Dr. Bill Brooks, throughout his 40 year career, has led and managed research and development teams, implementation teams and small organizations in fields ranging from space research, scientific instrumentation development and educational programing supporting for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Bill was responsible for the creation and direction of a science centre in Saskatoon, has written a number of scholarly articles associated with Space and Microgravity Science, and holds a patent for a component of a breakthrough industrial instrument. He was awarded Industry Canada’s national Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion in 1997 and was named an Educator of Distinction by the Saskatoon Preschool Foundation in 2006. Bill currently is the owner of eclecthink, a corporate development company focusing on improving individual and organizational innovation, creativity, and problem solving capabilities through presentations, coaching and workshop/seminar facilitation. Bill was recognized as the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year in 2011, where he has served as both a Board and Committee Member and is the past Chair of the Future Opportunities Committee. Bill is also an alumnus (Class of 2003) and long-time volunteer with Leadership Saskatoon, where he has generously shared his skills and expertise as a board member, mentor and facilitator for over 10 years. In 2019 Bill received the Don Ravis, Leadership Saskatoon Alumni Award.

For the past thirty-eight years Sandy has cherished life with his wife Bev, and daughters Erin, Ashley, and Ainsley. Sandy is beginning the next chapter in his life and is officially retired and looking forward to spending more time with his family including his two grandchildren Jack and Brooke. In his spare time Sandy enjoys playing Bagpipes, Guitar, gardening, going to the YMCA, cooking, and now that the weather is nice riding motorcycles.
Sandy has worked with various businesses over the years in a Sales and Management capacity where he learned the value of providing people with positive and ethical solutions. Most recently Sandy was the Community Sales Director at Primrose Chateau where he gained an insight into the lives of the residents and the struggles that come during the latter part of life. Sandy believes that taking care of the little things in life goes a long way in helping people with their challenges. He looks forward to joining the SCOA Board and engaging with the members at large whenever and wherever he can.

Graduating from the College of Pharmacy in 1984, Joan Cochrane worked at City Hospital in various departments for eight years, including six years in the pharmacy. She has worked in community pharmacy since 1984. Her vision for pharmacy involves providing pharmaceutical care services, not just pills in a bag. The most important thing that the pharmacist does is ensure that the patient is getting the most possible benefits from their prescriptions with the least possible negative effects.
Her leisure activity is mostly running and she has done some triathlons. Her claim to fame is that she won the Saskatchewan Marathon and the Manitoba Marathon and is in the top 10 Huskie Track list for 3000 m.
Joan has two children who are grown up and has been married for 30 years.

In 2018 Sharon Dixon retired from a rewarding nursing career that spanned 44 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1974), a Bachelor of Arts (1988) and a Masters in  Nursing (1997), all from the University of Saskatchewan. Sharon began her career in rural community health, worked for nine years in acute care and spent the last 33 years in nursing education at Saskatchewan Polytec, formerly SIAST. During her career, Sharon served on many committees and participated in a number of projects and working groups. She sat on the Saskatchewan Nurses Foundation board for four years, the last year as President. During the last several years of employment Sharon focused on building cultural competence into the curriculum, specifically with indigenous people in the community.She was a founding member of Kindred Spirits,a group committed to indigenizing the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. In retirement Sharon enjoys traveling, working with stained glass, playing bridge and spending time with family and friends.

Bruce Irvine is a retired Professor of Accounting.  His career at the University of Saskatchewan was devoted particularly to teaching (for which he received many awards) as well as research (he co-authored a leading accounting text and authored various articles) and administration (he was the Department Head for awhile).  Over four decades his volunteer activity was primarily with professional organizations, particularly the Society of Management Accountants of Saskatchewan (where he served on  many committees, as a Council member, and as a President) and the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (as a Board member and member and chair of many national committees).  As a volunteer Bruce also served as a Canadian delegate on the Board of the International Accounting Standards Committee and as a Canadian technical advisor to the International Federation of Accountants Council.   He was on the Board of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association for 10 years, including a term as President.  Outside of professional and academic organizations, Bruce has enjoyed terms on the Boards of Cheshire Homes of Saskatoon,  the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, the Sutherland Curling Club, and Saskatoon Big Sisters. His past has also included serving SCOA as a Board member and Treasurer for several years.  Bruce and his lovely wife Marilyn have three children and four delightful grandkids.  Beyond family, Bruce’s interests include time at an Emma Lake cabin, golfing, curling, wine making and participating in a fantasy baseball league.

