Lansdowne board past chair Lloyd St Amand reflects on team’s accomplishments

Lloyd St Amand has shifted into his role as past chair of the LCC board, as Ashley Veldkamp now takes on the role of chair.

Lloyd St Amand didn’t have a personal connection to Lansdowne Children’s Centre when he joined the centre’s board of directors a decade ago.

“But like many, many others, my ear has always been close to the ground,” said the Brantford resident. “I knew, by way of reputation, that Lansdowne was an outstanding facility that made a very positive difference in the lives of so many children, and by extension, the parents and siblings of those children.”

He wanted to join the board because “By and large, it was just a desire to give back.”

Even before St Amand joined Lansdowne’s board, he had known its executive director, Rita-Marie Hadley, and her husband, John, for many years, “and they are very fine people.”

In general, non-profit agency boards are looking for members with diverse skills so as to better serve the whole operation. In St Amand’s case, his experience as a lawyer allowed him to give insight on some of the legal questions that naturally arose for the board over the years.

He brought his expertise to the table for the nine years he served as a director, and his year as the board chair.

On June 19, 2025 at the annual general meeting, he officially passed that title along to Ashley Veldkamp, and assumed his new role of past chair.

There have been many accomplishments over the years.

One of the biggest ones, of course, is that “We've been working towards getting a new building for Lansdowne,” St Amand said, noting that between “the number of children served and the number of staff, it's pretty cramped” in the current building.

Part of the challenge was making the case for the need to the province to free up funding.

While the final details are still being locked in and will be made public soon, “There’s a new building in the works; that’s been an exciting and rewarding project, for sure,” St Amand said. “That's been an achievement; we’ve worked hard at that.”

St Amand said he also appreciated how the board has made the “progressive and positive” shift towards greater diversity.

“The community is more reflected in the board – there’s essentially gender balance; individuals from various communities have joined the board.”

He praised the collaborative approach of the board; something he credited Hadley for fostering.

“Rita-Marie sets a tone of being inclusive. She’s far-sighted, so she has natural leadership qualities. She leads very collaboratively, and often asserts she’s just a member of a great team, and I would say the same thing; I’m just a member of a great team.”

St Amand is grateful to see the impact that team has had over the years. He noted that when attending events like the annual general meeting or fundraisers, it’s common to see clients of Lansdowne – either those who are still in service, or those who have aged out.

“It’s touching to hear their accounts of the difference that Lansdowne and the workers of Lansdowne have made in their lives. You see in these young people the absolutely tangible benefits of the work that Lansdowne does. They’re articulate, for instance, whereas before, they had no capacity to speak,” he said, “the tremendous change is a direct result of the speech therapy program.”

“All of the programs at Lansdowne truly make a difference in the lives of these kids and it’s heartwarming, absolutely; it’s very touching to see the tangible benefits of the work Lansdowne does on a day-to-day basis. It’s a wonderful credit to the staff.”