Leadership & Governance

Alec Attfield (he/him) began his career as a teacher and management consultant before moving to the Federal Public Service. Alec served at the Treasury Board Secretariat in Economic Policy. Following 9/11 Alec joined the Privy Council Office as a Security and Intelligence Advisor to the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. Alec subsequently served as the Chief of Staff to the President of the Canada Border Services Agency.

Alec represented Canada at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. serving as a liaison with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As Director General of Canadian Citizenship, at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Alec shepherded through legislative changes to the Citizenship Act and oversaw a program that granted citizenship to 250,000 qualified applicants every year.

Alec’s expertise encompasses international relations, intelligence, national security, Canada-US relations, citizenship, customs, and immigration. Alec was educated at Queen’s University and holds degrees in mathematics and education and a Master’s in Public Policy.

Alec is committed to building Canada through successful immigration, promoting inclusion of people with diverse intellectual abilities, and advancing Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Alec, Michele, and their adult son Aidan enjoy skiing, hiking, biking, and back-country camping.

Krista is currently working as Interim CEO for Convent House Texas, after serving 16 years as CEO of Covenant House Vancouver until 2022. Krista led the organization through its largest period of growth; overseeing 230 employees, significant revenue increases, and completion of its state-of-the-art facilities in downtown Vancouver.  She remains engaged in mentoring Covenant House site executives and leaders across North America.

Krista holds the Institute of Corporate Director’s designation (ICD.D) and a Diploma of Technology, Marketing Management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Krista was a 2015 YWCA Woman of Distinction award recipient and was Business in Vancouver’s 2015 CEO of the Year in the Registered Charities category.

Krista is a Board member of the Carital Continuing Care Society, a Board Finance Committee member of the ISSofBC since 2022, and past Chair of the Canadian Council of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Craig Stocking is the Treasurer on the ISSofBC’s Board of Directors, as well as a partner with an accounting firm in the Fraser Valley focusing on tax planning and corporate structuring.  He has also worked extensively with clients on compliance issues and appeals with the Canadian Revenue Agency. 

Craig has worked for over a decade with Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada and its predecessor organization in marking the national final exams for CPAs. He holds a CPA, Chartered Accountant designation and earned a Bachelor of Business Accounting degree from Simon Fraser University. 

Away from work, Craig volunteers much of his time to charitable and not-for-profit organizations as director or volunteer in various capacities.  He currently acts as a director/trustee for three local charities.  He has served as a member of the ISSofBC Finance Committee since March 2021. 

Lisa Richlen, B.A. (Jewish Studies), M.A. (Social and Emotional Learning), Ph.D. (African Studies), is a Canadian citizen through her mother and a native of Seattle. She lived in Israel from 2000 to 2021, working both as an employee and a consultant for numerous social change and human rights organizations.

In 2021, Richlen completed her Ph.D. at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, where her research focused on refugee-led organizations. Since relocating to Vancouver in 2021, she has taught courses on human rights, ethnicity and ethnic relations, non-violent social change, race and ethnicity, and social inequality in Canada at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and Langara College.

She has also led leadership training programs through the Migrant Workers Centre. Currently, she serves as a Board Director with ISSofBC and is a member of a refugee sponsorship committee. She is also the Lead Instructor at the Centre for Conflict Resolution at the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

Abdullah Abunafeesa (he/him) is a corporate lawyer with extensive legal experience in governance, regulatory compliance, and general corporate law. Abdullah has advised boards of directors of companies in various business sectors on a broad range of legal issues, including risk management, financings, and governance matters. 

Abdullah and his family fled to Canada as refugees from Sudan and is fluent in Arabic. Abdullah is passionate about utilizing his personal experience as a refugee and his professional experience as a lawyer to help the ISSofBC achieve its objectives. 

Abdullah obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Neuroscience from Carleton University and Queen’s University, respectively, with a focus on the neural basis of human decision-making. Additionally, he obtained his J.D. (law degree) from the University of Ottawa. 

Catarina Moreno (she/her/hers) supports non-profit organizations during strategic and operational challenges, provides coaching and consulting around change leadership, and serves in Interim leadership roles during transitions. She grew up in Berlin and since then has lived and worked in the UK, Ecuador, and Colombia.

