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OUR TEAM

We are governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is assisted by three staff members Tiffany, January and Shann.


STAFF

Tiffany Gordon-Paterson

Executive Director



I am super excited to be a part of the Orillia & District Literacy Council.  The team here is amazing and I feel very blessed to be working amongst such a great group of dedicated people who really care about making a difference and helping others reach their goals. 


I am a single mom and my favourite thing in the world is hanging out with my son doing pretty much anything.  We have so much fun together!  We both love arts and crafts and he is an amazing budding artist.  I couldn't be more proud!


I look forward to many great adventures with the ODLC and we are already embarking on some new ideas, events and activities for the coming months, which will make for an exciting year of fun ahead.


January Fraser

Program Coordinator


I am proud to be the Program Coordinator for the ODLC. As a single mother to an incredible young man, I have learned to juggle my work and personal life with ease. In my free time, I enjoy playing bingo, crafts, spending time with my family, friends and my two cats Daphne and Kiki.  

Seeking new employment opportunities, I initially came to the council to enhance my soft skills and upgrade my computer knowledge, leading me to become a volunteer facilitator. I was asked to tutor an amazing woman whom I taught for nearly 5 years!  Ultimately, I was offered my current position as Coordinator,  which was to be short term only, but luckily for me I have been here for seven years now and still loving my role.



Shann Hales

Bookkeeper/Admin.



I enjoy my part time work here at the Council and use my marketing and bookkeeping skills to contribute to the team.  I love to make a difference in my community through my career and volunteering/giving.  I am a local Realtor with a passion for helping and an Orillia resident since 2007.  

My teenaged son and I enjoy all that Orillia and surrounding has to offer, especially the gorgeous lakefronts and water activities.


BOARD

Lois Wyndham

Lois Wyndham

President

Lois is a retired librarian; she spent most of her career managing small specialized libraries in such diverse areas as fisheries research, rubber and plastics, steel and most recently health care.  She participated actively in the Special Libraries Association, the Medical Libraries Association and is a former President and Life Member of the Canadian Health Libraries Association.  Lois has always been fascinated by textiles, particularly their history and contributions to cultural development.  She is a Master Weaver, a spinner, knitter, sewer and quilter.  With her husband Lois especially enjoys sailing Georgian Bay, cottaging, travelling to interesting parts of the world and trying to keep their herb and perennial gardens growing.

Marg Patterson

Marg Patterson

Secretary

Marg has been a snowmobiler since she retired from Bell Canada.  Every year, as a member of the Bass Lake Snowmobile Club, she has taken part in the Snowmobile Ride for Literacy.  She was always impressed with the hard work that the ODLC did for this event and thought that maybe she could help too.  Marg is also a member of the Alzheimer’s Society and the Women’s Institute, whose main functions are helping in the community, so why not help in this much needed community volunteer organization.

Beulah Iqbal


Beulah Iqbal is a veteran supporter of the ODLC as a former board member, tutor,  and a current volunteer for a number of years.  

She is originally from India and has lived in Canada for 53 years.  She enjoys time with her two sons, her daughter and her granddaughter, volunteering, spending time with friends, and participating in social events.   

Beulah also thoroughly loves her work with the Montessori and Simcoe County School Board in early childhood care and education. We are pleased and grateful to have Beulah as a part of our Board of Directors and a long-time supporter of the Council.


Tanya Kaefer


Tanya is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University. She studies the development of knowledge and the cognitive processes involved in reading comprehension. She earned a PhD in Psychology from Duke University in 2009. She loves reading and puzzles, and lets her dachshunds run her life. Tanya moved to Orillia in 2022, and is excited to get to know the community better.  

Rebecca Watson


Rebecca was born and raised in Orillia. She returned to the Sunshine City after completing her schooling first at the University of Western Ontario where she achieved a B.A. in Music and English and then at the University of Windsor where gained her J.D. in law. Since then, she has practiced criminal law throughout Simcoe County. Rebecca is proud to be part of this community and excited to be a part of the ODLC.  

Tim Carrigan

Tim Carrigan

Director

Tim's interest in ODLC stems from his 27 years in the educational field as a teacher, counsellor and support worker. Although semi-retired, he still has the desire to use his skills, abilities and background to help others. Presently, Tim volunteers and tutors at the ODLC. Offering his services to a worthwhile organization allows Tim to keep growing and learning as well as continuing to use his skill sets in whatever areas he can. Tim's education took him around the world teaching ESL in other countries and he gained valuable knowledge of other cultures and their process for learning. The one thing that stood out for him in this experience was that all students, young or old, are pretty much the same no matter where you are in the world. They all have an innate desire to learn and improve themselves. As a father of 2 teenagers, Tim continues to offer support to their learning where needed, especially during the pandemic. Tim' fitness minded family takes advantage of the walking & biking trails in Orillia. They feel that physical activity and learning go hand in hand as the mind and body have a way of balancing out each other. One of Tim's pleasurable duties as a father was reading bedtime stories to his kids. A process he hopes they pass down to their kids some day and instill in them and others the desire they grew up having for reading and learning.