Board of Directors 2024/2025
Paula McMurtry, Chair
Paula has been a Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sister of North Durham since 2020 and has been Board Chair since 2023. Paula resides in Uxbridge with her husband and two children. She is a senior family law lawyer with over 20 years of experience practising in Durham Region. Paula is also a Dispute Resolution Officer with the Ministry of the Attorney General. Her firm McMurtry Law PC has been serving the Durham community since 2010 and proudly supports the local community. Paula is a past Director of the Durham Region Law Association, Association for Community Living Ajax-Pickering and Big Brothers and Big Sisters Ajax-Pickering.
Michelle Carpenter, Vice-Chair
Michelle Carpenter has been proudly serving on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham for 6 years. She started her career in television as the Director of Music Programming at CMT, she now works at the CBC in Entertainment Marketing. Helping with the Winding Roads festival is her favourite part of being on the board. She lives in Brooklin, ON with her husband and 2 sons.
Rhiannon Court, Treasurer/Secretary
I have been working in the banking industry, in finance for 14 years. I started out as a Branch Manager, in commercial banking with TD and more recently working as a Relationship Manager for RBC. I have been a board member with Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham since September 2020. A part of parent council for Morning Glory. I am a Team manager for the 9U rep baseball team. I grew up in Durham Region and have worked in Durham Region for most of my life. I have four kids, and one dog.
Bernadine Chiswell – Director
In my twenty-seven years with The Durham Catholic District School Board, I’ve had the privilege of serving in both Elementary and Secondary Panels. I’ve enjoyed a variety of roles including classroom teacher, resource for low vision, teacher of the blind, and Special Education Specialist (with emphasis in serving individuals with Autism).My greatest teaching role by far has been parenting my children Liam and Kiragh. They, and my husband Doug, inspire and bring me joy every day.
Greg Marlow, Director
I was born and raised in Oshawa, but I have lived in Port Perry for the last 20 years. I have over 20 years of experience with the Durham District School Board and I have been an elementary school principal in Scugog for the past 7 years. I was the principal at Greenbank PS and currently I am the principal at Cartwright Central PS in Blackstock. At many of the schools, I have worked with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization to run mentorship programs in my school. It is my pleasure to begin volunteering with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham as a member of their Board.
Nancy Garceau, Director
Nancy recently joined as a Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham in January 2025. Nancy resides in Blackstock with her daughter and three dogs. She is an Administrative Assistant with the Federal Government. Her daughter has been a Little for over 3 years and has thrived in the program. She joined with the intention to give back to the program that has been so beneficial to her family. Nancy looks forward to working with the board and helping Big Brothers Big Sisters North Durham continue the great work that they do.
Janet Trueman, Director
Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham is an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children in our community through positive mentoring relationships.
For 48 years, we have been our community’s leading child and youth mentorship organization.
We are currently looking for community-minded individuals from Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog to support our Board and Committees, who have one or more of the following interests or backgrounds:
Social Service
Education
Marketing
Fundraising/Special Events
To learn more about the agency or becoming a Board Member, please contact:
Margaret Ayres, Executive Director
margaret.ayres@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca
905-985-3733 xt. 1
Click below to read our 2024 Annual Report
