Leadership Team
GWEN GADDES - BOARD CHAIR
Gwen has 45 years of experience in clinical nursing in a variety of settings including acute care medical-surgical units, clinical teaching with Camosun College nursing students in acute care, rehab and geriatric units and community-based health care delivery as a home care nurse, intake nurse, and a case manager. In her position at Island, Health Gwen has volunteered as a member of the Senior’s Services Directory Committee since 2001. She enjoys traveling with her husband.
DR. JIE ZHANG - PAST CHAIR
Jie is a service operations scholar with a passion in cultivating service excellence toward a sustainably prosperous, healthy and fulfilling future. Her research draws on theories and practices in service management, technology and knowledge management, and sustainable development. Her projects apply empirical research tools to studying the value co-creation interactions (i.e., service coproduction) among a network of service providers and their customers in hospitality, healthcare, and elder support service contexts. Jie joined the Gustavson School of Business at University of Victoria in 2016. Prior to that, she was on the faculty at the University of Vermont following a decade-long career in computing technology services. In her spare time, Jie enjoys growing plants, practicing yoga, taking long walks and producing podcasts on topics related to aging and caregiving.
BEVERLEY WILDEN - VICE CHAIR
Bev has called Victoria home since 1990 when she obtained work as a clinical nurse specialist in geriatric psychiatry. Prior to that, her career spanned many provinces, including Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia. Ontario and Manitoba. She has volunteered with a number of organizations and committees to try to benefit seniors. The most recent being on the Board for the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Learning (formerly Centre on Aging). She and her husband have 2 grown children. Her hobby is traveling with her husband whenever they can and while they can.
SONG HU - TREASURER
Song Hu is a Chartered Professional Accountant and an owner of an accounting firm since 2010, with offices in Alberta and British Columbia. Song enjoys community service and volunteering, which led to her involvement with Rotary International in 2013. She is the treasurer and past president of the Rotary Club of Edmonton Southeast. In 2017, Song and her family relocated to British Columbia, first to Powell River and then to Victoria, which has become their home since 2021. Song enjoys exploring nature with her family, friends, and dog in her spare time.
MARIA HEWITT - SECRETARY
Maria is a retired health policy analyst with volunteer experience as a lay navigator at the BC Cancer Centre. She is engaged in many other volunteer opportunities through Patient Voices. She holds a doctorate in public health.
MARY MOUAT - BOARD MEMBER
Mary graduated from the University of Victoria, Faculty of Law in 1987 and was a partner at the Quadra Legal Centre in Victoria from 1990 until her retirement in June of 2022. Mary practiced almost exclusively in the area of family law and her practice focused on, but was not limited to, consensual dispute resolution. She had been a qualified family law mediator since 1996 and was a collaborative practitioner for over 15 years. As a white, cisgender woman, Mary is keenly aware of the privileges she has been granted. Mary’s volunteer work is extensive and wide ranging, and details are available upon request. She believes that connections and community are vital to good health and happiness. Mary received her designation as Queen’s Counsel in 2011, was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Faculty of Law in 2014 and received the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch Georges A. Goyer QC Award for Distinguished service in 2015. Mary aspires to be a good bridge player.
CHRISTIAN GRANEGGER - BOARD MEMBER
Christian has more than 40 years of experience working with small to large corporations. He holds a degree in telecommunications and has held a number of management roles from engineering to senior leadership; the initial 33 years of his career he worked for one of Germany’s largest enterprise – Siemens AG – long term assignments took him to countries like India, the Philippines, and Egypt just to mention a few. He had as well exposure to the rules of management consulting, in a one-year assignment with McKinsey in Denmark. Before moving to Canada in 2012, Christian spent 11 years in Dubai, during which he held assignments as regional sales director for Siemens and Nokia, then became Managing Director of the newly established regional office of trovicor and thereafter co-founder and partner of Ytrail AG, a Swiss-based software development company. Christian and family made Oak Bay their home from where his wife manages an International Social Development consulting company.
BARBARA STOECKEL - BOARD MEMBER
Barbara spent her childhood in rural Alberta around Edmonton. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta and then proceeded to do public health nursing in rural Alberta and throughout BC. She nursed in hospitals, occupational health, public health in Prince Edward Island, psychiatric nursing, and finally psychogeriatric nursing. During this time she raised 2 children. Barbara enjoys artistic work in oils, pastels, and acrylics followed by crafts of sewing, knitting crocheting, and embroidery. She actively reaches out to the homeless of Victoria as well as Seniors Serving Seniors.
SHIRLEY KINE - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JAMES BENSON - RETURN TO HEALTH COORDINATOR
James joined Senior Serving Seniors as the Return to Health Coordinator in February 2023. James has worked with Seniors in the Capital Region for over 35 years with Island Health. James has a Bachelor of Recreation Studies Degree from the University of Manitoba. James conducted research, using a wheelchair bicycle to treat depression in the Elderly living in Long Term care facilities. Seniors participating in the study program decreased their depression scores significantly using this non pharmaceutical intervention. James is a strong proponent of teamwork and collaboration to support seniors at home and in the community. As a team member with the Disability Management Program at Island Health, James, supported staff with return to work programs. James enjoys helping others obtain optimum health, by providing supports and services to enable individuals to regain independence. While not working, James enjoys camping, fly-fishing, walking, biking, and spending time with his family.
KIRK SCHWARTZ – VOLUNTEER MANAGER
Kirk Schwartz joined us as Volunteer Manager on February 1. He has been a volunteer with Seniors Serving Seniors for a number of years. Kirk has experience with RTH, has volunteered on Senior Link and has produced our video and audio media. He has a background in media and media education and a long and varied experience with a variety of Arts and Social non profits.