High Ground 2022: Civic Governance Forum

Alex Boston

Executive Director, Renewable Cities

Alex has two decades of policy and planning experience focused on community climate action with unique expertise in land use and multi-criteria analysis, engagement and knowledge mobilization. He has led multiple award-winning community energy plans recognized for innovative carbon modeling and mapping, implementation readiness and powerful triple bottom line analysis. His work on local, provincial and national scale projects includes: supporting the BC Ministry of Environment to generate community energy and emission inventories for all BC municipalities; developing Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ best practice guide for GHG target setting, serving as principal advisor on Climate Protection Program Renewal; advising Prime Minister Martin’s Task Force on Cities on the federal role in urban climate action; and designing community energy planning tools for Natural Resources Canada and the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

Alison Gu (Moderator)

Councillor, City of Burnaby

Alison is a 2nd generation Chinese settler living on the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the hən̓qəmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples. Alison is the youngest ever Burnaby City Councillor, and was elected on the mandate of climate, housing, and racial justice. Before being elected as a councillor, she has for an MLA, 2 MPs, and for her student union. In 2017, she cycled from Ottawa to Burnaby against the Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline while fundraising for the legal fees of the First Nations fighting the project in court.

Amber George

Indigenous Rights Advocate

Amber George is an mixed race Indigenous woman from the Wet’suwet’en Nation. She is also of Mohawk and European Settler lineage. She is Killer whale/Grouse from the Likstamisyu House. Amber comes from a prestigious and long lineage of hereditary Chiefs and historical figures of the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en Nations. Her family is prominent in the advocacy of Indigenous rights in Canada, having fought since first contact for generations, in the attempt for equal rights for non-status and status Indigenous, as well as off reserve members.

Amy Lubik (Moderator)

Councillor, City of Port Moody

Amy is a first-term City Councillor in Port Moody and is passionate about social and environmental justice. She chairs the Port Moody Environmental Protection Committee, is vice-Chair of the Climate Action Committee and the Seniors’ Focus Committee, and is a member of the Affordable Housing Task Force and Tri-Cities Food Security Working Group. As a climate activist, she volunteers as a member of the Climate Caucus. She is also a member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and the Public Health Association of BC. In her day job, Amy is a health equity policy analyst for a local health authority. Amy received her Ph.D. in Prostate Cancer Research from Queensland University of Technology.

• @amy_lubik

Anastasia French

Campaigns and Operations Organiser, Living Wage For Families

Anastasia is a passionate campaigner with over 10 years experience campaigning on social justice issues in Canada and the UK. She previously worked for The Children’s Society, one of Britain’s leading children’s charities. At The Children’s Society, she ran several successful campaigns on issues around debt, child poverty and support for refugee and migrant children. Her role is split between the Living Wage for Families campaign and supporting First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition.

• @frenchastasia

Andrew Nielsen

Housing Manager, City of Merritt

Andrew is the Housing Manager at the City of Merritt and a Regulatory and Environmental Consultant at Diamond River Consulting. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Calgary, and a degree in Chemical Engineering Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Anjali Appadurai

Climate Justice Campaigner, Sierra Club BC

Anjali is a climate justice advocate, communicator and consultant. She works to strengthen climate change messaging and discourse in Canada by centring the stories of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. She brings a strong justice lens to climate change messaging and connects climate issues to socioeconomic and political realities. Anjali works with the Sierra Club BC team to support our role as a strong contributor to the Canadian and global climate justice movement.

Arshia Uppal

Founder, Climate Recentered

“Arshia Uppal is a second generation settler in her second year of post-secondary hoping to major in environmental studies with a concentration in ecology. She entered the climate organizing space three years ago starting off with youth-led groups such as Sustainabiliteens. Arshia currently organizes with Climate Justice UBC and is also working towards pushing for harm reduction initiatives on campus with the UBC Social Justice Centre. Arshia has recently helped create a youth-led BIPOC cohort at Solid State Industries called Climate Recentered which focuses on reshaping the white narrative of climate organizing by bringing marginalized and racialized populations to the forefront of climate discussions. Her work revolves around the idea of incorporating intersectionality and equity into community organizing.”

