There are so many people who contribute to The Cridge Centre’s activities! We’ve listed some of them here.
Board of Directors (volunteers)
Ann Wellman (President)
Ann was born and raised on the east coast. She moved to Victoria in 1976 after graduating from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Psychology. She is married with two grown children and all are happy to call Central Saanich home. After 35 years she retired from The Canada Revenue Agency as a Senior Executive Manager of the Vancouver Island Tax Services Office.
Ann has actively participated in the churches she’s attended and is currently a member of Saanich Baptist Church. In keeping with SBC’s mission of living Micah 6:8 lives, she is excited to feel God leading her to this valuable ministry opportunity at The Cridge Centre. She is inspired by the extensive programs and outreach of The Cridge and feels her experience and expertise in government administration will add value to the board in their planning and decision-making processes.
Gerald Mann (Vice-President)
Gerald comes to The Cridge Centre for the Family with a background in education, administration, policy and governance. Gerald worked in Christian Education from 1988 to 2006 at Heritage Christian Academy, Calgary. Following that, he pursued Clinical Pastoral Education and Seminary training, which prepared him for service in Spiritual Care at Rockyview General Hospital from 2012 to 2018. Gerald and Marian began their transition to Victoria a year ago. They celebrated their 34th anniversary this past August and have two sons, who are completing educational pursuits in Calgary. As Marian wraps up her 35 year career with Shell Canada at the end of this year, they both look forward to pursuing meaningful volunteer opportunities. Gerald is excited to be part of The Cridge – which does such great work in the community – in the name of Jesus!
Mike Cridge (Treasurer)
Mike Cridge retired after spending 40 years with BMO. He has served 25+ years on The Cridge Centre board, during which time he held, at various times, the positions of President and Treasurer, while still continuing to be a member of the Finance Committee. Mike is also currently a board and committee member of the Victoria Foundation, as well as having been on the board of a number of other charities in our community over the past 30 years.
In addition to being a great great grandson of our founders, Bishop Edward and Mary Cridge, The Cridge Centre holds a very big place in his heart. Mike hopes that his experience and knowledge of the organization will further assist the organization, with the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ, to enable The Cridge Centre to further its quest to assist the overcomers and those who are in need in our community.
Mary-Jane Spray (Secretary)
Mary-Jane’s career included being an Instructor of Humanities at York University, working with Olivetti and Xerox, and 18 years as an instructor in, and as chair of, the Applied Business Technology department at Camosun College. Mary-Jane is also involved with Habitat for Humanity internationally and her local church, Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Iheoma Farinu (Director)
Iheoma Farinu is first and foremost a child of God, whose heart’s desire is to see God move with His transforming power in the lives of everyone she encounters. Her greatest passion is to be part of whatever God is doing in her generation and in every season of her life, hence her joy to be part of The Cridge Centre for the Family, where God’s love for humanity is evidently practiced.
Iheoma Farinu is a pharmacist and a Pastor. She moved to Victoria with her family from Lagos, Nigeria in 2005 as a Missionary to plant the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory Chapel, where she co-pastors with her husband, Ademola Farinu. She loves sharing the Scriptures and testimonies of the transforming power of God with as many people as she possibly can. She is very optimistic that lives can be transformed by the love and power of God, and relentlessly encourages men, women, young or old to pursue a life of purpose and victory in Christ. She was the President of the Women of Destiny Fellowship, an interdenominational Women ministry whose motto is “Rebuilding Lives. Pioneering a Glorious Future.” She is presently the Executive Director of Victory Hill Child Care Society, a non-profit organization, which runs a Christian faith-based Daycare in View Royal. She was the Pharmacy Manager of Quadra Village Drug Mart in Victoria and presently works as a Relief Pharmacist. She hopes to contribute diversity to the Centre, through her experience as an immigrant, visible minority, pastor, and community pharmacist, and learn from the Centre how to serve the community better.
Iheoma and her husband are blessed with four adult children and a grandson named Zion. She enjoys travelling, gardening and DIY projects.
Beiyan Ou (Director)
Beiyan moved to Victoria to attend UVic more than 20 years ago and has stayed in Victoria since then. She has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Statistics, and a master’s degree in Statistics. Beiyan is an active member of the Victoria Chinese Alliance Church in which she has taken on different leadership roles in various ministries.
The COVID pandemic renewed Beiyan’s passion to serve the vulnerable population in the community. She hopes that her 15 years of experience in implementing social policy and supporting evidence-based decision-making in the public service will be an asset to The Cridge Center. In the years to come, she is looking forward to growing with and building on the center’s adaptability, resilience, and continued effort to deliver services to help people that are most in need.
Louise Parton (Director)
In 2011 Louise retired from a successful, rewarding 49+ year career as a Certified Hearing Instrument Practitioner; she owned and operated Greater Victoria Hearing Consultants, a professional business in downtown Victoria, where she had the privilege of assisting and caring for many individuals with their hearing health care needs.
