Carleton Place Drug Strategy Committee members share their profiles

EMC Lifestyle - Since its inception in the fall of 2009, the Carleton Place Drug Strategy Committee has been fortunate to attract members representing a wealth of skill, experience, and dedication to the cause of reducing the risks associated with drug and substance abuse and misuse. These are the people who volunteer to help make their community a safer and healthier place to live and grow.

Nicole Pearson - (I am a citizen of the Town of Carleton Place and a parent who went through the unthinkable, the loss of my son Brett Pearson to suicide in 2006. Becoming a member of the committee gave me the opportunity to speak of my own experience and the loss of my son and for my passion to find ways to help teens throughout our communities within Lanark County. I have a strong belief that the topics of drug abuse and suicide by way of school presentations can be discussed in a sensitive and informative way with the hope of preventing young people from taking the wrong path or their lives.

Doris Marshall is a 16-year resident of Carleton Place. Her interest and commitment to this committee is grounded in her personal and professional experiences with substance abuse and misuse, mental health and addiction and its affect on families and communities. She believes that in every community there is work to be done, in every nation there are wounds to heal, and in every heart there is the power to do it. Doris proudly volunteers as our secretary.

Father David Andrew (aka Father D) is a graduate of Ryerson University (Dispensing Optician), McMaster University (Certificate in Addiction Studies) and the University of Ottawa - St. Paul (BTh.). After a career of nearly 30 years in the optical industry he was called to the priesthood later in life. (Ordained Deacon on the Feast of the Ascension on May 13, 1999 and ordained priest on the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30, 1999, he has served the Parish of Clayton and the Parish of St. Mary the Virgin prior to being appointed Rector of St. James, Carleton Place in June of 2007. (From July 2002 until June of 2004, he had the privilege of serving as Interim Rector of St. Katherine of Alexandria Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland. During that time he worked with Community Leaders in Baltimore City on Drug and Alcohol related problems. He has also served as interim priest at various parishes in the Diocese of Ottawa.

David Somppi has been a resident of Carleton Place, Ontario since 1988. He is an electrical engineer and has worked primarily in the Canadian high technology sector. As a member of the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital board, and more recently the Champlain LHIN board, David has seen how professionals and volunteers can work together to make a difference. David volunteered as a founding member of the Lanark County and Town of Smiths Falls Substance Abuse Network, and continues to volunteer on the Carleton Place committee. He believes our community needs to become more aware of the risk, impact and challenges faced by old and young who are dealing with substance abuse. The more our community understands, the more our community will actively support the work being undertaken by our school boards, our police, our health care and social service providers who are working so hard to help our friends and neighbours.

Sandra Powell - I completed in 2010 the Medical Office Administration program at Everest College and now in the second course of the Hospital Nurse Ward Clerk program at St. Lawrence College. I am working on my studies in Social Work in the Mental Health Services. I volunteer at the Royal Ottawa as an Art Therapy Assistant in the Geriatrics Ward, a member on the Town of Carleton Place Drug Strategy Committee, and part of the Evening Nourishment Program of the Carleton Place District and Memorial Hospital.

My background includes presently working for CCAC as a Team Assistant. (Nurses, Social Workers, Paediatrics, and Community Teams) I am pursuing a career in Mental Health Services with a passion for Art/Music Therapy and Community Awareness and Outreach programs. My volunteer experiences include Community programs and services within the Ottawa and Lanark Community.

Glenn Pierce - I am the father of two grown children who now have families of their own. When my son and daughter were growing up, I coached T-ball, hockey and was a leader in Beavers. I have always liked to help children and I see a need now to help today's teens whose lives seem to be more difficult than their parents' were. When I was invited to attend a Drug Strategy meeting, I knew that I wanted to continue attending meetings and doing what I could to help today's youth.

Louis Antonakos was born and raised in Carleton Place, Ontario. He operates a property management company and is a second term councillor for the town of Carleton Place. Louis supports and brings forth innovative ideas that help shape Carleton Place. As an active member of his community and member of the Carleton Place District Memorial Hospital board of directors, Louis has spearheaded the creation of many new committees within the town. He is a founding member of the Municipal Drug Strategy Committee and has been instrumental in ensuring that the committee be recognized and struck as an official committee by the Town of Carleton Place. As a member of over 20 other committees within his municipality, Louis feels strongly that residents must be informed about the issues governing their community. They must not only be active participants, but also dream, plan and believe in their community and its residents.

Brian Turner is a 25-year member of the community with a background in youth services admin, having served as board chair and member of the Carleton Place and District Youth Centre and former Alwood Treatment Centre for Youth. He is a former municipal councillor and a charter member of the local Rotary club. He works full-time in Perth as well as penning regular columns for the Ottawa Citizen and EMC News. He believes that a plan to reduce drug and substance abuse/misuse in any community must involve support for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement in order to succeed.

Yours in service,

Brian Turner