Barbara McMillan

Provincial Community Engagement Coordinator, United Way

Barbara McMillan is the Provincial Community Engagement Coordinator with United Way British Columbia’s Population Health Team. She holds a BA in Communications from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Management Degree (National Voluntary Sector Leaders) from McGill University, and has worked and volunteered with a wide range of community and civil sector organizations locally and globally, including Vancouver Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, and Health Canada’s Health Promotion Directorate.

Bowinn Ma

Minister of State for Infrastructure

Bowinn has served as MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale since May 2017 and was appointed Minister of State for Infrastructure in 2020. She is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with a degree in civil engineering (BASc), a masters from the UBC Sauder School of Business (MM), and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Bowinn has championed investments for the North Shore in housing, child care, and education. She is an ardent believer in the climate emergency and has also made headlines for speaking publicly about difficult topics like racism, sexism, and eating disorders.

• @BowinnMa

Carleen Thomas

Special Projects Manager, Treaty, Lands and Resources, Tsleil-Waututh Nation

Carleen Thomas is the Special Projects Manager for the Treaty Lands & Resources Department, of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Ms. Thomas works on building relationships with communities, and various government entities encompassed within the homelands & waters of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN). She was recently appointed the Chancellor of Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU). 

Charley Beresford

Public Policy Innovator

Charley is a leader in public interest governance and policy solutions.  Charley lead the Columbia Institute for 13 years, establishing the Institute’s Centre for Civic Governance and directing research on public policy issues ranging from K-12 Funding, Understanding Public Private Partnerships, Climate Action, Green Economy and Governance.  Most recently, Charley served as Senior Executive Lead at the Province of BC’s Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office which provides governance support for Provincial public sector organizations.   Charley led the development of the Province’s Governing in the Public Interest Certificate program and brought a strong diversity focus to CABRO’s work.  Charley holds a Certificate in Circular Economy from Cambridge Judge School of Business.

Cheeying Ho (Moderator)

Executive Director, Whistler Centre for Sustainability

Cheeying is the Executive Director of the Whistler Centre for Sustainability, and has over 20 years of experience in community planning, engagement, and sustainability. She provides strategy, creative process design, facilitation, and engagement for local and band governments, and non-profit organizations. She created and launched the Social Venture Challenge program, and the Indigenous Tourism Startup Program, designed to inspire and support entrepreneurs with the development of new social enterprises. Prior to her role at the Centre, Cheeying was the Executive Director of Smart Growth BC.

Chinu Das

Councillor, City of New Westminster

Chinu Das is a City Councillor in New Westminster. As a long time champion of diversity and social inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable people in the city, she has chaired  New Westminster’s Seniors Advisory Committee and Multicultural Advisory Committee amongst several others. She brings the lens of a first generation immigrant woman of colour to Council work.  Currently, she chairs the city’s newly introduced Social Inclusion,  Engagement and Reconciliation Advisory Committee. She is a member of UWLM’s Community Based Seniors Sector Municipal Caucus. She has a Ph.D in Community and Regional Planning from UBC.

Christine Ho Younghusband

Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Northern British Columbia

Dr. Christine Ho Younghusband is an Assistant Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia in the School of Education. Christine is a former secondary mathematics teacher in BC public schools and school trustee. She has worked with the Ministry of Education and First Nations Education Steering Committee developing the Math K-9 Curriculum, revising the FNESC/FNSA Math Resource Guide, and writing learning activities for Open Schools BC. Christine is Vice-Chair of the Board of the Institute for Public Education.

Dan Laitsch

Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University

Dan Laitsch is an associate professor with the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and a researcher with the SFU Centre for the Study of Educational Leadership and Policy. He co-edits the open access journal, International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership. Dr. Laitsch’s research examines the use and misuse of research in teaching, policymaking, and issue advocacy, and the impact of neoliberal policies on educational systems. He is on the board of the Institute for Public Education BC, and current President of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations, BC.

David Chudnovsky

Board Member, Institute for Public Education BC

David Chudnovsky worked in nursery, elementary and secondary schools and at the university level in England, Ontario and BC during his 35-year teaching career.  He is a past-president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and was an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia Legislature from 2005-2009.  David is co-author of the Charter for Public Education. David is a member of the Board of IPE.

