GEF Seniors Housing Board of Directors consists of nine citizens who are appointed by Edmonton City Council. Our Governance Board establishes the vision, values and mandate of our foundation. Meetings are held monthly.
Meet our Board Members
Sharon Patriquin - Chair
Sharon Patriquin is a partner in HR Group, a management consulting firm specializing in management advice related to organizational effectiveness and human resources management. She is familiar with affordable housing issues through her work as a management advisor to municipalities. Sharon's consulting skills also include strategic planning, Board/Council development and group facilitation. Sharon is a Certified Human Resources Professional and has served on the Boards for the Human Resources Institute of Alberta and the Human Resources Management Association of Edmonton and was a member of the Human Resources Program Advisory Committee for Grant MacEwan College. Other volunteer work includes: member of the Human Resources Committee for the Boys and Girls Club of Edmonton and member of the Planning Committee of CKUA Radio Foundation. Sharon was appointed to the GEF Seniors Housing Board of Directors on January 1, 2008.
Zack Ramji - Vice Chair
Zack Ramji is a Manager of Fixed Assets at ATCO Electric. Prior to his current position, he was a Manager with EPCOR Utilities in the areas of Regulatory and Capital Assets. In addition to his experience with regulated utilities, Zack has extensive finance related experience in the Plastic Polymers and Telecommunications Industries. He holds a CMA designation and an MBA and has more than twenty-five years of experience in management accounting, finance, investment accounting, business and systems development and implementation. Zack's volunteer work includes being a board member on the Ismaili Council for Edmonton's, Grants & Review Board, Education Board and the Economic Planning Board. Zack was appointed to the GEF Seniors Housing Board of Directors on January 1, 2007.
Jean Bara
Jean Bara has had an extensive career in municipal government mainly in corporate finance, budgeting, strategic planning and administrative management. After retirement, Jean was involved in quasi-judicial appeals adjudication for nine years and served seven years as a member of the Edmonton Assessment Review Board (including Vice-Chair for four years). Jean currently is a member of the Appeals Commission for Alberta Workers Compensation Board. Jean has served on several governance boards including St. Joseph's Auxiliary Hospital (Board Chair and Vice-Chair), United Way of Edmonton and Area (Board Member and Vice Chair of Planning & Allocations), Eton Park Condominium Association (President), Banff School of Advanced Management Edmonton Alumni (Executive Member), and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada Edmonton Branch (Executive Member). In 2005, based on the City of Edmonton's nomination, Jean received one of the Institute of Public Administrators of Canada's Administrators' of the Century awards in recognition of her skills, professionalism, and dedication in her career with the City. Jean was appointed to the GEF Seniors Housing Board of Directors on January 1, 2007.
Lise Boucher
Lise Boucher is an RN with a Master of Science degree in Family Studies. Lise has been involved in the Continuing Care sector for the last twenty-five years working in clinical, educational and managerial positions. Lise received the Premier’s Award of Excellence for her participation as a team member in the New Models in Continuing Care Demonstration Project. Until May 2007, she was the Administrator of Foyer Lacombe in St. Albert. She was a founding member of the Edmonton Chapter of the Alberta Association on Gerontology, sat on the Gerontological Nursing Advisory Committee for Grant MacEwan College, was a representative from the Continuing Care System and sat on the Council of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. Presently, she is a member for the National Board of the Catholic Religious Self-Insured Retention Program, a board member for a condominium association and is a workshop facilitator for the Hope Studies Program at NorQuest College. Lise was appointed to the GEF Board of Directors on March 1, 2008.
Patricia Edney
Patricia (Pat) Edney is an occupational therapist with over 30 years of clinical and leadership experience. With a Masters in Health Sciences from McMaster University and PhD candidacy in 2006 at the University of Alberta, her research focus is on understanding risk in older adults, specifically within assisted living facilities. Pat's work will assist health care professionals to understand and hence, respect the older adult’s decisions involving risk. In addition to her clinical and academic roles, Pat is a past member of her college’s Practice Review Board and helped develop the current Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics for the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists. Pat was appointed to the GEF Board of Directors on January 1, 2008.
Balvant Gandhi
Balvant Gandhi immigrated to Canada in 1973 and raised his family in the City of Edmonton. Balvant recently retired from the industrial power and bearing industry after over thirty years and is currently involved in property management. Balvant was the first coordinator of the Council of India Societies, an umbrella organization of the East Indian Association. Over the years, he has held numerous volunteer positions throughout the city including past-President of both the Hindu Society of Alberta and the Alberta Gujarati Association, and has volunteered for various cultural associations. Balvant has also been an integral part of coordinating fund raising for many international natural disasters such as the Tsunami of 2004, earthquakes, and the tornado that hit Edmonton in 1987. Balvant was appointed to the GEF Board of Directors on January 1, 2010.
Gary Gordon
Gary Gordon has an extensive background in housing. He has degrees in urban planning and public administration and a professional career which spans over 30 years, including 23 years working for the Alberta Government and the City of Edmonton. Gary was involved with all aspects of seniors housing throughout his time working in government, including both the seniors lodge and apartment housing programs. He started Gordon and Associates in 2003, a local consulting practice which specializes in researching and developing non-market housing solutions. His volunteer activities focus on helping the most vulnerable, including the homeless and the disabled. Gary is interested in contributing his knowledge and experience in any way he can to help the GEF Seniors Housing achieve its vision and mandate. Gary was appointed to the GEF Seniors Housing Board of Directors on January 1, 2012.
Vivan Zhao
Vivian Zhao is a registered architect with Brinsmead Kennedy Architecture (BKA). She earned her Master’s Degree in Architecture in 2002. During her fourteen years in architectural practice, Vivian has been fortunate to work for companies with expertise in senior living design. She was heavily involved in the Legacy Estates Senior Living Complex project with SSH Architecture in Lincoln, Nebraska and won a gold medal in 2005 at the American Senior Living Awards. With BKA, Vivian designed phase three and four of Place Beausejour, an aging in place complex in Beaumont, and she has several other senior housing projects in the works. Vivian is not only interested in architectural design for seniors but supporting the seniors group in general. While living in Nebraska, she volunteered for fundraising activities for senior housing projects and for the local Habitat for Humanity. Since settling down in Edmonton, Vivian hopes her experience and energy can make positive contributions to the Edmonton senior community. Vivian was appointed to the GEF Board of Directors on January 1, 2011.