Our panellists, featuring Sara Neely, the Victoria Foundation, Michelle Johnson, the Wilderness Committee, and Patrick Smith, Scotia McLeod/Vancouver Island Will Power Chair, will share with us their unique perspectives on how their organizations have been utilizing the campaign, along with the impact it has made within the overall gift planning community on Vancouver Island. We also want to give all those in attendance plenty of time to ask questions about how their own organizations may benefit from the program or share with us your best practices on using Will Power Campaign.
Date: June 21st
Location: Union Club (805 Gordon Street, Victoria BC)
Time: 11:45 – 1:30 PM
Registration: 11:45-12; networking lunch 12:00 – 12:30; Panel Discussion: 12:30 – 1:15
Panellist Bios:
Patrick Smith:
Patrick trained as a Chartered Professional Accountant, and went on to complete CPA Canada’s In-Depth Tax Program before moving into finance where he now works at Scotia McLeod as a Wealth Advisor. He also holds a Trust and Estate Practitioner designation, is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, is a past-President of the Victoria Estate Planning Council, and the current Will Power chair for CAGP Vancouver Island.
He helps clients with tax-considered total wealth strategies that align investment, retirement, philanthropic and estate plans
Sara Neely
Sara joined the Victoria Foundation in 2008. She is responsible for working with professional advisors and their clients, building relationships in the community and enhancing services provided to individuals and organizations who invest their funds with the Foundation. A native Victorian, Sara graduated from the University of Victoria Faculty of Law in 1982. After practicing for several years Sara joined the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in 1993 where she served as the Director of Gift and Estate Planning for over 14 years. Sara maintains membership with the Law Society of British Columbia, the Canadian Bar Association, the Victoria Estate Planning Council, and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. She was also the founding chair of LEAVE A LEGACY™ British Columbia and served on the Board of the Victoria Symphony for six years.
Michelle Johnson:
Michelle works from the unceded Lekwungen Territories. She works to help donors realize their goals – matching them to opportunities only the Wilderness Committee can offer. Michelle admires all things wild and at the Wilderness Committee, she has the opportunity to defend the natural world. Michelle has been an advocate and fundraiser since 1996, and has worked for organizations such as Power of Hope, Greenpeace Canada, Sierra Club BC, Forest Action Network, Adbusters Media, Open Media and represented Amnesty International, Unicef, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Aids Committee of Toronto and Sick Kids Hospital Foundation in her time at Public Outreach. Michelle is an avid hiker, former frog catcher and current beekeeper
