Dean has over 20 years experience in operations planning and management, in the corporate, non-profit, and health care sectors. His background, combining financial and operations management with health care has proven critical to respond to the diverse needs of the Plum Living portfolio – Home Health Care, and Older Adult Lifestyle Communities, specifically focused for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) community.Dean’s leadership and collaboration within the “seniors retirement” industry has resulted in plans for the development of RainbowVision Vancouver, to be Canada’s first LGBT and Friends community for “The Second Fifty Years". In addition to co-founding Plum Living, Dean participates as a Senior Consultant to an international health care management consultancy and has completed operational assessments and model of care designs in more than 10 jurisdictions in Canada including primary care models, community services, home care, long term care, public health, addictions, mental health, collaborative practice models, and tertiary program planning. Dean worked in non-profit health care for 5 years as Director of Development for the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, and with the development team of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Prior to health care Dean worked for 8 years with a federal crown corporation as a Business Planning Advisor, Restructuring and Recovery Advisor, Property Manager, and Staffing & Employee Relations Consultant. Dean currently serves in the community and internationally with various Board and Committee appointments including: Chair, Fillmore Family Foundation – Providing funding to non-profit agencies that deliver programs and services in the areas of nutrition, housing and health. (www.fillmorefamily.ca) Co-Chair,Mayor's West End Community Advisory Committee, City of Vancouver- Responsible for communicating community priorities to the City in its planning and policy development and for helping to communicate City policy initiatives that may be of interest to residents in the West End.
Advisory Member, Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network (LAIN) of the American Society on Aging (ASA) – Raising awareness about the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders and about the unique barriers they encounter in gaining access to housing, healthcare, long-term care and other needed services. (www.asaging.org) Honorary Director, A Loving Spoonful - Providing free, nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS in Greater Vancouver. (www.alovingspoonful.org) Member, BC Persons With AIDS Society 2007 AccolAIDS Nominations and Advisory Committee - Honoring extraordinary achievements and dedication of those responding to the AIDS epidemic in British Columbia. (www.bcpwa.org)
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou
Darren K. Stolz, BPE VP Administration Co-founder of Plum Living, Darren has most recently been the Paralympic Teams Coordinator with the Canadian Paralympic Committee involved in the planning for the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver as well as in Beijing, China for the 2008 Paralympic Summer Games. Darren was previously Recreational Education and Coaching Coordinator with Gymnastics British Columbia and the Men’s Program Coordinator with the Alberta Gymnastics Federation providing leadership in Canadian Gymnastics. As an Athletic Therapist and trainer for accelerated sports programs, Darren has gained recognized experience in multi-sport, multi-activity, and multi-ability ventures.
Darren has a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Alberta with a double major in Athletic Therapy and Adapted Physical Education. With his knowledge in special populations and recreational activity, Darren brings his vibrant energy to the “active” aspect of Plum Living. Darren is currently focusing on expanding his role with Plum Living while he continues to pursue other interests in the sports field.