El Jones

Community Activist, Journalist, and Poet

El Jones is a spoken word poet, an educator, journalist, and a community activist living in African Nova Scotia. She was the fifth Poet Laureate of Halifax. In 2016, El was a recipient of the Burnley “Rocky” Jones human rights award for her community work and work in prison justice. She is a co-founder of the Black Power Hour, a live radio show with incarcerated people on CKDU that creates space for people inside to share their creative work and discuss contemporary social and political issues, and along with this work, she supports women in Nova Institution in writing and sharing their voices. She is also the chair of the 15-person sub-committee in Halifax responsible for drawing up the report: Defunding the Police: Defining the Way Forward for HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality). The 218-page report features 36 recommendations to reallocate resources away from the police to more appropriate service providers.

Gaetan Royer

CEO, CityState Consulting

Gaetan is the CEO of CityState Consulting. His love of everything urban has brought him to hundreds of cities in 30 countries. An urban planner originally from Québec City, he received a Governor General’s Medal for his humanitarian work in Sarajevo. During his time as City Manager in Port Moody, the city received numerous awards including the International Livable Communities Award. The author of Time for Cities, a book about getting a better deal for cities, he is also a Research Associate with the Columbia Institute, most recently on bringing services back in-house to municipalities.

• @PortMoodyGaetan

Grace Park

Program Medical Director, Home Health, Fraser Health Authority

Dr. Grace Park is the program medical director for Home Health and a practicing family physician. She provides care and supports clients to live independently at home for as long as possible. She is actively involved with the Divisions of Family Practice in the work with the Integrated Health Network (IHN) and along with the IHN team making significant progress in Home Health integration with community family physicians. She is also a clinical assistant professor with the Department of Family Practice at University of British Columbia.

Guy Felicella

Harm Reduction Advocate

Guy Felicella faced trauma and an undiagnosed learning disability at a young age. He developed anxiety and depression and didn’t have the proper support to navigate these challenges alone. He started coping with his emotional pain with drugs and alcohol at only 12 years old which escalated into a substance use disorder that left him residing in the Downtown Eastside for 20 years. Guy faced additional trauma through a life of homelessness, institutions, gangs, severe health conditions that nearly took his leg and multiple overdoses. Today Guy has 9 years of recovery and uses his career and platform to advocate for trauma therapy, harm reduction, quicker access to treatment and changed drug policy. Guy is an inspiration to many and a fierce advocate for those needing a voice. 

Halena Seiferling

Executive Director, Living in Community

Halena Seiferling is the Executive Director of Living in Community, a BC-based non-profit that brings together diverse stakeholders to collaboratively advocate for sex workers’ rights, health, and safety. Halena is passionate about genuine, community-based relationship-building in addressing complex issues. Halena has also worked in projects advocating for living wages, electoral reform, municipal political engagement, and climate justice. She has a Masters in Public Policy from SFU.

Jennifer Reddy (Moderator)

Trustee, Board of Education, School District 39 (Vancouver)

Jennifer is working towards an inclusive community where people are engaged as valuable and deserving individuals, who can use their agency to lead the changes they wish to see. Jennifer holds a Masters in Social Policy and Development, a Bachelors in Development Studies, and a Certificate in Curriculum Development and Instructional Design. From SFU, EdMeCo, and the VSB to Kuru Kuru Training Centre in Guyana, Jennifer has been inspired by global leadership in education and social change.

• @ReddyForChange

Jennifer Wolowic

Strengthening Canadian Democracy Manager, Simon Fraser University

Jennifer is the project manager for the Strengthening Canadian Democracy Initiative at Simon Fraser University. She brings 15 years of experience engaging marginalized communities including African American, First Nations, and LGBTQ communities to the initiative. A diverse range of experiences in research, film production, and event organizing compliments her social science background. Her Interdisciplinary PhD in Anthropology and Media means she tends to see the world though the practices, beliefs, knowledge, and technology humans use to connect. Jennifer is an avid storyteller who advocates for optimism in every democratic conversation and action.

Jessica Yu

Public Health Researcher, University of British Columbia

Jessica completed her PhD at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. Her interests in global and environmental health stem from her experiences abroad, when she worked and collaborated with international and local non-profit organisations in Thailand, India, and South Africa.  Her doctoral work analysed the built environmental determinants of healthy and resilient cities with the focus on equity and sustainability. Her hope is to continue to contribute to guidelines and tools to help build more equitable and climate-resilient urban health systems in Canada and beyond.

