|
Community Service Award By Michelle McRae, Editor The Institute’s Community Service Award recognizes CAs who’ve gone above and beyond in volunteering their skills for the betterment of the community. This year’s winners are: Joanne Hausch, CA; Steve Lake, CA; Erfan Kazemi, CA, Edward Robinson, CA; and John Webster, FCA. Joanne Hausch, CA
In 2000, Joanne co-founded the StreetMeals program of Canadian Memorial Church (CMUC) to prepare food for Vancouver’s homeless youth. Over the past decade, she has been a driving force for the program, enlisting the participation of members of her church, colleagues in the CA profession, friends, and family members. She even guided a student group at the University of BC to create their own street youth support group. In a typical month, Joanne gathers donations of food, clothing, and hygiene supplies, and organizes and directs a group of people in the preparation of 700-800 sandwiches and gallons of chilli. She then personally delivers the food and other donations to Directions Youth Services for distribution. Directions is a 24-hour multi-service centre operated by Family Services of Greater Vancouver to support Vancouver’s homeless and/or at-risk youth. The centre provides free counselling, basic services, and assistance in obtaining jobs, housing, and a positive future. It’s estimated that the centre helps more than 1,400 young people each year. To date, Joanne has introduced over 50 people to Directions, increasing awareness and helping to raise funds. Her fundraising efforts include organizing two Deloitte “Impact” (firm-wide community service) days in support of Directions, which led to a significant donation. “Our firm is very active in the community,” Joanne says, “and we support the personal efforts of partners and staff.” It’s this kind of support that has enabled Joanne to take on new projects. In June 2008, for example, she established the CMUC StreetMeals Scholarship. This fund provides financial assistance to former street youth who are enrolled in college or university and want to pursue a career in child and youth services. Approximately $15,000 has gone towards sending young people to school so far. Joanne continues to organize donations and oversee the review of scholarship applications and the disbursement of bursaries. “The current work I do with StreetMeals—particularly the creation of the scholarship program—has been incredibly rewarding,” she says. “I am so inspired by these youth who have turned their lives around and are counselling others to get off the streets.” In 2009, Joanne took a more active role in developing the vision for Directions by joining the board of Family Services of Greater Vancouver. She also serves on several committees, and has played a key role in developing the agency’s strategic plan. Another of Joanne’s notable contributions is her work as a founder of the BC chapter of the CATA Women in Technology (WIT) Forum. CATA WIT Forum is a national non-profit volunteer community network that helps women in high-technology sectors advance in their careers and start their own companies. Over the course of two years, Joanne spearheaded the creation of a local chapter, helping to set up an executive team, recruiting young women to serve on the committee, organizing meetings, and promoting the Forum’s mission. The chapter has thrived since its official launch in June 2009, and Joanne continues to provide leadership and mentorship as co-chair of the executive. In all, it’s estimated that Joanne has put in literally thousands of hours of volunteer service in the past ten years. She has done this all while raising a family of her own and managing her professional responsibilities as a leader in Deloitte’s R&D practice. “There are many reasons why I make volunteer work a priority,” Joanne says. “I started doing things that I had a personal interest in, and then other opportunities started to come my way. Each one has brought new friends and new experiences.” Steve Lake, CA
“My wife Pat and I toured Europe for a year, in our first year of marriage,” Steve recounts. “This vacation was one of the best decisions of our lives, as we saw the world from different perspectives. It gave us a lot of time to reflect and consider how we fit into society.” Within a month of returning home, Steve began volunteering with Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver. His pairing with a nine-year-old “little brother” ended up evolving into a 40+-year mentorship, and Steve’s mentee is now an established professional and friend. Joining Big Brothers was his first foray into community service, but certainly not his last. His contributions are so numerous that what follows are just a few highlights. Highly active in his local business community throughout his career, the semi-retired associate and former partner with MacKay LLP in Surrey is a long-time contributor to the Surrey Board of Trade. He currently serves on its board of directors, chairs the Finance and Police Officer of the Year Awards committees, and acts as treasurer. In the latter capacity, he helped turn around a deficit of $117,000 to a profit of $9,000 in 2007. Steve is also a past board member and president of both the Fraser Valley Estate Planning Council, which he helped found in 1995, and the Scott Road Business Association. In 2001, the Scott Road Business Association recognized his efforts by naming him “Business Person of the Year.” An avid athlete, Steve has also applied his leadership skills to a number of sports organizations. In 1986, he became the director of administration for the 1987 BC Summer Games, and put in 1,200 volunteer hours over a two-year period. His efforts led to a legacy of $75,000 and over $1,000,000 being spent in the community, and garnered him a Certificate of Recognition from the 1988 Calgary Olympic Committee. Steve has played and coached hockey at several levels. He also led his Oldtimers’ Hockey team in sponsoring several North Delta Minor Hockey Association (NDMHA) teams, and coached minor hockey for the NDMHA while his children were playing in the league. He also served on the NDMHA board, and one of his many contributions was to systematize the accounting system. The Association later named him “Sportsman of the Year.” Steve also volunteered for several years with the North Delta soccer league, the Air Canada Golf Championship, and the Delta Thistle Curling Club. More recently, he and his wife volunteered at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Equally passionate about education, Steve helped to develop a diploma program for CA students, volunteered with Kwantlen’s Planned Giving Department, and lectured on the subject of handwriting analysis