Society Board of Directors

John Greschner, President

John Greschner is Chief Investigator and Associate Deputy Representative for Children and Youth, an independent office of the BC Legislature. He has served as Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services with the government of Yukon and in various positions in the government of British Columbia, including Deputy Child and Youth Officer, Deputy Commissioner of the Children’s Commission, and a number of leadership roles within the Ministry of Health including Assistant Deputy Minister.

Prior to moving to BC in 1987, Mr. Greschner managed community health and social service and mental health programs in Saskatchewan and Ontario, and worked as a clinical psychologist. He and his wife, Carrie, live in Victoria, and have five grown children and are proud grandparents. John has been on the Board of the Victoria Hospice Society since 2007, and is a strong advocate for responsive and compassionate end of life care.

Dave Traynor, Vice-President

With nearly 30 years in the communications business, Dave Traynor brings a wealth of communications experience with him to the Hospice Board. He has held positions with companies in the telecommunications and financial services sectors in Regina, Ottawa and Toronto, beginning his career as a newspaper reporter, moving up to hold various editorial and publisher roles in daily newspapers and magazines, eventually rising to the senior executive level.

Mr. Traynor has worked at all levels of communications, from writing and editing copy for print and on-line through to developing complex communications campaigns and setting strategic directions for various companies and organizations. He is the owner of Dave Traynor Communications and is a Senior Associate with Acumen Communications. Dave specializes in helping people integrate today’s technology into their communications planning to make sure their messages reach the right audience.

Dave joined the Board of Victoria Hospice in 2007. He is also President of the Canadian Public Relations Society, Vancouver Island and President of the Victoria Mac Users Group.

Chris Mills (CA), Treasurer

Chris Mills works with a firm of Chartered Accountants in Victoria, focusing on the areas of small business, tax planning and not-for profit accounting. Prior to completing his Commerce degree at the University of Victoria, Mr. Mills spent three years teaching English and traveling throughout South America and Asia. In his spare time he can be found enjoying sports, camping and planning his next trip.

Chris was drawn to the Victoria Hospice Society by its reputation as a leader in palliative care and its focus on delivery of services to the community while working with a diverse group of stakeholders. He is Co-Chair of the Finance Committee.

Wayne Peterson, Secretary

Wayne Peterson has held the position of Executive Director of the Victoria Hospice Society for six years. His areas of expertise include organizational development, human resources management, education and training, strategic planning and project management.

Prior to joining Victoria Hospice, Mr. Peterson has enjoyed a distinguished career as a senior manager and consultant to both public and private sector organizations, including Vice-President of Corporate Services for Beanstream Internet Commerce Inc., President and CEO of Quantum Bio–Tech Products Inc. and Acting Executive Director of Corporate Planning at the Ministry of Attorney General. In 1999, Wayne co-founded The Whistler Foundation for a Sustainable Environment and The Centre of Expertise for Learning Communities,

Prior to becoming the Executive Director of the Victoria Hospice Society, Wayne was a Victoria Hospice community volunteer for 10 years, providing in-home support to patients and their families. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, English and Psychology and a Masters degree in Psychology.

Rosemary Armour RN, BSN

Rosemary Armour is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of experience in a wide variety of clinical settings, including general medical and surgical nursing, emergency room and home care. She moved with her family from Toronto to Victoria in 1992, and is currently employed as a Medical Advisor in the data access and research services area of the B.C. Ministry of Health Services.

Ms. Armour’s connection with Victoria Hospice began in 1996 when she started working with the (then) Capital Regional District Home Care Nursing program. Through this connection, she developed a strong appreciation of the expert and compassionate care provided by Victoria Hospice to patients and their families during the final stages of life as well as the invaluable clinical support provided to these individuals’ community-based caregivers.

In addition to her work with Victoria Hospice, Rosemary has been involved in various activities aimed at supporting the homeless population of Victoria and also volunteers with the Canadian Red Cross Society. She has 2 adult children and enjoys gardening, equine sports and rowing on Elk Lake in her spare time.

Rob Gareau

Rob Gareau is a Director with CIBC Commercial Banking overseeing the bank’s commercial staff and clients for Vancouver Island. Prior to working with CIBC Rob owned a company specializing in performance training and rehabilitation for athletes that took him throughout North America and Europe. He completed his MBA through Simon Fraser University after completing his program on exchange with Manchester Business School in the U.K.

Rob credits his interest with Victoria Hospice to his mother who worked as a nurse and tirelessly helped those in times of need. She insisted that her family and friends were comfortable through the final stages of their lives and would often take them home to nurse them through their final days around loved ones.

Rob has volunteered and worked with many community organizations including Share Family and Community Services, Junior Chamber International, Boys and Girls Club, and has served on a number of committees that serve Victoria.