She has been calling Canada home for the past 13 years and is deeply grateful to now live, work, and play on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Before joining the ISS of BC board, she also served six years on the board of CPAWS BC, four of these as chair of the board.

Fatima Hassam brings over 20 years of experience in fundraising within the healthcare sector. As the Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer at the BC Cancer Foundation (BCCF), she has been instrumental in elevating the organization to become one of the leading charities in the province. Fatima is known for her exceptional ability to lead high-performing fundraising teams, forge impactful relationships, and craft innovative strategies that support the lifesaving work at BC Cancer. Under her leadership, BCCF has successfully launched campaigns to fund cancer research and enhancements to care.

She has held leadership roles in two of British Columbia’s most significant fundraising efforts: the $1.5 billion “Start an Evolution” campaign for UBC and the $500 million “Beyond Belief” campaign for BC Cancer Foundation.

A Tanzanian immigrant with a deep commitment to community service, Fatima has actively served within the Ismaili community both locally and internationally. With deep appreciation for the opportunities that settling in Canada has provided her, Fatima is eager to bring her rich personal experiences to support the vision and mission of ISSofBC.

Iain Thompson is a seasoned professional with a strong background in business consulting services. As a Partner at EY, he has demonstrated leadership in various roles, including Western Canadian Business Consulting Leader for BC and Mining & Metals Business Consulting Leader for Canada. His expertise spans business leadership, strategic planning, enterprise strategy, performance management, digital transformation, supply chain and operations, finance transformation, project management, and people strategy.

Iain’s journey as an immigrant, having moved from South Africa to the UK and then to Canada, has given him a perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by newcomers. This experience has fueled his passion for creating inclusive environments that support immigrants and refugees in thriving within their communities.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Iain is actively involved in community and charity initiatives. His fundraising efforts have supported various causes, including BC Cancer, HPV vaccination programs, the Ugandan Prosthetics Accessibility Fund, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Els for Autism, and BC Children’s Hospital.

Iain holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Information Systems from Rhodes University and has completed leadership programs at Harvard Business School and Harvard Business Publishing.

Jordan Simmons (he/him) is an explorer at heart. Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, he has since traveled to more than 50 countries, sparking his passion for migrant rights, cultural identity, and inclusion and belonging.

Jordan is the co-founder and CEO of Nominee, an organization dedicated to supporting and encouraging more women, youth, 2SLGBTQ+, and people of color to run for office and equipping them with the skills they need to change the world.

For the past 15 years, Jordan has been active in politics and advocacy at every level of government, serving as a political advisor to several B.C. cabinet ministers, and leading grassroots advocacy campaigns, with a particular focus on justice and human rights.

Jordan brings to the ISSofBC Board a strong combination of lived and professional experience in government relations and corporate strategy, as well as a deep passion for building diverse, inclusive communities where we can all thrive and succeed.

Michael has over 30 years of extensive experience in finance management, mergers and acquisitions, fundraising/financing, strategic planning, housing investment, and corporate governance in cross-cultural environments. He has participated in a wide range of acquisition and financing transactions totaling over US$3 billion. Michael has been involved in the management of more than 18 organizations across diverse sectors, serving as a Board Director, CFO, and/or CEO, including public companies, startups, and not-for-profits. He is currently the founder and managing director of a financial advisory company that facilitates cross-border investments in North America. Before moving to Canada, Michael held various financial management positions at two Fortune 100 companies in the United States for about eight years.

Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in international finance from Peking University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Arizona. He is also a United States Certified Public Accountant (CPA). In his spare time, Michael enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling.

Noha (she/her) is a Principal of CitySpaces Consulting, a community planning and development consulting firm based in Western Canada. Noha has over 20 years of planning experience, with a particular focus on housing, homelessness, and social planning. As a development consultant, Noha has led and provided oversight on new non-profit housing and mixed-use construction projects throughout British Columbia and the Yukon.

Noha has been a member of the ISSofBC Board Facilities Committee since 2022. Noha has a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Master of Arts degree in Community and Regional Planning from UBC. She has been an Adjunct Professor at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning, is an active member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, and has worked in Canada, Egypt, France, and Pakistan.