Jonathan Morris

CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association (BC Division)

Jonathan is the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division. He spent two years in the public service working for the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, where he played a key role in helping build this new Ministry from the ground up, eventually leading the Policy and Legislation Branch as Senior Director. Jonathan has a long research and practice history in suicide prevention, has trained as a counsellor, and has held sessional teaching appointments at the University of Victoria and Douglas College in Child and Youth Care.

Joshua Seymour

Councillor, Lheidli T’enneh Nation

Joshua Seymour was born and raised in Lheidli t’enneh. As the father of a son, Joshua wants to leave a legacy of understanding Lheidli t’enneh’s history, as well remove many of the barriers he has faced learning of his people for future generations. Joshua’s goal in life is to ensure lheidli has her rightful spot in history. Joshua goal is to make Lheidli t’enneh’s culture is accessible and understood by all who reside within the Lheidli t’enneh territory.

Kai Nagata

Communications Director, Dogwood

Kai is the communications director at Dogwood, a B.C. group focused on climate justice, Indigenous rights and grassroots democracy. He lives on Gitxsan territory near the Village of Hazelton. Trained in journalism, Kai held positions at CBC, CTV and The Tyee. He now volunteers on the board of the Harbinger Media Network.

Karen Ranalletta (Moderator)

President, CUPE BC

Karen is the President of CUPE BC and an officer of the BC Federation of Labour. Karen is President of CUPE 2950 (representing 1500+ clerical and library workers at the University of British Columbia) and the chair of the local’s Education Committee. She is also a member of the Contract Committee, a health and safety steward and delegate to the CUPE Metro and District Council. In 2010 she became a member facilitator and at the 2011 CLC Convention she discovered a passion for pensions and was appointed to the CUPE BC Pension Committee later that year.  Karen has also chaired the Library and Technology and Communications Committees of CUPE BC.

Ken Melamed (Moderator)

Advisor, Columbia Institute

Ken Melamed is a former mayor of Whistler in BC. He is a businessman, conservationist and former Green Party of Canada candidate in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. Ken Melamed was first elected to the Whistler council in 1996, serving as a councillor until 2005. He was elected as mayor in 2005 and served in that position until 2011.

Kevin Kapenda

Co-Director & Co-Developer, Solid State Community Industries

Kevin Kapenda is an urbanist from Surrey, BC who is passionate about building more equitable cities and local economies. Presently, he works for Solid State Community Industries as a co-director and its co-op developer. As Solid State’s larger mission is to cultivate a solidarity economy in Surrey, his role also includes education and advocacy on this issue. He is also a member of the Black Arts Centre leadership team, and is passionate about the role that culture plays in building more inclusive, resilient and tolerant communities. 

Laird Cronk

President, BC Federation of Labour

Laird was elected BCFED President in November 2018. He is a Red Seal Electrician and a 33-year member of IBEW Local 230. For the past four years, he chaired the BCFED’s Apprenticeship and Skills Training Working Group and is a board member of the provincial Industry Training Authority.

Liz McDowell

Director of Digital and Campaign Strategies, Stand.earth

Liz joined the Stand.earth team in 2017 with a particular focus on scaling up our digital campaigning power. In her role as Director of Digital and Campaign Strategies, she’s helped our campaigns engage more than 650,000 people and reach corporate and government decision-makers in innovative and unexpected ways. She also oversees Canadian campaigns strategy, directs our Canadian forests campaigns, and helps local governments transition off fossil fuels as part of the SAFE Cities Campaign. Before working with Stand, Liz was Campaigns Director at SumOfUs, where she mobilized millions of people online to take action on corporate accountability and shifted corporate policy at some of the world’s largest companies. She’s passionate about harnessing digital tools to catalyze real-world change, particularly around climate change and climate justice. Liz has founded two non-profits in the UK and Canada, designed green jobs training programs, carried out research on the economic impacts of the Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline, and worked on climate change adaptation with the UN Institute for Training and Research.

