Board Members

NTCF Board of Directors

Left to Right: (Back row: Louise Lodge (Vice-Chair), Antoon Houben (Chair) , Gilles Leger, Rick Pesklevits (resigned), Franz Friesinger (resigned) Front row: Cheryl Thomas (Treasurer, Sandy Wetterstrom (Secretary/Grant Chair) , and Lisa Leger.

Cheryl Thomas - Cheryl is an independent business owner located in Clearwater. Cheryl has been an active supporter of the North Thompson Communities Foundation since it’s inception.
Being a Great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and wife are paramount reasons for Cheryl’s concerns for attaining a viable future – both monetary and physically sustainable – for future generations of North Thompson Valley residents.
Awareness of the many and varied not for profit groups, as well as keeping a finger on the pulse of those with charitable status, make Cheryl a citizen who continues to offer her expertise and often historical knowledge to help with the building of the Foundation. Her community involvement is ongoing,
Cheryl also sits on the finance, and information & communication committees and joins in many of the working group as they go about promoting the Foundation.
“When you feel you are contributing, in even the smallest of ways, to support the future generations, you’re able to feel ‘on top of the world’ with pride and gratitude for those other community members who are sharing the dream’’.
Antoon Houben (Chair) - I spent my career working in the Information Technology field as a programmer, systems analyst, software architect and eventually as Vice President and CIO at a US Public Corporation. I am now retired and living in Barriere. I am active in the community having spent the last 7 years at the Barriere and District Food Bank, serving at NTVIC (now called the North Thompson Activity Centre), tutoring through the Partner Assisted Learning program run by Yellowhead Community Services, and have recently become a member of the Barriere Lions. I became a Director of the North Thompson Communities Foundation in 2019 and am currently serving as its Chair.
Sandy Wetterstrom - Sandy moved to Clearwater in 2013 and has been a member of the Board since that time, serving in the capacity of Grant coordinator since 2015 and most recently as Secretary. She is an avid gardener and brings with her a background in adult literacy and food security. Every Saturday she can be found at the Clearwater Farmers Market where she has coordinated the Nutrition and Coupon Program of the BC Association of Farmers Markets since 2014.
Louise Lodge (Vice Chair) - Louise has been a Director with the North Thompson Community Foundation since 2018. She grew up in Barriere and then moved to Vancouver to attend UBC. She pursued a career in teaching. She taught in Vancouver for 8 years before moving overseas as an Athletic Director for 16 years in Kuwait, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Egypt. Louise moved back to Barriere in 2016 and became an active member of the community volunteering as a coach at the high school, Director in the Barriere Outdoor Club and now the Vice Chair of the North Thompson Community Foundation. Louise’s passions include travel, softball, golf and gardening.
Denise BodenDenise Boden - Denise moved to Clearwater from North Vancouver in 2018. She has worked in the Child and Family services for over 30 years and is currently the manager of Riverside Childcare in Clearwater.

Before moving, she volunteered with the Emergency Support Services for over 10 years. During this time, she was able to take many workshops/courses to prepare to aid in many capacities, in the event of a large-scale emergency. Denise also volunteered for 2 years with - Spectrum Mothers Support Society – supporting mothers in difficult and challenging situations.

She enjoys spending time with her family, grandsons and her two energetic dogs.
Kawiria CreedKawiria Creed - A resident of Clearwater since 2017, Kawiria is passionate about community events. She is Recreation, Culture, & Events Assistant within the District of Clearwater, and volunteers with several local non-profit organizations including the North Thompson Arts Council and Wells Gray Lively Arts. She values accessibility, cultural diversity, and inclusion, and in her spare time, is absolutely terrible at keeping any plant alive.