GUEST SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Gabor Maté
Monday, 22 November – Plenary
Keynote sponsored by Coast Capital Savings
Gabor Maté, M.D., is a physician, author, and public speaker. He is a former medical columnist for The Globe and Mail and The Vancouver Sun. His four books are all Canadian bestsellers, and have been published internationally in over fifteen languages. The most recent, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction was awarded the Hubert Evans prize for literary non-fiction.
Dr. Maté has been a family practitioner and for seven years was Medical Coordinator of the Palliative Care Unit at Vancouver Hospital, caring for the terminally ill. For the past twelve years, he has worked with patients challenged by hardcore drug addiction, mental illness, and HIV.
In 2009, he was honoured with an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Simon Fraser University. Dr. Maté’s keynote address will link his own experiences to the solutions offered by non-profit housing providers. An inspiring and visionary speaker, he will no doubt challenge us to achieve even greater successes on behalf of those who live in our communities.
Claudette Plante
Chair, BC Non-Profit Housing Association
Claudette Plante was first elected to the BCNPHA Board in November of 2004 and was elected Chair in 2010. She works for both the Prince George & District Elizabeth Fry Society and the Elizabeth Fry Housing Society. In these capacities, she manages the South Fort George Family Resource Centre, a neighbourhood-based family centre that integrates services from several community agencies and ministries to increase the health and well-being of families; co-coordinates the northern regional ECD Coalition for Children & Youth with Special Needs; oversees ninety-one housing units for low income families, and people with disabilities; and manages both a homeless at-risk program for women and children who are fleeing abuse, and a tenant support worker program for one of BC Housing’s directly managed projects.
Ms. Plante is passionate about the work that non-profit housing providers do. She has been involved in the sector since 2000, and has experience in all aspects of social housing from project development, program development, and frontline operations to management and long term strategic planning. “I am very pleased to be part of this sector, and recognize the important role non-profit housing providers play in strengthening their communities. Likewise, I feel very fortunate to be part of BCNPHA. The Association continues to provide exciting new initiatives and long term strategies that will provide opportunities for non-profit housing providers both today and in the future. As we come together for the 18th Annual Non-Profit Housing Conference, Advancing Housing Solutions, I look forward to participating in the many networking and educational opportunities that the conference brings.”
The Honourable Rich Coleman
Minister of Housing and Social Development
Monday, 22 November – Plenary
Rich Coleman was first elected in 1996 to represent the riding of Fort Langley-Aldergrove and was re-elected in 2001, 2005, and 2009. He was appointed Minister of Housing and Social Development in June 2008, and re-appointed in June 2009. He has previously served as Minister of Forests and Range, Minister Responsible for Housing, Minister of Public Safety, and Solicitor General.
From 1996-2001, as part of the Official Opposition, Mr. Coleman served in a variety of roles, including housing critic, forests deputy critic, and caucus whip. He also sat on the Official Opposition Caucus Committee on Crime.
Mr. Coleman has served as Governor of the BC Kinsmen, President of the Aldergrove Chamber of Commerce, and as a director on several volunteer boards. He was awarded Rotary’s highest honour, the Paul Harris Fellowship, and received a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003. He has also received the Canada 125 Medal for Community Service and was chosen Langley’s Volunteer of the Year in 1988.
Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Coleman ran a real estate management and consulting company. He is also a former member of the RCMP and a security specialist.
Rich Coleman and his wife, Michele, live in Aldergrove and have two adult children. (Note: Minister Coleman was invited but has not yet confirmed at the time of program publication.)
Tim Dettlaff, BASc., P.Eng.
Senior Vice President, Ameresco
Monday, 22 November – Luncheon
As Senior Vice President of Ameresco, Tim Dettlaff is responsible for the development of housing strategies across Canada and the US, focusing on capital investment strategies that enhance the Quality of Residence Lifetm.
Mr. Dettlaff has provided strategic consulting services for over twenty years, including asset planning strategies, capital leveraging solutions that incorporate energy conservation, and renewable energy solutions.
Tim has developed numerous asset planning and capital investment strategies for customers that have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of leveraged and created capital.
Tim is currently leading a research initiative whose goal is to introduce new objective measurements designed to enhance the quality of resident life.
Shane Simpson, MLA
Opposition Critic for Housing and Social Development
Tuesday, 23 November – Breakfast
Shane Simpson was first elected to represent Vancouver Hastings in the May 2005 provincial election. Born and raised in East Vancouver, Mr. Simpson has been active in the community for over thirty years. As Opposition Critic for Housing and Social Development, Shane is looking forward to engaging British Columbians in a meaningful discussion about the critical inadequacies of our current housing and social development policies, and how they can be improved.
In his professional career, Shane has worked as the Director of Policy and Communications for Smart Growth BC, Chair of the Vancouver City Planning Commission, an instructor in the Community Economic Development Program at Simon Fraser University, Executive Director of the Worker Ownership Resource Center, Legislative Coordinator for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, coordinator and fundraiser for the Ray Cam Cooperative Center, Executive Assistant to former Vancouver East MP Margaret Mitchell, and as a consultant on business and economic development for labour, co-operative, and non-profit groups.
Shane was the recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his contribution to community in 2002. In 1992, he was awarded the Governor General’s 125th Anniversary Commemorative Medal for Community Service.
Charles MacArthur
General Manager, CMHC BC Region
Tuesday, 23 November – Breakfast
Charles MacArthur joined CMHC in 1997 and has held a variety of managerial positions in CMHC’s Atlantic Regional Office including: Manager of Information Transfer, Export and International; Manager of Business Services; Manager of Community Development; Regional Manager, Underwriting, Default Management, and Real Estate; and Manager, Insurance Business Development. He also held a special assignment with CMHC’s National Audit and Evaluation Services. In April 2009, Mr. MacArthur was appointed General Manager of CMHC’s BC Region. Prior to joining CMHC, Charlie worked for thirteen years for the private and public sectors in international marketing. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University.
Jody Ciufo
Executive Director, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
Tuesday, 23 November – Luncheon
Jody Ciufo joined the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) as Executive Director in November 2009. She holds a BA (Hons) from Carleton University and an MBA from the University of Ottawa with an emphasis on policy and marketing. Ms. Ciufo has over twenty years of management experience in not-for-profit organizations, mostly at the national level. She has worked for the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, Canadian Automobile Association, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Canadian Red Cross Society. Prior to joining CHRA, Ms. Ciufo was Executive Director of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the leading advocacy organization for research in the humanities and social sciences.
In her address, Housing: The View from Ottawa, Jody Ciufo will give delegates a view of housing as seen from Parliament Hill. She will discuss the bill for a national housing strategy, federal budget preparations, and what’s happening with the Affordable Housing Initiative, federal renovation programs, and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. She will also address CHRA’s plans to build better connections across the housing sector in Canada to strengthen its collective voice.
Scott Jackson
Rooftops Canada
Wednesday, 24 November – Breakfast
Scott Jackson is the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada’s National Communications Program Manager. As the former Communications Director for the Co-operative Housing Federation of British Columbia, he has written numerous articles on the important work of Rooftops Canada and its global partners. In his presentation, Mr. Jackson will talk about how housing groups in Tanzania and Kenya help the poor move from “loans to homes” using microfinance for step-by-step housing.
Scott is passionate about the value of co-ops and has been actively involved in the cooperative sector as a member, director and employee. When Scott isn’t singing the praises of co-ops, he’s usually singing in Vancouver’s 150-member Bach Choir – or sailing the beautiful coastline of British Columbia with his wife and ten-year-old daughter.