Board of Directors

Irene Todd
CHAIR

Irene moved to Sooke in the fall of 2020 from a family farm in western Manitoba. On the farm, she and her husband Brian raised three children, grew organic grains, and kept a flock of sheep. She originally trained as a music educator and, along with helping on the farm, she taught music and many other subjects to all ages in several rural schools. She assisted at Brandon University when a bassoonist was needed and volunteered and sat on the board of the Midwest Arts Council for six years.

Irene was also an active volunteer at Personal Care Homes in the local region while she participated in the care of both of her parents. She is very pleased to see a similar arrangement of different levels of care available at Ayre Manor as was available in the small towns near her Manitoba home and is looking forward to working with other board members.

Beth Cox
VICE CHAIR

Beth is a recently retired lawyer and municipal judge. She also has a background in business, social work and health care management. Beth and her husband Mike recently moved to Sooke from the United States as permanent Canadian residents and look forward to becoming Canadian citizens. Beth enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, tennis, raising dogs, and cooking.

Georgina Patko
SECRETARY

Georgina is recently retired from her 30 year career as a Non-Profit Management Consultant. The work enabled her to experience a number of roles in the non-profit sector particularly in the areas of fundraising, social media and community engagement. Her goals are always to work in an environment that satisfies her heart while making the world a better place when she can.

Ayre Manor is one of those places that is vital to the community and speaks to her soul. Georgina moved from the Lower Mainland and has been living in Sooke for three years. She adores it here, the quality of life when matched by the nature of her surroundings make her feel that giving back is essential to the balance in her life. She has three adult children and two little grandchildren who are both recent, wonderful, additions to her very full life.

Jessica Mann
TREASURER

An island resident since 2016, Jessica recently became a member of the Sooke community in 2025. She has served Canada in the Department of National Defence since 2003 as a Human Resource Administrator and was deployed to Afghanistan with the Canadian Army in 2011 and with HMCS Vancouver in 2022. She is currently the Human Resource Manager aboard HMCS Protecteur, which will be delivered to CFB Esquimalt in July 2026. She plans on retiring soon with 25 years of service. Even though her job has taken her all over the world, she can't think of a better place to live than Vancouver Island.

Jessica is a mom to three "almost all grown" children: Jonathon, Jorja and Jakob. Community-orientated, Jessica places a high value on our elderly. She firmly believes seniors should be held in high regard and deserve to live their best life as they age. She looks forward to providing new and fresh ideas at Ayre Manor, serving her community like she serves her country and doing a great service for our most honoured treasures, our seniors.

Christine Richard
DIRECTOR

Christine has been a resident of Sooke since 2012. She has completed a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Leadership. She has volunteered with organizations such as the 89 Pacific Cadets, Boy Scouts, Military Family Resource Centre, and Branch 91 Legion. She currently also serves on the Esquimalt MFRC Board of Directors and is passionate about risk and governance, finance, and community engagement. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog in the Sooke hills and spending quality time with her husband and her two older children. She enjoys contributing to the Ayre Manor board, recognizing its excellence in resident care and community impact.

Amy Gillard
DIRECTOR

Amy has dedicated over 20 years of her career to working in social services, supporting people with disabilities with compassion and consistency. Alongside her professional work, Amy has volunteered in her community for decades, serving in leadership and support roles with organizations that make a difference. She spent seven years on the board of the Sooke Folk Music Society as Treasurer, four years delivering meals to seniors through Sooke Meals on Wheels, and has held key roles with Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous — first as President and now as Vice President. These experiences have strengthened her skills in teamwork, leadership, and public representation. With strong attention to detail and a commitment to long-term service, Amy brings reliability, dedication, and heart to every organization of which she is part.

“I find that Ayre Manor has such a good reputation in the community and as a result I want to be part of carrying out its mission. I think that my various experiences will complement what is already being done there well.”