Board & Advisors
Board of Directors
Beverly Suderman – Chair & Acting Executive Director
Beverly is a community planner and educator, passionate about social justice and gender equality. Her experience in the field of health care is primarily as a consumer, where she is dismayed that health care services that were available to her as a teenager are not readily available to her granddaughters today in the Cowichan Valley. This is a challenge to be met, and a problem to be resolved.
Kate Koyote – Vice-Chair
Kate Koyote is a passionate community advocate and midwife. She has lived and worked in the Cowichan Valley for 19 years. In that time, her primary focus has been supporting women and families in their childbearing years. She is keenly aware of how the impacts of colonization and inter-generational trauma contribute to the marginalization and vulnerability of many women living in Cowichan today. Kate believes that re-imagining health care with a gendered focus will help break down systems that are inherently racist and gender biased and will result in not only healthier, empowered women and families, but also in a healthier community overall.
Amanda Slydell - Treasurer
Amanda has called the Cowichan Valley home since 2011. She has worked in the accounting world for over 20 years. As a woman, a mother of three and a community minded individual, she is honoured to assist the board with their checks and balances, and in any other ways she can.
Rachelle Rondeau - Director
Rachelle is a community planning professional and a volunteer with Girls Guides of Canada. She loves the outdoors, enjoys hiking and dabbles in gardening. A mother of two girls, Rachelle is always learning new things, and envisions a place where everyone is able to access supports that improve their health and well-being.
Angela Horvers - Director
Angela and her family immigrated to the Cowichan Valley in 1981 from the Netherlands. She spent the last 17 years in finance and raised her son as a single mother. During this time she suffered traumas which helped her realize that there is a lack of resources to assist women and children in the valley. She went back to school and completed her MOA Certificate in the hopes of helping where she can.
Emily Dixon – Director
Emily is community planner and passionate mental health advocate. She was raised by a single mom and understands well the need for patience, determination and compassion when trying to reach a goal. Emily looks forward to working with the Cowichan Women’s Health Collective to meet their goal of serving women and girls in the Cowichan region in a safe and appropriate way.
Melissa Tokarek - Director
Melissa is an environmental practitioner passionate about advocating for sustainable communities through the lens of social wellbeing, gender equality and environmental resiliency. She and her family, husband and two boys, planted roots in the Cowichan Valley about 5 years ago. She is excited to support the Cowichan Women’s Health Collective initiatives and honoured to work with an inspirational group of women.