Marcy Cohen (Moderator)

Co-chair, Community-Based Seniors’ Services Leadership Council, United Way Healthy Aging Department

Marcy has over 35 years of experience working as health and policy researcher, educator and advocate. She has published over 35 articles focusing on seniors care, health care reform and workforce equity and has been involved in social justice issues as a professional and volunteer for most of her adult life. Now retired, Marcy is increasingly interested in promoting resiliency in older adults and supports this interest through her volunteer roles with the United Way, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the BC Health Coalition

Mark Gamba

Mayor, City of Milwaukee, Oregon

Mark Gamba is the Mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon.  He serves on the executive committee of the Metropolitan Mayors Consortium and is past Chair of Metropolitan Policy Advisory Committee.  He has worked with a variety of organizations, committees and task forces on issues ranging from Climate Change, Affordable Housing and equitable multi-modal transportation. He ran for city council 9 years ago after experiencing climate change first hand as a National Geographic Photographer.  He tries to walk his talk and is currently living in a small apartment and travels around the region on an electric bike.  He is an outspoken advocate for increased and electrified transit.  He led his city through a visioning process that resulted in a vision that starts: “In 2040, Milwaukie is a flourishing city that is entirely equitable, delightfully livable, and completely sustainable”.  He also led the city in creating the largest active transportation infrastructure project in the history of the city and one of the strongest Climate Action plans in the state.   

Mark Tyndall

Professor, UBC School of Population and Public Health

Dr. Mark Tyndall is a Professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health. He is an infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist with a focus on urban health, drug use and harm reduction. He was formerly the Executive Director of the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Deputy Provincial Health Officer. He is an author on over 280 peer-reviewed publications, and was co-lead investigator on the evaluation of Insite, North America’s first supervised injection site.  His current work includes innovative solutions to prevent overdoses and the adverse health outcomes of drug use. Dr. Tyndall is a strong advocate and leader for public health in Canada and has fostered a number of community-based collaborations that have led to health policy changes. 

Markiel Simpson

Activist, The BC Community Alliance

Markiel Simpson is a high-level athlete turned community advocate, who is actively working towards having Canadian Black History taught in schools across BC.  Markiel is on the steering committee of the BC Community Alliance, a local non- for profit dedicated to breaking down systemic racism, especially as it affects BC’s Black community. Markiel is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers’ Vancouver hub, and co-Director of Diversity for the BC NDP’s Young New Democrats. Markiel was born in Montreal, but raised in East Vancouver, he has been drawn to politics and creating systemic change his whole life and is always one to stand up and speak out for those unable to speak for themselves. 

• @MarkielSimpson

Matthew Norris

President, Urban Native Youth Association

Matthew Norris is an Indigenous rights advocate and community leader dedicated to building a just and representative city. He is a is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in Northern Saskatchewan, and is currently finishing his PhD at UBC with a focus on the implementation of international Indigenous rights frameworks. Matthew Norris is the President of the Urban Native Youth Association, the Co-Chair for the Vancouver Just Recovery Association, and sits on BC Climate Secretariats’ Indigenous Climate Adaptation Working Group. For the past three years, Matthew has been employed as OneCity City Councillor Christine Boyle’s Policy and Communications Specialist, working on issues related to affordable housing, climate adaptation and the promotion of a just, responsive and representative city.

Michael Brauer

Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health, University of British Columbia

Michael Brauer joined the UBC faculty in 1991 in the Department of Medicine. He was an inaugural member of the Occupational Hygiene Program, Director of the School of Environmental Health (2003-2008) and the Occupational and Environmental Health co-lead in SPPH (2011-2014). He holds associate appointments in the Division of Respiratory Medicine and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC and is an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. His research focuses on linkages between the built environment and human health, with specific interest in transportation-related and biomass air pollution, the global health impacts of air pollution and relationships between multiple exposures mediated by urban form and population health. He has conducted monitoring and epidemiological studies throughout the world and served on numerous advisory committees (e.g. World Health Organization, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the US National Academies, Royal Society of Canada).

Michael Eglison

Chair, Death Review Panel, BC Coroners Service

Michael recently retired as the Director & Chair of Specialized Investigations and Death Review Unit for the BC Coroners Service (BCCS). He has worked in the public sector for the past 35 years in various capacities related to the health and well-being of children and youth. Part of Michael’s role at the BCCS is acting as the chair of death review panels.  Death review panels bring together multi-sectorial experts to review the facts and circumstances around deaths to provide the chief coroner with advice regarding health and public safety and the prevention of deaths.  Michael has chaired two panels on deaths resulting from illicit drug toxicity (reports released 2017 & 2022) as well as presided at two inquests into the deaths of people who died from toxic illicit drugs. He has also presented work on child health and well-being indicators internationally in Israel and South Korea. When not at work Michael spends as much time as possible kayaking and also ranks somewhere around the world’s 4^th worst guitar player.

