Meet the board
The Kinsmen Foundation of BC is a 100% volunteer run organization. Our Board of Directors is the driving force and we are grateful for their dedication and contributions.
Meet the board
The Kinsmen Foundation of BC is a 100% volunteer run organization. Our Board of Directors is the driving force and we are grateful for their dedication and contributions.
Philip Jewell
Executive Director
Meet Philip
Philip is a 30 year member of Coquitlam Kinsmen and has held numerous leadership positions within the organization, including Past President, Past Treasurer and Chair of the Foundation, and Past Kinsmen Governor for BC and Yukon. In addition, he has served as Treasurer for the Kin Canada Foundation and has served as a Director and Past Chair for the Coquitlam Kinsmen Housing Society and Past Chair for Festival Coquitlam. He also was a Director of Protocol for the 2016 55+ Games in Coquitlam. Philip retired as Director of Services and Real Estate for the General Paint Corporation after 42 years with the company.
John Meneghello
Chair of Board
Meet John
John is currently a director with the newly created regulatory College of Health and Care Professionals of BC, appointed by the province’s Minister of Health. He was formerly the owner of JLM Marketing Limited and has served as Director and Chair of both the College of Dietitians of BC and the College of Opticians of BC. John also held a position as Director of the Crossroads Hospice Society.
Recognized for his contributions to the community, John was honoured with a Life Membership in Kin Canada and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was also selected as a Silver Medal Bearer for the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay.
John’s extensive community involvement includes serving as a Canada 150 Community Leader, Sergeant-at-Arms for the BC 55+ Games, President of the Vancouver Transportation Club, Chair of the Coquitlam Public Library Board of Trustees, and Chair of the Kinsmen Foundation of BC. He has also been a member of the City of Coquitlam Economic Development Committee and chaired the Juvenile Diabetes Golf Classic.
In the past, John was a member of both Kin Canada and Rotary International, further demonstrating his commitment to community service and leadership.
Ron Skuggedal
Vice Chair of the Board
Meet Ron
Ron is the President of Viking Construction Ltd. The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the company. Viking continues to serve the commercial and industrial construction markets in Prince George and Kitimat, BC. Ron also has interests in Cascade Mechanical in Prince George, as well as a Kal Tire store and a cold beer and wine store, both situated in Kitimat. He has been a member of the Kinsmen Club of Kitimat for 17 years. His main focus as a Kinsmen is to raise awareness and funds for the Kinsmen Foundation of BC, which assists people in improving their quality of life. In 2016, Ron was elected as a board member of the Kinsmen Foundation. His goal as a board member is to increase funding beyond the annual support of the Kinsmen Foundation to build a legacy fund that can support people with mobility issues well into the future. Ron believes it is important to seek financial support to assist people with mobility issues in achieving autonomy and independence.
Ruth Marzetti
Director
Meet Ruth
Ruth is the Executive Director of Technology for Living. She has been in the position since November 2015. She is pursuing a rewarding career in managing nonprofit organizations in Vancouver and London, UK. Ruth has been on the Board of the Kinsmen Foundation since 2016 and enjoys fundraising for the Kinsmen Annual Golf Tournament. In her free time, Ruth spends time with her family, cycling, and staying active.
Ruth Manz
Treasurer
Meet Ruth
Ruth is the Office Coordinator and Team Leader at Canada Life Insurance Company and has 28 years of experience working in disability insurance. She has been a member of the Kinsmen Club of Coquitlam since 2016 and has served two terms as President, one term as Secretary, and one term as Vice President of the club. Ruth is actively involved in all club activities and was co-chair of the 2019 District Kinvention.
Natalia Moe
Director
Meet Natalia
Natalia is the Service Director for District 5 of Kin Canada having been a member of the association for 14 years. As an active member of the Vanderhoof Kin Club she is dedicated to serving her community as well as supporting fellow club members. She has recently traded a career as a safety supervisor in lumber manufacturing for a more relaxed life building a home on the lake. She enjoys spending time with her dogs and family either on the lake, in her garden, or in the woods.
Lonny Wiebe
Director
Meet Lonnie
Lonny currently resides in the small northern town of Telkwa, BC, where he oversees four RBC bank branches in the Bulkley Valley. He first joined Kin through the Vanderhoof Kinsmen in 1997, holding a variety of Club, Zone, and District-Level positions throughout his time in the organization. Currently, Lonny is nearing the completion of his first year of a three-year term as a Director on the National Board for Kin Canada. During his time on the Kinsmen Foundation board, he has had the opportunity to witness firsthand the amazing work this Foundation does and the many lives it positively impacts.
It has become abundantly clear to him how important it is for Kin members to continue supporting and growing the Foundation to ensure they maximize its potential. The applications for assistance far exceed the available resources, and as such, the Foundation must do whatever it can to meet the growing demand.
Lonny takes great pride in being on the board and offering assistance wherever possible. He is committed to helping the Kinsmen Foundation continue its vital work in supporting those in need.
Kathleen Miller
Director
Meet Kathleen
Kathy lives on Vancouver Island with her husband Gary. She is employed at the Cow Bay Marine Pub, where she has worked in the office for nearly 20 years.She is a Life Member of the Duncan Kinette Club. Kathy joined the club in 2006 and has held the position of President for over 10 years. She also held the position of District 5 Governor for 2 terms. She has held her current role on the District 5 team as Club Support since 2021.Kathy enjoys spending time at the family beach bungalow with her 3 children, their spouses, 7 grandchildren and extended family. She also enjoys gardening and crafts.She’s excited to have been voted in as a Director on the Kinsmen Foundation Board, especially in light of the effort she’s put into upgrading her skills over the past few years, specifically in preparation for challenges such as fundraising.Kathy is looking forward to meeting new people, learning new things and being part of the team, moving the Foundation forward.
