Board of Directors
Marion Best
Marion Best served as Moderator of The United Church of Canada from 1994 to 1997 and as Vice-Moderator of the World Council of Churches from 1998 to 2006. She has served the church in myriad roles, including as president of BC Conference and as a member of the General Council Executive. Now retired, Marion formerly worked as an educator and consultant with church and community groups. She resides in Naramata, British Columbia.
Fred Braman (Chair)
Fred Braman was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1951 and has lived in Montréal since 1956. He was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1976 and practises international business law in Montreal with Miller Thomson LLP. In the church, Fred is past secretary of Montreal Presbytery and a long-time member and past president of Montreal Presbytery’s Finance and Extension Board, as well as past chair and an active member of Montreal West United Church. In the wider community, he serves on the boards of directors of the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre (for those with hearing, visual, or motor impairment) and of Compagnie Flak (for the creation and promotion of modern dance and choreography).
Bruce Cook
Bruce Cook graduated from Queen's Theological College, and then served for eight years in Newfoundland & Labrador Conference where he was chair of Avalon Presbytery, as well as president of conference. He has been in London Conference since 1993 and now serves as president there. Bruce has worked in inner-city missions and camping ministries and was a roving reporter for Spirit Connection while in Newfoundland & Labrador. He was a member of the former Division of Communication, as well as the Department of Stewardship, and has been a commissioner to several General Councils. Bruce has chaired the London Conference Interview Board and served on the Conference Education and Students Committee.
Doug Einarson
Doug Einarson has served at the General Council–level of the United Church in various volunteer capacities since 1997, most recently as chair of The Permanent Committee: Finance and as a member of the General Council Executive, concluding his term in 2006. Doug has also volunteered in numerous roles at the congregational and conference levels of the church and is well acquainted with the financial processes of the denomination. He is past chair of the board of Kirkfield Park United Church. Doug was born and raised in Winnipeg, is a chartered accountant, and is an audit partner with BDO Canada LLP, Winnipeg. He is a member of The Thomas Sill Foundation, a private foundation supporting charities in Manitoba, and is a director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba Foundation. Doug also works with several charities and foundations that are clients of his firm.
Peter Harder (Vice Chair)
Peter Harder is senior policy advisor to Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP and a corporate director, as well as a member of research, charitable, educational, and not-for-profit boards. Before joining FMC, Peter was a deputy minister in various departments in the Government of Canada, most recently Foreign Affairs. Peter is a member of Southminster United Church in Ottawa.
Amber Ing
Amber Ing earned her Master of Theological Studies degree from Emmanuel College in May 2006. She has served her congregation in different capacities in Christian education, outreach and pastoral care, youth fellowship, UCW, and music ministry. She has also served on Joint Needs Assessment and Searching committees. In 2004, she was one of the coordinators of Sounding the Bamboo and a member of Sounding the Bamboo visioning team. She is a current member of the General Council Executive and secretary of the Chinese Association of The United Church of Canada, as well as a member of the Ethnic Ministries Advisory Committee. She also serves on the board of Mississauga Chinese Professionals and Businesses Association and co-chaired their major fundraising event in 2007.
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is the director of Neighbourhood Development Strategies with the City of Hamilton, Ontario. In this role, Paul works with neighbourhood residents and private and public investors to develop action plans for neighbourhood renewal. Paul was previously the executive director of Wesley Urban Ministries, an outreach ministry of the United Church of Canada. Wesley Urban Ministries provides a wide range of services and supports to individuals and families of all ages in Hamilton who are trapped in cycles of poverty. Paul lives in Hamilton and is a member of Westdale United Church.
William R. MacLachlan
William R. MacLachlan is director and past chair at Mawer Investment Management Ltd. Bill comments regularly on investment issues for CBC NewsWorld, CBC Radio, and BNN. He has contributed to the National Post, the Globe & Mail, the Calgary Herald, and other media. He has also written on ethical investing for the Institute of Corporate Directors and has been a speaker for the Canadian Investor Relations Institute and the Strategy Institute. He also has extensive experience in the charitable sector and is a senator of the Calgary Zoo, and past president of Aspen Family and Community Network Society. Bill is a member at Knox United Church in Calgary.
Tim O’Neill (Secretary/Treasurer)
Tim O'Neill is president of O'Neill Strategic Economics and a partner in TNET Management Consultants. He recently retired from BMO Financial Group where he served as executive vice president and chief economist from October 1994 until December 2004. For 12 years before that, he taught in the Department of Economics at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He served as a consultant to several provincial governments, as well as the federal government.
Robert F. Richards
Rob Richards, president of Heathbridge Capital Management, has over 35 years’ experience in the investment industry. Beginning as a research analyst, he has practised portfolio management for the last 15 years. An active fundraiser, he has served on boards of community organizations and of his congregation, Rosedale United Church in Toronto.
Nora Sanders
Nora Sanders has served as General Secretary of the General Council of the United Church of Canada since January 2007. Her prior career as a lawyer and public servant focused on justice and aboriginal issues in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan. She is a lay person in the United Church, and has played an active part in several congregations, including teaching Sunday school, chairing the board, and starting a house church. Her first involvement in the United Church nationally came when she was one of the “Kindling Group” speakers at the Arnprior Conference in 2005.
Mark Wartman
Mark Wartman was born and raised in Saskatchewan. He received a B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan and an M. Div. from St. Andrew's College, Saskatoon. Over 20 years in ministry with the United Church, Mark served two terms on the General Council Executive and served for many years as chair of the Saskatchewan Conference Stewardship Committee. Mark was a member of the Saskatchewan Legislature for almost 9 years and had various leadership roles including almost 4 years as minister of agriculture and food. Mark has engaged in many successful fundraising ventures including special gifts programs and working as a development officer with the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Mark is engaged in a major house renovation and is doing some consulting in fundraising and government relations on the side.