to business groups and Kwantlen students. Keenly interested in graphology, Steve served as treasurer and assistant editor of the International Grapho-Analysis Society (IGAS) for 15 years, and served as president of its Canada West Chapter from 2003 to 2007. Eager to support others in his community, Steve has worked extensively to help local-area seniors and has provided mentorship to high school and post-secondary students. As the founder of Lake & Associates (now part of MacKay LLP), Steve spearheaded his firm’s involvement in scholarship programs for North Delta high schools and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Under his leadership, Lake & Associates also became involved in career planning events at the Seaquam, North Delta, and Surrey high schools, and gave students a chance to gain valuable experience. In 2007, Steve began volunteering with Act II Children and Families, a non-profit organization that helps abused children and women. “Having a great education, and developing the expertise that we have as CAs, makes you realize that you have something to offer to make a meaningful contribution in the world,” Steve says. “I have met a lot of interesting and positively motivated people through volunteering, and it makes me feel good that I can help make a difference.” Erfan Kazemi, CA
The young CA (he qualified in 2007) has actually been volunteering in the community since he was an elementary school student. “Volunteering was always supported and promoted by my teachers,” he recounts. “Additionally, the Baha’i faith, which I belong to, encourages members to provide service back to the community.” Passionate about improving accessibility to learning, Erfan was inspired to start volunteering with the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) in 2006. The VPL is the third largest library system in Canada, with over 20 branches spread throughout the city. As vice-chair of the board of directors, Erfan helps set the strategic direction for the library, while taking into account the needs of the various communities it serves. “I have always appreciated the unique role the library plays in our society,” Erfan says. “Its programs and services reflect and respond to the diversity of our many communities, including people who are socially excluded or vulnerable. “Having emigrated to Canada,” he adds, “I also appreciate all of the services it provides to new immigrants.” The VPL is focused on developing programs that foster an environment of learning, particularly for children and young people. “Access to learning is an essential component of a child’s early educational development,” Erfan says. “Programs like ‘Ready to Read’ and ‘Homework Help’ encourage and facilitate readership among children. As well, the library offers programs that provide safe social spaces for youth in the Lower Mainland.” Erfan, who also previously served as chair of the VPL’s Human Resources Committee, has worked tirelessly in support of the library’s mission over the last four years, consulting with stakeholders, building consensus, and representing the VPL at Vancouver City Council meetings and at community events. “It can be a challenge committing to and finding the time to volunteer,” he acknowledges. “However, the experience is extremely satisfying, and I have always felt that I get more out of my volunteer work than I put in. Recently, some of my most rewarding experiences have been helping the library board to establish a presence in the downtown eastside, and to further develop programs that encourage people in under-serviced areas to participate. These are exciting initiatives for the community, and it’s very fulfilling to be part of them.” In addition to his commitment to the VPL, Erfan also acts as the treasurer of the board of directors of the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining. “Michael Cinnamond, CA, PwC’s BC mining leader and a personal mentor, encouraged me to volunteer within the industry,” Erfan recounts. “Serving as treasurer of the local branch has been a great experience. Not only have I had the chance to learn even more about the industry, I’ve also met some great people along the way.” He encourages other young CAs to get similarly involved in the community. “Through my volunteer work, I’ve developed some strong friendships,” he says. “Volunteering has also given me the opportunity to meet great people and to feel more connected with my community. For younger CAs, it is a really great way to develop a different skill set.” Edward (Ted) Robinson, CA·IFA/CBV
Ted has been volunteering for more than 30 years, applying his unique set of skills, including his accounting and financial expertise, to a variety of charitable causes, with no job too big or too small. He first began volunteering in the mid-1970s, after Tom Cook, FCA, his boss at the time, encouraged him to get involved. “Tom was on the board of the YMCA of Vancouver then, and he strongly believed in supporting community,” Ted recounts. “He used to say: ‘You have to pay your rent to the community, because it provides you with a career and a living.’” Heeding this advice, Ted joined the board of directors of the YMCA. He has volunteered with the organization ever since. “My involvement started as a career development tool, but I quickly realized that the YMCA is so much more than just “a gym and a swim,” he says. “Locally, it is the largest provider of childcare in the city and, in fact, across the country. It provides programs and facilities for thousands of kids every year, and employment and career counselling to some of the city’s most disadvantaged people.” Ted currently serves as a trustee of the Endowment Fund for the YMCA of Greater Vancouver. Over the years, he has also served as board chair for both the YMCA of Greater Vancouver and YMCA Canada. He is also a past member of the Executive and Finance committees of the World Alliance of YMCAs. “Internationally, the YMCA provides assistance to some of the poorest communities around the world, providing infrastructure, training, health services, and more,” Ted says. “It has been a privilege to be part of an organization that operates in over 80 countries.” In addition to his ongoing involvement with the YMCA, Ted volunteers with Kids Help Phone, Canada’s only source of free phone and online counselling, referral, and information services for children and youth in need. “My involvement with Kid’s Help Phone started in 2005 after my wife got involved in a fundraising program to help troubled youth in Vancouver,” he says. “In today’s growingly impersonal times, I think Kid’s Help Phone provides a much needed service to a segment of our society that is too often ignored.”