Ruth Onaghinon is a seasoned IT Executive Director with extensive international experience across various industries (Technology Solutions, Oil & Gas, Higher Education, Provincial Health, and Public Sector) spanning Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Currently, she leads enterprise technology operations at a leading Canadian Crown Corporation, focusing on enhancing service delivery, driving innovation, and overseeing complex IT transformations. Ruth’s strategic leadership and operational expertise have established her as a dynamic and results-driven leader committed to delivering impactful solutions in diverse business environments.

As a beneficiary of the ISSofBC Career Paths program, Ruth brings a personal understanding of the immigrant experience. Her dedication to supporting immigrant communities is evident in her creation of a free resource guide during the 2020 pandemic, designed to assist newcomers in preparing Canadian-format resumes and cover letters. Additionally, Ruth also leads a platform for over 200 immigrant women, providing essential support that includes career guidance, financial literacy, mental health resources, and fostering a supportive neighborhood community. This initiative, supported by a team of four dedicated volunteers, reflects her ongoing commitment to empowering immigrants through comprehensive mentorship and community-building efforts.

Ruth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Redeemer’s University in Nigeria, and her Master’s in Information Management & Business Technology from Loughborough University, UK. She considers it a blessing to bring a strong blend of lived and professional experience to the ISSofBC Board complimented by her “can-do” joyful outlook on life.

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one. As far as the eyes can see, as big as the mind can conceive…”

Sean is a Vancouver-based lawyer and partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”) and represents clients on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters.  He has extensive experience with mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions of businesses on behalf of Canadian, U.S., and international companies, cross-border transactions, corporate reorganizations, joint ventures, and partnership agreements.  Sean also regularly advises clients in the education and not-for-profit sectors.

From 2000 – 2003, he worked in Tokyo as foreign counsel with a Japanese law firm, where his practice focused on cross-border commercial transactions.  Sean’s community involvement has included serving as a director on several local not-for-profits, teaching at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law as an adjunct professor, and volunteering with ISSofBC as a mentor.

Dr. Sohail Nazari serves as the Head of the Automation and Digitalization Business Unit and Global Vice President of the Feed and Biofuel Division at an international conglomerate company, ANDRITZ AAG. As an immigrant from Iran and a proud Canadian, Sohail has personally experienced the integration journey within our society. He feels truly honored to contribute to the betterment of the lives of fellow newcomers by supporting ISSofBC.

Since 2006, Sohail has been a dedicated advocate and facilitator for introducing advanced digital technologies into various industries, including Automotive, Oil & Gas, Pulp & Paper, Mining & Mineral Processing, and Feed & Biofuels. His primary focus is helping operations achieve higher efficiency and productivity through digital transformation while also reducing their carbon footprint by decreasing energy consumption.

Along this journey, he has successfully launched and commercialized multiple digitalization products and businesses, received numerous awards, been invited as a keynote speaker in various professional settings, and holds a patent. Since his arrival to Canada in 2008, Sohail has actively engaged with the Canadian community by volunteering for various causes and events, including the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia and Alberta, the Friends with Hearts organization, the Vancouver Fringe Festival, and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

Dr. Nazari earned his PhD from the University of Alberta, Canada, in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2013. He is currently completing his Master of Business Administration at the University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business.

Jonathan Oldman joined ISSofBC as CEO in September of 2021, succeeding Patricia Woroch who held the post for over two decades.

Jonathan has over 20-years senior leadership experience in BC’s not-for-profit sector, working with a range of organizations and systems serving populations including the homeless, individuals with mental health and addiction challenges, seniors, and those at end-of-life. Jonathan was formerly Executive Director of The Bloom Group, one of the largest community organizations in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In the two years prior to joining ISSofBC, he worked in a variety of senior leadership roles in the cancer care sector, including with the Canadian Cancer Society. Jonathan also serves on the Board of Directors of Catalyst Community Developments Society, a BC-based not-for-profit real estate developer. Born in the UK, Jonathan began his career in the British National Health Service, working in a variety of hospital and community health care settings.

