donate online todayAbout CVTS
Founded in 1987 by a group of caring members of our community who were concerned that women in abusive relationships had nowhere to go.
From that time until 1992, CVTS operated as a safe home network, where local families voluntarily took women escaping violence and their children into their own homes.
In 1992, we turned vision into reality when we purchased and opened Lilli House, a large, comfortable home with eleven beds in six bedrooms situated in a quiet residential neighbourhood that provided a safe, confidential space for women fleeing violence and their children. That same year we started the 24-hour Crisis Line and received funding to begin our Stopping The Violence and PEACE (formerly Children Who Witness Abuse) Counselling Programs, which we’ve been offering ever since.
In 1999, CVTS began providing detox services and in 2015, we opened Amethyst House – a twelve bed social detox and supportive recovery home for women overcoming substance use issues, providing yet another level of support for women in our community.
For more than 30 years, CVTS services have grown and continued to fill an important need in the Comox Valley.
We offer Outreach Services for women, children and families who are unsheltered or struggling through poverty; we partner with the RCMP to provide Victim Services to those individuals who are victims of crime; working with the Comox Valley Coalition To End Homelessness, we operate and manage the CONNECT Warming Centre; and we offer several supportive and educational groups for girls, men, and grandparents raising grandchildren.
Meet Our Board
CVTS is governed by a dynamic Board of Directors, each of whom brings expertise that fosters good governance of the organization and a commitment to support women, children and families in the Comox Valley through the effective delivery of CVTS services.
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Diane Naugler
President
Jamie Wigmore
Treasurer
Christy Faraher-Amidon
Secretary
Nancy Bock
Director
Brett Hodson
Director
Robert Wolfe
Director
Ingrid Brown
Director
Anne Davis
Director
Patricia Edwards
Director
Chrys Sample
Director
Dylan Thiessen
Director
Lee Everson
Director
Ingrid Brown
Director
Anne Davis
Director
Diane Naugler
President
Diane (They/Them) is the Executive Director of Future Students and Community Engagement at North Island College and the Executive Director of the North Island College Foundation. They bring twenty-five years of experience in post-secondary education and a diverse history of volunteer, no-profit and advocacy experience to their role as a director. Diane has called the Comox Valley home for eight years. Diane is an advocate for social justice, equity and inclusion. They joined the CVTS Board in 2023.
Jamie Wigmore
Treasurer
Jamie (she/her) is an accountant with over a decade of experience. Having personally seen the impact of services like those provided by CVTS on her own life and the lives of loved ones, she is deeply honoured to have the opportunity to give back. Jamie is a self‑proclaimed feminist whose core values include honesty, integrity, kindness, and respect. She is the proud parent of a two‑year‑old daughter, who inspires and motivates her to continue working toward a more equitable world.
Christy Faraher-Amidon
Secretary
Christy (She/Her) is a retired Speech-Language Pathologist who has worked with individuals with special needs across the age span. She brings experience in program management as well as governance with the Boards of the College of Speech and Hearing BC and Atira Transition Society in Surrey, BC. She came to the Comox Valley in 2015 and joined the Board as a Director in 2019, eager to continue and advance the powerful work of CVTS.
Nancy Bock
Director
Nancy (She/Her) is a retired clinical counselor who has lived and worked in the Comox Valley for 30 years. Her professional practice focused on the needs of children, women, and families. Nancy is happy to bring her experience with mental health services and with community consultation and development to the CVTS Board.
Brett Hodson
Director
Brett has worked for over 25 years in health care services with a focus on leading teams in disease and illness prevention, health promotion, project management, change initiatives and quality improvement. Brett has experience as a board member with other non-profit agencies in the Comox Valley and elsewhere. Brett is married, has two adult daughters, and has lived in the Comox Valley since 2008. Brett can often be found enjoying all the outdoors has to offer or playing hockey in his spare time.
Robert Wolfe
Director
Rob (He/Him) started his career in 1978 with one of the largest European asset managers. He specialized in estate and retirement planning and in 1994, was promoted to Office Manager. In the U.K., Rob was highly qualified in his field and achieved “chartered status.” Rob’s commitment to the investment business led him to Odlum Brown, attracted by its independence, solid long-term track record, and reputation in the industry that is second to none.
Ingrid Brown
Director
Rev. Ingrid Brown (She/Her), BFA, MDiv. is the lead minister at Weird Church, a non-traditional community in the United Church of Canada.Her passion for supporting women and children seeking shelter and support and those struggling with substance abuse started in college. She has been working with Avalon Centres, women’s treatment centers and recovery houses, and other transitional and support spaces since.
Anne Davis
DIrector
Anne worked at Comox Valley Transition Society for over thirty years, where she served as Transition House Coordinator and coordinated the Comox Valley Violence Against Women Community Coordinating Committee, among other roles.
Anne has an extensive background as a community activist and has served on a number of boards. Anne was appointed to the Island Health Authority in 2018 and served three terms, with an extension to 2026. She served as president of the Campbell River, Courtenay and District Labour Council and was a regional director on the board of the Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA BC) for eight years where she participated in provincial and national union women’s committees advocating for unions to enhance their responses to intimate partner violence and lobbying provincial and federal governments on related issues.
Anne is married to a retired union educator and has four children and five grandchildren, all of whom bring her joy.
Patricia Edwards
DIrector
Patricia Edwards (Patty) joined the Comox Valley Transition Board in 2026 in order to continue her life long passion for community development.
Patty retired in 2020 from a career as a poverty law advocate and a politician in the Alberni Valley. In 2018 she received the Citizen Of The Year Award
in recognition of her long term commitment to community service on many non-profit board of directors.
Dylan Thiessen
Director
Dylan (he/him) is a Registered Professional Planner working as a land use planner in the public sector and is the Vice President of CUPE Local 556 (Comox Valley Local Government Workers). Having grown up in co-op housing with a rent-geared-to-income structure, Dylan understands firsthand the impact of affordable and subsidized housing, and is eager to give back through such an impactful organization in his newfound community. He has called the Comox Valley home since 2020 with partner Anouk and cat Zucchini, and is grateful for all it has had to offer.
Lee Everson
Director
Lee (she/her) has worked in the non-profit sector for more than 25 years and has volunteered with the Kumugwe Cultural Society for the past 19 years. As the wife of Nagedzi, hereditary Chief Rob Everson, she is a proud mother of three and Adha (grandmother), with family at the heart of everything she does. Lee recognizes the privilege she carries as a non-Indigenous woman and is committed to supporting Indigenous-led initiatives with humility, respect, and a spirit of lifelong learning. She is passionate about building relationships, strengthening community, and advancing equity, reconciliation, and meaningful change.