Board
The Board of Directors of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society is made up of diverse stakeholders including:
Reverend Randy Emerson
Linda Hepner
Linda joined the board in 2011 and has called Surrey home for 26 years. She worked for the city for 20 years, most recently as its manager of Economic Development, before being elected to Council in 2005. As a city councillor, she is guided by the unwavering belief in the importance of a well-balanced community that provides jobs for its residents and promotes economic viability, sustainability and liveability.
As a member of the Surrey First Coalition, Linda works to effect positive change and manage the dynamics of this growing city so as to achieve the goals that Surrey residents value. She has also spearheaded the continued economic development of Surrey’s City Centre through the organization of the annual Regional Economic Summit and advancing the Mayor’s Investment Action Plan. As well, she represents Surrey on a regional level through ongoing participation on the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors and five Metro Vancouver committees (Port Cities, Energy & Environment – Vice Chair; Waste, Labour, and Agriculture – Vice Chair)
Randy Heed
Randy Heed is a Vice President of Colliers International based out of their office in Surrey City Centre. Working with Colliers since graduating from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 1989, he specializes in representing major companies acquire and dispose of their real estate assets. He also advises the development community on major commercial and industrial developments.
Randy was elected a Director of the Peace Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation in 2006, and is a past Director of the Surrey Board of Trade from 1999 to 2007. From 2002 to 2004 Randy was a Member of the City of Surrey’s Board of Variance, and in 2006 and 2007 chaired the Surrey Board of Trade’s Business Excellence Awards.
After years of witnessing the plight of the homeless in and around Surrey City Centre Randy made a conscious decision to try and help out in any way that he could and when asked jumped at the chance of working with the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society.
Marilyn Herrmann
Marilyn Herrmann has been a proud resident of Surrey for the past 23 years and an employee of the Surrey Food Bank since 2004. She held the position of Director of Development for two years and the role of Executive Director since 2006. Prior to joining the not-for-profit sector, Marilyn was an elementary school teacher in Victoria and later spent 17 years in the corporate sector of the food industry in Canada and the United States. She traveled extensively throughout North America consulting and specializing in warehousing/logistics operational and software training.
Marilyn is passionate about her food bank work and tirelessly commits her efforts to supporting low income residents in our community. Having once been a single parent with three children under the age of four, she understands how low income families struggle with some of life’s greatest challenges. She has volunteered her time with a number of organizations whose missions focus on literacy, workplace learning, as well as child abuse prevention.
Gary Hollick
Gary is currently serving as the President of West Coast Media Group. Previously, Gary was appointed Publisher of the Surrey Now newspaper in 2002 after serving as the Now’s Director of Advertising for five years. Prior to that, he was a successful proprietor of numerous businesses in Kimberley, B.C. and a Realtor in Calgary, Alberta. He began his newspaper career in Calgary and later moved to Kelowna to publish a local weekly. He joined CanWest Publications and moved his family to the Lower Mainland fourteen years ago.
Throughout his entire working life Gary has contributed to the local community. He is Past-President of the North Delta Rotary Club and sat as District Governor overseeing 53 clubs from Hope to Everett. As Rotary District Governor, he directed the 3000 member clubs to focus fundraising efforts on helping under-developed countries create sources of clean drinking water. Upon completion of his term as District Governor, Gary was appointed to “Rotary International Literacy Coordinator” for Canada, US and Russia. He also offers marketing seminars to retail business once a month, sits on the Business Advisory Council with Surrey School District and is a member of the board of Cornerstone Healthcare as well he acts as an advisor to Simon Fraser University.
In 2002, Gary was the Delta Business Association’s Business Person of the Year. Hi is currently a member of the Surrey Board of Trade where he is recognized as Past President. In 2009, he received the Community Ambassador Award from the Surrey Foundation where he served as Director. He has been an adviser on Surrey Mayor’s Crime task force as well as the Surrey Crystal Meth task force. In 2008, he chaired the Spirit Bear Program in Surrey raising over $350,000 for charity. He is recognized as the creator of the “I Love Surrey” program.
Steve Kurrein
Steve Kurrein was born and educated in the U.K. where he graduated with an honours degree in Business Studies, specializing in accountancy.
Since 1970 he has lived and worked in Greater Vancouver and has experienced all facets of the real estate industry as a real estate salesperson, sales manager, and in various positions in land and property development.
Steve was most recently Vice President of Residential Development at Progressive Construction. He has also served as President of the Urban Development Institute and a past Treasurer and Director of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association and Treasurer of the Provincial Association. Prior to that, he served as Chairman of Municipal Liaison Committees in Delta and Surrey and Chairman of the Advisory Design Panel in Port Moody. He was a member of the Provincial Government Development Process Advisory Committee in the early 90′s that was instrumental in revising the development provisions of the Municipal Act and currently sits on the Development Finance Review Committee of the Provincial Government. Steve is a member of the City of Surrey Development Advisory Committee and the Richmond Municipal Liaison Committee. He is an active member of the Project Comeback program in Surrey – helping homeless people find employment and accommodation. Steve is a Director of the Newton Advocacy Group Society and the Surrey Homelessness Foundation.
