Our Team
Cycle to Walk is a true community effort.
Initiated by Whitehorse Rotarians, who accepted Ramesh Ferris' proposal to hand cycle across Canada to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication and the rehabilitation for its poorest victims, the project has grown far beyond Rotary.
Other service clubs, churches, governments and people from all walks of life have come forward to help. They have contributed money, as well as much needed in-kind donations. And they have given freely of their time and special skills.
The Department of Health and Social Services, Government of Yukon, has given the campaign important start-up assistance. This is in recognition of the potential public-health service the campaign will give by promoting immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Road Team
The Road Team will consist of 4 – 7 people headed up by Doug and Bertha Ayers, the anchors of the team who will be going the distance with Ramesh across Canada joined off and on by various other team members at various points along the way. They will be traveling in a motor home which will double as rolling headquarters and their home. There will also be one other vehicle to be used for reconnaissance to ensure the safety of the team and the public, and to tow a trailer containing spare bicycle parts and two other handcycles that Ramesh will use during his journey to minimize down time due to mechanical problems.
Chris Madden, Community Liaison will be traveling slightly ahead to liaise with community groups and media representatives. He will also be writing articles and contributing to the Cycle to Walk Blog.
Follow the journey on the Blog.
The Home Team
Shelley Williamson, Executive Director
Shelley works with a team of steadfast volunteers. Previously, Shelley worked with the Yukon Government as Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and joined Cycle to Walk in January 2008. Shelley is responsible for managing every aspect of the operations of the Cycle to Walk Campaign.
The Ramesh Ferris Cycle to Walk Society
The Cycle to Walk campaign is organized and administered by The Ramesh Ferris Cycle to Walk Society; a nonprofit society, registered under The Yukon Societies Act as well as with Revenue Canada. It has a committee structure utilizing volunteers for the Society’s nine Committees.
Board of Directors
The Society has a committed Board of Directors that brings a broad range of experience and expertise to Cycle to Walk.
Whatever their background; professional, business, or government - all share the view that we don’t just live in houses, but in our communities and in the world. Everyone has lived somewhere else in Canada, and has given years of service to the communities in which they have lived, as well as in their Yukon home.
Click on a director's name below to read about them.
Allon Reddoch MD CCFP, President
Dr. Reddoch was the president of the Canadian Medical Association (1998-99) and is currently the Chief Medical Consultant for the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health & Safety Board. As a Rotarian and family physician, Allon has taken an active interest in polio eradication since the inception of PolioPlus in 1985 and provides leadership to the Cycle to Walk Board of Directors.
Valerie Royle, MBA, CDMP, Vice-President
Valerie is President & CEO of the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health & Safety Board and is an online instructor in the areas of marketing, business communications and human resources for Memorial University of Newfoundland and in disability management for the National Institute of Disability Management. She is responsible for the corporate organization of the Society as well as assisting several of the Society’s Committees.
P.I. (Mal) Malloch, Chair
Mal is a self-employed management consultant who brings years of government, private sector and volunteer experience to his clients throughout the Yukon. His organizational and inter-personal skills are critical in ensuring the Society’s meetings are chaired efficiently and productively while also bringing a practical focus to many Cycle to Walk issues.
Doug Janzen, Treasurer
Doug is the manager of Scotiabank, Whitehorse as well as a Rotarian and volunteer advisor on a number of Yukon organizations. Cycle to Walk benefits from Doug’s 27 years of banking experience through his leadership as Chair of the Society’s Finance Committee.
Lois Craig, Secretary
Lois recently retired from her position as Assistant Deputy Minister, Energy Mines & Resources with the Yukon Government and is using her experience to provide consulting services on Yukon resource sector initiatives. An active Rotarian and volunteer, Lois brings her organization skills to the role of Society Secretary as well as her vast volunteer experience as chair of the Volunteer Committee.
Doug Ayers, Director
Doug, a Rotarian, is a self-employed verbatim court reporter (on the road to semi-retirement) with many years of volunteer experience. Doug is Chair of Cycle to Walk’s Logistics Committee and along with his wife, Bertha, will accompany Ramesh from British Columbia to Newfoundland as Tour Manager.
Katherine (Kate) Brent, Director
Kate is the Human Resources Assistant for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and also owns and operates her own financial services business. Kate brings a tremendous amount of volunteer and financial expertise to the Cycle to Walk Board of Directors.
Carmen Gibbons, Director
Carmen is the Director of Health Services for the Kwanlin Dun First Nation. During her career, she has worked in banking and nursing, including community health nursing in First Nation communities. She has been a dedicated volunteer wherever her work has taken her. Carmen is responsible for the Sponsorship Committee and is the Atlantic Canada route coordinator.
Robert (Bob) Lorimer, P. Eng. Director
Bob is a professional engineer with 35 years of engineering and management consulting experience on a wide variety of infrastructure and resource development projects throughout Canada and around the world. His project experience is invaluable to the Society and he puts it to good use as the Chair of the Risk Management Committee.
Hon. Audrey McLaughlin LLD,PC,OC, Director
Audrey is well-known to Canadians as a former leader of the federal New Democratic Party (1989-95). A true citizen of the world, Audrey has worked and volunteered extensively across Canada, and internationally. She brings to Cycle to Walk, first-hand knowledge of both the devastation of polio in affected countries, and the success of immunization programs.
Bonnie Venton Ross, Director
Bonnie is Manager of Employee Communications for Northwestel and a Rotarian. She brings her considerable public relations experience to Cycle to Walk as the Communications Director.
Learn more...
- About Cycle to Walk - Ramesh Ferris Cycle to Walk Society Organizational Structure (PDF)
- About Ramesh – View his Bio (PDF)