Board of Directors for 25/26

Board of Directors for 25/26

Character Abbotsford has elected a new board for the 2025/2026 year. All members from the previous year were re-elected: Sir James Barlow, Andrea Critchley, Darcy Halber, Vijay Manuel, Bev Olfert, Jory Smallenberg, Colin Watson, and Shirley Wilson.

The council plans to host two public events this year including their annual Speaker Event featuring newly appointed President and Vice Chancellor of the University of the Fraser Valley, Dr. James Mandigo, to take place on Thursday, November 6th, 2025 at the UFV campus and the annual Character In Actions to take place on May 7th, 2026. The public will once again be invited to nominate an unsung hero to be recognized at the awards event. To nominate an unsung hero in Abbotsford, please visit CharacterAbbotsford.com

At the inaugural meeting of the year, Vijay Manuel, Board Chair, stated that this is a special season for Character Abbotsford given the high support and engagement of leaders in Abbotsford. “Let’s continue to bring the character message into our spheres of influence, namely, that living our lives centred on respect, responsibility, integrity, empathy, courage, and service will continue to make our community one of the best places to live, learn, and grow.  Manuel continued: “Character isn’t something we do, but how we do everything!”

The Character Council meets 5 times each year.  For more information, visit CharacterAbbotsford.com