Board of Directors
ROBERT (Bob) BENTALL - CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As a Registered Professional Engineer (Structural Engineering), Bob's career in the family-owned company progressed through several levels to Chief Executive Officer in 1979, Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1988 and retiring in 2001.
During the span of his career, BENTALL CORPORATION progressively grew to a major international real estate development and property management company, trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Under Bob's leadership, the company expanded its operations and value while building superb international reputation for integrity, innovation and quality.
LYNDA BENTALL - PRESIDENT
After achieving a MASc (Industrial Psychology), Lynda established a national career as a Human Resources Specialist/Consultant with expertise in corporate leadership, organizational development, strategic planning, ethics and executive training programme design.
Since 1989 she has been President of CEDAR Foundation through which she designed, developed, funded and led the unique and internationally-acclaimed AILANTHUS Achievement Centre.
In 2004, CEDAR Foundation's decision to provide support to the disadvantaged children in other countries was an exciting opportunity for Lynda to adapt her extensive professional history and expertise to this complex, ambitious and important endeavour.
PAUL McMULDROCH - DIRECTOR
Paul's career began as a teacher whose talents and leadership led his career through progressive levels of administrative and leadership responsibilities. He retired in 2001 form the position of Assistant Superintendent of Schools of British Columbia's largest school district. In addition, he has instructed in the Department of Administrative, Adult and Higher Education at the University of British Columbia.
Enjoying a variety of challenges, Paul has played a significant role in educational accreditation programmes, chaired over 30 External Evaluation teams, developed a leadership series for teachers, and served on the province's Planning Committee for an International Symposium on Government Policies in Education Technology.
Since 2002, Paul has been a member of the Board of Directors of CEDAR Foundation and has contributed his expertise and energy towards its many community endeavours.
SCOTT RUSSELL, D.P.M - DIRECTOR
After attaining his Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine in the USA, Scott completed his training and residency at UBC School of Medicine in Vancouver, Canada. Since 1980, he has been fully engaged in Private and Group Medical Practice as well as Hospital affiliations in various locations in the USA and Canada.
In spite of an incredibly demanding professional schedule, Scott was willing to accept the invitation to join the Board of Directors of CEDAR Foundation in 2001. His sense of community responsibility, as well as his keen focus on the betterment of health and well-being of others, makes Scott an important contributor to the plans and activities of CEDAR Foundation around the globe.
GERARDO AVILA - DIRECTOR
Gerardo Avila holds a Masters Degree in Hispanic Literature from the University of British Columbia. He has worked as a teacher and artistic coordinator for AILANTHUS Achievement Center for more than ten years.
Gerardo brings to CEDAR Foundation his experience as a Spanish teacher at the University of British Columbia, and Open Learning University and as a performer with several Canadian professional theatre companies, including Cirque de Soleil.
LEIGH-ANN KAZOLAS - VICE-PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
Leigh-Ann has been involved in education and philanthropic endeavours for more than 15 years. Having been part of the team which developed and implemented the world-renowned AILANTHUS Achievement Programme in Vancouver, Canada, she headed to the United States to further her education. She earned an MA in Educational Psychology from New York University and an MA in Education from Columbia University. She taught 8th grade at a small, progressive urban school in Hoboken, New Jersey.
GREGORY KAZOLAS
A native of Long Island, New York, Gregory's life and career have evolved through a variety of challenges as a musician, lawyer and businessman. He obtained an Associate of Arts degree from Nassau Community College as well as a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Juris Doctorate from St. John's University, after which he pursued multiple opportunities in the legal profession and business world.