Quadra Island Foundation Committees

Karen has been enjoying all of the outdoor activities that Quadra has to offer since first visiting in 2003. As soon as they stepped foot on the island Fred and Karen knew they had found a little piece of paradise, purchasing property in 2004 and building their vacation get-away and then retirement home over the next 15 yrs (with the support of Quadrate Ventures). After finally being able to retire full time to the island in 2021, Karen has been volunteering with the Quadra Island and SRD Emergency Management Programs.

Karen has spent 35+ years working to build strong and resilient individuals, organizations and communities. As a systems thinker, she is always looking for the synergies and possibilities that emerge through collaborations, innovation and bold thinking. She holds a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a Masters in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Alberta, and a Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership from York University. She is also trained in strategic design planning and future-focused thinking, leadership development, organizational evaluation, community development, and conflict resolution. Over her career, Karen has worked as a strategic leader and consultant for not-for-profit organizations and municipal, provincial and First Nation governments.

Karen and Fred have three adult children who reside in BC, AB and ON. She is looking forward to working with the QIF and continuing to build a resilient and thriving community for generations to come.

Bio coming soon…

Linda Lolacher along with her husband Ron made the decision to move to Quadra Island in 1997 and have not looked back since. The move was made with a goal of leaving big city life and enjoying a rural community that offered the west coast life style both on land and at sea.

Linda’s formal post secondary education is in business management with a specialty in purchasing and logistics. During her employment years she enjoyed roles in two distinct industries, one in retail management where she rose to the role of a senior fashion buyer/purchasing manager for a regional department store with a budget of over 12 million dollars. After 18 years in retail she found a satisfying career in the telecommunications industry with BCTEL/Telus Communications. Linda lead a variety of roles in the corporation when BCTEL merged with Alberta based TELUS changing the legacy regulated private company into a for profit publicity traded business model. Many of her roles during the 20 years in telecom involved leading business teams of both management and unionized workers to re-evaluate the current business practices with a goal to finding efficiencies and transforming operations to improve both profits & customer service.

Some of Linda’s greatest joys and learning have come from participating in developmental programs as well as in volunteer roles, where she has lived and worked. Developmental opportunities include the University of Victoria, Institute of Corporate Directors Not-For-Profit Governance Essential Program, 2 yr. evening program instructor of Supply Chain Logistics courses, and participation in a 2 day workshop in Nonviolent Communication Essentials. Organizations she has volunteered with include Saint Mary’s Hospital, Boundary Park Community summer program for disable youth, Pacific Assistance Dogs (PADS) in Burnaby, and most recently in roles with QIRS/Theatre Quadra, QIRS/Fall Fair, QIRS Community Kitchen & Quadra Literacy here on Quadra.

Linda is an avid boater, aspiring painter, gardener & cook. Quadra Island with its vibrant community, is her forever home drawing family members from the lower mainland to Quadra and Campbell River, enriching the lives of her & Ron.

Jody is originally from Princeton, New Jersey in the USA.  She was inspired by a classmate in grade 3 to become a plastic surgeon and held onto that goal until its realization. As a child she studied flute paying at the Julliard Precollege and then went to Yale University where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in biology and a Master’s degree in music (flute) performance (Yale School of Music) and met her future husband.   She obtained her Medical Doctorate degree at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was a Howard Hughes Fellow at the Surgical Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Maryland. She trained in Boston, Massachusetts in both General Surgery (Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard University) and then in Plastic Surgery (Harvard combined program, Beth Israel /New England Deaconess Hospitals. She retired from clinical practice when she immigrated with her family to Quadra Island in 2015. Jody and her husband, Blake, married in their first year of residency. Blake became a spine surgeon and has been a researcher and inventor in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery. He retired in 2017. Their three wonderful children are scattered across the globe each working to make the word a better place.

Jody is still an avid musician and is a fibre artist. She participates in the Island Voices Chamber Choir and Quadra Singers. As a fibre artist, she has made costumes and costume-props for Theatre Quadra and treasures her amazingly talented friends with whom she dyes fibre, spins, knits, and weaves. Learning something new every day from these wonderful people and opportunities is a tremendous gift! Quadra Island Foundation has allowed Jody to contribute to our precious community in new ways. She is vice-chair on the Board, acts as Privacy Officer and the QIF website maintenance point-of-contact.

Sarah Deagle moved to Quadra Island in 2014 with her husband, George. They moved primarily to be closer to family, for work and to return to the coast, leaving behind the Gitxsan & Wet’suwet’en territories of Hazelton in northern BC. Sarah’s formal education is in fine arts and education, but her recent employment has been in student services in the post-secondary system, both in northern BC and locally. Prior to her time in Hazelton, Sarah worked for Vancouver Foundation for eight years as a grantmaker and community developer.

Some of her greatest joys and learning have come from participating in the communities where she has lived and worked. Organizations she has volunteered with include the literacy society in Hazelton, Ksan Historical Village, Cinema Politica, a documentary film series in northern BC, and Friday Flicks here on Quadra.

Sarah is a traveler, a keen cook, cyclist & knitter. Quadra Island, its residents, and its seascape is home going forward. She’s excited to be part of the newly formed Quadra Island Foundation, supporting its role in helping Quadra Island to thrive – culturally, socially and environmentally.

