Management Team
Jim McLaughlin, Executive Director
Jim is a graduate of the human services program at Western Washington University. He has been employed by The Children’s Foundation for 39 years in a variety of service supervisory and management roles, culminating in his appointment as Executive Director in 2002. Jim has wide experience in residential care, family treatment, program development and administration, and human resource management. Jim has consulted widely in the human services arena, including membership in a variety of provincial ministerial committees and initiatives.
He has a passion to involve communities in service development and governance. He has also provided leadership in building collaborative services in the communities that The Children’s Foundation serves.
Robert Bullock, Director of Finance and Administration
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Stephen Hockey, Clinical Director
Stephen is a family man with a wife and two teenaged daughters. Building on years of experience working in child care and child protection, Stephen earned a clinical master’s degree at UC Berkeley in 1988, which gave him additional skills to help children and families pursuing healing and growth. As a clinician, Stephen has worked extensively in progressive psychiatry, community-based family development, and private practice. In recent years, he has particularly enjoyed providing clinical supervision, training staff, and getting involved in program development. He is most passionate about the emerging possibilities in our field as we increasingly embrace appreciative, culturally competent, and evidence-based practices.
Lisa Lowe, Program Director
Lisa is an expressive art therapist who has worked at The Children’s Foundation for over 10 years. Currently, she is the Program Director at Alderwood Family Development Centre. She is passionate about team building and dynamic leadership. She is also committed to building relational, imaginative, and stronger social justice practices.
Zdeno Rusnak, Program Director
Zdeno began his career in the social service sector in 1991 as a child and youth care counsellor. He joined The Children's Foundation in 1994 in the Surrey Family Preservation Program as a family counsellor. In 1997, Zdeno earned a master's degree at UBC in counselling psychology . Since that time, he went on to do family counselling at the Esther Irwin Home, supervise the Surrey Family Preservation Program, and supervise the Cedarwood Family Program. In 2008, he joined the management team. Zdeno is passionate about building teams, providing leadership opportunities for his colleagues, developing programs, implementing evidence-based practices, and mentoring interns.
Helgi Remmelg, Program Director
Dr Terre J. (TJ) Glahn, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Terre Glahn has 35 years of experience in the area of Autism, instructional strategies, and organizational systems. TJ has worked for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) statewide for California, Columbus Medical Organization, and established a statewide graduate student internship program throughout California including UCLA, UOP, and Cal Lutheran College.
Wayne Sydorchuk, Program Director
Wayne started his career in the social services sector in February 1972, soon after his university graduation. Since that time, he has worked as a manager in a variety of roles that have focused on working directly with children and families. In 1984, Wayne joined The Children’s Foundation to operate a large residential assessment centre. He joined TCF’s management team in 1990. Wayne has been the director of three programs in the Fraser South region since 2002. He has a real commitment to providing team-based leadership, and is passionate about making the workplace a proactive, enjoyable, and productive environment.
Board of Governors
Elizabeth Demner, President
Elizabeth is a community volunteer of long standing. She has served on the boards of St. George’s and Crofton House schools, and was President of the Junior League of Greater Vancouver. She has been President of The Children’s Foundation for two years, and she is very proud of her association with this outstanding social-profit agency.
Earl Phillips, Secretary
Earl is a lawyer and the practice group leader for McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s labour and employment group. He resides in Vancouver with his wife, Barbara, where they have raised four children. He has been on the board of The Children’s Foundation since 2004.
Simon Chen, Treasurer
Simon Chen is a senior manager in KPMG's tax department and has been with KPMG since 1999. Simon helps his clients to accomplish their objectives in a tax-efficient manner.
John Ashbridge
A life-long and distinguished broadcaster, John retired from CKNW Vancouver in 2005 ending a career that spanned nearly four decades. However, John continues to have a public presence - in civic affairs, as a spokesperson for Metro Vancouver CrimeStoppers, and perhaps most notabl y, as the public address announcer at Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Giants home games. The recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards and a committed community volunteer, John brings a wealth of experience to the TCF Board.