Laurie Larsen
Laurie Larson has worked for the City of Surrey since 1986. She is an active member of CUPE Local 402 and became Union President in 1998. Laurie is a strong community supporter, giving back to her community and helping to make Surrey a better place for everyone.
Laurie became involved in Surrey Social Futures and from there joined the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Task Force. She has also participated in the Rotary Club, Food Bank Drives, Tiny Bundles, and Relay for Life cancer walk, Cloverdale Parade and many other community events over the years.
Laurie and other members of CUPE Local 402 have taken an active part in the community, volunteering at the Front Room, helping with the Food Bank and various other charitable organizations.
Sandy McLeod
Sandy McLeod holds a master’s degree in counselling and is the Program Coordinator of the Delta Employment Skills Program. Over her career, she has worked with many individuals experiencing barriers to employment in Surrey, Delta and White Rock. She has also worked in group homes for youth in care, and in transition houses supporting women leaving abusive situations.
Beginning in 2002, Sandy was a member of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Task Force (SHHTF), and co-chaired it for 2 years. As a SHHTF member she participated on the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness.
“To make career and life changes, one needs to believe that options, possibilities and choices exist. This often requires us to shift views about ourselves and our world. Stepping into the person we are becoming and our life purpose is easier when we work with our resources rather than focus on limitations (also know as the ‘buts’.) Our resources include knowing our personality, values, strengths, skills, abilities, passions, accomplishments and dreams.”
Mary Miller
Mary has worked in business her entire career but since moving to Surrey four years ago has found herself drawn to explore the community itself. She firmly believes that everything is connected. A city can only sustain its economic wellbeing in the context of community wellbeing – a society where everyone’s basic needs are met and they feel a sense of purpose & contributing to the greater good. Unfortunately that is not the case for many, especially those who are homeless or at real risk of becoming homeless.
Having had the opportunity to spend considerable time in conversation with these folks Mary has seen that the homeless are not just drug addled men and women who have ‘chosen’ this lifestyle. Many are families, single mothers with children, or people of all ages with chronic health conditions or mental health issues that have cost them their livelihood. They are people who’ve simply had some bad luck and don’t have family or friends to turn to. In many cases they are people who work – full time! – but don’t earn enough to pay today’s rent. In other words, it is clear that many of us could be them in a surprisingly short time! Housing for all is such a bedrock underpinning to community wellbeing. It is her hope that the Surrey Housing & Homelessness Society can contribute to making this true in Surrey. What an achievement that would be!
Marilyn Pearson
Marilyn Pearson is a caterer and owner of the award winning business Cuisine and Company and The Garden Wedding Company.
Marilyn is a long time volunteer and supporter of initiatives to solve homelessness in Vancouver, White Rock and Surrey. In 2006 she received a Spirit of the Cranes award in business for spearheading a program at the Whalley Homeless Shelter heading up a team of employees, associates and volunteers from various businesses to make food donations and prepare meals for the shelter. She is also a 2003 recipient of Surrey’s Business and Social Planning Award and in 2008 was appointed to the City of White Rock, Spirit of BC Select Committee.
Peter Simpson
Peter Simpson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, one of Canada’s most progressive industry associations. He also serves on numerous industry, community and municipal committees including, the Board of Simon Fraser University Urban Studies Program; the Advisory Board of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association Executive Officers Council; and the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Investment and Job Creation.
Peter is the recipient of numerous provincial, national and international housing industry awards and distinctions. He is the only non-American to chair a standing committee for the Executive Officers Council of the Washington D.C.-based National Association of Home Builders. He is also the only non-American to earn the NAHB’s Building Industry Association Executive designation.
A former columnist and senior editor with the Toronto Sun newspaper, Peter writes regular, often provocative, columns for The Vancouver Sun and Westcoast Homes and Design magazine. An effective and passionate advocate for affordability and choice in housing, Peter is frequently contacted by the media to comment on a variety of housing-related issues.
Winner of many Canadian and international Masters track-and-field titles, Peter won Gold and Silver medals at the 1985 World Masters Games, an event that attracted veteran athletes from more than 60 countries.
Judy Villeneuve
On Surrey City Council for 20 years, Councillor Judy Villeneuve holds the Social Planning and Housing Portfolio. As Chair of the Social Planning Committee, Judy provided leadership in establishing an Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, Social Planning and Youth Recognition Awards, a relevant Multicultural Policy and community discussions on health care issues. She spearheaded the drive to create a Social Plan for Surrey.
Councillor Villeneuve is a member of numerous municipal, regional and national committees.
An avid advocate for the arts, she spearheaded Surrey’s Public Art Policy, participated in developing a Cultural Plan for the City and chaired the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Cultural Committee. She currently serves as the Council liaison to the Public Art Advisory Committee and is on the Mayor’s Committee on Arts and Culture as well as the 2008 Cultural Capitals of Canada Program in the City of Surrey.
Councillor Villeneuve is known as a fiscally responsible and accountable Councillor with a heart. She continues to speak up about the need for social planning in the City. Her goal to establish a Surrey Homelessness and Housing Foundation and Society was accomplished in 2008. She received a Surrey Leader’s “Community Builder” Award for her extensive work in this City.