Aaron is Cree Metis on his father’s side (Cree Grandmother, Cree, and French Grandfather) and (Scottish Heritage) on his mother’s side. Aaron is an adult child and nephew of Metis Residential School survivors (father, aunt, and uncle). Aaron currently works at Westcoast Family Centres (WFC) as an Indigenous Family Counselor and Indigenous Education Consultant. His works includes supporting Indigenous families, changing agency forms/report writing and policies to help ensure services are offered in a culturally appropriate safe manner for everyone being served. Aaron facilitates Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Learning and Talking Circles for WFC staff, MCFD staff (including students and new hires), Family Services of Greater Vancouver staff, and Hollyburn Family Services staff. The TRC Learning Talking Circles now includes MCFD, VACFSS, and Hollyburn Foster Caregivers. Aaron has been providing one-on-one support for foster caregivers, cultural teachings and providing traditional medicines they can use with the children and youth placed in their care. Aaron has over 31 years of direct experience providing support to children, youth and families of all cultures and socio-economic backgrounds in the non-profit, community and social service sectors. This includes being one of the first males to work in as a child and youth counselor in a women’s transition home and second stage housing program. Aaron has also previously worked as a Children Who Witness Counselor, a Services Coordinator for youth in care of MCFD and North West Territories Ministries, and a Suicide Awareness Prevention Coordinator in the Richmond School District.

Adam Kreek, an Olympic gold medalist and seasoned adventurer, has transcended the world of sports to become a beacon of leadership and organizational excellence. Leveraging his extensive experiences, which include not only his Olympic victory in rowing but also surviving a perilous capsize in the Bermuda Triangle, Adam brings a deep understanding of teamwork, resilience, and strategic planning to his role as a consultant. His firsthand knowledge of high-stakes environments and critical decision-making enriches his consultations, making him a sought-after strategist for non-profits aiming to navigate complex challenges and enhance their impact. A celebrated author, Adam's book, The Responsibility Ethic, teaches leaders how to foster accountability and succeed against all odds, drawing parallels between athletic rigour and business management. His consulting work is further distinguished by his engagements with elite organizations like Amazon and Microsoft and his educational background at Stanford University, positioning him uniquely to address both the theoretical and practical aspects of leadership. Adam's commitment to excellence is matched by his dedication to family and lifelong learning, grounding his high-flying advice in real-world wisdom and relatability. He is a long-time Big Brother and Champion for the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation and has sat on the boards of many non-profits, large and small. His dynamic approach to leadership development and organizational success makes him an invaluable asset to any non-profit seeking to inspire change and achieve sustainable growth.

Amanda is an arbitrator, mediator, and lawyer residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, specializing in workplace dispute resolution alongside her colleague Vince Ready. Since becoming a neutral in 2019, Amanda has been appointed on disputes in BC, SK, NT, NU, and under federal jurisdiction—publishing numerous decisions and settling many more cases through mediation. She is on the roster of arbitrators in BC, is named as an arbitrator in numerous collective agreements, and acts as an external adjudicator for the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Amanda has a particular interest in mediating collective bargaining disputes. In this capacity, Amanda has been appointed as a Special Mediator by the Governments of SK and BC as well as worked as a privately appointed mediator. Amanda was appointed as an Industrial Inquiry Commissioner for the Government of BC, publishing a report with recommendations on changes to union successorship rights in BC’s forest industry. Amanda graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours B.A (2003) and a Juris Doctor (JD) (2007). She completed a Master of Laws (LLM) specializing in Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University in 2021.

Andrea Coutts is a Certified Executive Coach and founder of Arbutus Coast Consulting. She has a background in strategic planning, crisis communications, and stakeholder management, working with senior leaders in government, the urban development industry, and the non-profit sector. Following 18 years working in large, complex organizations, Andrea made the decision to branch out into entrepreneurship and live life in alignment with her values and dreams. As a coach, she supports leaders, executives, and teams to navigate challenges, build resilience, and elevate performance. Having personally experienced burnout, grief, and chronic pain, Andrea is passionate about helping people lead thriving teams, heal from burnout, and create change. Her resources help leaders be strategic and impactful, while maintaining boundaries and prioritizing what’s most important to them. When she’s not coaching, Andrea can be found in the garden marveling over the science of plant propagation, or exploring coastal areas around her home in Victoria, BC.

Bernadette Spence is a dedicated leader in the field of child and family services, with a focus on the rights of Indigenous communities. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS), she works to advance the well-being of Indigenous children and families and is committed to cultural preservation, social justice, and community empowerment.