Bio coming soon…

Jody is originally from Princeton, New Jersey in the USA.  She was inspired by a classmate in grade 3 to become a plastic surgeon and held onto that goal until its realization. As a child she studied flute paying at the Julliard Precollege and then went to Yale University where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in biology and a Master’s degree in music (flute) performance (Yale School of Music) and met her future husband.   She obtained her Medical Doctorate degree at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was a Howard Hughes Fellow at the Surgical Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Maryland. She trained in Boston, Massachusetts in both General Surgery (Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard University) and then in Plastic Surgery (Harvard combined program, Beth Israel /New England Deaconess Hospitals. She retired from clinical practice when she immigrated with her family to Quadra Island in 2015. Jody and her husband, Blake, married in their first year of residency. Blake became a spine surgeon and has been a researcher and inventor in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery. He retired in 2017. Their three wonderful children are scattered across the globe each working to make the word a better place.

Jody is still an avid musician and is a fibre artist. She participates in the Island Voices Chamber Choir and Quadra Singers. As a fibre artist, she has made costumes and costume-props for Theatre Quadra and treasures her amazingly talented friends with whom she dyes fibre, spins, knits, and weaves. Learning something new every day from these wonderful people and opportunities is a tremendous gift! Quadra Island Foundation has allowed Jody to contribute to our precious community in new ways. She is vice-chair on the Board, acts as Privacy Officer and the QIF website maintenance point-of-contact.

Karen has been enjoying all of the outdoor activities that Quadra has to offer since first visiting in 2003. As soon as they stepped foot on the island Fred and Karen knew they had found a little piece of paradise, purchasing property in 2004 and building their vacation get-away and then retirement home over the next 15 yrs (with the support of Quadrate Ventures). After finally being able to retire full time to the island in 2021, Karen has been volunteering with the Quadra Island and SRD Emergency Management Programs.

Karen has spent 35+ years working to build strong and resilient individuals, organizations and communities. As a systems thinker, she is always looking for the synergies and possibilities that emerge through collaborations, innovation and bold thinking. She holds a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a Masters in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Alberta, and a Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership from York University. She is also trained in strategic design planning and future-focused thinking, leadership development, organizational evaluation, community development, and conflict resolution. Over her career, Karen has worked as a strategic leader and consultant for not-for-profit organizations and municipal, provincial and First Nation governments.

Karen and Fred have three adult children who reside in BC, AB and ON. She is looking forward to working with the QIF and continuing to build a resilient and thriving community for generations to come.

Sarah Deagle moved to Quadra Island in 2014 with her husband, George. They moved primarily to be closer to family, for work and to return to the coast, leaving behind the Gitxsan & Wet’suwet’en territories of Hazelton in northern BC. Sarah’s formal education is in fine arts and education, but her recent employment has been in student services in the post-secondary system, both in northern BC and locally. Prior to her time in Hazelton, Sarah worked for Vancouver Foundation for eight years as a grantmaker and community developer.

Some of her greatest joys and learning have come from participating in the communities where she has lived and worked. Organizations she has volunteered with include the literacy society in Hazelton, Ksan Historical Village, Cinema Politica, a documentary film series in northern BC, and Friday Flicks here on Quadra.

Sarah is a traveler, a keen cook, cyclist & knitter. Quadra Island, its residents, and its seascape is home going forward. She’s excited to be part of the newly formed Quadra Island Foundation, supporting its role in helping Quadra Island to thrive – culturally, socially and environmentally.

Marc and his wife Jennifer run a regenerative, mixed farm on Quadra Island called Foot Forward Forest Farm. There, you will find a wide variety of plants and animals growing and working together to provide for their family and their community.

Marc has a passion for community. He has a decades long history of community building and community development having served on or led numerous volunteer boards and organizations. In 2013 his dedication to community was acknowledged by the Mayor of Calgary when he was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service.

Currently Marc serves not only as the Vice-President of the Quadra Island Foundation but as a director on both the Rural Islands Economic Partnership Board and the Quadra Island Recreation Society. His firm belief that only strong communities will be able to thrive in the uncertain times ahead motivates him and his volunteer efforts.

Anita Georgy moved to Quadra in 2022, and hopes to make this magical place home for the rest of her days. She is an avid outdoors-person, happily nerding out about birds and plants while kayaking, backpacking, biking, hiking, and canoeing all around coastal BC. She has had several careers, including a decade as a landscape horticulturist and another decade in the charitable sector. Her charitable sector work included Executive Director roles with organizations focused on local, healthy food systems. She is thrilled to join the QIF team.

Mitsuru “Mich” Hirano moved to Quadra Island in 1979, attracted by a challenging job, the island’s rugged natural beauty and pioneering spirit. Mich met the love of his life, Juaneva Smith, on Quadra and they married soon thereafter. Mich has been involved in Quadra’s community affairs for many years serving as School Trustee representing the Quadra, Cortes and Read island communities’ for 6 years and as Chair of the School Board for 3 of those years. Mich was also involved in Quadra Recreation’s Community Center Building Committee and helped in the development of the tennis courts at Blenkin Memorial Park. Mich and Juaneva were away from Quadra for 15 years, seeking warmer weather and career opportunities, but returned to live in retirement on Quadra in 2015.

Mich has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Environmental Studies Degree from York University. Mich has a background in business, land use planning, and specializing in community economic development. Mich has working experience in Canada and the United States advising senior government officials, business leaders, First Nation governments, native Hawaiian and cultural organizations on matters related to land use planning, permitting and economic development. Past memberships include: Canadian Institute of Planners, Planning Institute of BC, American Institute of Certified Planners, and American Planning Association.

Mich is glad to be part of Quadra Island Foundation because it’s a way to give back to the community