Lauren Goodland

Born and raised in Victoria, Lauren Tate is deeply rooted in the community and brings extensive local experience and knowledge to the Victoria Hospice Society Board. She attended the University of Manitoba and the University of Victoria, receiving several awards for scholastic achievement from both institutions. After graduating with Honours from the University of Victoria in 2008, Ms. Tate has gone on to apply her educational experience in the BC Public Service, working for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Corporate Writing Services division.

In 2009, Lauren spent approximately six weeks on the palliative care unit while her grandmother was a patient. During this time, she experienced the compassion of Victoria Hospice staff first hand and is grateful to be able to give back to an organization committed to quality end-of-life care. She is an active member of Victoria’s community and enjoys watching rugby, painting and spending time with her rapidly growing niece and nephew.

Cindy Jamieson

Cindy Jamieson has a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Victoria and extensive experience in various child and family programs in Aboriginal and mainstream settings in government, non-profit, and post-secondary settings. Her passion is promoting service quality, access to services and innovative service delivery.

Cindy recently developed the Youthspace on-line helping portal (www.youthspace.ca) in collaboration with the NEED Information and Crisis Line, to enhance services to youth across the Capital Regional District, and also previously developed the first fully licensed urban Aboriginal childcare centre in Victoria at the VNFC. She has previously served on the AIDS Vancouver Island Board of Directors, and has also conducted a practicum with Hospice Victoria. She is currently serving as the Provincial Coordinator for Aboriginal Supported Child Development Programs in BC.

Dr. Alistair Murray

Dr. Murray graduated in medicine from the University of Glasgow in 1960 and joined RCAF 1962 where he practiced as a General Practitioner for five years.  He then trained in psychiatry at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. 

After leaving the service, Dr. Murray practiced medicine in Victoria until his retirement.  His interest in Victoria Hospice stems from his medical experience and an increasing concern over the years with the fragmentation of care at the end of life.  He hopes that some of his modest experience with dying patients might serve him well as a Director of the Board.

Brian Roxburgh

For the past 25 years, Brian Roxburgh has been a consultant in the information management industry. He has worked with all levels of the Provincial Government as both a contractor and employee and is currently the Manager of Information Systems, Service Delivery and Operations for TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc.

Mr. Roxburgh has worked on the Board of Directors for the Victoria Kiwanis Club, has volunteered to numerous charities and organizations that include the North Vancouver School Board, the Vancouver YMCA and Meals on Wheels, and has been a Home Caregiver with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Community Living for fourteen years.

As an avid skier and sailor, Brian enjoys the island lifestyle with his wife Carmen and their four children.

Ian Swan

Ian Swan earned a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria and is currently working on a master’s degree in the neuroscience program. His research looks at the neurobiological mechanisms underlying stroke recovery. On top of his involvement with the Victoria Hospice Society, Mr. Swan also sits on the board of the Restorative Justice Oak Bay Society and is an active member of the CRD’s Bowker Creek Initiative.

Being a native Victorian, Ian brings a unique personal knowledge of the city and its varied communities to the board. He was attracted to working with the Victoria Hospice Society by the organization’s history of providing exceptional palliative care services and by the innovative approach that Victoria Hospice continues to promote.

Jayn Tyson

Ms. Tyson graduated from the University of Victoria in 1981 with a degree in social work, and started her career with the Ministry of Children and Families in the northern community of Terrace. Over the ensuing years she worked in a number of diverse communities around the province. In 1990 Ms. Tyson joined the provincial office and for over a decade she has been the Manager of Practice Support and Issue Management.

In 2000 Jayn took a two-year leave of absence from the Ministry to complete a Master’s of Science in Art Therapy at Queen Margaret’s University College in Edinburgh. Art and counselling remain her passions. Life took a turn when her husband Kenyon was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at 49 years of age. After three years of extensive regimes of both traditional and alternative medicine the services of the Victoria Hospice were recommended. The experience was difficult but one that Jayn looks back on with some very fond memories. It is her hope that by volunteering she will be able to work with those that are committed to having the Victoria Hospice around for many years to come.

Merrie-Ellen Wilcox

Merrie-Ellen Wilcox is a writer and Certified Professional Editor (Editors’ Association of Canada), and a partner in West Coast Editorial Associates. She has worked on contract for numerous provincial and federal government agencies, not-for-profit community organizations, universities, research institutes and publishers. She has written and edited materials on everything from sustainable forest management, midwifery and musicology to child welfare, alternative dispute resolution and prescription drug spending.

Merrie-Ellen comes from a family with a long history of volunteering, and is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community herself through an exceptional organization like the Victoria Hospice Society.

An avid gardener and beekeeper, Merrie-Ellen is completing a diploma in ecological restoration from the University of Victoria. She and her husband, Christopher Butterfield, have two almost-grown children and a large and noisy extended family.