Ted started as a signage coordinator for the organization’s “Homes for the Holidays” event, and developed the process and procedures for this role going forward. He has calculated accurate routes and maps to events held by the charity, and has taken a hands-on approach when it comes to the manual labour of installing and removing signage. He has also supported several committees with his “Most of my volunteer work has gone towards organizations that are strongly youth oriented,” Ted says. “As a proud father of three children and now a grandfather of four, I’ve always enjoyed being involved with young people. And it keeps me young! John Webster, FCA
Immediately after joining the board of directors of the United Way of the Lower Mainland in 2004, John became involved with the organization’s BC211 project, which aims to give Lower Mainlanders 24-hour access to the full range of non-emergency health and social services offered by community and government agencies. “Not only does the service direct non-emergency traffic away from 911,” he explains, “it also allows the compilation of data to enable social service agencies to understand what and where the key issues are in the community.” John has worked tirelessly over the past six years to bring the project to fruition, and when the United Way partnered with Information Services Vancouver to create the BC 211 Services Society in 2009, he assumed the role of co-chair—a position he continues to hold. Thanks to funding from the United Way of the Lower Mainland, BC211 began providing free, confidential, and multilingual services by phone and online to communities in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Squamish-Lillooet Regional Districts in April 2010. The goal is to eventually take the service provincewide. “211 is a service that represents a huge opportunity for us in BC,” John says. “It is already serving 65% of the US population, and it’s in place in Ontario and in several cities in Alberta and Quebec. Wherever the service has been introduced, it has been successful.” John has contributed to the United Way of the Lower Mainland in a variety of other capacities as well. He served as vice-chair of the board of directors and chair of the Board Governance and Nominations Committee in 2006/2007, and chair of the board in 2007/2008. He is also a major donor to the organization, and currently serves as a liaison with its Campaign Cabinet. When his children were growing up, John also volunteered in the community as a coach for several youth soccer teams and helped with the Jackrabbits program in cross-country skiing. His past volunteerism also includes serving as a member of the Capilano Scouts’ executive; a director and treasurer for Presentation House Gallery; and co-chair of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation’s Annual Giving Campaign (1989-90). Throughout his career, John has also volunteered in his profession. He has participated in CICA and ICABC activities, including acting as chair of the BC Institute’s National Firms Forum; has served on the Advisory Committee to the Vancouver Stock Exchange and the Securities Regulation Commission; was a founding member of the Securities Policy Advisory Committee; and recently chaired the Advisory Task Force on Resource Development, one of four advisory green task forces established by the BC government. He currently volunteers with the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association and the Business Council of BC. “I don’t think I’m unusual in doing things in the community, and I am sure others do much more,” John says. “I think it’s important for us all to take time to invest in our communities in whatever ways we can. “That being said,” he adds, “I have a very understanding spouse and a supportive employer.” |
Joanne Hausch, an associate partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP in Vancouver, has made considerable contributions to the community over the years.
It was a life-changing experience as a newlywed that inspired Steve Lake to make volunteerism a key part of his life.
“Volunteering is something I’ve always felt strongly about,” says Erfan Kazemi, a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Vancouver.
“I’ve always maintained that I get far more out of volunteering than I ever put in,” says Ted Robinson, a partner with the Vancouver office of LBC International Investigative Accounting Inc. “Volunteering has introduced me to a large number of like-minded people, many of whom have become long-time friends, and it has given me the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve contri-buted to the well being of my community. It has also made me appreciate the difference that dedicated people can make.”
Despite a demanding career as the BC region leader for Cleantech and Renewable Energy for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, John Webster volunteers extensively in the community to improve the quality of life for Lower Mainland residents.  |