Our Executive

Jay de la Durantaye

President

Jay de la Durantaye is a resident of St. Lazare and the Vice President of sales for West Island-based NDR Lighting, which distributes LED lighting across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. A member of the Hudson Legion, he had been president of the Legion Curling Club since 2017. Jay currently holds the position of 1st Vice President Legion Branch 115. In 2018, de la Durantaye took on the challenge of heading a team of talented volunteers to reposition the Hudson St. Patrick's Parade that staged the event’s 10th annual edition in March 2019. The process broke the mold, and set record numbers for several of the associated events leading up to and including the parade, preparing the groundwork for the creation of the Soulanges Irish Society and marking a course to transform this annual festival into one of the largest Irish celebrations in North America. Originally from Pierrefonds, Jay grew up in the West Island, where he was active in coaching a variety of amateur sports, including hockey, ringuette, baseball and curling teams. He currently plays softball with the Hudson mixed league. He moved to St. Lazare in 2001, has lived in Hudson and considers this region his home. His 19-year-old son, Edward, once a student at Collège Bourget in Rigaud, currently attends John Abbott College. His Irish roots reach back to his paternal great-grandfather, John Chambers, who was born in County Sligo, Ireland. After emigrating to Canada, Chamber’s only daughter, Olive, married a young Montrealer, Wilfred de la Durantaye, a union that, like many in Quebec’s storied history, firmed the bonds between the Irish and French cultures in this province. “Being part of the Soulanges Irish Society at the ground level is not only a thrill,” de la Durantaye said, “it allows me to be involved in a community-based organization that I am passionate about, and offers our region the opportunity to celebrate the Irish in us all."

Ken Bell

VP Organization

Ken Bell - A Vaudreuil resident, Ken has been involved in the Irish communities of Montreal for over 20 years. Having grown up in the Montreal, Ken's deep history in the Multicultural and Multi Ethnic backgrounds, proves to be an asset in his everyday life in both his professional career in the garment industry and his personal life with his wife Terry and their endless hours of commitment to the many churches they both dedicate hours of volunteerism. His tireless dedication to charitable activities is second to none. As the Vice President of Event Planning, Ken's expertise in managing large events proves to be an asset to the SIS, time and time again.

Eileen McAleese

VP Finance

Lea Durocher

VP Corporate Events

Leanne-Marie grew up in Lasalle and developed her early skill set at John Abbott College in Theatrical Design on the West Island. Lea moved to the Vaudreuil- Soulanges area in 1999 into Hudson and currently resides in Rigaud with her husband and Paint professional, Kevin Gray. Lea, currently owner and lead designer of Centre Décor Hudson, is the oldest Retail Designer Showroom in our area. In the 25 years that she has been off-island, her ongoing contribution to charitable organizations is remarkable all while participating in many community-centric groups. Lea is a certified Sustainable & Biophilic Interior designer, an Ambassador for the North American Hardware & Paint Association and A Benjamin Moore Ambassador, to which all have proven to be a tremendous asset in the growth of her passion, Centre Décor Hudson. Lea took over CDH in 2010, since has celebrated the store's 60th anniversary, and this year hitting her on milestone of 15 years in operations. This remarkable anniversary has celebrated several industry landmarks and has been featured in many industry publications. Lea has from day one been involved with the St. Patrick’s experience in Hudson, known in the milieu as our own Green Line Faerie. She began with sponsoring the “painting of the green line” and for the past 15 years she has always supported the direction of the organization from a more sideline perspective. In 2022 as the SIS was coming out of COVID, Lea took a more hands on role of creating the atmosphere of SIS events. In a natural transition to take on the larger challenge of the role of VP Corporate Events, Lea has embraced the opportunity to continue to grow the participants experience with the SIS. Lea was quoted “The vision and community spirit of the SIS and where they want to go in supporting local charities is something that I felt a connection with and passion to be involved. I look forward to help create a memorable experience for all we do”