Character Abbotsford has elected a new board for the 2024/2025 year.
Returning board members are Sir James Barlow, chair Vijay Manuel, Bev Olfert, vice- chair Jory Smallenberg and Shirley Wilson.
New to the board are Andrea Critchley, executive director of Abbotsford Hospice and Grief Support Society; Darcy Halber, executive director of Abbotsford Restorative Justice and Advocacy Association; and Abbotsford Police Chief Colin Watson.
The council plans to host three events that will be open to the public: a speaker event on Nov. 7 that will feature 2024 Canadian Olympic silver medalist Shalaya Valenzuela, a visit to the new Abbotsford Plasma Donor Centre on Jan. 9 and the Character In Action awards presentations on May 8.
The public will also be invited to nominate at CharacterAbbotsford.com/get-involved an unsung hero to be recognized at the awards
At the inaugural meeting of the year, board chair Vijay Manuel reminded the council of what Character Abbotsford is and what it is not.
He said the council is “a group of passionate leaders that desire to inspire character in their citizens, engage and equip leaders to model and teach character, and who use their influence to positively impact the Abbotsford community.”
Manuel said the group is not the "character police," and it is not religious or political.
“Rather, the Character Council believes that values like respect, responsibility, integrity, and empathy are universally felt at the core of every human being, no matter who one is or what their background may be," he said.
The Character Council meets five times each year. Visit CharacterAbbotsford.com for more information.
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