Executive – Hanover Area PROBUS Club

Janice Koehler - President

Janice spent much of her early childhood living in the Port Elgin area and has many family members in Grey-Bruce. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1994 and moved to the GTA to work in instrumentation sales.

Once her two sons were full grown and she retired in 2017, she spent some of her free time volunteering for Cancer Assistance Services of Halton Hills and looks forward to bringing some of that experience with her to her role on the Probus Executive. She also looks forward to welcoming her husband, Terry, into PROBUS once he retires in a few years.

Helen Peppler - Past President

Helen grew up in the former Bentinck Township, now part of West Grey on the Hastie family farm settled in 1854. She has just retired from Bruce Power after being on site for 29 years, but prior to that worked in Hanover at New Life Mills and at two Accounting firms.
Retirement is allowing time to work on the family trees, experiment in the kitchen and wood fired oven, read, and spend time with her granddaughters.

Stephen Peckham - First Vice President

Stephen retired from a rewarding thirty-year career in Music Education at John Diefenbaker Secondary School in Hanover, Ontario. Stephen was also proud to be the co-ordinator of Georgian Bay MusicFest for several years. After retirement, Stephen attended Georgian College in Owen Sound for Chef training. His passion for learning about food preparation and wine pairing continues.

Vacant - Second Vice President

Please consider volunteering.

Jan Stocovaz - Secretary

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in Guelph, Ontario, Jan moved to Hanover to start her teaching career and stayed. Jan loved teaching, primarily physical education, and coaching, particularly volleyball. Retired now, Jan’s three children and grandchildren keep her busy and loving life.

Helen Peppler - Treasurer

Brenda Booth - Membership Chair

Brenda loves to travel and stay active. She can often be seen out walking or at the gym. She most recently participated in the Italy trip with Probus and is hoping that we will soon be able to leave the country again. She sits on the Hanover Public Library Board and is the Treasurer for the local Terry Fox run.

Loretta Dunn - Communications Chair

Loretta Dunn has lived in Grey Bruce since 2010. She took early retirement in 2012 after a 32 year career in marketing and communications, most of those years at head office for The Co-operators in Guelph.

She is semi-retired and works part time as Coordinator of Volunteers with VON Grey Bruce.

Loretta and her husband Dean live near Allan Park and have two daughters and three granddaughters.

Bill Trbovich - Program Chair

Bill Trbovich is an award winning broadcast journalist, communications expert and promotional video producer.
He began is his broadcast career in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in 1972. Over the next 27 years, he worked in radio and television in North Bay, Peterborough, Kitchener, and CBC Toronto and for 15 years as a Labour reporter for Global Television where he won two national awards.
In March 1999, Bill left broadcasting to pursue developing his video production company. His promotional video productions for the Canadian Business Aircraft Association, International Business Aircraft Council and de Havilland Aircraft have been shown around the world.
In 2001, he turned his focus toward communications for organized labour. He was the Supervisor of Public and Government Affairs for OPSEU, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, was co-creator of Internet News Service for the Canadian Autoworkers/Unifor and the United Steelworkers. He provided media training services for the heads of many of Canada’s Labour Unions. In 2004, he became the Director of Communications for Canada of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the largest union in Canadian Air Transport and Aerospace. Upon his retirement in June of 2019, Bill was presented with the Robert J Kalaski Special Performance Award by his union, for distinguished and effective communication efforts promoting the mission of the labour movement.
Bill is married to Carolynne McKechnie, formerly of Durham, and they reside in Priceville.

Dianne Mather - Activity Chair

Retired as Treasurer, Deputy Clerk for the Town of Hanover in 2008 after 33 years. Committee member for Hanover Civic Centre and Public Library Building Project completed in 1996. Presented the idea to Mayor Bob White for a downtown park on the former Knechtel Furniture Factory property now “Hanover’s Heritage Square”. Committee volunteer to develop the Town of Hanover Cultural Plan. Volunteer Business Manager and Treasurer for Hanover Community Players from 2008 to 2020. Joined PROBUS Club in 2015. Coordinator for the PROBUS Cycling group 2018 and 2019. Currently Activity Chair and Travel Committee Chair. Thoroughly enjoy being a member of the PROBUS Club and actively participating in hiking, snow shoeing, pole walking, travel, theatre, wine tasting, cycling, and cross country skiing..

Jeannette Wilken - Hospitality

Jeannette (Ahrens) Wilken was born and raised in the Hanover area. She graduated from College in 1971 and married her husband John in 1972. They lived and worked in Hanover raising their two daughters and she taught elementary school at James A Magee Community School, retiring in 2004. Jeannette has fulfilled various leadership roles including Literacy Consultant with the BWDSB, member on her church board and is involved with the Patient Family Advisory Committee for HDH. She volunteers her time as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary and Hanover Heights Community School. Jeannette enjoys spending as much quality time as possible with her 3 grandchildren.

Wendy McDougall - Greeter Co-Chair

I grew up in Erin. I graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1972.
My husband and I raised our children in Erin. We have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren which keeps us busy.
I worked as an accounting clerk, spent several years as a stay at home Mom, then worked with my husband in our consulting business.
We moved to Lake Rosalind in 2014. Because I was new to the area PROBUS club provided an opportunity to meet people and participate in many activities.
I enjoy travelling, walking, reading and puzzles.
I look forward to greeting fellow PROBUS members.

Monica O’Hagan - Greeter Co-Chair

My name is Monica O'Hagan and I live in Walkerton. I enjoy volunteering and find it very rewarding. I have been involved with the Walkerton County Town Players, Grey Wellington Theatre Guild in Harriston and the performed on stage in Hanover Community Players. I enjoy walking, going to gym and keeping active. I look forward to helping and meeting fellow Probus Members.

Alison Greenaway-Coates - Member at Large

Alison grew up in Toronto and worked for many years in health care research in Toronto and Kingston and as an active partner in a farm operation before moving to Bruce County in 1995. For over 18 years, she operated Millennia Books in Hanover. Now retired, she is an avid reader, a regular lane swimmer at the P&H Centre and an intrepid DIY gardener and decorator. She has 2 adult children and happily lives in Walkerton.

Robin Hill - Member at Large

Robin Hill has lived and worked in Hanover for the past 40+ years.
Loves traveling and spending time with family and friends!
Married to Dean Hill with 2 amazing grown kids Matthew & Lindsay plus one adorable rescue dog named Corry!
Retired in May 2023 from Telesat Canada as Network Operations Budget Coordinator and Divisional Administrative Assistant.

Craig Brown - Technical Chair

Craig and his wife Louise moved to Hanover shortly after graduating from Univeristy in London. Craig spent most of his working years at the Bruce Nuclear Power site working in Information Technology and rasing 3 kids. Since his retirement in 2019 he is free to spend time camping, traveling, golfing and hiking. Some of these activities have been "influenced" by the pandemic so helping others leverage technology to remain as connected as possible is keeping him out of trouble and off the streets.