Grant Bolton was born in a small town in Saskatchewan, the fourth of eight children. It was just before breakfast and family myth has it that he arrived reaching for a piece of toast and that he's been hungry ever since.  Grant graduated from Cowichan High School in Duncan and then from the University of Victoria. He initially tried his hand at teaching but found that he preferred working in a Community Centre setting.  Grant has had two stints as Executive Director of the Blanshard Community Centre, the first from 1977 to 1993 and again from 2004 to 2011 when he retired. Grant currently serves the community as a member of the Kiwanis Club of Victoria, after serving 2 years as President, 2 years as Vice-President and 2 years as past President. Grant likes music of all kinds as well drawing, painting, and writing poetry and screen plays. He has one child, a daughter, who loves horses.

Paul McNamara MSW has worked as a Social Worker in Emergency at the Royal Jubilee Hospital for the last five years. During this time Paul has also worked in Psychiatric Emergency, the Clinical Teaching Unit and the Intensvie Care Unit. Prior to shifting his field of interest to Emergency Services, Paul spent 17 years as a Senior Manager at the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health and 9 years as the Executive Director at the local and provincial offices of MS Society of Canada. Paul has served in a volunteer capacity on the Board of the United Way with numerous community projects. Paul is the Vice President of The Vancouver Island Health Authority Fitness and Lifestyles Centre Society. Paul has been married for 33 years and has two adult daughters. 

Sherry Dubetz recently retired from many years in the public school system as a teacher, and an elementary and secondary school counselor.   She and her husband live in Saanich  and have three children and one grandchild.  Sherry has worked as a front-line counselor at Need Crisis and Information Line and also served on their Board of Directors.   As a member of a family receiving services for one of its members, she is appreciative of the ongoing guidance of people who have helped her family find its way through the issues, and has become very aware of substance use and mental health issues.  Sherry now sees herself as an advocate for all those who struggle.

Captain(N) David Kyle was Base Commander CFB Esquimalt from 2002-2005. He was active in community service, leading the military community to triple its United Way fund raising level over four campaigns.  He was also active on several other Boards in the last years of his naval career, and gained considerable insight and appreciation for the vital role of the non-profit sector.  Since retiring from the navy in 2008 he has joined the marine industry and is currently upgrading his professional qualifications through full-time study, having spent the last two years at BC Ferries on various ships out of Swartz Bay.  The schedule demands of his second career have caused him to withdraw from an active role in the community, but he has maintained his commitment to Umbrella having seen first-hand the effectiveness and compassion of Umbrella's staff in assisting a family member struggling with addiction over this period.

Marianne Ostopovich RSW, M. Ed has worked as a counsellor at the Military Family Resource Centre for the last thirteen years. Working collaboratively with other resource partners in the Greater Victoria area, she appreciates all the hard work that is done to assist those who struggle daily with addiction and mental health issues. Umbrella is a resource that she refers to often, as she knows the important supports that this organization provides. Some years ago, Marianne reached out to Umbrella on behalf of a family member, and it was this experience that drew her to join the Board of Directors in 2004. She has a strong commitment to help all those who seek help for addictions and mental health concerns, as she knows how devastating these issues can be to individuals, families and, ultimately, to the larger community. When not working or volunteering, she loves to be in her garden or on the water. Both of these activities bring her a great sense of balance and joy.

Guy Cookson joined the Umbrella Society Board of Directors in 2009. He has a long history of public service, starting in the United Kingdom right up to his present position at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Guy is the father of twins and master of the bbq.

Randy Smith is a semi-retired senior management consultant who joined the Umbrella Society Board in April 2011. He has more than twenty years personal experience in the field of “recovery” from his own life path and from personally working with others as a layperson. His goal is to use his combination of management consulting and personal experience to contribute to maximizing the benefits from the Umbrella Society while not losing sight of the fact that it is all about the individual in need. Randy was born and raised in Saskatchewan. He has lived in BC since 1972 and in 1985 returned to Victoria from the lower mainland. His passion is his photography which he produces, shows, and sometimes even sells in local art shows and galleries.