Born to the Dene Nation in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Charles Lafferty is from a large family of ten siblings. From 1965 to 1969, Charles, who was a young boy at the time, attended the residential day school in his village of Fort Simpson. Coincidentally, his last year there marked the end of the residential school system in the Northwest Territories. While some of his siblings chose to remain in their home territory of the Dehcho, Lidlii Kue First Nation, in 1979, Charles decided to travel south and became a settler in the Coast Salish Territory. He now considers himself urban Indigenous. Before coming to PLEA, Charles held various roles with several organizations dedicated in part, to supporting the Indigenous community and clients the organizations served. He has a natural affinity and love of children and youth and as such, has shared that deep connection and care for Indigenous young people in his work with the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society, the Urban Native Youth Association, Vancouver School District #39, and the Pacific Community Resources Society. Charles joined PLEA as an in-house Knowledge Keeper in 2021.The role was created with the goal of taking PLEA’s allyship in reconciliation to the next level. Specifically, PLEA was looking to embed more cultural ceremony and understanding across the agency, offer more cultural education to its workforce, and to develop more meaningful cultural plans to the people PLEA serves. Charles has brought this and so much more. His connections with staff and the community at large are all deeply rooted in his proud heritage, his culture and in his lived experiences as he navigated life as a proud Indigenous man, a residential school survivor and today, as a knowledge keeper.

Courtney joined CSSEA in June 2017 as an Advocate. She attended law school in Australia and articled in Ontario. Since being called to the bar in BC, Courtney has worked in civil litigation, primarily in a large employment-related matter. She possesses a long history of volunteerism, which includes work with several organizations in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Jen is a communications and marketing superstar! Her extensive education, training and experience in the field of communications, marketing and fundraising are on full display in her current role as Director of Communications and Development at PLEA. Jen, who was born and raised in England, holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics & Sociology from the University of Manchester and a Professional Diploma in Marketing from Cambridge Marketing College. She also has Chartered Marketer status with the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing. Jen has worked in communications in the health and social services sector for almost two decades. She spent the early part of her career working for the National Health Service in the UK. During those 10 years, she worked in the community, mental health and support services side of the health sector, supporting and eventually managing internal, patient liaison and health awareness communications and campaigns. Jen continued to share her talent and expertise in Canada when she immigrated in 2013. She knew she wanted to work in the not-for-profit or public sector, because she is inspired and motivated to use her skills to benefit others. Since joining PLEA Community Services in 2014, the Communication and Development team - which she now directs - has grown from a team of three to a team of seven. Her team is responsible for internal communications, events, community relations, marketing, media relations and advocacy. Jen is also responsible for PLEA’s fundraising efforts and over the course of her time with PLEA, has supported her team and the agency to raise more than $9M in charitable revenue. These funds are used to sustain preventative programming, expand and extend existing services, and to develop new programs and community-based supports as needed.

Joanna joined CSSEA in January 2023. She is an accomplished and experienced labour relations practitioner who worked for one of CSSEA's members, Community Living Victoria, for seven years as Director of Human Resources. Before that, she worked at another of our members, Integra Support Services, in a number of roles including the Director of Human Resources. In 2020, she was awarded the HR Professional of the Year by the BC and Yukon Chartered Professional HR Association.

Jonny Morris is the CEO at the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division and has more than 20 years of experience in community-based mental health services, policy, and advocacy. He has research and practice experience in suicide prevention, is a trained counsellor, and has taught child and youth care courses at the University of Victoria and Douglas College. Jonny is committed to a vision of mental health for all, working at the Canadian Mental Health Association to lead system change efforts in preventing mental health problems, responding to crisis, and improving care when people need to go to hospital. As an advocate for reducing stigma, he regularly speaks with workplaces, colleges and universities, and communities about the opportunity to ensure mental health is a priority. Previously, Jonny led the policy and legislation branch for BC’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, helping build the newly formed ministry from the ground up. Jonny comes at his work with lived experience personally and as a family member.

Krisha Dhaliwal offers services in all areas of temporary and permanent Canadian immigration law. Krisha’s practice focuses on skills-based and employment-driven immigration, working with businesses and individuals in all industries, including the technology, infrastructure and construction, post-secondary, and non-profit sectors. She also has a background in complex family immigration matters, including intercountry adoption and LGBTQ+ immigration issues. Krisha graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law in May 2015, and in 2020, she completed a research-intensive Master of Laws program in immigration and international law at the University of Toronto while continuing to grow her law practice. Outside of her legal career, Krisha enjoys staying active in her community, and has served as a director on a number of non-profit and public sector boards in British Columbia.