Audrey Lipka completed her Registered Nurse diploma at Regina Grey Nuns School of Nursing. Following that she completed a Post Graduate Psychiatric Nursing course at Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford, going on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan. Beginning employment at University Hospital on the Psychiatric unit, she transferred to a Community Psychiatric Nursing position after a year and a half. Audrey remained in this position for over 30 years.  She retired as a Community Mental Health Nurse in 2012.  During employment she was involved with Canadian Union of Public Employees [CUPE] and Saskatchewan Union of Nurses [SUN], serving as Local President for many years.   Throughout her work Audrey had the opportunity to mentor many students and also cared for a number of older adults on her caseload.  A passionate mental health advocate, she volunteered with the Canadian Mental Health Association for many years and currently serves as a member of the Saskatchewan Review Board. 

Professionally, Mavis worked in a variety of roles with several organizations, generally working in the non-profit sector. Places of employment have included a child and youth treatment centre, hospital, schools, daycares, developmental centres, and community-based non-profit organizations. As a volunteer, Mavis was involved with Adelaide Park-Churchill Community Association, Hugh Cairns VC School Parent Council, the Saskatoon Adlerian Society, Nutana Collegiate Alumni, and the Women’s Midlife Heath Centre. Nationally, she was selected as a representative for Saskatchewan for the National Weaving Literacy Project and represented Saskatchewan on two occasions at CAPC/CPNP National Think Tanks. Mavis was very honored to receive the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Education in 2008 and Saskatchewan Literacy Award of Merit – Professional Designation Award in 2010. She retired in 2015. Presently, she volunteers with the Prairie Hospice Society, St. Martins United Church, and Leadership Saskatoon. Mavis enjoys spending time with family, especially our young grandsons, reading, working in her yard, relaxing at the cottage, travelling, and staying involved in the community.

Dr. Vivian Puplampu migrated from Ghana, West Africa to University of Alberta, Edmonton as a graduate student. She is a Certified Gerontological Nurse and an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina. Prior to joining the University of Regina in 2016, Vivian worked as a Registered Nurse in long term care facilities in Edmonton for five years while completing her doctoral studies at the University of Alberta. Vivian has a wealth of academic and clinical expertise in gerontology, and has extensive methodological expertise in qualitative research. Vivian has collaborated with SCOA on projects on older adults which include the University of Regina Humanities and Research Institute funded project to explore the impact of older adults living environment on their healthy aging during the pandemic. She is currently the PI on a funded SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant ( PEG) with SCOA as the partner organization to explore the social capital of older Black adults in Saskatoon during the pandemic. She is also a Co-PI on a SSHRC PEG national project exploring the experiences of older adults living in cohousing communities in Canada during COVID-19. Vivian loves working with older adults and she is very happy to join SCOA board to continue advocating for older adult populations.

Sharon has worked in health care for over 25 years as a Food Service Manager. She completed her under graduate degree at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and a dietetic internship at the Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
A stay-at-home mother for eight years, she resumed her career in food service management at Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford in 1993. In 2000 she began work in the Saskatoon Heath Authority in food service management and ended her career in 2016 at Royal University Hospital. While working and raising three children, she obtained her certificate in adult education. She participated in the 10-month Leadership Saskatoon program and graduated in 2011.
She retired in 2017 and spends her time involved with activities and organizations where she feels that she can make a difference. She has served on her condo board for 5 years as president and a board member for Canadian Condominium Institute, North Saskatchewan Chapter for the last three years. She volunteers with SCOA as committee member on the Mayfair Hub Club and has been the chair of the Spotlight on Seniors committee since 2019. Sharon knows there is still lots to learn and looks forward to new challenges and endeavors that lay ahead.

Erin Yakiwchuk is an Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan. She is a pharmacist with advanced training and certification in geriatrics. Erin has worked as a pharmacist with the Geriatric Evaluation and Management Program at Saskatoon City Hospital since 2013, and loves working with older adults and the interprofessional team there. Erin is also a passionate educator, hoping to inspire and support the next generation of pharmacists to provide exemplary patient care to older adults. Erin has served and continues to serve on many committees and councils related to pharmacy practice and education within the College as well as with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals, Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists-Saskatchewan branch, and Pharmacists Association of Saskatchewan.
Erin is very excited to join the SCOA board and support the health and well-being of older adults in our community.
Erin was born and raised in Saskatoon, and is proud to now be raising her family here as well. Outside of work, her interests include cheering, coaching, and managing her kids in all of their various activities, as well as traveling, running, and spending as much time as possible outside.