About the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society

In early 2006, a steering committee composed of three family law lawyers and mediators (Phyllis Kenney, Nancy Cameron and John-Paul Boyd) and one clinical counsellor and collaborative divorce coach (Deborah Brakeley) began to work toward establishing parenting coordination as a new legal mechanism in BC to deal with the unique issues facing high-conflict parents.

After a series of interdisciplinary workshops with Dr. Joan Kelly, a prominent psychologist deeply involved in issues relating to separation, the court process and parenting coordination in California, the committee established a number of subcommittees to explore the practical, ethical and legal issues involved in parenting coordination, promote the use of parenting coordination in British Columbia and plan further seminars and workshops on topics such as arbitration and interviewing children.

An initial roster of parenting coordinators, composed of the professionals who had attended the workshops with Dr. Kelly, was launched on 26 September 2007.

In 2008, the steering committee began to plan the incorporation of the roster as a non-profit society, and the roster was incorporated as the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society in September 2009. The applicants for incorporation were John-Paul Boyd, Deborah Brakely, Bob Finlay, Craig Neville and Derek Swain, who became the first directors of the Society on incorporation. The members of the Society are the lawyers and mental health professionals listed in the Society's roster.

The first general meeting of the membership was held in January 2010, and the Society's first Annual General Meeting is projected for the late fall of 2010 or early spring of 2011.

The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is responsible for the continuing operations of the Society, establishing and populating the committees which will address certain important policy and operational issues relating to parenting coordination, and promoting the use of parenting coordination in British Columbia.

The current directors of the Society are:

• Patricia Bond
• John-Paul Boyd
• Deborah Brakeley
• Robert Colby
• Stephanie Fabbro
• Bob Finlay
• Phyllis Kenney
• Craig Neville
• Derek Swain

Craig Neville serves as the Society's acting President.

The Committees

The Society's five committees, although they have not yet been properly named, will cover the following general subjects:

• admissions/membership/community awareness
• policy/practice reviews
• finance/operations
• meetings/events
• continuing education/programming

More information about the committees, and a list of which directors will be chairing which committees, will be published in March. In the meantime, if you're interested in serving on one of these committees, please contact Craig Neville.

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