Al Etmanski,
President of PLAN Lifetime Advocacy
Al has been a leading advocate for people with disabilities and their families in Canada for more than two decades. He is widely recognized as a visionary thinker in areas of social policy, community development and individualizing services for people with disabilities.

Al is an author, advocacy consultant and social inventor who specializes in finding innovative, non-governmental solutions to social problems. He was the Executive Director of the BC Association for the Mentally Retarded (now BCACL – the BC Association for Community Living) for eight years before joining with Jack Collins and Vickie Cammack to found PLAN.

In recent years, Al has become known for his expertise in fostering social enterprise within the civic sector, converting social capital to economic capital, developing innovative partnerships among the private, public and citizen sectors, and creating alternatives to legal guardianship.

He is the author of A Good Life – For You and Your Relative with a Disability and Safe and Secure – Six Steps to Creating a Personal Future Plan for People with Disabilities. Al is a parent of five children, one of whom has a disability.

Al has been the recipient of numerous awards, including:

• The Civic Merit Award by the City of Vancouver for creating innovative solutions to help families with disabled children.
• Ashoka Fellowship – Al was one of the first two Canadians to receive this distinguished international award in 2002. Ashoka is an international organization that searches the world for social entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
• Simon Fraser University President’s Club Distinguished Community Leadership Award (with his wife Vickie Cammack) in 2002.
• Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal to recognize a deed or activity performed in a highly professional manner or according to a very high standard that brings benefit or honour to Canada. Awarded in April 2005

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