Leadership

Judy Valsonis, has been the Executive Director of Touchstone Family Association since 2015. With a 35-year career in social services, Judy has worn many hats, including roles as a Child and Youth Care Worker, Foster Parent, and Social Worker. Her journey led her to Touchstone’s Francis House Youth Wellness Program, where she served as the Program Director. Her role at Touchstone expanded when she became the Director of Operations, overseeing all of Touchstone’s programs.

Judy’s commitment extends beyond her professional roles. She is passionate about supporting families, believing that strong families contribute to safer communities.

In her free time, Judy enjoys long walks with her family and dog and skiing at her favorite mountain in the BC Okanagan – Big White. Her dedication to creating welcoming, inclusive, and safe work environments underscores her belief in the power of community.

Dave Cooper is the Director of Services at Touchstone Family Association. Dave grew up with the association as he started working at Touchstone in 1991. He has held a variety of roles including child and youth care counsellor at the Francis House Youth Wellness program, as a counsellor specializing in parent teen mediation and then joining the management team in 1999.

As Director of Services for the association, Dave ensures effective service delivery to the children, youth and families Touchstone supports while also maintaining programs and services that are flexible and responsive.

Dave has been a part of guiding the association through the accreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) since 2002. He is invested in the importance of building strong, self-reliant families, youth and children in our community.

Community is key in providing wrap around support to our clients. During Dave’s 30 + years at Touchstone he has been committed to building strong relationships with partner agencies and collaborating with organizations in the community who provide complimentary services that in turn help meet client needs. Through collaboration and partnerships, together families and our community become stronger.

When Dave is not at work he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family.

Nicole is the Association’s Quality Assurance Director and oversees both the Supervised Access and Pathways Early Years Intervention programs. With a degree from the University of British Columbia, Nicole brings a mix of education and practical knowledge to her positions, having worked front line for many years in various social service settings before being promoted to Touchstone’s management team in 2018.

From a quality assurance perspective, Nicole is responsible for maintaining the Association’s long standing commitment to excellence with CARF Canada through the accreditation process. Nicole is a trained Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Instructor, but has learned most of her de-escalation techniques from being a parent. Nicole enjoys working in Touchstone’s collaborative environment; so much so, she arrives at the office most days before sunrise.

Carol is the Program Director for the RESET Youth Team. Carol brings 30+ years of experience supporting teenagers in a variety of settings. Her particular strength is working with and supporting, some of our communities most challenging and complex youth; and always holds a philosophy of respect and relationship building at the forefront of her practice. Carol joined Touchstone in 2004, and joined the management team in 2014, where she now supports staff groups in continuing high quality support services for teens and their families. Always curious about youth trends and issues, Carol is focussed on the future and the development and evolution of community based programs and services, while also being committed to grant writing and donors as collaborative practice in helping youth and young adults. When not at work, you will most likely find Carol at the dog beach or cheering on her CFL team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Chris has been with Touchstone Family Association for over 25 years, first as a child and youth care counsellor in the Francis House Youth Wellness program and subsequently as the Program Director in 1998. Chris provides a leadership role to the agency during the accreditation process and in maintaining agency compliance to accreditation standards.

Chris is also a trained facilitator for the Richmond Restorative Justice program.