Professionally:
Founding member and Chair (26 years) of the Hearing Instrument Practitioners Society of BC, Board member of the Provincial Governing Board of Hearing Aid Dealers & Consultants, Chaired the working group for the formation of the College of Speech & Hearing Health Professionals of BC, first Co-Chair of that New College (CSHHPBC established 12.15.2003), she still sits on three Board Committees.
Volunteer Activities:
For many years Louise enjoyed volunteering time, knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy to many organizations, sitting on the Boards of Professional, Secular, Christian, National and International organizations. In 2002 she was honoured to receive the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Award for Community Service. She’s also had the distinct honour of serving on the Cridge Centre for the Family Board for 20 years and was President of the Board 1998/2002. Louise currently sits, as Past President, on Cordova Bay 55+ Board; Camp Imadene Society, Board Member; Dispute Resolution Society, vice Chair.
Personal:
Louise celebrated 59 years of marriage with husband John before his passing, has two Daughters, two Sons-in-law, two Granddaughters and one Grandson. Louise committed her life to the Lord Jesus Christ as a teenager, and by His grace she is a committed believer.
Her previous experience as a Cridge Board member and commitment to the mission and work of this amazing organization is why it is her desire to return to the Board.
Ken Peters (Director)
Ken has been in ministry since 1985, serving in a variety of congregations with his wife, Yvonne. In 2014 Ken introduced The Cridge Centre to the Ride for Refuge and volunteered as the event director for the next 5 years. Through this interaction with The Cridge Centre, Ken developed a great appreciation of the manifold ministries of The Cridge Centre, its unapologetic Christian philosophy of ministry, its leadership culture and its leaders. He considers it a great privilege to serve on the Board.
Del Phillips (Director)
Del is a management consultant, a contractor and a member of the Board of Peacemakers Trust. He believes that everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their circumstances. Being part of The Cridge Board enables Del to be involved in meaningful community service. Del has been involved with The Cridge Centre for over 30 years, having served both as Treasurer and President. With a long and varied career in both public service and the business world, Del has a skill-set well suited to the leadership of this organization. Del has a science (pre-med) degree from Southern Oregon State University with post-graduate studies in Social Psychology from the University of Manitoba and an MPA from UVic.
Janet Zanon (Director)
Jan has lived in Victoria since she was three years old. Shortly after high school, she attended Camosun College Certified Dental Assistant Program. She worked as a C.D.A. for 26 years and then as a Dental Receptionist for four years. She has been active in her church through serving and leadership, doing anything and everything that they have been asked to do. She currently manages a rental suite and six rental rooms in her home. For more than 20 years, she has had homestay students or Royal Roads University students that live in their home.
She and her husband Tony were married in 2006, bringing together their six children between the ages of 10 and 20 years old. That was quite the experience, but with God’s help, they made a family and our now blessed with four Grandchildren.
She has been a single parent and lived in CRD townhouses for 12 years. With God’s provision of this housing, her family and church family were able to provide her children with a stable life. She understands the importance of the services The Cridge Centre provides to young families as well as to seniors. She is excited to be His hands and feet to show the love of God to Victoria and to see people thrive.
Cridge Management Team
Adam Richards (Chief Executive Officer)
Marlene Goley (Manager of Cridge Transition House and Outreach Services)
250-995-6420
email mgoley@cridge.org
Candace Stretch (Manager of Supportive Housing and Family Services)
250-995-6404
email cstretch@cridge.org
Sarah Smith (Manager of Seniors’ Services)
250-220-8567
email ssmith@cridge.org
Tina Rogalinski (Assistant Manager of Seniors’ Services)
250-220-2301
email trogalinski@cridge.org
Christine Wosilius (Manager of Children’s Services)
250-220-8573
email cwosilius@cridge.org
Geoff Sing (Manager of Brain Injury Services)
email gsing@cridge.org
Joanne Linka (Manager of Communication and Fund Development)
250-995-6419
email jlinka@cridge.org
Paul Bergmann (Manager of Facility Operations)
Anna Olson (Director of Finances and Administration)
More of Our Team
Amy Bott (Receptionist Tuesday – Saturday)
250-384-8058
email: reception@cridge.org
Sharon Crozier (Fundraising Database Specialist & Admin Assistant)
Arlene Cruz (Accounting Specialist)
Tanya Kuhn (Board Liaison and Executive Assistant to CEO)
Tim Latour (School Age Care and Summer SunFun Coordinator)
250 995 6407
email saccoordinator@cridge.org
Tori Dach ( IPV-BI Coordinator)
Nikolas Milonas (Executive Chef, Certified Chef de Cuisine)
250-220-2302
email nmilonas@cridge.org
Vivian Qiao (Accounting Clerk)
Linda Zwick (Financial Comptroller)
250-995-6402
email lzwick@cridge.org
Rachel Simmonds (Communications Assistant)