Board of Directors
Maureen Witney – Chair
Maureen, with a Masters in Library & Information Science, served as Head Librarian and Systems Librarian at Capilano University. She has worked extensively on University and Province wide committees promoting and implementing resource sharing across BC. Having lived on Bowen for 23 years, Maureen has served on the Island Pacific School Board for 4 years, 2 as Chair. She has long been involved with promoting composting on Bowen, and was a member of the Municipality’s Solid Waste Management Resource Advisory Committee.
One reason for Maureen’s keen interest in the Caring Circle comes from her experience of the incredible services provided by Vancouver Island Health Authority that enabled her father to gently die in the peacefulness of his home. She envisions that one day there will be a similar support system on Bowen.
Diane Marshall – Director
Diane has an MA in Counselling Psychology and is a Retired Registered Nurse, Rehabilitation Counsellor, Registered Social Worker, Registered Clinical Counsellor, Co-founder of BC Brain (Head) Injury Association and a Co-Coordinator of Caring Circle. She is one of the founders of the Knick Knack Nook (Bowen Island’s Re-Use-It Store Society), volunteers in the store and orients volunteers. Diane has tutored UBC medical and dental students in communication skills, acted as a patient facilitator in a dental practice, researched anxiety in dental patients and given seminars to health professionals. She lived on Bowen Island for 17 years.
Julia McCaig – Communications Director
Julia has extensive experience in small business management, marketing and promotion in the publishing sector. She taught technology courses at Capilano University and currently teaches with the North Shore Elder College Society, where she develops extensive technical documentation and training materials for them.
She owns Black Dog Creative where her client work involves the development of print and online documentation to assist clients in learning and managing WordPress websites. Julia also provides technical training to local not for profit businesses. She completed the Technical Writing Program at SFU and the Web Technologies Program at BCIT.Described as a connector she loves working with people, helping build their businesses using print, the web and social media.
Stephen Kiraly – Director
MD, FRCPC.Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Kiraly works with the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. He’s the founding author of “The Healthy Brain Program” and the book “Your Healthy Brain” written and produced on Bowen Island.
His special interests include psychoneuroendocrinology – how stress, brain cycles and hormones affect health and disease and Community and Preventive Medicine (wellness of the community).
Tamara Soloway – Director
Tamara (B.Sc., M.Sc. OT) – is a registered Occupational Therapist who brings 10-years of experience working in community-based and hospital settings in the provision of rehabilitation services for adults living with a broad range of physical & cognitive disabilities, and mental health conditions. After receiving a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto in 2007, Tamara worked at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute for four years in the area of spinal cord injury rehabilitation and neurological disease. Having been born and raised on Bowen Island, Tamara recently moved back to the island that she loves, to raise her young family. It wasn’t long before Tamara joined other like-minded islanders as a Caring Circle Advisory Board member in 2013 and then, in 2015, joined the Board of Directors. Currently, Tamara works part-time as an Occupational Therapist in the area of community brain injury rehab and seniors ‘Aging in Place’.
Roger Dean Maidment – Treasurer
Dean Maidment (CPA, CA) – Dean has specialized in providing accounting, tax, and consulting services to local owner-managed small businesses as well as the non-profit sector for over 15 years. He is caring, community-oriented, and active in supporting local initiatives. Dean understands the importance of health care services on the island and is a proud supporter of the Caring Circle. Dean is familiar with many of the important issues that local non-profit organizations face and looks forward to helping Caring Circle achieve its goals. Outside of work, Dean is an avid cyclist and has participated in many of the province’s top long-distance rides. He also enjoys yoga and sailing and spends time in the Okanagan as well as Calgary where his sons are located.
Shirley Beamer – Director
Shirley Beamer – Owner of Inter Resource Consulting Ltd. (IRC) Accredited in 2008, 2012 and 2016. IRC supports adults with development disabilities, mental health challenges, behaviour concerns and addictions.
IRC is a specialized adult service working directly with Community Living B.C. Ministry Of Health and Ministry of Children and Families on a contract basis.
Gayle Goldstein – Director
Gayle Goldstein – Gayle Goldstein is a Registered Psychologist who works with individuals, couples, families and organizations. She has been working as a professional therapist since 1984 in a variety of settings providing treatment to a diverse range of people.
Over the last twenty-eight years she has also been affiliated with local law enforcement agencies providing counselling, training and critical incident debriefing for emergency service personnel and their families. For ten years she managed an employee assistance program providing consultation and intervention services to large corporations, universities, manufacturing industries and other businesses. Prior to beginning her current private practice, she worked with injured workers and assisted in the physical rehabilitation of hundreds of individuals as part of a multidisciplinary team teaching about the importance of the mind/body connection in managing pain and illness.