Board of Directors

Bob retired in 1989 after 38 years as a public school teacher, counselor, and principal - also having served overseas in a leadership capacity in Ghana and South Africa as an education organization and development facilitator - and then served for 16 years as Executive Director of the BC Teachers Federation.

Bob has served on numerous Boards in the public and private sector, including the Scleroderma Association of BC for 12 Years as VP or Treasurer.

Bob played a significant role with respect to the incorporation under the Society Act of BC. He also worked in fund raising, negotiating and working with other groups, and producing and editing four scleroderma tapes which have been widely used on public service channels. And in establishing a scleroderma clinic and patient data base at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver and working with researchers at UBC on a project that resulted in publication of findings in the European Journal of Immunology.

Bob and his high school sweetheart, Joy, have been married for 47 years, and have three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Yvon is Founder and President of Teckn-O-Laser Inc., an award-winning company that recycles laser printer cartridges. Founded in 1988, Teckn-O-Laser has grown to become one of the largest companies of its kind in North America. Prior to starting Teckn-O-Laser, Yvon founded Micro-Tempus, a communications software development company he shepherded through its IPO in 1986.

Yvon graduated from Devry Institute of Technology in 1969, having completed their electronic engineering program. In June, 2001, Yvon was elected to the Board of Governors of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. In the fall of 2001, he was elected to be a member of the Board of the International Imaging Technology Council, a not-for-profit organization that represents imaging supplies companies of all types.

Yvon has been the president of �Scl�rodermie Qu�bec� since 1998.

Grant is a high school Social Studies teacher, retired from full-time teaching, but still doing some part-time teaching in the adult education program in Calgary.

He was been involved with the scleroderma group in Calgary during the first two years, serving as one of the Directors of the Board of the Scleroderma Society of Canada.

In the past, Grant has served on the executive of the Social Studies Council of the Alberta Teacher's Association and has been involved in the organization of their annual conference on several occasions. He and his wife Maie, have two sons.

Mary Beth lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was the founder and leader of the Atlantic Scleroderma Support Group from 1992 -1996. She planned, organized and conducted monthly meetings with a focus on patient education and advocacy, and on social and emotional support. Mary Beth regularly visited hospitlized individuals and provided one-on-one counselling. She liasoned with professionals in the Dalhousie University Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Physiotherapy and was involved in a variety of scleroderma related projects with these groups.

Mary Beth has been active on a number of other boards and committees in the Halifax area over the years. She served on the Canadian Cancer Society board for about five years, two years as the Chairperson of the Education Committee, and two years as a regular education committee volunteer. Mary Beth has also worked as a volunteer counsellor and group leader in the patient emotional support group, "Living with Cancer". She has done volunteer work with the Arthritis Society, Nova Scotia Liver Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Mary Beth has an interest in environmental illness as related to scleroderma and scleroderma-like diseases. She promotes stress management, patient emotional support, comfort therapy, therapeutic recreation, wellness and a healthy lifestyle as powerful healing aids for people living with a chronic illness. Mary Beth possesses a B. Recreation degree, a B.SC. Foods and Nutrition degree, a Masters of Education degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy.

Irene is the mother of three young men and lives in the small town of Caledonia, Ontario with her husband, Myles. She was working in the business office of the Hamilton Spectator newspaper when she was diagnosed with P.S.Scleroderma in 1991. By 1994 she founded the Hamilton Scleroderma support group, primarily to meet other scleroderma patients. The following year she joined the Scleroderma Society of Ontario (SSO) board of directors.

Irene has chaired a major conference for the SSO as well as 3 fund raising events. She has prepared several of the Society's newsletters and has represented the SSO on the speaker's roster as well as public awareness director. Her present title is Past-President of the Scleroderma Society of Ontario, as well as Hamilton support group leader and public awareness director

Irene's passion is towards public awareness. Scleroderma patients need not feel like they are all alone.

In 1988 Marion was diagnosed with Raynaud's after thinking she had gotten frostbite. Marion was a bus operator for the city of Winnipeg until 1992 when she was diagnosed with scleroderma, then, because of her condition, went into the office to answer information phones.

Marion has been involved with the Manitoba Support Group since 1993 and became president of the Scleroderma Association of Manitoba in 1995. She also works closely with the Lupus Society of Manitoba and serves on the Arthritis Advocacy Committee.

Marion is presently the editor of the Society�s newsletter, �Strides�.

Linda has had scleroderma for 32 years. When she was first diagnosed, she was given six months to one year to live. In spite of that message, and some close calls over the years, she has persevered in her battle against the disease.

Linda has been editor of the newsletter for the Saskatchewan Scleroderma Self Help Group since 1991, and president of that organization since 2000. She created their group�s website in 2001. In her continuing efforts to provide hope and support for others, and to promote awareness about the disease, Linda has been interviewed by CTV and has been featured in newspaper articles.

Linda and her husband, Gerald, live in Estevan, Saskatchewan. They have one daughter and two granddaughters.