MEET THE BOARD

British Columbia

AL ARSENAULT is the President of Odd Squad Productions Society which makes educational videos for youth about drugs and he is a 27-year veteran with the Vancouver Police Department. Al recently retired from V.P.D. in May 2006 having walked the beat in Vancouver's notoriously drug-infested Downtown Eastside for many years. Al possesses a B.Sc. Degree in Geography and Geology from McMaster University (1977) and a B.Ed. Degree in Geography and Physical Education from Queen’s University (1978). He is also a member of the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy.

DR. COLEMAN has many years experience in addiction medicine and currently runs a successful practice in Vancouver. He has been consulting governments, police, and organizations in other countries on the solutions to drug addiction. Dr. Coleman's opinions are well researched, based on experience and very well received both Nationally and Internationally.

DR. DONALD G. HEDGES has a medical practice in New Westminster, B.C. He is licensed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Donald completed his medical degree at the University of British Columbia in 1983, followed by a one-year rotating internship at The Ottawa Civic Hospital. From 1984 to 1988, in addition to practicing Medicine, he served as an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University, lecturing in sports medicine, anatomy, physiology, and environmental and occupational medicine. Since 1990 Donald has been devoted to addiction medicine, including comprehensive assessments, the planning and implementation of treatment protocols and the provision of ongoing care and monitoring. Donald has been recognized as an expert witness in addiction medicine by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, by the Human Rights Tribunal and in labour relations hearings. Donald is also the co-founder and moderator of British Columbia’s first Caduceus group (an aftercare and accountability group for health professionals in recovery).

RANDY WHITE has actively persued a National Drug Strategy that works at the street level for 10 years. He has travelled throughout Europe, USA and Canada seeking positive solutions to the complex problem. Randy was Vice chairman of the Canadian Parliamentary Committee studying the non medical use of drugs and is a member of the International Task force on Strategic Drug Planning.

DR. COLIN R. MANGHAM has worked in addictions, healthy family and youth development and community health promotion in Canada since 1979. Colin worked for four years as a full-time faculty member in the Faculty of Health Professions at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and has instructed at the University of BC and at Simon Fraser University. As Director of Prevention Source BC from 1996 to 2002, Colin sought to ensure that communities working to help children and youth avoid drugs and reduce the overall incidence and prevalence and associated problems of drug abuse, had the tools and knowledge to do so effectively. Colin holds a PhD in Community Health.

Nova Scotia

BEN JENKINS served as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer for 25 years, working in the drug enforcement field as an undercover agent, and later a drug specialist responsible for the Ontario Drug Awareness Program. In 1991 he formed his own company, Drug Awareness Strategies, specializing in workplace substance abuse issues, delivering comprehensive training and awareness programs to employers. Ben currently operates Jenkins Groups, which specializes in issues of corporate security and is a member of the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Planning and a Director on the Board of the Drug Prevention Network of the Americas.

GWENDOLYN LANDOLT graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia, and was called to the BC Bar. She has had an extensive legal career in private practice, as a Crown prosecutor and as a lawyer with the federal government. She is National Vice President of REAL Women of Canada, a 55,000 member national women’s organization which was founded in 1983.

JEANNETTE HAY, CCDC (Certified Chemical Dependency Councilor) has been involved in the anti-drug field at both local grass roots and at international levels with successful drug awareness and prevention campaigns including, detoxification, rehabilitation and drug education for more than 22 years. As a previous addict and graduate of the Narconon program and later as an anti-drug advocate she has a unique understanding of both sides of the illegal drug issue.

TONY HYNES involvement in the drug issue over the last 35 years entails successful drug awareness and prevention campaigns working with celebrities & sports figures, and his own personal experience with drugs in his early years which almost claimed his life. With a purpose to improve Canada’s leadership role in drug prevention and effective rehabilitation on an international level, Tony hopes to see a fully functioning, effective, long term National Drug Strategy.

LAURA ROGERS studies political science at the University of Ottawa. Keeping in touch with the drug issues around the world has been a big interest, so Laura keeps our Youth section of the website up to date. Laura also manages our Legislative section of the site keeping in touch with drug policy around the world. She is also an officer in the army and works with the Governor General's Foot Guards Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. She is a native to Ottawa's East end.

  Quebec

ANDY BIGRAS over the past 15 years Andy has been studying and researching Harm Reduction programs and is recognized as an authority on national drug issues. Andy also has over 12 years of volunteer hands on experience working with the poor, homeless and addicts of the inner city. Andy believes the Principles of the Drug Prevention Network will be the benchmark for future directions in Canada.

DR. PIERRE LABONTÉ has been a General Practitioner since 1979, and has been involved in drug education, prevention, detoxification or rehabilitation, environmental and human toxicology. Dr. Labonté has always advocated a drug-free approach to rehabilitation and currently acts as the medical advisor for the Narconon program in the Province of Quebec where he has served for the past five years.

 Honorary Members

http://www.dfaf.org Calvina L. Fay,  Executive Director of Drug Free America Calvina Fay is the Executive Director of Drug Free America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs (S.O.S.). Drug Free America Foundation provides education to the public about the dangers of drugs of abuse and efforts of drug pushers to legalize drugs. S.O.S. conducts political activities to combat drug legalization efforts. Proffessor Fay is also the Director of the International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse, a brain-trust of the world's leading physicians and scientific scholars dedicated to advancing research of drug use and drug abuse. Professor Fay is the former Executive Director of the Drug Free Business Alliance (DBA), a Houston-based nonprofit coalition of member businesses involved in attacking the drug problem in the workplaces of the Texas Gulf Coast area. DBA has served as a model program for other U.S. cities and in several other countries. Professor Fay has been an outspoken advocate against the legalization of drugs for over 20 years. She was a founding board member of S.O.S. and she is the former president of Drug Watch International, a network engaged in combating the drug legalization movement globally. Professor Fay has served as an advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as well as several political leaders, including President Bush, on drug policy issues. Professor Fay has over 25 years of experience in the drug prevention field and is considered a pioneering expert on workplace drug abuse prevention programs. She has authored several books, including The Supervisor's Handbook For Preventing Drug Abuse in The Workplace and Starting a Drug Free Business Initiative, as well as numerous newsletters and publications in the field that have been published at regional and national levels. She was the managing editor and a co-author of A Report on Employer Attitudes and the Impact of Drug Control Strategies on Workplace Productivity. She also served as the managing editor of a monograph titled Drug Abuse in the Decade of the Brain.