Leadership Team
DR. JIE ZHANG – BOARD 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.
GWEN GADDES - SECRETARY
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.
MARIA - BOARD MEMBER
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.
JARET CLAY - BOARD MEMBER
Jaret Clay joined Investors Group in 2016. He is educated with a Bachelor of Science (Psychology), Bachelor of Commerce (Finance), and a Master of Social Work from UBC. He has always had a passion for planning in personal finances and business finance. He is married with two adult children, one who is in medical school the other who is becoming an electrician. Jaret Clay was a health care and social services manager for 13 years, focusing on hospital administration for six years in rural Northern British Columbia, with 4 years in the management of a drug facility in Vancouver and 3 years managing group homes for those in community living with developmental disabilities. He has been on the board of Operation Track shoes, a sports festival for people with developmental disabilities, for 24 years in Victoria, B.C.
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. Christian is a committed and passionate volunteer with Seniors Serving Seniors’ Return to Health program.
RON RUBIN - BOARD MEMBER
A native Winnipegger with a Bachelor’s degree from Montreal, Ron’s career focused on Human Resources both as a HR Director with a major multi-national and as a founding partner for a management consulting firm in Toronto delivering next generation human resources strategy to clients in the public and private sectors. Specializations included selection process, job analysis, performance management, organizational development, sales compensation, HR effectiveness and new manager training. In later years Ron was retained as an “expert witness” providing HR-related testimony to the legal community and to the court. Previous volunteerism included board leadership with a neighbourhood association and providing reading assistance to elementary schoolchildren in Hamilton. Ron has three grown daughters and a partner who shares his interest in cooking, reading, gardening and fitness. Currently he is writing a non-fiction about an unknown emigrant who contributed significantly to Lower Canada’s 19th century growth.
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.
ALAN JORDAN - BOARD MEMBER
Alan moved to Victoria with his wife Kelly in 2007 and quickly fell in love with all Victoria has to offer. After a career as a truck driver and service technician for a local window company, Alan pursued and obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and then his Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria. Alan has an interest in and focuses his practice on wills, estates and incapacity planning. Alan loves spending time with his wife and three boys and enjoys camping, playing hockey and the occasional tennis match.
VICKI PILOT – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Vicki Pilot joined the organization as Executive Director in January 2020. Her background is steeped in non-profit organizations doing social work for over 20 years. Vicki’s passion and motivation is to create a synergy of collaborative, community programs for marginalized and vulnerable populations. She has done this across Canada (NWT, Nunavut, Fort Smith, Prince George and Vancouver Island) in various roles: Settlement Worker, Regional Coordinator for March of Dimes, Life Skills Facilitator and many other community support roles. Vicki believes in co-creating with other community based organizations through aligned partnerships. When Vicki isn’t working for SSS she is practicing energy healing, stand up comedy and enjoying nature as much as possible.
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.
LANE SHERMAN – VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Lane Sherman is the Volunteer Coordinator for Seniors Serving Seniors. When not in that role he is a trainer, facilitator, author, and founder of PeopleStuff, an organizational consulting firm. He has a Masters in Leadership and Training (MALT) from Royal Roads University. Lane has been working with the non-profit sector throughout his career and has worked with Vantage Point as a knowledge philanthropist for the past four years. In his role of Volunteer Coordinator for Seniors Serving Seniors Lane provides continuing education and support for the Seniors Serving Seniors volunteer community.