CHHA North Shore Branch Board Members
Hugh Hetherington – Acting President & Treasurer
Hugh has taken over the role of President due to Alan’s resignation. He co-ordinates our board meetings. Hugh is also our treasurer and takes care of branch finances. He co-hosts the Sound Advice Meetings. He co-ordinates the Summerhill meetings. He is our newsletter editor. He is our technical support person. He also provides support for loop systems in churches and public buildings. Direct any inquiries related to these topics to Hugh.
Alan Dion – Past President
Alan is our past president. He will continue on as director. He is working to increase the CHHA footprint by reaching out to the community. He is the “go-to” person if you would like to become a member or become more involved.
Susan Gelinas – Vice-president; Website Co-ordinator
Susan has been wearing hearing aids since 2011. For 50 years she watched her mother struggle with hearing loss and hearing aids and only now appreciates what a remarkable job she did with the technology that was available. She also realizes how denial and isolation were part of her mom’s coping strategies. Susan participates in the Sound Advice Meetings and she is updates the website regularly. Any resources, links, info that you would like to be considered for the website should be directed to her.
Mike Hocevar – Director
Mike is pleased to be returning to the board of directors and to the North Shore after living out in the country for a few years. He is most proud that our branch has and will continue to provide useful advice to hard of hearing folks and, in turn, does our part in the spirit of promoting the livable communities concept. Mike is positive and outgoing. He strongly believes in the promotion of Livable Communities. He sees serving as director on the board as very much a part of this concept for him. As our branch does its part, he will join in delivering its valuable programming and in helping our hard of hearing folks on the North Shore. He brings extensive volunteer experience including his previous service on the board. As someone with pronounced hearing & vision impairments from hereditary Usher’s Syndrome condition, Mike likes to still consider “the glass half full rather than half empty” in guiding him throughout life despite associated challenges. Besides family and a myriad of friends, Mike counts cooking, stamp collecting, historical antique bottles and the BC outdoors among his many personal interests—-and way, way too many sports!
Deborah Maloon, R.Aud, Retired – Director; Hearing Clinic Liaison
Deborah graduated as an audiologist from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1981. She emigrated to Canada in 1989. She has been fortunate enough to have had an owner operated clinic in West Vancouver since 1993. She retired in 2018 after 25 years in practice. Giving back is a personal ethic, which she tries to practise every day. Being on the Board of CHHA is an example of this. She will be very happy to answer any clinical audiology/hearing aid related question.
Ping Lau- Director & Assistant to the President
Ping is a semi-retired physician. He worked in the ICU of Burnaby Hospital for 28 years. He had his first hearing aids and became a member of CHHA-NSB in March 2022. He was elected to the board as a director in October 2022 to provide assistance in conducting live and zoom meetings. He has keen interest in the Evolution, Embryology, Anatomy, Pathophysiology and Treatments of the auditory organs of human.
Ron Chapman – Director
Ron is originally from the UK. He moved to North Vancouver 3 years ago after living many years in Ontario. He is now retired after a working life being a cutting tool specialist and product manager for three international companies. His hobbies are cycling and hiking. He is a regular participant in our Sound Advice Meetings and his input is well thought out and meaningful. He has learned a lot of important things from those meetings that have helped him. He joined the board because he saw the other board members putting a lot of effort into helping people to help themselves. He believed he should be part of that team.