Kevin Axford
Director
Meet Kevin
Kevin is a principal and the managing broker of Axford Real Estate which provides residential and commercial real estate and property management services throughout the Lower Mainland.
He went to University outside New Orleans on a golf scholarship and completed a degree in marketing and a Masters of Business Administration. He now serves on the board of directors for the Kinsmen Foundation of BC. Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife, 3 children and 2 dogs. He plays recreational golf in his spare time.
Joanne Millar
Director
Meet Joanne
Joanne has been a member of the Kinette Club of Campbell River for 5 years, since its inception. Entering her 18th year as a Realtor with Royal LePage and having served on the board of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board, she is passionate about making a difference in her industry and community. Having been recently elected as a board member of the Kinsmen Foundation, she takes great pride in having an opportunity to contribute. She is committed to increasing awareness and increasing fundraising for this amazing Foundation. Joanne enjoys time with her husband and 2 grown daughters. She feels blessed to live on the Island and enjoys hiking, running, gardening, and riding motorcycle with her husband.
Honourary Members
♦ Scott Wood ♦
♦ Simon Cox ♦
♦ Jim Watson ♦
Read our constitution
Our History
1940s
The Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs provided support to the Red Cross by offering short-term loans of basic medical equipment. The Kinsmen Club of Vancouver donated land to establish the G. F. Strong Regional Rehabilitation Centre. The first office of the BC Polio Fund opened at Hornby & Smithe. Bruce Grey, a Kinsman from the West Vancouver Kinsmen Club, became the first President of the new Kinsmen Foundation.
1950-60s
During the Polio Epidemic, service clubs (Kinsmen) raised funds for iron lungs and other equipment in British Columbia. In 1952, the BC Polio Fund was officially incorporated as a foundation, which later became the Kinsmen Rehabilitation Foundation of BC. Also in 1952, the Kinsmen endowed a Chair in Neurological Research at UBC and funded the Kinsmen Tower. In 1955, the foundation shifted its focus from finding a cure for polio to rehabilitation for those affected by the disease. In 1968, the Kinsmen and Kinettes of District Five designated the foundation as their District Project and renamed the Mother’s March to the Kinsmen’s Mother’s March. The President of the foundation also became a member of the District Board on the District Council.
1970-80s
During the 1970s, service organizations like Kinsmen provided funding for equipment and support to disability groups, governments, hospitals, the George Pearson Centre, and the G. F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre.
In 1973, the Kinsmen Rehabilitation Foundation moved to a new office building on West 12th Avenue.
The Foundation provided the world’s first electronic assistive device to Mrs. Jo Kelly.
In 1975, the foundation won the Canadian Readers Digest Award for work with people with disabilities and ran the province-wide KIN/Win Lottery, a first of its kind.
The foundation also introduced the popular “Kids on the Block” program, provided funding for a special room at Ronald McDonald House and supported the Noble House Project, an accessible residence for disabled adults.
New programmes were created: Technology for Independent Living (TIL), providing environmental controls and assistive devices; the’ Disabled Living Resource Centre’ ; the ‘I Can Talk Too Program’ at Sunnyhill Hospital and the ‘Computer Comfort Program’ at the Neil Squire Foundation. The Kinsmen Foundation also supported organizations such as Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, the BC Paraplegic Association, the BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities, Spina Bifida, the Red Cross, and the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC and the CKNW Orphan’s Fund.
In the mid-80s, the Red Cross requested funding from the Ministry of Health to develop a proposal for an equipment loan program for clients in care facilities, but the request was denied. The Kinsmen Foundation provided early equipment to help the Red Cross initiate the program.
The Foundation was also actively involved with various organizations advocating for people with disabilities, but many reports and recommendations for improvements were not acted upon by the government. In 1989, the Assistive Devices Task Force Report, which focused on communication aids and computers, made progress and led to the establishment of SETBC (Special Education Technology BC) with support from the Kinsmen Foundation and government backing for the programs.
1990s
The Technology for Independent Living (TIL) Program merged with the new Provincial Respiratory Outreach Program (PROP) and with both programs operating under the auspices of the BC Paraplegic Association from 2000 to 2006.
In 1992, the ‘Continuing Care’ program funded the ‘Aids to Independent Living Program’ at the Kinsmen Rehabilitation Foundation, offering long-term loans of equipment to low-income seniors in the Lower Mainland. In 1994, the ‘Aids to Independent Living Program’ was transferred from the Kinsmen Foundation to the Red Cross, and the Foundation stopped providing long-term equipment loans to British Columbians.
2000s
The Provincial Equipment and Assistive Devices Committee (PEADC) was established, with the Kinsmen Foundation being a participating partner.
In 2006 PROP (Provincial Respiratory Outreach Program) and TIL (Technology for Independent Living) were moved from the BC Paraplegic Association and incorporated into the BC Association for Individualized Technology and Supports (BCITS). Both programs received support from the Ministry of Health Services and the Kinsmen.
From 2008 to 2014. the Kinsmen Foundation supported the creation of the BC Personal Supports Council and Personal Supports Network, as well as the Equipment Assistive Technology Initiative (EATI) Program, which included ‘Super Navigators’ to provide information and assistance to those most in need of support.