In 2024, Philanthropie Estrie named the following four individuals honorary life members.
These honorary members are the visionary founders of our organization. Their dedication, passion and commitment were the pillars on which Philanthropie Estrie was built in 2002.
We are infinitely grateful for their invaluable contribution.
The holder of a Master’s degree in the social services, Claude Forgues worked in the social and collective economy sector as well as in housing cooperatives in the Estrie region. But we especially know him as the Director General of Centraide Estrie, a position he held for 37 years. At the turn of the century and a new millennium in the year 2000, he brought together some similar-minded colleagues to discuss a community-enhancing idea. The seeds of these exchanges were planted a few months later when the Fondation communautaire de l’Estrie / Eastern Townships Community Foundation came to life. Today we know it as Philanthropie Estrie or Eastern Townships Community Foundation for English speakers.
Mr. Jean Demers has had a long career as a CPA auditor (chartered professional accountant) with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, where he is a partner. For many years, he was also auditor and advisor to a number of local organizations. At the time, he was Centraide’s accountant, and it was in this capacity that he responded positively to Mr. Forgues’ call to set up a community foundation for the Eastern Townships. Mr. Demers was the first president of the foundation, now known as Philanthropie Estrie.
Also a chartered accountant, Mr. Jean Ross has spent his career in the financial sector, occupying various roles such as banker, accountant, economic crime expert and investment advisor. He was actively involved in the Centraide campaign that took place in his professional environment, and it was then that he took part in the creation of the Fondation communautaire de l’Estrie. Mr. Ross was a member of the Board of Directors and a resource person during the foundation’s early years.
Mr. Jean-Marie Cliche was a chemistry professor at the Université de Sherbrooke for 33 years. Throughout his career, he has always been involved in his community in a variety of ways. This commitment has earned him many honours, including the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal in 2010. It was when he was President of the Maison des Grands-Parents de Sherbrooke that Mr. Claude Forgues approached him. Like his colleagues, he is a pioneer of the Fondation communautaire de l’Estrie, having been its vice-president for 15 years.
