Because it’s much more than just a building.
Our Board of Directors - Passionate, Committed and Resourceful
Jan McQuay is a Haweater, an environmentalist and conservationist. She was an administrator in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science at York University for about two decades. Prior to that she worked for Energy Probe, a charitable organization in Toronto that focussed on the environmental impacts of energy systems, and wrote a book, Over a Barrel: A Guide to the Canadian Energy Crisis (Jan Marmorek, published by Doubleday, 1981).
Jan McQuay
President
Lynn Quesnel
Vice President
Lynn grew up in Mindemoya and attended the Mindemoya Old School. She comes from a long line of Islanders and her mom still lives in Mindemoya. Lynn attended McMaster University in Hamilton and Nipissing Teachers’ College in North Bay. When she married she moved to Collingwood where she taught for many years. For 30 years her family has owned and operated a Christmas tree business.
Lynn and her husband spend 6 months of every year in Central Manitoulin where their three children learned to love the area.
A 4th generation Haweater, Alison spent 14 years in law enforcement and 10 years of management of a branch of a provincial charity. She also owned and operated a sheep farm with a 300 ewe capacity in Verner, Ontario. She also served as a volunteer fire fighter for 7 years.
Alison McAllister
Treasurer
Christianna Jones
Director at large
Christianna Jones joined the FOMOS team in 2024. An Islander who grew up in Little Current and now lives in Manitowaning, she is a member of the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. She is currently the Health and Wellness manager at Noojmowin Teg Health Centre in Aundeck Omni Kaning.
Christianne brings to the Board her prior experience with grant and proposal writing. A few years ago she worked with a team to win the $75,000 Aviva award for the Wiikwemkoong High School, enabling them to build a greenhouse. She is active with the Burns Wharf Theatre in Manitowaning, making beautiful costumes for their musical plays.
Christianna’s experience in health and wellness, and her love of historical buildings, theatre and the arts makes her a great fit with FOMOS. As an Indigenous person, she will bring new perspectives as we strive to be inclusive and beneficial for all Manitouliners.
Aaron spent much of his childhood at Big Lake outside of Mindemoya and has a background in environmental policy and as a sustainability researcher and consultant. He founded Sky Harvest vertical urban farm in 2011 as a spin-off from his Masters thesis on how rooftop agriculture could be used to move cities towards sustainability. Aaron has worked with several prominent organizations within the sustainability and environmental sectors in the Vancouver area.
Aaron Quesnel
Director at large
Malene Brynildsen (B.A)– Director at Large holds a diploma in Interior Design from the International Academia of Design and Technology. She is a skillful communicator and a freelance translator. She has financial accreditation (CPH, PFP, CSC), and is proficient in a variety of software including financial planning software AutoCAD and 3D- modelling. She was assistant library technician at the University of Toronto Engineering Library and serves on the Library Board in Central Manitoulin.
Malene Brynildsen
Director at large
Christine McNaughton
Director at large
Christine McNaughton has her B.A. in Honours English (Specialization in English Literature and Minor in Linguistics). After years of teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to international students and newcomers to Canada, began working as a Digital Strategist for small businesses to larger corporate clients.
Christine is what her local friends call an island import. She moved to Manitoulin Island in 2004 and is passionate about sharing and supporting all things life on Manitoulin-related. Christine believes that a community that supports its members thrives together.