Moira Mackenzie

Board Member, Institute for Public Education BC

Moira Mackenzie has a long history of advocacy and engagement in public education. She taught in BC public schools for many years at the primary and intermediate levels, and as a Resource and Learning Assistance teacher. She retired recently from the BC Teachers’ Federation where she served as Assistant Director in Professional and Social Issues, Director of the Communications and Campaigns Division, and Executive Director. She is deeply committed to quality public education and the crucial role it plays in a democratic society. Moira is a member of the Board of IPE.

Moira Wyton (Moderator)

Health Reporter, The Tyee

Moira Wyton is The Tyee’s health reporter. Her reporting focuses on substance use, drug policy and mental health in B.C., and she has played a crucial role in COVID-19 coverage since joining The Tyee in March 2020. Moira previously reported in her hometown with the Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun.

Naheed Nenshi

Former Mayor of Calgary

Naheed Nenshi is a passionate Calgarian, an accomplished business professional, and a community leader with a solid track record of getting things done. He’s run a large nonprofit, he’s been a trusted advisor to corporate leaders in Canada and the US, and he literally wrote the book on Canadian cities. Naheed spent many years at the international business consulting firm, McKinsey & Co., where he advised large telecommunications, banking, retail and oil and gas companies in corporate strategy. After leaving McKinsey, Naheed formed his own business, the Ascend Group, a consultancy that assists public, private, and nonprofit organizations to grow. His real passion, though, is making cities, especially Calgary, work better. He’s the lead author of “Building Up: Making Canada’s Cities Engines of Growth and Magnets of Development” and has long been putting his ideas to work in Calgary. He served as Mayor of Calgary from 2010 to 2021.

Nathan Cullen

Minister of Municipal Affairs

Nathan Cullen was elected MLA for Stikine in the 2020 provincial election and is the Minister of Municipal Affairs. He previously served as Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations. He is the Chair of the Environment and Land Use Committee and a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economy. Nathan proudly served as Member of Parliament for the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley for 15 years, from 2004 to 2019.  During his time in Ottawa, Nathan was named a Parliamentarian of the Year multiple times, served as Official Opposition House Leader, and held opposition critic roles for Finance, Ethics, Environment, and Democratic Reform. Nathan has worked to encourage the participation of young people in politics and the creation of new laws and has supported young entrepreneurs in the Northwest in starting and growing their businesses. 

Ned Taylor (Moderator)

Councillor and CRD Director, District of Saanich

Ned is the youngest Saanich Councillor and CRD Director, and was born and raised in the district. He is passionate about the environment and climate change, affordability and housing, better transportation options, and building a community that works for everyone.

Nikki Hill (Moderator)

Principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group

Nikki is a public engagement and campaign expert with over 20 years of experience in politics, strategic communications and government relations. Currently a Principal and Partner at Earnscliffe Strategy Group, Nikki’s previous roles include Director of Labour Participation at United Way of the Lower Mainland and Director of Organization for the BC NDP. Nikki is the volunteer Co-Chair of the United Way Period Promise campaign.

• @hillnikki

Ravi Kahlon

Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

Ravi was elected as the MLA for Delta North in 2017. Born and raised in Victoria, Ravi was introduced to Field Hockey by his father and grandfather. He is a two time Olympian in the sport for Team Canada and has been inducted into the Delta Sports Hall of Fame. Prior to his election as an MLA, Ravi spent seven years in banking, and another six years working with the New Democrat Caucus as Director of Stakeholder Relations.

• @KahlonRav

Sarah Potts

Councillor, City of Victoria

Sarah Potts is a currently a City Councillor in Victoria, BC. She was first elected in 2018 under the banner of Together Victoria, an effort to support equity seeking candidates and to build a strong voice for affordability and inclusion in the City of Victoria. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Victoria where she studied Political Science and Human Dimensions of Climate Change. Her work experience in the field of poverty, homelessness, and the overdose epidemic has motivated her to advocate for diverse representation and the inclusion of lived experience in decision making. To this end she has established the City of Victoria’s first Peer-Informed Task Force to address issues of mental health, addictions, and homelessness. This work has led the City of Victoria to pilot a Peer Assisted Crisis Team, an alternative to policing mental health, addictions, and homelessness.

