President
Brian Soehner
Elmira, ON



First visited Killarney Provincial Park in October 1974 and immediately became a "friend". Brian began sharing the Killarney experience with his Scouts and later his Venturers in 1978. Brian has been a member of the Friends for all of its twenty years and a member of the Board for 11 of those years, serving as Director, Vice President and President.

 Vice-President
Murray O'Brien
Kitchener, ON



“Killarney Provincial Park is a special place to me. The lakes, the trees, the rocks, the wilderness speak to me of my feelings towards family, friends, and country.  I have returned there every year since my first canoe trip in the Park in 1987.  Killarney Park has given me so much.  As a member of the Friends of Killarney Park I have tried to participate in as many park activities as I could over the years: spring clean-up, rehabilitating campsites, planting trees, building bridges, winter activity days, and especially meeting old and new friends.  As a Director of The Friends of Killarney Park I hope I can make the Killarney experience sustainable for many, many visitors for many, many years to come.”

        Past-President
         Susan Easton
          Toronto, ON



Susan has been camping in the park for over 25 years. She participates in the campground clean up weekends and is hooked on the new winter activity weekend. The park and the town are her favourite places in the world. Susan is a development consultant in Toronto.         

Ron Duncan
Orangeville, ON

The Duncan family love for Killarney dates back to when we first started camping in Killarney in the early 70’s, the days of bailey bridges, and a twisty, narrow road.   Those were the days before Bill Pitfield had the Texaco station outside of town.  The Laundromat was at the Sportsman’s Inn.  We bought blocks of ice from the icehouse at the dock, and fresh baked bread from “the bread lady” in town. The beach at campground “A” had huge tanks, stocked with fish, which were being re introduced to Killarney’s acid damaged lakes. 

  My brother got married in Killarney. My eldest daughter worked at Killarney Park one summer, and she also got married by the spillway at George Lake. Both my daughters have volunteered for the clean up weekends and the loon surveys.   My mothers 80^th birthday was celebrated in Killarney, and attended by 2 of the families (and their children and grandchildren) who we met in Killarney, way back in the 70’s.  

’ve been a “Friends” member for years.  I’ve been an avid supporter of the ‘spring clean up and rehab weekend’ for many years.

 And now, I have a very important reason to help preserve and protect Killarney Park.  A 4^th generation Duncan, my grandson Mason Feeney, born in November ’05, has already been camping and hiking in Killarney Provincial Park.  I want him to enjoy Killarney just as much as we have, and for many years to come.

Ed Piche
Richmond Hill, ON

I have worked, played, undertaken and supported scientific work in Killarney Provincial Park for over 35 years. It is a place of exceptional beauty within the province of Ontario.

When the opportunity to join the Friends’ Board of Directors was suggested to me, it was a great honour and pleasure, in fact a duty, to join, participate and hopefully contribute.

I look forward to supporting the Friend’s goals of protecting and preserving this very special part of Ontario.

Edward W. Piché is currently retired from the Ministry of the Environment, Ontario after a distinguished career of service spanning 33 years. Previous to retiring he held the position of Senior Science Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Environmental Sciences and Standards, Ministry of the Environment, Ontario. Prior to accepting this one-of-a-kind position, he had served as a Director of various branches with the Ministry of the Environment for over 22 years.

In 2004, Mr. Piché was recognized by the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario for a lifetime dedicated to ambient monitoring in Ontario. He was a member of the International Joint Commissions Air Quality Advisory Board for over 15 years.

       Pati Greenwood
       Waterdown, ON
 

Len Gamache
Toronto ON

Len Gamache joined The Royal Conservatory of Music in 2007 as Chief Development Officer. He spearheads all fundraising activities for The Royal Conservatory, including its current $50 million campaign. He also oversees the organization's marketing and communications activities. 

With two decades of fundraising experience in leadership roles in the healthcare sector, he has directed four multi-million dollar capital campaigns. Prior to joining the Conservatory, he was the President of St. Joseph's Health Centre Foundation in Toronto, where he completed "The Medicine and Beyond" campaign. Len's professional background as a fundraising executive also includes five years as executive director of St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation in London, Ontario, and ten years as executive director of Grand River Hospital Foundation (formerly Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital Foundation).

Prior to launching his fundraising career, he held a variety of positions in public relations, marketing and journalism. These included managing public relations and marketing for The Seagram Museum in Waterloo, acting as executive director of Radio Production Department at Northeastern University in Boston, producing a talk-show for CBS-owned WEEI Radio in Boston, editing weekly newspapers at the University of Waterloo and at Northeastern University and working as press secretary for a democratic candidate in a leadership race for Governor of Massachusetts.

Jody Dailey
Toronto, ON

Jody was introduced to Killarney Park almost 10 years ago and has been visiting every year since!  In 2006 she purchased a cottage on Carlyle Lake which further deepened her commitment to this area.  As a board member and the Co-Chair of the Development Committee, she has helped further many important projects.  Some of these accomplishments include: creation of a member and fundraising database, direct mail strategy and proposal writing to potential donors.

Jody is the Director of Advancement Services at York University in Toronto.  She heads up a team of people who maintain the alumni, donor and VIP data for the university. Her team supports the friend-raising and fundraising efforts for Osgoode Law School, Schulich School of Business, Glendon and York.
 

Valerie Hickey is an organizational learning and change professional and has implemented learning and change strategies in numerous corporate, government and not-for-profit organizations.  Valerie’s career began in Tunis where she worked for 7 years at the British Council teaching English.  Following that, Valerie worked in career transition and integration of newcomers to Canada.  Most recently Valerie was a senior managing consultant with IBM and is currently consulting with ProFitness Advisors.  Val has been with the park as a camper, wilderness advocate and educator for 15 years and is on the Project & Programs and Governance committees of the Friends of Killarney Park board.

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