Saskatoon Council On Aging

Board of Directors 2011

Candace Skrapek	Candace Skrapek is a retired nurse educator and started as a volunteer with SCOA in 2005. Currently Candace is the President of the SCOA Board of Directors and is interested in governance and policy development of non profit organizations. She co-chairs the Age-friendly Saskatoon Initiative Steering Committee, and is a member of the Executive Committee, Advocacy Committee, Communications Committee and the Older Adult Abuse Task Force. She also serves on the board of the Saskatoon Housing Authority.
Elliot Paus Jenssen	Elliot Paus Jenssen is vice president of the SCOA Board of Directors, volunteer coordinator of the Older Adult Abuse Task Force and member of several SCOA committees. She is also actively involved with SCOA's Age Friendly Saskatoon project. Elliot first worked with SCOA in the early 1990's on its first project on older adult abuse as a member of the committee working on a protocol for community and health agencies. She was very impressed with what older adults and SCOA can do and was very pleased to be invited to join the Older Adult Abuse Task Force in 2005 after she retired. Elliot is also on the Board of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and serves as recording secretary. Elliot is a retired social worker who worked with the Saskatoon Health Region for over twenty-five years, mostly on the geriatric assessment unit. She is married (49 years!) and has three children, five grandchildren and two cats and loves living in the City Park area of Saskatoon.
Muriel Baxter	Muriel Baxter is a retired social worker who has been associated with SCOA for more than ten years. She was Chair of the Board from 2003- 2005. Muriel's specific interests and involvements with SCOA include advocacy and elder abuse. As well as being a SCOA Board member, Muriel is currently a member of the Services for Seniors and the McClure Place Assoc. Boards. She volunteers regularly at Amy McClure House, a personal care home and was previously a Food Bank volunteer. Prior to her retirement Muriel worked in long term care and continues to have a keen interest in issues of care for seniors. She is a mother of three, grandmother of five and she has given up golf and curling for gentle yoga and walking. Time at the cabin and travelling are important to her.
Sharon Fyke	Sharon Fyke is a retired educator/teacher/guidance counsellor. Since retiring from the Public School system, she has worked as assistant project manager for the Saskatoon Community Service Village, done contract work for Communities for Children, Sexual Assault and Sask Native Theatre, worked for The Kids Not in School Program, coordinated a mental health intervention in the core neighbourhood schools and has worked various other contracts. She has chaired the Tragic Event Team, helped to organize the Breaking The Silence conference at the U of S and has volunteered with other organisations most recently as a former board member of the Saskatoon Preschool Foundation. She has been a board member of SCOA for 4 years serving on many of the committees and the executive. She has two children, son Chad and daughter Stacy both with young families. Her 4 grandchildren are her "reason for being". She curls competitively and golfs for fun.
Leo Monseler Leo Monseler has been a licensed preacher at Sharon United Church of Canada, Maymont for 14 years now. In his former life he worked with all hospitals in Saskatchewan, and the Cancer Clinics in the four Western provinces. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan and has a Double Honours BA. Leo also received a Masters in Theology, and a Masters in Sacred Theology from St. Andrew College Saskatoon. Leo Monseler has been on the Council for two years, and is involved with the Finance Committee. He has been involved with civic and church boards and committees, and also with U.of S. student organizations. He chaired committees appointed by Saskatoon’s City Council. As an active volunteer he was involved as a communications chair at the Summer Gains. His passion for writing was seen when he published “Kivilski” - the cross country news. Leo and his wife Nancy have four sons and a daughter, 15 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. During a period of ten years Nancy and Leo were asked to look after infants, and children with disabilities to the total of 45.
Murray Scharf	Saskatchewan part-time farmer, Murry Scharf and his wife Marj have five children. A former University of Saskatchewan Dean of Education, Murray brings a wealth of experience as a leader, manager and motivator. Murray’s respect for seniors is evident in many ways, but most notably through the number of hours he devotes to projects with both the Council on Aging and the University of Retirees Association. The only time Murray is not volunteering is during spring seeding and fall harvest due to his love of farming, and when he takes a vacation with his lovely wife Marj. His attendance at a meeting – even when not chairing – usually ensures the time will be productive and enjoyable for everyone in attendance. Murray is on the Council’s Board and is on the Advocacy Committee. He also is the Chair of the Finance/Fundraising Committee and co-chair of the Age Friendly Committee. He is also one of those rare individuals who truly enjoys people, relating to both young and old in their own language while never being condescending or false. In June 2011 Murray was nominated and won the Community Village Builders Award.
