Like so many others Sue decided the Sunshine Coast was the best-ever place to retire after a few visits with her son and daughter-in-law who moved here from the mainland half a dozen years ago.  She arrived, bag and baggage, in January 2021.

In short order Sue was impressed by the covid-related care and accompanied a friend to several visits at the Sechelt Hospital.  It was apparent the healthcare available to “Coasters” is amazing on many levels; services offered, critical care and attention to patient needs, beyond expectation. The opportunity to serve the hospital in a volunteer capacity is a unique privilege.

Throughout her 35-year career Sue was a principal staff executive working with Boards of Directors at several Hospital Foundations undertaking serious capital initiatives; Women’s College, Sick Kids and St. Michael’s in Toronto and BC Children’s in Vancouver.  She received awards and distinctions including the Si Seymour Award, the highest honour given annually, internationally, to a single Hospital Foundation executive for distinguished leadership and promotion of exemplary standards of excellence.

While at BC Children’s Sue completed the ICD.D, certified corporate director designation from Simon Fraser University.

As a volunteer, other than chairing her profession’s international board, Sue participated as a speaker and educator in Canada, the US, Australia and Great Britain. After retirement Sue volunteered on the Grey Bruce Regional Health Centre Board in Ontario as Chair of the Strategic Planning, Governance and Bylaw Committees.

“I’m excited to serve along with the highly qualified, hard working members of the Sechelt Hospital Foundation Board and expert and enthusiastic staff.”

Courtney Pratt brings many years of experience as a business executive and a volunteer to SHF. Born and raised in Montreal and a graduate of McGill University, he has lived and worked in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver. He has lived in Halfmoon Bay for close to 3 years. In his business career, Courtney was the CEO of several large organizations, including Hydro One Networks, Toronto Hydro and Stelco. He was also the Chair and CEO of the Toronto Region Research Alliance. He was the Chairman of Knightsbridge Human Capital for many years and continues to do some executive coaching through LHH Knightsbridge. He also served as a director on a number of corporate boards.

His volunteer roles include board chair and campaign chair for the United Way of Greater Toronto, board member of the University Health Network in Toronto, chair of the board of Imagine, and chair of CMA Holdings (a subsidiary of the Canadian Medical Association).

Courtney is a member of the Order of Canada and was awarded an Honourary Doctorate by Royal Roads University. On the personal front, he and his wife have 2 married sons and 6 grandchildren.

Alex Bird has had a progressive career in Supply Chain Management and reengineering with Quaker Oats, Nabisco Brands, and Molson Breweries. Following his executive corporate career, Alex spent 15 years as a General Management Consultant to a diverse range of companies across Canada in the Food and Beverage and Forest Products sectors.  He has a passion for giving back to his community and seeks to assist the Hospital foundation in fulfilling its mantra that the “the best medicine is local”.

Alex bring the experiences accumulated from previously sitting on three non-profit boards. He has been a resident of Sechelt since 2015 and is an active father of three children and is happiest when boating in the beautiful waters of BC.

Frank is a retired Professional Engineer with over 40 years experience in planning, design and implementation of municipal infrastructure and community buildings for government, private owners and First Nation communities.  He has held various senior level executive positions including President of a BC based consulting engineering firm and a member of Boards for private companies.  Frank has been a member of several provincial, national and international not-for-profit organizations including participation as a board member. He is currently a member of the Halfmoon Bay Advisory Planning Commission with previous Commission experience for the District of North Vancouver and the Squamish Nation.  Frank brings his experience in strategic planning, financial stewardship and leadership to the Hospital Foundation Board and he looks forward to helping improve health services on the coast.  Frank and his wife Cathy have been land owners on the Sunshine Coast for over 25 years and full-time residents since 2010.

Ruth and her husband Frank moved to the Sunshine Coast from Ontario in 2013 to fulfill their dream of building a house with an ocean view. To make this move, Ruth retired from a thirty-five year career in college education, both as a faculty member and an educational developer, where she served on a wide variety of regional, provincial, and national organizations. She was the recipient of a College Educator Award in 2012 from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Since coming to the coast, Ruth has focused on developing her art to a professional level (www.ruthrodgers.com). Ruth is the past president of the Pastel Artists Canada, through which she has achieved Master Pastel Artist status. She is also an Active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, president of the Landing Artists collective, and a member of the Coast Cultural Alliance. Ruth is also a perpetual student, holding degrees in literature, psychology, and education, and other credentials in the arts and horticulture, and she has recently published several works of historical fiction. Ruth’s particular interest is the intersection of art and healing, and she hopes to bring her varied experience and skills to this task for the Foundation. Ruth and Frank have five grown children who have produced nine grandchildren–only two of whom live on the west coast!

