Staff

Cynthia Shore

Executive Director / CEO

Cynthia was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After graduating from high school at the International School of Geneva Switzerland, she moved to Vancouver to attend Capilano College’s Business Management program where she graduated as Student Union President. She then co-founded the second computer animation studio in Canada, Teleperion Visuals, was the Marketing Manager at CCEC Credit Union, Vice President for BC at GPC Government Policy Consultants, and Partner at The Progressive Group, a government relations consulting agency. Most of her career has been consulting to the renewable energy, waste management and recycling sectors. Cynthia has a son living in Burnaby who is on the Autism spectrum and a stepdaughter, her husband and baby girl who live in Coquitlam.

In the summer of 2023, Cynthia decided to change careers and move out of Vancouver to a smaller town near a ski resort, mountain biking, ocean swimming and golf courses. Cynthia moved to Courtenay and joined Beaufort Association for Inclusion in Action in November 2023 as the Manager and was promoted to Executive Director/CEO in January 2024. She brings her decades of management skills and strategic thinking to this position and has become passionate about the sense of family Beaufort creates, and the friendships forged amongst Participants. Cynthia is Participant-focused and believes the most important aspects of her job is to facilitate happiness and to foster an environment where Participants can live their best lives and staff can do their best work.

Andrew Murray

IT / Office Support Coordinator – Semi Retired

Andrew Cruickshank

Community Support Worker

Andrew was born in Ottawa and grew up in Quebec. He attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, graduating with a history degree. Andrew then joined the Canadian military as an officer. He was stationed in West Germany as a Tank Troop Leader responsible for the combat effectiveness of 4 Leopard A1 battle tanks and 15 men. Andrew left the military after 9 years’ service.

Andrew then went into the software industry and lived and worked in Vancouver, Los Angeles and Boston. In 2004 Andrew had mental health challenges and moved to Courtenay to be close to his 2-year-old son. Andrew won joint custody of his son in 2008 and was able to be a normal, supportive father. His son is now 22 years old and in university in Ottawa.

Andrew has been a Peer Support worker since 2008 working with clients in the community and at the psychiatric ward of the local hospital. He has worked for the John Howard Society as an Adult Supportive Housing worker at the Junction and has been employed by the Eureka Support Society as a support worker.

Andrew enjoys going for walks, relaxing in cafes and snowboarding and enjoys living in the Comox Valley. Working at the Beaufort Association is a dream job. The staff and participants are all great.

Carrie Ann Beech

Community Support Worker

Carrie Ann was born in Cumberland. She is a survivor of a head injury when she was 2 years old. In her later years she went back to school to complete her high school at Vanier Secondary. She then went to Discovery Community College and received a Community Support Worker diploma, Thought Patterns for a Successful Career, and completed the Education Assistant Program. She did out of school care, volunteered at North Island College in the special needs class, and for 10 years after school was a live-in support worker for a head injury survivor in a wheelchair.

Carrie Ann joined Beaufort Association for Inclusion in Action in 2022 as a Community Support Worker. She likes working at Beaufort because she can empathize with the day-to-day difficulties that individuals go through. Carrie Ann is very creative and leads many of our craft, sewing, and card-making sessions. She is also a great baker and helps Participants learn the ins and outs of working in the kitchen.

Carrie Ann has been married for over 20 years and is a mother to 3 daughters, 4 grand children and will soon be a great grandma. She and her husband and some of her family members live in Courtenay.

Chad McLean

Community Support Worker / Program Support 

Crista Thompson

Community Support Worker / Program Support 

Christina Joy

Community Support Worker  

Christina was born in India and has called Courtenay, Canada, her home since 2019. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in India and later pursued further studies in Business Management in Canada to broaden her knowledge and career prospects. In January 2023, Christina married her wonderful husband, Alex, and together they are building a life filled with love, growth, and exciting new experiences.

For the past three years, Christina has been working as a Community Support Worker, and she joined Beaufort in January 2025. In this role, she has found immense fulfillment in helping individuals overcome challenges and improving their quality of life. Christina is passionate about making a positive impact on her community, providing support, and working with others to create lasting change.

Outside of her professional life, Christina values spending quality time with her family. She believes that family is the foundation of her happiness, and she cherishes the moments they share together. Whether it’s enjoying simple family activities or creating new memories, Christina deeply values these connections.

Christina’s journey is one of dedication, compassion, and love, both in her career and personal life. She is excited about what the future holds and continues to strive for a balance of professional success and personal fulfillment.

Donna Stuart

Community Support Worker

Donna was born in Montreal, Quebec and moved with her family to B.C. when she was 2 years old. She has since lived in several different communities on the Island and now calls Merville home.

Donna continued her education at 38 attending Excel Career College where she obtained her Long Term Care Aide Certificate. As a single mother of 3, she wanted to be able to support her children as best she could. She has been working in the field since 2002 and has been with Beaufort Association for Inclusion in Action since 2013.

Donna will always advocate for the Participants and she does an amazing job making them happy by exuding an abundance of positive energy. She offers meditation, stretching, and music/dancing 3 times a week to keep us all moving. Donna is a Community Support Worker in the Options program.

Fun fact: Donna has a dog, is a bird lover and has a Vietnamese pot belly pig.

Kamal Kaur

Community Support Worker

Lorie White

Community Support Worker

Lorie was born in Sarnia, Ontario and moved to B.C., in 1991. She has lived in three different areas of B.C., where the Comox Valley is her favourite and home.  She is the proud mom of 4 adult children. During their growing up years, she homeschooled them until the end of grade 9. She had given up her education in her younger years for her family and had dreamed of going back to school. In 2020, she enrolled at Vancouver Island University. Two years later, she graduated with two certifications: Educational Assistant and Community Support Worker. She started working at Beaufort Association for Inclusion in Action in 2021 and now provides 1:1 and global support in Quest. 

Lorie’s expertise is with communications aides and her patience in coping with unique behaviours and challenging situations has her dubbed as ‘the autism whisperer’. Lorie is also responsible for our social media.

The best part of her job is the hugs, the laughter, and being a part of the new milestones our Participants achieve. In her off-time, she can be found singing with a community choir, walking trails, kayaking, exploring new local places, capturing the beauty of nature through photography, and traveling to visit her kids and their significant others. Her life has been topped off with the Nana bragging rights for 3 little ones.

Mike Hartmann

Community Support Worker

Shelena Yeoman

Community Support Worker

Shelena was born in the Comox Valley and went to North Island College where she received her certification as an Educational Assistant in 2006. She had the opportunity to come to Beaufort Association for her practicum and has never left. She was hired after her practicum as a summer student and then received a permanent position thereafter. November 2024 marks Shelena’s eighteenth year working at Beaufort Association for Inclusion in Action where she provides 1:1 and global support in Options. 

Shelena’s experience and dedication to her work has been one of the most stable elements of our program. She loves being creative and working with her hands and brings these talents to Beaufort Association through special art projects for Participants. Whether it be through an art medium or through culinary experiments, she loves to create.   

When Shelena is not working, she enjoys being at home with her family and pets. Being with family is her favorite thing in the whole world. She especially enjoys the summers swimming in the many rivers and lakes of Vancouver Island.