Mark Zuberbuhler is the Chief Executive Officer for AiMHi and a Board Director for the BC CEO Network and for Open Door Ventures. He has many years of experience in strategic planning, operational effectiveness and program innovation. Mark was previously the Executive Director for Pioneer Community Living Association, Board President and Interim CEO for the Pacifica Treatment Centre, and served on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. Earlier in his career, he was at the University of British Columbia in the Information and Learning Technology groups. Mark began his career in the media industry, producing and directing programming for Global TV and CTV. His interest in the arts also led him to serve as Board President for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

Matthew Cooperwilliams has more than 30 years’ experience with difficult employment, labour and business problems, and representing employers, employees and businesses in courts, tribunals and arbitrations across Canada. He advises employers and employees about employment law problems and acts as counsel before courts, human rights tribunals and administrative adjudicators. Matthew also provides strategic advice to employers about a wide variety of issues in unionized workplaces and represents employers at the BC Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board and before collective agreement arbitrators. He represents employers, employees and businesses in a wide variety of litigation matters before courts, tribunals and regulators. Matthew was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1988. He served as Adjunct Professor in Employment Law at the University of British Columbia from 2010-2015 and continues to guest lecturer at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC.

Mike joined CSSEA in April 2023 and brings with him extensive experience at Interior Health Authority (IHA), having worked in a variety of labour relations and HR roles there from Corporate Director, Employee and Labour Relations; HR Operations Lead; Labour Relations Specialist; and Human Resources Consultant. In his most recent positions as Corporate Director and HR Operations Lead, he led the Human Resources function for all pandemic response initiatives and directed the Labour Relations team in managing approximately 1,000 grievances per year and coordinating all of the daily collective agreement consultations with IHA Managers. Mike has also represented IHA in a variety of arbitration settings.

Rod joined Archway Community Services in 2010 after 20 plus years of experience in senior level leadership roles within the non-profit sector. He was drawn to Archway because of the agency’s far reaching stellar reputation, vast scope, and its innovative staff. He instantly bonded with Archway’s mission of “fostering community well-being and social justice through positive action and leadership.” Rod has an Executive MBA from SFU and a BA in Religious Studies from TWU. He has also practiced embodied leadership, collective impact and community change, and intercultural dispute resolution. Rod loves working alongside people who are so passionate about amplifying the voices of the people they get to work with; staff, volunteers and partners who go the extra mile and who somehow manage to laugh and cry along the journey of seeking “justice, opportunities and equitable access for all”. He is part of various Archway committees including the Board of Governance, Finance, Nominations, Board Development, Strategic Planning, and the Shared Leadership Team. He is the Past Chair on the Board of Community Social Services Employers Association of BC (CSSEA) and has served on the Advisory Committee of Peace and Conflict Studies at UFV, the Hub of the Fraser Valley Community Advisory Board of Abbotsford City Council, and as the Facilitator for the Abbotsford Collaborative Services Committee. Rod has been an Abbotsford resident for over 20 years except for when he – with his family – lived in Uzbekistan for six years working as an international community developer. He savours the great outdoors through hiking, camping, cycling, canoeing, and snowshoeing. He dabbles in epicurean cuisines (some cooking, lots of eating) and loves to experience the world one-culture-at-a-time through travelling (preferably with a backpack on). He lives with his wife.

Satvinder Basran is CSSEA's Community Social Services Early Intervention Coordinator. He brings over 25 years of experience in community development, program operations administration, and HRLR experience in the community social services sector (CSS). Over his tenure he has held various positions from frontline to management to directorships at various non-profit societies throughout the BC Lower Mainland. He has worked with accredited organizations in community living, immigrant services and harm reduction providing services/programs to; children, youth, immigrants, refugees, agricultural workers, individuals with developmental disabilities and the homeless. At the provincial level his dedication and leadership on the CSS WorkSafeBC Pilot Project received recognition and support from the sector.

Tigran Bajgoric is the CEO at the Community Social Services Health and Safety Association. Tigran brings extensive healthcare and senior occupational health and safety experience to this role. His comprehensive background in organizational health and safety management and significant experience in leading a diverse range of complex projects and managing multi-disciplinary teams are an asset to CSSHSA.