Leadership Team
View a message from our Executive Officer and get to know our board members.
A year of change and re-connection post COVID, a message from Valerie Janz, Executive Officer
2022 has been a year of change, learning, opportunity and growth at Interior Community Services.
We welcomed back face to face services and programming that was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and have adapted some new ways of doing business because of the pandemic. To say the last 2 years have been challenging would be an understatement. Not only did the pandemic isolate and exacerbate the inequalities and barriers of the people we serve, there was also an opioid crisis to contend with. Tragically, ICS Youth Services Team saw more youth succumb to fentanyl overdoses during the pandemic than prior years put together.
2022 brought back celebration and togetherness. In August 2022, ICS Safe Spaces program had a float in the annual PRIDE parade with many staff and program participants represented. In November 2022, the first staff appreciation event since 2019 was hosted. This event recognizes milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years with ICS , this year the first 35 year staff was honoured! Although we pride ourselves on the retention of many ICS staff, we are also aware that younger generations are moving around more frequently in their lives and careers, so the retention trends are definitely changing.
Needless to say, we are happy about the ability to re-connect in fulsome ways as our social care work is relationship based and the human to human connection is paramount in this field. We are hopeful that 2023 is uneventful and provides staff and the people we serve some stability and well-deserved relief from everything COVID.
Tracy Hoot – President
Board Member since 1996
Professional:
- Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Thompson Rivers University
Personal:
- Basketball Referee (including wheelchair)
TBA – Vice-President
TBA – Secretary
Ron Maguire - Director
Board Member since December 2007
Professional:
- Retired Businessman
Personal:
- Resident of Kamloops since 1961
- Director of Kamloops Sports Legacy Fund
- 2010 City of Kamloops Freemen Designation
Kristine Allegretto, CPA, CA - Treasurer
Board Member since 2019
Professional:
- Operations Accountant, Horizon North Logistics
- Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia
- Masters of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan
Personal:
- Born and raised in Kamloops and an active board member in the community – Canada 55+ Senior Games
- Coached KYSA team, and current member of KWSL
George Campbell - Director
Board Member since May 2012
Professional:
- Businessman - Owner of Overland Press
Personal:
- Member of Kamloops Rotary and BC Interior Community Foundation
Bob Smillie – Director
Board Member since March 2014
Professional:
- Retired Physician
Personal:
- Executive Director of Kamloops Blazers Sports Society
- Member of Kamloops Hospice Association Board
Kaitlyn Cumming – Director
Board Member since May 2016
Professional:
- Lawyer at Fulton & Company LLP, graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Alberta in 2015
- Developing a litigation practice in municipal, commercial, employment and personal injury law
- Attended the University of Victoria in the Bachelor of Commerce program prior to law school
Personal:
- Player and executive member of the Kamloops Rugby Club
- Player on the British Columbia Senior Women’s 15s and 7s rugby teams
- Volunteer at ASK Wellness, previous volunteer work at the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society, the Calgary Food Bank, and Calgary Legal Guidance.
- Completed a low income & the law practicum with Legal Aid Alberta in the area of criminal law
Ted Kowalsky - Director
Board Member Since January 2020
Professional:
- Retired from Cabinet and Renovation Business
- Spent five (5) years as president of the Kamloops Curling Club
- Spent five (5) years as president of KIBIHT
Personal:
- Ted and Maryanne have been married for over 50 years. They have two married children, with their daughter giving them three (3) grandsons.