“I have spent my entire career working to strengthen communities and support systems. I’m humbled and proud to continue this journey with ISSofBC and look forward to building on the incredible success Patricia and the ISSofBC team have achieved to date. As we continue to address the impact of COVID-19 and other critical challenges facing our society and country, furthering our organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, our broad work to promote social justice, and our support of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples will be key priorities for me.”

Anar joined ISSofBC as our Director of People, Culture and Inclusion in November 2022.

Prior to joining us, Anar worked at the Ontario Medical Association where she was the Senior Lead, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and brings more than 20 years of people and culture leadership experience in both the private and public sectors, with a particular focus on the post-secondary education sector. She has worked extensively both in Canada and internationally and is returning to live and work in Vancouver after a decade in Toronto.

Her experience covers a range of HR areas, with recruitment, organizational development, and talent management core to her work.

Anar has a MA in Organizational Leadership from Royal Roads University as well as a range of HR, DEI, and coaching training certificates. Leading through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is central to her approach and values.

“Everything I am and want to be as an HR leader is informed by my lived experience as a Ugandan refugee to Canada.  In addition, my professional and volunteer experience with the newcomer community in Ontario have prepared me for this incredible opportunity. Being the 50th anniversary year, I see this as one of life’s full circle moments.  I’m grateful and excited to be a part of the ISSofBC family, it’s mission and culture transformation.”

Chris Friesen who served as ISSofBC’s Settlement Services Director for almost 30 years, has long been recognized as a leader in the refugee and immigrant sector throughout Canada and has been at the forefront of major refugee resettlement initiatives in BC and Canada. Chris has been an integral member of national bodies including holding senior leadership roles with the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance and National Settlement and Integration Council. He has also represented Canada on the international stage and is a sought-after speaker on immigration-related policies and programs. Chris played a key role in the development of ISSofBC Welcome Centre, a social purpose built, one of a kind facility in Vancouver.

As an undergraduate student at UBC in the mid 1980’s, Chris led a successful referendum on campus to increase student fees to establish a permanent student refugee scholarship program. What started as a one-off initiative has rippled through over 60 post-secondary institutions across Canada through the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Sponsorship Program and is now an international resettlement promising practice for alternative resettlement pathways. Prior to his roles within ISSofBC, Chris coordinated a British-Kenyan Educational Trust for Refugees in Nairobi for over two-and-a-half years.

“Underlying my work for over three decades is a profound respect and awe for the strength and resilience of immigrants and refugees who chose or were forced to start over in this country. They inspire and drive our work.”

Rebecca Irani is a global communications strategist with over 18 years of experience in the international development/NGO, non-profit, private, and public sectors. She displays a passion for issues including education, diversity, inclusion, social justice, and sustainability.

She has worked at some of the world’s leading communications and marketing consultancies. She speaks English, French, and Spanish and has lived and worked across Europe, East Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, and Australasia. She immigrated to Canada in 2008.

She holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from the University of London, a BA in Modern Languages, and an advanced Certificate in Marketing (Chartered Institute of Marketing). Fervent about education, she’s also a qualified English teacher (CELTA).

Rebecca enjoys the great outdoors, yoga, traveling, and spending time with her young son.

“Canada is the land of newcomers and ISSofBC plays a leading role in their successful integration. I am proud to become part of the team. As a result of my own immigration journeys and diverse cultural background, I empathize with all newcomers and refugees and admire their strength and hope.”

Vinson Luu joined ISSofBC as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in January 2024.

Vinson brings an amazing skill set to the organization, a thoughtful and collaborative leadership approach, and great insights into its mission of supporting newcomers to British Columbia, as well as experience in the sector through his Board work and his family’s own journey.

Prior to joining ISSofBC, Vinson has over 20 years of financial leadership experiences that included roles at Vancity Savings Credit Union, PMC-Sierra, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.  His also served as the Board Chair for the Vancity Community Foundation and volunteers his time as a basketball coach in the Tri City Youth Basketball Association.

