Skip to content

Four new members elected to board of Abbotsford Community Foundation

Satwinder Bains, Lynne Harris, Leslie McConnell and Rick Gendemann join team
24968747_web1_210429-ABB-New-ACF-board_1
Newly elected to the Abbotsford Community Foundation’s board of directors are (clockwise from top left): Satwinder Bains, Leslie McConnell, Rick Gendemann and Lynne Harris.

The Abbotsford Community Foundation (ACF) elected four new members to its board of directors at its 42nd annual general meeting on April 22.

Joining the board are Dr. Satwinder Bains, director of the South Asian Studies Institute and associate professor in social culture media studies at the University of the Fraser Valley; Lynne Harris, retired Abbotsford councillor; Leslie McConnell, partner at MNP LLP Abbotsford; and Rick Gendemann, partner at Manning Elliot.

“The combination of experience and expertise in their respective fields will be a tremendous asset to Abbotsford Community Foundation,” said board chair Andrea Senft.

RELATED: Abbotsford Community Foundation offers $143K in grants to local charities

Patricia Ouellette has retired from the board of directors after nine years of service.

ACF executive director Wendy Neufeld said the work of ACF would not be possible without the almost 60 volunteers who participate on the various committees, including the 14-member board of directors.

“Abbotsford has a population that believes in giving back to their community and our residents prove that time and time again. Our volunteers are extremely generous with their time and talents and we are truly grateful for the support they lend in the advancement of our strategic priorities,” she said.

Neufeld said that “the current pool of invested capital” has grown to almost $14 million. Since its inception, the ACF has invested more than $12 million in grants and student awards into the community.

Visit abbotsfordcf.org for more information, including biographies of the board of directors and to read the annual report.