Board of Directors
About our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is a ‘hands-on’ team. We have always maintained our President is to be a parent of a child with deafblindness, in order to carry on the initial intent when the first group of parents came together in 1978.
CDBA-BC has grown from the initial idea of providing Intervention support for school-age children and youth during the summer to offering support to children of all ages, birth to 19 years, and their families.
Currently, the Board consists of parents of children with deafblindness, Intervenors, a Teacher Consultant, and individuals who have been immersed into the world of deafblindness through work and family members.
Our Board is extremely supportive of the staff and individuals with deafblindness and their families and continues to work tirelessly in order to promote access to Intervention for children and youth with deafblindness throughout British Columbia.
Linnea Cudmore
President
Linnea Cudmore was born and raised in South Surrey, where she currently resides with her husband and three children. Since graduating from Kwantlen University College, she has spent her career working in the information technology field and is currently employed with Simon Fraser University.
Linnea’s firstborn (Kai) was diagnosed blind at two weeks old and deafblind at five months old. Kai was later diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome as a result of the CHD7 Gene mutation. Linnea was connected with the CDBA-BC Chapter first as a mother but joined the board when her son was only three years old. In 2008, she became the CDBA-BC Chapter president and has served in that role ever since. Over the past 16 years, Linnea has had the remarkable opportunity of attending multiple conferences hosted by the CHARGE syndrome foundation, British Columbia’s Provincial Outreach Program for Students with Deafblindness, and the Canadian Deafblind Association of BC. The most impactful experiences however have been the opportunities through the CDBA-BC Chapter to meet families impacted by a deafblind diagnosis, work with the amazing Intervenors who provide such an essential service to these families and educating researchers and caregivers on what it means to have a family member who is deafblind.
Linnea is well aware of the struggles and emotional journey of raising a child with a disability that sometimes can be overwhelming for parents and families. She believes that deafblind children should be supported through one-on-one Intervention, that communication and routine are keys to learning, and that they are worthy of having the best quality of life possible.
John Mail
vice-president
John Mail lives in Black Creek on Vancouver Island, midway between Courtenay and Campbell River and you could say I married into the deafblind community as I married Allison Mail ( nee Seez) 19 years ago. We have a single daughter, Miranda, at home and she is often with us as we assist in many of the family functions.
I began by joining her at the summer retreats and board meetings and after a while volunteered as a member at large. A few years ago when an opening came up for a spot for Vice President of the board I volunteered. You will also often find me behind the camera at a majority of our events as I do my best to capture the degree of care and love shared by family and board members.
Dr. Linda Mamer
secretary
Is currently working at the British Columbia Provincial Outreach Program for Individuals with Deafblindness (POPDB), as a Teacher Consultant, travelling throughout the Province consulting with schools who have a student with deafblindness.
I have been a member of CDBA since 1979, first with the Ontario Chapter of CDBA (when the organization was named the Canadian Deafblind and Rubella Association (CDBRA)) when I taught at the W. Ross Macdonald School for Students who are Blind and Deafblind (Brantford, Ontario) in the deafblind unit, in deafblind resource services and in blind school-aged and preschool resource services. I was the National President of the Canadian Deafblind and Rubella Association (CDBRA) from 1996-2004 and during that time I was the Chair of the 13th Deafblind International (DbI) World Conference, in Toronto, Canada, August 2003.
I joined the BC CDBA Board when I moved here in 1997 and have been on the Board since then, proudly watching the growth and development of the chapter with our Board and our Staff who have worked tirelessly to build our Chapter to what it is today, offering many services and supports to families and individuals with deafblindness.
We are fortunate to live in BC where our families have access to Intervenors. We continue to advocate for access to Intervenors for individuals who are deafblind. We are grateful to the Ministry of Children and Family Development for their ongoing support through the year.
Wanda Schellenberg
national representative
Wanda Schellenberg lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She and her husband have three children. Their youngest, Alynne, is a petite young lady with 5P minus Syndrome and deafblindness.
When Alynne entered school as a 6-year-old Wanda and her family were warmly invited to educate themselves about the world of deafblindness. The school’s deafblind consultant, who remarkably followed Alynne for all 13 years of her school life, encouraged Wanda to take courses about deafblind communication and attend conferences whenever possible in order to become a supportive and contributing member of ‘team Alynne’.
In 2015, after years of making connections with parents and educators in the deafblind community, Wanda joined the Canadian Deafblind Association British Columbia and National boards. Learning to understand the philosophy, principles and communication methods in this extremely unique field continues to be a wonderful and fascinating journey for Wanda as she strives to better understand and thoughtfully support her daughter and others in the deafblind community.
Crystelle Jensen
member at large
Crystelle joined the CDBA- BC board of directors in 2020. Crystelle has ten years of experience working in the Community Social Services sector. Her career began with the Canadian Deafblind Association in Saskatchewan as an Intervenor. She then became a Residential Program Manager with CDBA-SK prior to moving to Vancouver Island. Crystelle has also managed a group home for Shekinah Homes Society in Victoria, BC. She currently works as a Residential Supervisor for Community Living Victoria. Crystelle is committed to being person-centered and considers herself blessed to have made a career of supporting individuals to lead happy and inclusive lives.
Crystelle is also the mother to a six-year-old boy. She loves teaching him all about inclusion and diversity and he loves teaching her all about Minecraft and YouTube. Their favorite activity is exploring and camping all over this beautiful place that is Vancouver Island.
Leslie Comrie
Member at large
Leslie Comrie has been involved with the CDBA BC as a parent or as a Board Member or as a National Board Member of the CDBA since her magnificent little son, Theo, received his diagnosis of deafblindness at the age of 5.
The Comrie-Quetton family´s introduction to the deafblind community was the first step towards a life-changing path – one that has brought a decade of growth and connection and the gift of intervention.
Leslie lives in Vancouver, B.C. with Theo and his beautiful, talented sister, Celeste, who learned sign language for her little big brother when she was two. Leslie would like to thank all of the brilliant, and wonderful intervenors who have supported Theo and the family.
Scott Mallinson
MEMBER AT LARGE
Scott was on the board last year as a youth delegate and he is now a full member. As a deafblind individual, Scott is happy to be on the CDBA board. He became involved with CDBA at the age of 3 and it has been a big part of his life. Scott is a disability advocate and is in his last year of high school.
Paul Michaud
member at large
Paul is currently taking some time on leave from the Board.
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