Involved with MennoHomes Inc. from its inception in 2001 with Pauline and has been President from 2001 to present.
Born in Manitoba to a mixed farm couple – second youngest of nine children.
He attended Gr. 12 at the Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna, Manitoba, attended Canadian Mennonite Bible College for one year (1959-60), overseas volunteer in Taiwan (1960-63) under the General Conference Mennonite Church’s Missions Pax program based at the Mennonite Christian Hospital in Hualien.
Writer in news department of MCC world headquarters Akron, PA 1963-65
Moved to Waterloo, ON in 1965 to attend the University of Waterloo., worked with the Ministry of Community and Social Services (1967-78), graduate of the Wilfrid Laurier School of Social Work with a MSW degree.
Executive Director of House of Friendship from 1978-98.
Enjoyed three SOOP experiences with wife Pauline in 1998-99.
Martin is a member of Stirling Ave. Mennonite Church, Kitchener.
Most significant achievement was marriage of 43 years to Pauline Sawatzky of North Newton, Kansas who died December 16, 2007.
Father of two daughters and one son; and grandfather of two granddaughters and three grandsons. |
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Gerald Morrison - Board Chair |
Gerald became a MennoHomes board member in 2004.
He is a Chartered Accountant and holds a B.A. in Accountancy from the University of Waterloo.
Prior to joining MEDA in 1997, Gerald worked in public accounting for four years.
He has completed internal audits and consultancies in 10 countries.
Gerald, his wife, Barb, and their two children are members of Bloomingdale Mennonite Church. |
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Nick Driedger - Secretary |
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Nick joined the Menno Homes board in 2010.
Following university, Nick worked in the field of special education prior to joining Mennonite Savings and Credit Union as a loans officer in 1983. Over the years, he held various positions with MSCU including the role of CEO from 1992 through to his retirement in 2010. Working on behalf of the members of a church-related credit union resulted in a particularly meaningful and rewarding career. As a life-long learner, Nick completed degrees in both education and business.
One of the special blessings of retirement is time to spend with grandchildren, alongside other hobbies and the opportunity to serve as a volunteer with a church-related organization like Menno Homes. Nick and his wife Janice share in the continued joys and challenges of raising two children, five adopted children and grandchildren, soon to be four in number. |
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David Bechtel - Treasurer |
Dave became a MennoHomes board member in 2005 and is currently Treasurer.
Dave is retired after following careers: as a business partner in building supplies and house construction, manager of a non-profit housing and long term care facility, finance manager for long term care facility, and financial planning positions.
Currently enjoying various volunteer opportunities, Dave and his wife, Muriel, have two adult children and two grand children to keep them young. They are members at Preston Mennonite Church in Cambridge. |
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Dorene Rudy-Snyder - Board Member |
Became a MennoHomes Board Member in 2002 and currently serves as Board Secretary.
Dorene, as a volunteer MCC Service Worker, served as MennoHomes first Community Service Worker 2004-2006.
Semi retired after 21 years at Erb, she works one day a week for Erb Transport as Director of Donations and Sponsorships.
She is a graduate of Rockway Mennonite School, and has a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Conestoga College.
She has enjoyed a variety of careers: Waterloo College Library Assistant, University of Western Ontario Library Assistant, Stanley Park Rosemount Cooperative Preschool Supervisor, Exchange Business Magazine Sales Manager and Editor, and Director of Human Resources for the Erb Group of Companies.
Her volunteer experiences have been with New Hamburg Community Services now known as Wilmot Family Resource Centre, and Waterloo Region Non-Profit Housing.
Presently she is a member of Waterloo Region Housing Coalition.
She is organist at her home church – St. Agatha Mennonite where her husband Doug is pastor. She and Doug together have five children, and eight grandchildren, whom they thoroughly enjoy. |
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Murray Leis - Board Member |
Murray was born in Listowel and raised on a dairy farm north of Stratford Ontario.
He graduated from Northwestern Secondary School, Stratford. Murray received his Carpentry licence from George Brown College, Toronto.
He volunteered one year in Columbus, Ohio with MVS in 1980.
He is the owner of Murray Leis Construction since 1981.
Murray and his wife, Marilyn, have one daughter who is currently attending University of Waterloo. They are active members of Crosshill Mennonite Church. |
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Margaret Nally - Board Member |
Margaret joined MennoHomes Board in 2005.
She is a spiritual director, and chaplain for Mary’s Place in Kitchener, ON.
In addition to Menno Homes, Margaret is involved with Circle of Friends.
She served a short term in Guatemala, Brazil, Palestine, and West Africa.
Margaret and her husband, Bob, live in Waterloo, Ontario and have two daughters and two grandsons.
They are members of K–W House Church. |
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Mike Strathdee - Ex-Officio |
Mike has been an Ex-Officio member of MennoHomes since its inception in 2001.
He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Stewardship Consultant with Mennonite Foundation of Canada’s Kitchener office.
Prior to joining MFC in 1999, he was a business reporter for the Record.
Mike received a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1989. He completed the Canadian Securities Course in 1996, the Canadian Securities Institute’s Professional Financial Planning Course in 1999, Georgian College’s Planned Giving course in 2000, the Elder Planning Counselor (EPC) designation from the Canadian Initiative for Elder Planning Studies in 2005, and the CFP designation from the Financial Planners Standards Council in 2007.
Mike, his wife, Carolyn, and their two daughters Ella and Kate, live in Kitchener. They are active members of Breslau Mennonite Church. |
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MennoHomes Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 2001 under the sponsorship of Mennonite Central Committee as a response to the need for affordable housing.
Located in the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada.
Please check out the rest of the website for more information and how you can get involved! |
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Gary Chard - Board Member |
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 Gary retired from teaching in 1998 after a 33 year career in education, 25 years as an administrator. Since then he has worked for the House of Friendship in three capacities, as community development coordinator for the Sunnydale Community Centre in its inaugural year, as fund raising coordinator for the Charles Village capital campaign and in the Men’s Hostel. Most recently in June 2010, he completed a 5 year term as development officer with the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation. He has volunteered with Menno Homes in the past and is currently assisting with public relations for the Elmira Build. He attends Elmira Mennonite Church and serves as MCC rep. He resides in Kitchener, is married (to Jeannette Jespersen) with 4 children and 6 grandchildren.
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Nancy Regehr - Board Member |
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 Nancy Regehr retired in 2011 from her position as Associate Executive Director of Project Ploughshares after more than 30 years of service. During that time she had responsibilities for finances, fundraising, personnel, administration and board governance.
From 1973 to 1976, Nancy and her husband Ernie were MCC volunteers, living in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia where Ernie worked on a research and writing project on the role of churches with regard to apartheid.
For 15 years Nancy served on the board of Global Community Centre that delivered development education programs in the Waterloo Region, and is currently on the board of her condominium corporation.
Nancy grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario and met Ernie when they were students at Conrad Grebel University College. Nancy and Ernie were married in 1968 and have three children and three grandchildren. They live in Waterloo and are members of Rockway Mennonite Church. |
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