Board of Directors
Founders:
Gilly Thomas
It is not apparent to most, but Gilly Thomas has family roots in Myanmar, which led her to first journey there, in 2005. Other roots were in education – a long line of teachers! She joined the ranks and believes strongly in the power of education.
Travelling has shown her there is wealth in little and gratitude for the wealth of being Canadian. That is multifaceted – monetarily and in freedom of speech, religion and fresh water! She believes we can share that wealth.
Gilly now resides in Vancouver where she continues to educate people about bodymind wellness in a private practice. She is a traveller, athlete, mother and lifelong learner.
Sandra Hodge
Sandra Hodge is a Family Nurse Practitioner and currently resides in Errington, Vancouver Island, BC. She has a lot of experience in disaster relief work in many countries, and was last on an initial response team to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. She met her supportive partner Josh Dennis when volunteering for a year running a medical centre on Koh Phi Phi, an island in Southern Thailand devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. She believes in mutual respect, kindness, compassion, understanding and generosity. URBK has been created based on these values.
Board:
Katherine Nicol (on the board since 2009)
Katherine lives in Vancouver, BC. She studied early education and is a Mum and animal lover.
Why are you donating to or involved with URBK? To support building schools in a country that values education but can't build the schools because they don't have the same resources that we do.
What is it that you get back? Personal satisfaction because it aligns with my value of education for all.
Helen Song (on the board since 2009)
Helen lives in Vancouver, BC. She is currently a small business owner in the pet industry and formerly worked in real estate development in Alberta and BC. She is involved in URBK to assist in the marketing and fundraising strategies for an organization that I know is truly 100% volunteer and non-profit. What she gets back is the absolute satisfaction of knowing that my efforts are truly going to a good cause that is long lasting and self sustainable. Being able to contribute to the construction of schools that will last for generations of students is perhaps the most fulfilling aspect of URBK.
Nicole Gaboury(on the board since 2014)
An island gal turned mountain woman, Nicole resides in Jasper, Alberta with her loving partner Bob Covey. She and Bob were fortunate enough to travel to Myanmar back in 2012 to capture and learn about the amazing people on the ground working for URBK while connecting with the students and teachers. The photos taken on this trip have been showcased in the calendars put out by the organization. A graphic designer by trade, Nicole has provided URBK with much of their promotional material. She believes strongly in education and loves being part of an organization that encourages learning for everyone.
Local team in Myanmar
We have a dedicated Myanmar local who aids in researching the villages that most require a new school, finding the local builders, teachers, and students for the schools we assist in building.More information about them can be found at: www.100schools.org.
