weyler, Ecologist, Journalist, Co-founder of Greenpeace International
For someone who's made a career of pushing enviro-mentalism forward, Rex Weyler spends a lot of time looking to the past. At L.A.'s Occidental College in the mid-'60s, Weyler shifted his focus from math and physics to history. After being drafted to serve in Vietnam, Weyler moved to Canada. In 1973, he became a director of Greenpeace, writing about whaling campaigns and editing its magazine, then co-founding Greenpeace International. (He was also publisher and editor of Shared VISION from 1998-2001.) His book, Greenpeace, details the early years of the world's best-known environmental organization. He has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. His latest book is entitled 'The Jesus Sayings'.
Dave Babych, Ex Vancouver Canuck, Philanthropist
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, former NHL star Dave Babych will go down in history as one of hockey's greats, and never to be forgotten as star of the 1994 Stanley Cup final between the Canucks and New York Rangers at Madison Square Gardens in New York. Founder of Babych & Friends Anglers' Challenge in support of the CHILD Foundation of British Columbia, year after year Dave fishes at Rivers Inlet to raise funds for children who suffer from Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Dave and his family have raised thousands upon thousands of dollars. Dave is involved in Community Relations for the Quizam Media Corporation which advocates Corporate Citizenship and will contribute innovative strategies that will help transform and empower public schools around the world. He is also very much involved in making sport available to as many as possible via Athletics for Kids.
Ian Tostenson
Ian is an entrepreneur, married with two sons. He is President and CEO of the BC Restaurant Association. An accomplished business leader in the wine, beer and spirits industry in British Columbia, Ian was the proprietor of 1 four management, President and CEO of Cascadia Brands, and held several senior positions with Calona Wines. He was Chair of the BC Wine Institute from 1995-2000. He was a 1998 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards finalist and winner of Business in Vancouver Under 40 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has been on the Board of the David Foster Foundation for many years and is currently their President.