Board members bring passion for volunteering and professional experience to governance

It’s common knowledge that Alzheimer Society of B.C., like charities across the country, is governed by a volunteer board of directors, but their role is often lesser understood. This National Volunteer Week, we’re shining a light on all aspects of volunteering to support people affected by dementia – including the key role our Board of Directors plays. A vital link between our executive team, community and stakeholders, the Board shares our vision of a world without dementia and contribute special skills and experience that bolster our work to ensure people affected by dementia are not alone.

Each board member connects the Society to a valued network that shares our view on social responsibility. These relationships provide opportunities to engage with communities, build partnerships and opens doors to discuss fundraising. They create strong ties, increase impact and help us achieve our organizational goals. Our board members are also passionate about our mission to educate and mobilize a community of care around people affected by dementia and support dementia research. Their combination of internal motivation and professional experience make them an integral part of our team.

Board members specialize in fiduciary responsibility, ensuring our financial resources are used effectively and efficiently. In recent years, our board members helped navigate our response to the challenges of the pandemic and position ourselves to meet the growing needs of people affected by dementia in B.C.

Amy McCallion, Chair of the Society’s Board of Directors, is a lawyer who works with a another board of directors by day. She’s also a former volunteer patient visitor at Vancouver General Hospital, where many of the people she visited were living with dementia. This combination personal and professional experience prepared her to join in a mission that she so strongly believes in.

“If everyone made more of an effort to understand the issues that challenge people and families in our communities, particularly as it relates to aging, we’d be a stronger, more inclusive society for it,” Amy says. “Volunteering with the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is my small way of showing my commitment to living that value of inclusivity and I am pretty sure I get a lot more out of it than I put in! Volunteering is funny like that, isn’t it?”

Volunteer board members provide guidance and accountability to our executive team, ensuring all Society initiatives are aligned with our core values of transparency, collaboration, compassion, courage integrity and respect. They engage and empower volunteerism at all levels and we’re so grateful for the gift of their time. Thank you, board members!