Les Boon
Recently retired after a 35 year career in the BC public service, Les brings in-depth social services experience to the TCF Board. A graduate of the University of Lethbridge and UBC where he earned a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology, Les moved into a career with BC Corrections working as a probation officer, family court counsellor, policy analyst and district director of both BC Community Districts as well as Correctional Facilities. In1996, Les joined the Ministry of Children and Family Development as Regional Executive Director of the Upper Fraser Region, and then as R.E.D. of the combined Fraser Region, a position he held until his retirement in 2010. Having experienced a fulfilling professional career, Les looks forward to continuing to play a role in bettering the lives of disadvantaged children and families through his participation on the TCF Board.
Rupinder Dhaliwal
Rupinder is a dual trained nurse and is managing a specialized rehabilitation program in Surrey for the last ten years. She is also very much involved in the Indo-Canadian community to support lots of family issues, provides counseling to children, families and marriage. Besides that she is a member of Soroptimist International of the tricities, a nonprofit organization for women. As a devoted wife and mother of a daughter and a son she has dedicated herself to help parents in more peaceful, democratic and none punitive ways to raise their children through radio programs, TV shows and counseling. She is also the author of the book "How to raise children" in Punjabi.
Blair Harvey
Blair is the father of two children, and the grandfather-to-be of a baby from China. Blair is a Metis and was raised in northern Manitoba. He is a canoeing professional and a 30-year specialist in Aboriginal community development. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree and is a registered social worker (RSW). He is also a documentary film producer and a substance abuse counsellor.
Suzanne Lewis, MD
A pediatrician and clinical genetics specialist, Dr. Lewis has spent much of her career researching complex neurodevelopmental disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorder. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario School and McMaster University Schools of Medicine, she is Clinical Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics and a Senior Clinician Scientist at UBC. She is also Director of the Autism Spectrum Interdisciplinary Research (ASPIRE) Program, a tri-partner research initiative that has achieved provincial, national and international recognition. Acutely aware of the significant challenges that families with ASD children face, Dr. Lewis is passionate about ongoing research which she hopes will someday bring advances that improve the health, well-being and quality of life of children and families living with cognitive and behavioural disabilities. Her passion and extensive expertise in medical research and clinical care adds a new dimension of strength to the TCF Board.
Raymond Mah
As a child, Ray's preference for doodling over pick up games of street hockey with friends revealed a creative instinct and artistic talent that would lead to a highly successful career in graphic and multimedia design. After graduating from the Vancouver School of Art, Ray gained experience at CBC as an art director. He subsequently formed Ray Mah Design and later Leap Creative Group, an award-winning brand identity and communications design firm that serves a local, national and international clientele. Ray joined the TCF Board in January 2011. With his extensive experience in multimedia communications, Ray brings broad knowledge and an insightful perspective to the TCF Board.
Jan Radford
Jan is the Director of Maternal Child Services at Surrey Memorial Hospital. She has a Master's Degree in Nursing and brings 35 years experience as a pediatric nurse and health care administrator to the board. Her area of clinical expertise is children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs. She and her partner are adoptive parents of 4 children ranging in age from 2 - 18 years and have been foster parents for the last 8 years. Jan joined the Children's Foundation Board in 2007 .
Avtar S. Sundher
Avtar graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor degree in Science and is employed by the Ministry of Environment as an Emergency Response Officer managing hazardous material spills. He has over 12 years business experience and is a partner in a number of private corporations including ARS Cosmetic Ltd, a retail store located in Surrey, Sunco Industries Inc, a custom lumber drying and remanufacuturing operation in Chilliwack and 635068 BC Ltd, a commercial real estate investment company. He and his partners have had the opportunity to help establish and donate to an organization helping families in an Indian village.
He has been married for the past 16 years to Rava and ha s two children, Sajin and Priya , ages 14 and 5 respectively , and live s in Surrey. Avtar enjoy s playing volleyball and tr ies to exercise regularly.