Ballenas Board
Ballenas Housing Society is governed by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors who bring a diverse range of knowledge, experience, and perspectives to our organization.
Chair
David B., LLB – David is a recently retired lawyer who joined the Board in 2020. He has lived and worked on Vancouver Island since 1983. He was the senior litigation partner at his law firm practicing mainly personal injury law representing injured people against insurance companies.
Vice-Chair
Bob M., RI – Bob has studied in-depth both Electronic Technology and Urban Land Economics. Following a ten-year technical career, Bob became a mortgage broker, mortgage underwriter, trust company branch manager and BC regional manager of a diverse portfolio of commercial properties. In 2020, Bob retired from real estate brokerage but still participates in development projects and assisting others.
Treasurer
Alex B., CFA – Alex brings over a decade of financial services experience to the Ballenas Board. He has led several high performing teams in the banking sector and recently obtained his Chartered Financial Analyst designation. His prior experience in working on a board comes from having previously served as Treasurer for a local Chamber of Commerce.
Secretary
Laura C., BBA, MA – Laura joined the Ballenas Board in 2021 after retiring from nearly 20 years working in healthcare. Laura worked as manager/project manager in many areas such as Primary Care, Long Term Care, Home and Community Care, Acute Care, Mental Health and Substance Use, Public Health, as well as partnering on projects with First Nations communities.
Past-Chair
David M. – David has been involved with Ballenas off and on for almost fifteen years. He became involved while working on a contract for Canada Employment as an Employment Counsellor. David went on to run his own company working with hard to place unemployed folks and as a Clinical Counsellor assisting medically discharged Veterans. Through this work, David saw how important stable housing is for people.
Board Members
Brandon C., BBA, CGA – Brandon was raised on Vancouver Island and is a partner at a CPA firm in Nanaimo. He joined the Ballenas Board in 2022.
Ed M. – Ed is a valuable member of the Parksville community having recently served the municipality for seven years with distinction. Ed’s professional background includes senior leadership in construction, engineering and planning. He continues to make a positive impact through his work on various non-profit boards.
Wendy R: Wendy enjoyed a 24+ year Government of BC career in a variety of senior director positions in both the social and natural resource sectors. She has experience in contract and project management, finance, business continuity and facilities, and managed a non-profit remote outdoor education centre.
Emeka U: Emeka is a Senior Financial Consultant providing clients with prudent investment, tax and estate planning, and risk management strategies. He is a part-time reserve Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, a part-time Professor of Finance at VIU, and a member of the Rotary Club of Nanaimo Oceanside.
Mark M: Mark is a retired partner from a mid-sized Chartered Accounts firm providing tax and accounting for small business and audits of non-profit and public sector organizations. Mark has over 20 years’ experience serving on non-profit boards and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC.