About Us

Board of Director Profiles

Chair
Graeme Kirby
A desire to ensure children and youth from low-income households have the opportunity to access literacy programs led Graeme to his position. He believes strong literacy skills in writing, mathematics and computers are an essential part of modern life. Now retired, Graeme contributes years of experience in finance, planning and project management. He is guided by a belief in the principles of transparency, ethical practices and equity.

Vice 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

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.

Don Monsour
Don is a busy man – he’s on a dozen charitable and professional boards. Still, he couldn’t resist a cause he says matters to people’s everyday lives. As a restaurant owner and chef, he’s seen that without strong literacy skills, employees are unable to keep up with the ever-changing demands of the workplace. Today, he is a hospitality and tourism consultant and volunteers to give back to society.

Nick Mosky
Nick has loved reading all his life, and was convinced early in life by his peewee hockey coach of the benefits of team work. That combination led him to READ, where he is putting into practice two beliefs: that a diverse group of individuals working toward common goals can achieve a great deal; and that everyone benefits from a more literate society.  He is a lawyer and partner with Waddell Raponi, Barristers and Solicitors.

Maureen S. Nicholls
As a former deputy minister with the provincial government, Maureen feels fortunate to have a life that includes a good education, a joy of reading, and the ability to communicate with relative ease. She comes to READ with an appreciation of how life is more difficult for individuals lacking basic reading and writing skills. Maureen wants to ensure more people are able to achieve rewarding lives through improvements in their literacy.

Suzanne Veit (past chair)
Suzanne believes so strongly that literacy is the key to a world of learning and opportunity, she’s contributing time from her retirement to work with READ. Suzanne has 20 years of experience in the public sector, including serving as deputy minister in two provincial ministries, but began her career as a teacher in the Ivory Coast. She thinks everyone has the right to become literate and to enjoy the opportunities learning brings.