Nicholas Weswick holds the position of Secretary Treasurer for School District 46, where he oversees the efficient and effective management of finance, facilities, and transportation operations. Additionally, he provides valuable support to the Human Resources Department in legal and financial matters. Nic serves as the key resource for the Board of Education on policy and governance matters.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Vancouver Island University, Nic is a Certified General Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant in good standing in the province of British Columbia. He brings over 15 years of of experience in school district administration, previously serving as Controller and Assistant Secretary Treasurer with the Peace River North School District before assuming his current role as Secretary Treasurer for School District 46 in 2011.

Nic firmly believes that an efficient and effective business operation is crucial for students to receive the best possible educational experience and opportunities. Recognizing public education as a cornerstone of a liberal democracy, he finds immense value in supporting the education system in British Columbia.

Nic resides in Davis Bay with his wife, Gwyntie, their son, and their cat. They enjoy embracing the outdoor lifestyle and the scenic beauty of the Sunshine Coast.

Nic’s exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment have made a significant impact on School District 46 and its educational community.

David and his wife moved to Sechelt three weeks before the birth of their son (their second child) at Sechelt Hospital. With deep rooted relationships and a long history of visiting The Coast, it was time to make Sechelt their home.

During the week, David works at TELUS to spearhead projects that give back to the local community — if you’ve heard of a TELUS donation or community initiative in the area there’s a good chance David was involved. Prior to TELUS, David worked with CBC, Canucks Sports and Entertainment and Hootsuite. Through all the campaigns and projects it was the fundraising and charitable causes that were the most rewarding.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of British Columbia, has taken courses in Broadcast Journalism at BCIT, been an instructor at BrainStation and a guest lecturer at BCIT.

When not working or spending time with his family, you can find David on the golf course, training for his next triathlon, or explaining where his accent is from.

Beth Payne earned her PhD in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences from UBC in 2015 and has completed additional post-doctoral training in informatics and public health. She is currently the Program Manager for Digital Health Research at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Women’s Health Research Institute. She also works as a Research Associate in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC.

Beth brings over 15 years’ administrative and research experience in the fields of global health and digital health focused on maternal and child health. She is a keen strategist, involved in developing research strategies in digital health and Artificial Intelligence for the Children’s and Women’s Hospital campus and PHSA more broadly.

Her research has aimed to develop and evaluate novel health programs for women and children that leverage technology to improve both access to care and quality of care, globally.  Beth has published over 80 peer reviewed papers and has more than 3400 citations.

Beth has been a resident of the Sunshine Coast for 5 years with her partner and their young daughter. She grew up visiting family on the Coast and jumped at the opportunity to make this her family home in 2019. She and her partner also run a BnB on their property in Halfmoon Bay. When not working, she and her family can be found hiking in the forest with their dog or paddling a kayak along the coast.

Tyler and his family decided to call the Sunshine Coast “home” in 2017. He currently works as a senior executive in Pharmaceutical Benefits & Innovation for Sun Life Insurance, where he has worked for over 20 years. Tyler is a self-professed insurance nerd, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Calgary. He has spent his entire career supporting workplace benefit programs with roles in leadership, client relationship management and underwriting.  Tyler brings experience developing strategies that focus on balancing sustainability and access to care, and also has close family involved in the health care community on the Coast.

Outside of the office, you can usually find Tyler on the golf course, exploring the hiking trails of the Sunshine Coast with his family, or trying to keep up to his two young daughters.  Prior to joining the Sechelt Hospital Foundation Board, you would have seen Tyler on the soccer pitches of the Coast as a volunteer youth soccer coach.

Jane has served as the Executive Director of Sechelt Hospital Foundation since 2016.  With a management consulting and strategic marketing background, Jane is committed to raising funds and awareness for our local community hospital. During her tenure, SHF has increased its community engagement and raised over $10 million to support capital equipment purchases, facility renovations, Staff Education Fund, the Covid Emergency Fund and health unit expansion on the Sunshine Coast.

Both the Hospital Art Program and MedTalks (community health and wellness education series) were developed, launched and are now managed by Jane and her small-but-mighty team at the Foundation.  Jane is active in the Sunshine Coast community, with Halfmoon Bay Elementary School volunteer experience.  Jane and her husband live in Secret Cove with a jungle-style garden…and room for a dog in the future!