“My parents and I came to Canada over 40 years ago.  We were very fortunate to be surrounded by a wonderful community in Abbotsford.  It wasn’t always easy, but with a lot of hard work, some good decisions, and a bit of luck, we found our footing.  I am grateful and proud to have a role that combines my professional skills with my personal experiences to modernize how we help newcomers create their own success stories; for them and the communities they will settle in.”

Carla Morales is an accomplished professional with proven success in development, governance, and strategic planning for non-profit groups and community-based organizations in Canada and overseas in East Africa.

For over 20 years, Carla has diverse experience in the non-profit sector, a well-developed analysis of key development issues, and high competence in intercultural communication. She has held a strong orientation towards community engagement and partnership development.

Carla has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and holds a Master of Business Administration from the City University of Seattle. She has completed courses through the Executive Education arm of the UBC Sauder School of Business. In the past, she has served as an advisor to community-based organizations in rural Kenya to support their capacity-building efforts. Much of her time is spent staying abreast of the issues that influence the social impact of the organizations she is involved with.

Carla enjoys reading, practicing yoga, traveling, and spending time with her young daughter.

“The key to supporting newcomers successfully is to constantly be assessing their experience – to really listen. You have to be grounded in that understanding before you can innovate and serve with excellence.”

Parm Sandhu is an accomplished technology leader with proven success in technology & solution implementation and business transformation initiatives for clients across North America, Europe and Asia.

For over 20 years, Parm has been working in the technology sector and has become well versed working with organizations across various sectors – non-profit, public and private. During this time he has held executive positions in large regional, national and multi-national organizations and has led cross functional technology, sales and business teams. Over the last few years Parm has been leading the Digital Transformation initiatives at ISSofBC with a focus on business transformation and modernization.

Parm immigrated to Canada from the UK in 1993. He is an active member of the community and continues to serve on several boards. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys and active lifestyle.

“In order to effectively service the needs of newcomers our sector needs to adopt and embrace technology. The demand for services and programs will continue to intensify. We need to enhance our business processes and workflows and endorse technology to enable greater service capacity, leverage business intelligence and foster more effective interactions and engagement with our clients”

Kathy Sherrell has worked at ISSofBC in settlement services for over 12 years. During this time she has taken a lead role in program development and evaluation, contract negotiations and oversight, and quality assurance and standardization. Involvement in special projects such as the BC Refugee Hub and allows Kathy to share her passion for refugee resettlement with others, promoting policy change and greater understanding of refugee issues.

Kathy holds a PhD in Geography from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Arts Degree from Simon Fraser University with an emphasis on refugee resettlement in Canada. Kathy continues to be actively engaged in research. At present Kathy is a co-investigator on two pan-Canadian, multi-year refugee research projects, as well as a lead on numerous internal research projects. She is an Affiliated Scholar with York University’s Centre for Refugee Studies and serves on UBC Centre for Migration Studies Executive Committee.

Kathy is passionate about evaluation and outcomes measurement, serving on IRCC’s National Settlement Outcomes Group, co-chairing the BC Settlement Outcomes Working Group, and as a member of the BCSIS Program Evaluation Working Group. She is the internal Project Manager for implementation of the NewTrack client information system.

“I am inspired by the strength and resilience of refugee newcomers to Canada and committed to reducing structural barriers to their integration through my work and research.”

It’s hard to miss Ewa Karczewska in a crowd. Her exuberant personality and infectious energy bring a positive vibe to any gathering. As the Associate Director for our Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, Ewa may be counted upon to deliver with vigor the client-focused, multi-service model that its forerunner in Vancouver was built on.

Ewa, who joined ISSofBC in 1994, has a well-known record for connecting with people, identifying problems, finding solutions and getting things done. As one of her colleagues said, “Ewa leads with flair! She is an exceptional leader who is proficient, fun, and never afraid to roll up her sleeves and do what needs to be done.”

Ewa joined ISSofBC in 1994 as Childcare Supervisor. This was followed by promotions to ELSA Assistant Manager position then to ELSA/LINC Manager position in 2007. Ewa was instrumental in the setting up of the ISSofBC LINC satellite locations in Tri-Cities, Richmond, New Westminster and Maple Ridge. She has also served in several BC-wide and regional committees and boards, including the City of Coquitlam Multicultural Advisory Committee.

