I am a graduate of the Developmental Services Program from Fanshawe College and I have been working in the developmental services sector for over 10 years.
I have gained a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge working for agencies in London Ontario and in Windsor-Essex County.
During these 10 years I met an amazing young man who I was lucky enough to support one on one for many years. I loved every second of providing this kind of support I knew there must have been more families looking for similar support and that’s how the idea of a Respite program came about. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to begin and I tucked the idea away for about 3 years. The idea of starting a Respite program began to consume my thoughts in early 2018 so I took a chance and reached out to a few families I was connected with over the years to see if there was any interest. By April 2018 Lola’s was created with 2 members who are still with us today.
I know you must be wondering who Lola is. Lola is a mix of the first two letters of my name and the first two letters of the name of the gentleman I mentioned above as he was a big part of the inspiration to start Lola’s Round Table.
Now you must be wondering why Round Table? There is no head of a round table and I believe that everyone is and should be treated equally.
As Lola’s began to grow, I sold my home and put every cent I made into accommodating Lola’s growth. I eventually traded in my beloved car for a mini van to accommodate our growth again.
I ran Lola’s solely out of the mini van for many months until we could afford a unit to lease and call home and the rest is history!
Lola’s is my passion and my priority and as executive director I intend on continuing to work hard to help Lola grow into its full potential and make a difference in our community.
Jesmond Tabone
Chair
Integrity and Honesty. These two words mean so much to me, both personally and professionally. When my family came to Canada from the small island of Malta, my parents built a life here in Windsor on a foundation of integrity and honesty. As a proud father of two crazy little toddlers, I try to live my life as an example for them. As they quickly – too quickly! – grow into preschoolers, I try to show them every day that even the smallest gestures of integrity and honesty have a positive impact on the people around us. I think that’s why I’ve loved working in insurance for over 20 years: it’s rewarding to help others. And, the way I see it, I get to do just that every day.
Carolyn Wilder
Vice Chair
Carolyn is always looking for ways to become more involved in the local community. She is passionate about helping others. She is hard-working, goal-oriented and enjoys collaborating with others as opposed to working alone.
Carolyn joined the board because she personally believes Lola’s fills many needed gaps in the local community. Lola’s provides a fun and safe environment for those in need. Carolyn feels Lola’s unique approach can and should serve as a role model for other developmental services. She advocates for community-based approaches to these types of services and this is precisely why she became involved with Lola’s.
Liz O’Brien-Semperger
Treasurer
I am a glass artist and owner of Essex Stained Glass since 1994. I have been active in the community in various roles in Scouts Canada, Children’s Aid Society as a foster parent, as well as a previous board member of the Essex Centre BIA and the Essex Act Committee. I look forward to the opportunity of helping Lola’s reach its full potential.
Chantelle Voligny
Secretary
Chantelle has been working in the financial sector for over 9 years. She is very detail oriented, courteous and can adapt effectively to challenging situations. Chantelle is always looking for ways to make a positive change within the community and truly believes that the services Lola’s RoundTables offers are imperative.
Chantelle enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading, creating fundraising ideas, and volunteers at any opportunity she gets. Her favorite aspect of Lola’s RoundTable is that there’s no head of the table, everyone is treated equally, and this is the exact message she hopes to help spread.
CJ Quick
Director
CJ is 36 from Kingsville; She has over ten years of experience supporting adults with various disabilities through a local organization. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and is currently finishing up her Real Estate licence. She will also be working toward her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology in 2022.
CJ has seen first hand the need for the services that Lola’s provides and is pleased to be part of Lola’s Board of Directors to help make an impact in her community.
