About Us

Board of Director Profiles

Chair
Carol J. Carman
Carol is happy to bring her professional communications skills to READ’s assistance. Through 16 years of work in government and her years in the private sector operating her own company, she has had a window into communities afflicted by unemployment, disability, poverty, homelessness and substance abuse. Literacy, she says, is a profoundly important tool that can open a whole new world of employment, independence and self-esteem.

Directors

Michelle Anderson
As a family support worker, Michelle works with First Nations families on reserves and goes into local public schools to provide cultural workshops for youth. She sees her work at READ as a way to be a stepping stone that will help families choose and create a life story they can write themselves. Michelle believes that literacy skills can make a person’s life path smoother and provides branches into new experiences and learning opportunities.  

Patty Freeman
As a lifelong bookworm, Patty wants to help create a world where everyone has the skills to discover the joy of reading. She launched her career in 1984 as a business writer and editor. Reporting first for a community newspaper in Ottawa, she has since authored numerous documents for the BC government, the private sector and publications such as the Times-Colonist, Monday Magazine and Outdoor Canada. Patty vows to work hard to help improve literacy rates.

Avrille Gosling
Knowledge and the right to be informed are essential to Avrille, who spent nearly four decades as a classroom teacher before retiring. She taught Kindergarten to Grade 8 in the public school system and internationally in Tanzania and Kunshan, Jiangsu, China. Today she continues to share knowledge through her workshops for the BC Teachers’ Federation and volunteer work with the Victoria Jazz Society.

Angus Izard
When your mother is a school teacher who always emphasized education, it’s not such a surprise to find yourself serving on the board of a literacy organization. Today, he volunteers simply to give back to the community. Angus is a professional accountant and partner of Cameron Izard Snell, who shares his expertise by chairing the finance committee.

Wendi J. Mackay
Wendi brings years of experience as a team member leading complex organizations through transformations to her work with READ. She believes an effective organization needs strong leadership and clearly articulated goals realized through innovative, transparent and inclusive processes. Semi-retired, she has worked as a lawyer, public policy advisor and self-employed businesswoman. Wendi values literacy skills for their ability to open a reader’s mind to diverse values, cultures and experiences.

Star Weiss
Star believes literacy can smash the walls that divide us.  As a journalist, communicator and educator, she has witnessed transformations that happen when people are given the opportunity to improve their reading and writing skills. Through her work with READ, Star hopes to help create a society where we can all be heard, valued and understood. This is a writer who wants everyone to reach their full potential, starting with being able to read.