Kristin Courtney
Chairman
Kristin feels extremely privileged to give back to society through her involvement with many charitable organizations, one of which is the Willow Foundation. She is very thankful for the tremendous amount of support that she receives from the Willow Foundation Coordinator and the Board of Directors, which is a group of very dynamic professionals who bring many caring, and creative ideas to the table at the monthly board meetings. Kristin says she and the Board owe a lot to those who donate to the Willow Foundation; they simply could not do what they do without the support they receive from the community.
Kristin and her husband David are the owners of MEDIchair Halton, which provides home medical equipment to seniors and individuals of all ages with varying degrees of disabilities. They are the proud parents of three wonderful children, and one amazing son-in-law. “Our children are our greatest successes”, says Kristin. “They are wonderfully supportive and are a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement. I have much to be thankful for and indeed I am both humbled and honoured to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Willow Foundation.”
Andrea Gossmann
Foundation Co-ordinator
Andrea and her husband have lived in Mississauga for 25 years. She has two sons ages 21 and 18 and a rather spoiled retriever puppy name Penny.
She is a confirmed volunteer having driven for Meals on Wheels for two years and currently volunteers at the Eden Food Bank in Mississauga as well as Community Living Mississauga.
Brian Dobson
Treasurer & Director
Brian was asked to join the Willow Foundation in 2007 having gained first hand experience with Halton’s Long Term Care Facilities since 2006 with his Mother-in-law, Mary, being a resident at Post Inn Village and his Mother, Marie, is currently a resident at Oakville Senior Citizen Residence in Bronte.
He is currently a Board Member and the Treasurer of the Willow Foundation and a member of the Golf Committee for the Annual Golf Tournament in May and enjoys working with seniors to help make their lives more comfortable. Brian worked in International Banking and Insurance for many years both within and outside of Canada and currently works in Financial Management. Brian and his son and daughter have lived in Oakville for 22 years in Glen Abbey. Over the years Brian has been involved in many community events such as Scouts Canada, Oakville Minor Baseball Association, Minor Oaks Hockey Association, Instructor Centennial College on International Trade, Oakville Neighbourhood Watch, Vice-Chair of the St. Ignatius of Loyola High School Council, and is currently quite involved with the 400 plus members of the Oakville Knights of Columbus 3RD Degree Marian Council as Chancellor and 4TH Degree Bishop Reding Assembly as Faithful Scribe and a member of the Colour Corps. Brian has also been a Director of a vacation resort condominium property in Collingwood, Ontario.
Shelly Font
Director
Shelly moved to the Oakville / Mississauga area in 2004 and now has deep ties in the community at many levels. Shelly dedicates 100 % of her energies into several areas, from her professional role as Supervisor of Client Services at Peel Senior Link to her other passions; sitting on multiple boards, running a non-profit organization, as well as volunteering to run programs at St. John Compassionate Mission in Toronto. Her educational background combines Nursing and Psychology, while professional endeavours have demonstrated her natural business acumen. She is very passionate about social services in all aspects and enjoys working to improve the lives of seniors and disabled adults. In joining the board of the Willow Foundation, she saw an opportunity to work with a group of individuals equally as passionate as she is about making “a measurable difference” in the lives of seniors and disabled adults. Her involvement with the Willow Foundation brings with it a great source of pride and respect for those she encounters in her role as a Director.
Lisa Forbes
Director
Lisa feels very thankful to serve on the board of the Willow Foundation. She is currently working with MediChair helping provide health solutions to seniors in the Halton Region. Extraordinarily involved in the community, Lisa welcomes every opportunity to enrich the lives of seniors and disabled adults in Halton through her role as a director of The Willow Foundation.
Karen Goyer
Director
After returning to McMaster University after raising two children, Karen received her degree in Gerontology. She has been working in the field of Senior Housing for the past six years, and currently working with Delmanor Seniors communities in the capacity of General Manager of the Glen Abbey Delmanor location. Karen is married with two grown children.
Katie Hrycun
Director
Katie J. Hrycun is a Funeral Director with Oakview Funeral Home in Oakville. She was raised in a small farming community outside of Simcoe, ON, and acquired a great passion for boating and lakeshore living. Family, local social events, reading, and career dedication are all very important to Katie. She is a great believer in community involvement, and in addition to being a board member with the Willow Foundation, is a volunteer captain for CharterAbility, and volunteers with the seniors at S.E.N.E.C.A. regularly. She is beyond honoured to be a part of Willow, and has grown a passion for enriching the lives of seniors through her grandmother, who has taught Katie to understand that seniors have, and continue to, give us so much that it is vital that we return the loving care and dedication.
Roger Lapworth
Director
Roger immigrated to Canada from England in 1974. He has held many senior VP Finance and Director of Finance positions to 1987. Roger started his own Tax Consulting business in 1987. In 2006 Roger was elected to Oakville Town Council and sits on many local boards including The Oakville & District Humane Society & The Oakville Public Library. Roger also sits on several Finance Committees as well as several Council Advisory Committees within the Town of Oakville. A keen golfer and audiophile. Roger has a passion for Live Sound within the Entertainment industry and supports local musical talent in and around the Town and regularly donates his time, equipment and expertise to local charities. Roger has supported the Willow Foundation’s Tree Lighting ceremonies as the Emcee at all three facilities over the past several years.
Scott McNabb
Director
Scott owns Homewatch CareGivers, a home care services company which is dedicated to providing compassionate living assistance to people of all ages. They provide care to preserve dignity, promote independence and provide peace of mind for their clients and their loved ones. His passion for helping seniors and those with care needs has come about through his personal experience in caring for his parents. Through them, he witnessed the passionate desire people have for living well, living independently, living safely and living with pride and dignity. Scott welcomes the opportunity to work with the many wonderful people at the Willow Foundation to help enrich the lives of seniors in Halton Region.
Scott has an MBA and is also a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA™), an internationally recognized designation which focuses on the key needs and issues concerning senior citizens. In addition to serving on the Willow Foundation Board, Scott also volunteers for the Oakville Hospital Foundation.
Jeff O’Rourke
Director
Born and raised outside Ottawa, Jeff moved to southern Ontario to attend McMaster University and received a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Before settling in Halton Region in 1995, Jeff held a variety of management positions across Canada in the transportation industry. Jeff is the Director of Canada/US transportation with DHL Global Forwarding and his past board experience has included serving as Chair and Past Chair with the Halton Center for Child Care. Blessed with two growing children and happily married, Jeff feels strongly about enhancing the lives of the seniors in Halton Region in his role as director on the Board of The Willow Foundation.