Board of Directors
We are grateful for the ongoing commitment and guidance from our current Board of Directors, as well as those who supported CHA in the past. We acknowledge the different perspectives represented by our Board Members whose contribution helped to advance our goals and visions for change.
Bob is a father of seven beautiful children and now has seven grandchildren and counting. He has experience in business and was the Mayor and Town Councillor for Lake Cowichan for the past twelve years. Bob believes housing for everyone is not impossible, we just need to design and build a system that believes this is possible!
Bob Day
Treasurer
Alana moved to the Cowichan Valley in 2008 with her husband and two sons, and instantly felt connected to the community. Serving others is a core value of hers, and being able to do so through the vital human need of housing is an honour. Alana’s work history includes running a custom cake business, music teacher, and pastor in a church. She has just completed an MBA with a focus on Not for Profit Organizations.
Alana Robinson
Secretary
Mark moved to the Cowichan Valley in 2013 from Canmore with his wife Danielle and two children. Shortly after moving to the area, not only did he start his own Structural Engineering business (Buepoint Consulting Ltd.), but he and his wife also adopted a sibling group of four, quickly expanding their family. In his spare time, Mark likes to ride his motorcycle, play music, and hang out with his family. Mark is passionate about affordable housing and is eager to use his expertise in Structural Engineering to reduce homelessness and to promote social equity.
Mark Buesink
Director
Tom Strong
Director
Tom Strong moved to the Cowichan Valley in the summer of 2019, retiring from a career as a Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Calgary. Originally born and raised on Vancouver Island, moving back meant encountering an unexpected and alarming degree of homelessness. Homelessness and mental health problems go hand in hand so being involved in addressing homelessness seemed one way of contributing to big picture wellness issues here in the Cowichan Valley.
Drew Burgwin is retired after forty years in Emergency Health Services, beginning in Halifax, Nova Scotia, continuing through Calgary and, finally, the British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS). He spent twenty years as an Advanced Care Paramedic followed by twenty years in management positions in quality improvement and education. He also volunteers as the Western Region Coordinator for the Respect Canada, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing collaboration among services to address issues of mental illness, addiction and homelessness among military veterans and retired first responders (police, fire, and ambulance. Drew believes that solving homelessness is key to addressing mental illness and addiction in vulnerable populations in our region.
Drew Burgwin
Director
Stephanie Harper
Director
As a Cowichan Lake resident and avid outdoors person, Stephanie has been exploring the natural beauty of the Cowichan Valley since 2015. With her family on the island and her two pointers by her side, she has gained a deep appreciation for the people, forests, mountains, and waterways that make this region so special. With 30 years of executive experience in STEM organizations, Stephanie is now looking to give back by volunteering with effective non-profit organizations that have a shared purpose of building stronger communities. Equipped with a Sustainability Leadership certificate and a passion for viable housing, she is excited to offer her knowledge and skills to the Cowichan Housing Association's board of directors. Stephanie values community well-being and healthy living for all. She believes that safe, stable communities with inclusive, attainable, and accessible housing are a fundamental requirement for an economic and socially sustainable society.
Bio Coming Soon
Sharon Horsburgh
Director