Stephanie Atleo

Councillor, Cowichan Tribes First Nation

Stephanie Atleo is a member of Cowichan Tribes First Nation.  Stephanie grew up in her community where she continues to reside and raise her two children. She is an active participant in community and culture. Stephanie is currently a member of the elected Chief and Council, serving her 5^th term.  In her role Stephanie sits on numerous committees including Education, Cowichan Tribes Treaty, Human Resources, Finance and Audit and participates on numerous working groups developing legislation and laws as Cowichan Tribes moves more towards Self-Governance and away from the Indian Act. Stephanie began her education in First Nation Governance in the mid 1990’s by attending a two year Associates of Arts Diploma program at the Institute of Indigenous Governance.  She graduated from UBC with a BA in First Nations Studies, minoring in History. Prior to returning to Cowichan Tribes to serve on council as well as work in the Administration office, Stephanie worked as an Aboriginal Relations’ consultant traveling to many communities in BC working with communities on some large projects. Stephanie is currently in pursuit of a Masters Degree in Governance and Leadership.  In addition to her interest in school, Stephanie’s other interests include reading, playing fastball, and art. 

Stephanie Smith

President, BC Government and Service Employees’ Union

Stephanie is the first woman elected president of the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU), representing 80,000 members at 550 different employers and B.C. government ministries. Stephanie was elected BCGEU president at the union’s convention in May 2014, and was re-elected for her second term in June 2017. She is from the non-government sector, reflecting the diversity of BCGEU’s membership base. Stephanie has already made her mark on the union, meeting with members around the province and being consultative and connected with the union’s elected officials, members and staff.

Sussanne Skidmore

Secretary-Treasurer, BC Federation of Labour

Sussanne chairs the Columbia Institute’s board of directors and is a well-known social justice advocate and queer-and-human-rights activist. She was elected as the BC Federation of Labour’s Secretary-Treasurer in 2018 and has been a member of the BC Government and Service Employees Union (BCGEU) since 1997, serving in nearly every elected position—from steward to executive vice president. By profession, Sussanne is a training analyst in the Court Services Branch of the Ministry of Justice where she worked for more than a decade. She is also the Treasurer of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and Vice President of the BC NDP. She represents a generation of labour leaders working to grow the labour movement to meet today’s most pressing challenges. 

• @SussanneRS

Tariq Tyab

Co-Founder, Resilience BC and Foundation for a Path Forward

Tariq has been a community capacity builder for over 20 years. His passion for breaking silos and building bridges has enabled multiple organizations to work with new Multicultural and Faith community allies. He is a co-founder of the Official Faith Based Community Convener for Resilience B.C., Foundation for a Path Forward, as well as Islam Unravelled Educational Initiative, and the Muslim Food Bank. Tariq also serves as the VP of Media for the BC Muslim Association, the province’s largest Muslim organization. As a social entrepreneur, Tariq is also a co-founder of a technology company focused on developing solutions for shared community challenges. 

Temitope Onifade

Climate, Low-Carbon Regulation, and Governance Expert, School of Public Policy, University of British Columbia

Temitope Onifade is a climate and low-carbon regulation and governance expert. He is a Vanier Scholar at the Peter A. Allard Law School and a Co-founder of the Liu Institute Network for Africa at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, UBC. He has also worked as a researcher for Canada Climate Law Initiative, UBC, and Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative, Oxford University. As a scholar-practitioner, Temi contributes to Canada’s government low-carbon policy, industry and civil society climate action initiatives, and the United Nations climate policy process. He has served on the UBC Senate and several NGO boards. His work has featured in the media, including Canadian Lawyer Magazine, The Lawyer’s Daily, CBC News, Global News, The Logic, Financial Post and several others. 

Trent Derrick

Education Advocate

Trent is proud to be from the Gitxsan Nation. He is known is his community for advocating for Youth at Risk, poverty reduction and equity for those in need and was the former Board Chair for School District 57. His two businesses were the first in Northern BC to take the Period Promise Pledge by providing free products for his staff. As a small business owner, he believes in the importance of working closely with local labour to better the community at large. 

• @trentderrick11

Yuill Herbert

Principal, Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG)

Yuill has been an SSG Principal for over 17 years. He has worked on and led more than forty community energy and GHG plans and models across Canada. He has leading expertise on climate change mitigation and adaptation systems modelling that incorporates energy, GHG emissions and co-benefits. Yuill serves as a director on the board of the Tatamagouche Community Land Trust.