In her spare time, Ewa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, traveling and relaxing in the sun.

Bonnie So is the first to admit that her pride in the ISS Language and Career College (LCC) – ISSofBC’s very successful social enterprise – goes deeper than merely professional.

“It has been so fulfilling to witness LCC grow from one class of 12 students to our current operation with over 2,000 students attending ESL, vocational and co-op programs each year,” says Bonnie, who was involved in the creation of the program in 1995.

“Having come to Canada from Hong Kong as an international student myself, I value and enjoy our multicultural clients and our diverse staff and volunteers,” says Bonnie, who has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Toronto’s York University and a Multicultural Settlement Certificate.

Under Bonnie’s management, LCC became a recognized college, earned accreditations from Languages Canada and the BC government (Private Training Institutions Branch), and was listed on the federal government’s prestigious Designated List of Institutions. LCC revenues generated over the years have contributed significantly to supporting unfunded ISSofBC programs.

Originally from British Columbia, Canada, Shae Viswanathan began her career in Southeast Asia where she lived and worked for more than 10 years, occupying progressively senior roles in a number of multi-national organizations and traveling the region extensively. She returned to her roots in Canada in the Fall of 2006 and found her ultimate calling in the non-profit sector, focusing on community development, immigrant settlement, and language services. Since then, Shae has managed a wide variety of portfolios and programs while working with diverse teams of staff and volunteers from a large spectrum of ethnocultural backgrounds and professions. She continues to sit on a variety of committees within the Metro-Vancouver region dealing with immigrant settlement issues and remains passionate about building a community based on equity, diversity, and inclusion. In her free time, Shae enjoys cooking Southeast Asian cuisine and hiking BC’s beautiful rainforests.

Jennifer York’s career path at ISSofBC gives her a rare vantage point not available to anyone else in the organization at her level. Jennifer started out as a volunteer after seeing newly arrived government-assisted refugees children playing at Welcome House. Soon after volunteering, she began working at ISSofBC to provide frontline work in employment programs and eventually managing federally and provincially-funded employment programs.

In 2015, Jennifer moved on to Settlement Division as a senior manager to oversee the multiple settlement programs and projects in nine locations. Her current role as Associate Director of Refugee Services provides oversight of the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP), a program serving newly arrived Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) to Canada, and also the Settlement Orientation Program (SOS), a program that supports Refugee Claimants.

Highlights of Jennifer’s career at ISSofBC include being part of Operation Syrian in 2015 when Canada welcomed over 40,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, the opening of the Welcome Centre in Vancouver, the royal visit with the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and since August 2021, Jennifer has been the lead representative for BC RAP Service Providers for the National Afghan Resettlement Initiative. In addition to oversight and management of program operations, Jennifer takes great pride is seeing the development of her team and has been known to mentor and support colleagues with their professional growth and development.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Alberta and an Executive Master of Business Administration and a Certificate for Responsible Leadership from Queen’s University.

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys spending her free time hiking in the BC trails, baking bread, learning and trying new activities and spending time with her little Pekinese, Sunshine.

Laurie’s journey through the non-profit sector is not just a career path; it’s a personal mission forged by her own experiences and a long history of volunteering within social services. Over the past 15 years, Laurie has channeled this passion into her work,  empowering those on the margins of society, most recently utilizing her Master of Arts in Leadership to drive significant enhancements in community support services. Her leadership has not only expanded the scope of programs across organizations but has also augmented their impact, increasing access to essential services for hundreds of individuals each year.

Laurie’s mission is to enhance stakeholder engagement and forge strategic partnerships, securing the necessary resources to deliver client-centered care and support. She strives to create a supportive system where our clients not only survive but thrive, empowered by a community that understands and actively supports their journey.

“My family immigrated to Canada from France when I was nine years old, and we settled in a rural northern community in British Columbia. We faced significant discrimination due to our lack of English skills. I watched my parents tirelessly search for work, only to be repeatedly turned away and ultimately left with no choice but to accept jobs that did not match their qualifications and experience from our home country. Experiencing the challenges of being a newcomer firsthand fueled my passion for helping newcomers settle in Canada and find meaningful, sustainable employment.”