Board Members

Leila Nulty-Senf, WQLC Chair

What prompted my involvement was the desire to participate more directly in my community. My gut feeling that reading leads to empowerment, responsibility and risk taking helped me choose literacy as a focus.

I see my role as a part peace maker, part instigator, part front person, and friend to the council and all those involved with the council. Officially I am and have been the Chair (or president) of WQLC for a number of years. I work closely with the Executive Director and try to keep the "big picture" in view.

In the spring of '90 or '91 I took a tutor training workshop in Shawville. That fall I was matched with my first student and the following spring I was asked to join the board. Throughout the years, opportunities to learn more about tutoring and meet other tutors have come up and I made the time available to attend workshops, information sessions, and social gatherings of like minded people.

I have learned so many things it would be impossible, and possibly boring, to list them all. So here are two; that we all have strengths and weaknesses and it is better to go with the strengths than to focus on the weaknesses (be that in the personal, political, or institutional realm).

I have learned that from concepts to concrete can be slow and tedious or in the blink of an eye. But no matter what the speed, the beginning is always the same, one baby step.

I would like to share my experience that life on the margins is interesting, challenging, and fun.

J.P. Michel Chabot, WQLC Vice Chair

J.P. Chabot lives in Bristol, Quebec. He is looking forward to being an active member. He brings to the council a great variety of volunteer work experience. An active member and founder of the Mont-Bleu Community Policy Program in Hull, Quebec, he has been involved with various programs that help individuals who have problems with the justice system. He is also an active member and Master Trainer with the Crisis Prevention Institute.

 

Shirley Gauthier, WQLC Treasurer

Norma J. DesRosiers, WQLC Secretary

Following my retirement from a career in investment and corporate governance, I set about to follow one of my passions and read all the books on my long list of titles and authors.

Shortly thereafter, I met two knowledgeable and enthusiastic members of the Western Quebec Literacy Council (WQLC) at the council booth at the local fair. With their encouragement, I attended a tutor workshop and later was elected Secretary on the board of directors on the W.Q.L.C.

Being part of the Literacy Council is very rewarding work, and happily allows me to combine my love of books with an opportunity to help others dicover the job and power of reading.

 

Julie Sicard, WQLC Student Representative

 

Line J. Lafontaine, WQLC Board Member

Originally an Aylmer, Quebec native, Line J. Lafontaine moved to Bristol in 1994. She was elected to the Western Quebec Literacy Council's board at the Annual General Meeting in September 2000. Since then Line has taken a number of assignments such as tutoring and is presently apprenticing to become a tutor trainer. Her various jobs in the Pontiac stimulated her interest in joining the Literacy Council thus furthering her goal of improving the literacy statistics in the Pontiac. Her motto is "One person at a time will make a difference in the long run".

 

Jennifer Weese, WQLC Board Member, Board Member