When I was starting out in my career, I had the good fortune to work for a smart, savvy woman who knew how to draw out the best in her staff. She passed along her trade secret. Treat everyone with respect and kindness, even when you have to be tough, and it will come back to you...it’s hard to say no to someone you like.

I had that very experience when a person I liked and respected asked me to help him. That person was Leo Finnegan, former mayor and at that time, chair of the PEC Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Directors.

Leo was looking for a professional public relations/communications specialist who could help the board manage some challenges they faced at the time. Since that’s what I did, and still do, for a living, he asked if I would volunteer my time to give the board advice and some hands-on help with writing tasks. It’s hard to say no to someone you like.

The rest, as they say, is history. Maybe he didn’t know it at the time, but Leo set me on a path to the most important thing I’ve ever done in my lifetime. Because I couldn’t say no to Leo and because I liked the people sitting around that board table, I stayed on after the initial task was finished and kept helping on the pr and communications side. I attended board meetings as an observer/volunteer and soon I was as knowledgeable about the foundation’s mission to raise money in the community to pay for critical and priority medical equipment for our local hospital as any of the board members.

Finally, the inevitable happened. Someone I liked asked me to actually join the board as a director. Did I mention that it’s hard to say no to someone you like?

The next stages were probably written in the stars. It wasn’t long before I was asked to stand as vice chair and then chair. I’ve agreed to stand as chair for a few years now and I can honestly say that this is one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable jobs I ever could have hoped for...and it is a volunteer position.

Working alongside my fellow board members...I invite you to go to pecmhf.ca to see who they are...to help keep our foundation strong and achieving its vital role is extraordinary. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to contribute to the health and well being of our community in this way. It’s not just about raising funds to pay for priority medical equipment, it’s not just about building a new hospital...and it’s going to be a great hospital! It’s not just about working with outstanding foundation staff...it’s also about helping to nurture a philanthropic community that supports all manner of charitable organizations in the County that do amazing work. It all makes our community stronger, more caring and more resilient.

In the next few weeks our Foundation will be reaching out, as we do every year, to invite members of our community to send in an expression of interest to be considered as a candidate to join the foundation board. It is an exceptional opportunity to be part of something bigger...not only helping to build a great new hospital, but helping to support the health and well-being of our community, too.

If someone, like Leo Finnegan, were to ask you to consider helping do all that, how could you say no?

For information about our hospital, or to make a donation call 613 476 1008 ext. 4502, or visit the foundation’s website at www.pecmhf.ca.