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National Advocacy Council
The National Advocacy Council (NAC) leads the Canadian Diabetes Association in advocating the positions and policies of the Association to the Canadian public, governments, nongovernment organizations and the media on behalf of the diabetes community in Canada. The NAC advises the Association on the use of political and public affairs strategies that will help the Association achieve its advocacy objectives. NAC membership includes volunteer representation from each of the Pacific, Prairies, Ontario and Atlantic areas of the Association.
NAC Membership: Michael Swartz (National Board); Jim Casey (Executive Director, Community Engagement); Dr. Robin Conway (Clinical & Scientific Section); Michelle Corcoran (NAC Vice-Chair) (Diabetes Educator Section); Emily Johnson (Prairies); Peter Dickinson (Prairies); Tom Herbert (Ontario); Siva Swaminathan (Ontario); Colin Mallet (Pacific); Dr. Michael Dennis (Pacific); Rob Beck (NAC Chair) (Atlantic); Dawn Gallant (Atlantic).
To contact the NAC, send an email to advocacy@diabetes.ca
Biography of the NAC Chair
Rob Beck
Rob—a Senior Account Executive with CTV Television—joined the Canadian Diabetes Association when he was diagnosed with Diabetes in 2004. As an adult with no previous medical problems, he felt that he could learn much more about this chronic disease as a member of the Association that is recognized worldwide as the leader in diabetes research and treatment.
He quickly became involved in a committee planning a Diabetes Expo in Nova Scotia and volunteered as a photographer for the event. The expert information gained at this event and many subsequent meetings and conferences left Rob firmly convinced that diabetes has the potential to destroy Canada’s healthcare system if we don’t stop its exponential growth.
Rob recently completed four years as Regional Chair of the Association in Nova Scotia, and has served as a member of the Atlantic Advocacy Committee and is the current Chair of National Advocacy Council (NAC). As the Nova Scotia representative on the NAC, he serves as co-chair of the new Provincial Advocacy Council in NS.
“As the volunteers charged with advocating for people living with diabetes, we obviously must work hand-in-hand with our various governments. It’s equally important that we help people affected by this disease to understand that each of us can manage our own outcomes as well. We can and we must make a difference.”
Rob lives with his wife Deborah and step-daughter Laurel in Halifax, NS.
Provincial/Territorial Advocacy Committees
Advocacy Committees (ACs) serve to implement the goals and objectives of the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Strategic Advocacy Plan. They also identify provincial and territorial specific advocacy priorities and develop strategies to address these priorities. Chaired by a member of the National Advocacy Council, each of the committees coordinates advocacy efforts and builds volunteer advocacy capacity for the province/territory it represents.