Allan Stamler	Allan Stamler is currently working as Chief Financial Officer for the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. His educational background is in applied economics, international studies, accounting, finance, organizational behavior and development, strategic planning and business process renewal. Allan has over thirty years of experience in finance and management of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. His connection with SCOA began as a volunteer teaching computer. He has been on the Board for five years serving as a treasurer, member of the finance committee and as SCOA’s representative to the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism where he is also a treasurer. Allan is also actively involved in his Church as a council member and with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Allan’s interest in senior’s issue is in the financial and social well being of seniors in retirement and in the advancement of primary health issues. He is also a member of the Saskatoon’s Men’s Chorus and the University Chorus. His wife Lynnette is a Full Professor of Nursing at the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan. When time permits he indulges in his love for photography.
Joan Lidington	Joan is a retired nurse and a social worker. Her work experience has included teaching nursing students and working in geriatrics and the community. She and her sister Dorothy began Saskatoon Home Support Services in 1988 and provided service through this agency for 20 years. She has been a volunteer with SCOA for 6 years as a member of the Older Adult Abuse Task Force and a board member since 2010. She is currently serving as a Chair of Spotlight on Seniors and liaison for the SCOA /Bishop Klein School partnership.
Janet Barnes	Janet Barnes works as a Senior Recreation Therapist with Continuing Care and Senior’s Health, Saskatoon Health Region. Janet has worked for the health region for the past 30 years in a number of areas including therapies, mental health, acute care, rehabilitation, and the Acquired Brain Injury Outreach team. Janet has been involved with SCOA for a couple of years now. She is a partner with the Seniors Walk. She was the Co-chair of the Age Alive Committee and contributes in motion articles to the Coming of Age newsletter. Janet is also a board member at SCOA. Janet has volunteered for many organizations including the Saskatoon Brier 1989, 2000, and 2004, Interchristian Varsity Fellowship, her church board and various committees, Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association Board. She has sponsored and supported a number of refugees to Canada. Janet and her husband Norm have two children and two grandchildren. Janet enjoys spending time at their cabin, curling, golfing and travelling.
Gerlinde Sarkar	She was born in Germany, but has lived in Canada for most of her adult life. She has three grown sons who live all over the world. Gerlinde has been highly active in the Canadian society as well as international societies as well. She has received the ATHENA Leadership award and the Saskatchewan Centennial Leadership award in 2005 for her contribution to the community. Gerlinde retired from her position at SIAST of Academic Director of Research, Planning and Program Development. During her last three years of employment Gerlinde worked in Qatar. Her special expertises were Strategic Planning, evaluation and workshops. Gerlinde has a rich background in volunteering. She was made aware of SCOA through some friends on the executive and she was very impressed with the range of programs and services that are offered, so then she became more involved to shape the direction to make Saskatoon a more age-friendly city. Gerlinde is a board member-at-large at SCOA.
Karen Pitka	Karen Pitka is married 47 years to Patrick Pitka. They have four children and eight grand-children. She works as an office manager for College Park Dental. She also sat on St. Paul's Hospital foundation Board of directors for 10 years finishing April 2011. Now she sits on The Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan board, and The Women's Mid-life Health center board. She loves to golf, sew, garden, travel and be with her grand-kids. Karen is new to SCOA’s board. She is a member-at-large and she looks forward to being involved with SCOA.
Burna Purkin	Burna Purkin was born in Saskatoon and attended the Victoria School and Nutana Collegiate. She spent her teaching career in Calgary and was a school principal for twenty of those years. She has a particular interest in students with special learning needs. After retiring, she taught sessions at the University of Calgary and Columbia College in Calgary. These courses were in effective communication for teachers and understanding and teaching students with special learning needs. Since her return to Saskatoon, she has been actively involved in the community. Burna has been on the Board of the Mendel, Saskatoon Opera, and the Consumer Association and Saskatoon Council on Aging. She has conducted workshops and seminars for the Saskatoon School Board and the Tri-City Teachers' Convention. Burna also participated on the steering committee for the Nutana Collegiate 100 Anniversary in 2010. As a senior, she is devoted to increased awareness and providing for a range of considerations and provisions for seniors. She is so proud of Saskatoon and in particular the Fine Arts present in this city. She also mentioned that she enjoys working with others in a team situation, meeting new people, writing and presenting.
Brett Bayda	Brett Bayda is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Navacare.ca, a website that helps adult children learn how to plan and have fun while assisting their aging parents. When Brett’s grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he observed the struggles that families go through emotionally and wanted to make a difference. Brett’s Education degree from the University of Alberta helped him come one step closer to helping families navigate aging. Brett was excited at the opportunity to sit on the board of directors at the Council on Aging to learn from distinguished experts in the field of aging. He shares a common goal among the other council members of helping seniors remain independent. Brett started volunteering on the board with SCOA in 2010 as well as the Caregiver Information and Support committee. Brett loves business, real estate and traveling the world observing other cultures and history.