Dr. Margo Greenwood is an internationally recognized and highly respected Indigenous scholar of Cree ancestry. She is a mother, grandmother, researcher, and author. Dr. Greenwood is a full professor in UNBC’s Education Program, working part-time. Alongside this role, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada as a Senator for British Columbia in November 2022, where she advocates for the continued well-being of all children and families in Canada.

Up until her appointment to the Senate of Canada, Dr. Greenwood served as Academic Leader of the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health and as interim Scientific Director of CIHR’s Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health.

Dr. Greenwood has worked with UNICEF, the United Nations, and the Canadian Reference Group to the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health. She has served on the Assembly of First Nations’ Public Health Expert Advisory Committee, the Indigenous Health Advisory Committee for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Public Health Network of Canada. Dr. Greenwood participated in the development of three federal early childhood programs—the First Nations Inuit Child Care Initiative, the Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Program, and the First Nations Head Start On Reserve Program—and recently co-authored the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework. Dr. Greenwood was a founding member of the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society and now serves on the Board of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and as a Council Member of the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council.

In recognition of her transformational leadership and contributions to society, especially in Indigenous health and early childhood, Dr. Greenwood has received numerous awards and recognitions. Most recently she was appointed to the Order of Canada as an Officer and as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.

Margaret Gillis is the founding President of the International Longevity Centre Canada, a human rights based organization, and Co-President of the International Longevity Centre Global Alliance, which is an alliance of 16 Centres around the world dedicated to the needs of older people. She is also an “Community Ambassador” for Elder Abuse Awareness Ontario an organization providing education, training and information on elder abuse. An award winning executive and innovative leader, Margaret played a key role in establishing the Age-friendly Community program in Canada and internationally. Other career highlights include the establishment of the “Canadian Coalition Against Ageism” a nation-wide social change movement to combat ageism.

Margaret has strong credentials in regard to human rights, working with and speaking at the UN General Assembly on behalf of older people. Margaret has been actively working for a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons in Canada and internationally. With a background in health promotion, protection and programming, Margret is committed to improving the rights of older people.

Malcolm Brodie has been a member of Richmond City Council since 1996. Following a by-election, he was sworn in as Mayor on October 29, 2001 and was re-elected in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Mayor Brodie has been appointed as First Director to the Board of Directors of Metro Vancouver since taking office in 2001. He has been active on various Metro Vancouver committees. He has represented Metro Vancouver on the Municipal Finance Authority as a Trustee since 2006, Vice Chair from 2009-2015, and Chair since March 2015. Mayor Brodie was appointed by UBCM to the Local Government Policing Modernization Roundtable from January 2022 until May 2024 and previously to the Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee from 2013-2017. He was also UBCM’s appointee to the PRIMECorp Board of Directors from 2013-2014. The Mayor previously served as a Director on the Board of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) from 2002-2007 and as Chair in 2006-2007. He is currently a Director on the Board at TransLink as well as a member and elected Vice Chair of the TransLink Mayors’ Council.

Mayor Brodie is the Chair of the City’s General Purposes Committee and the Finance Committee. In addition, the Mayor is an ‘ex officio’ member of the remaining four Standing Committees of Council.

Before being elected to Council, Mayor Brodie was a practising lawyer and had a long record of service to Richmond in the volunteer community. In honour of his contributions and achievements in the community, Mayor Brodie was a recipient of the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada (1992), the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), the Canada 150th Anniversary Medal (2017), Richmond Centre Outstanding Constituent Award (2023) and King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025).

As a 1.5 generation immigrant from Hong Kong, Jacky Leung is proud to have the language and cultural knowledge to work with the diverse seniors community in Vancouver for more than 10 years. He is currently program director of wellness and active communities at S.U.C.C.E.S.S., a immigrant serving social service organization, where he leads a number of community based and culturally-appropriate programs for older adults in metro Vancouver. He works with a team of passionate individuals who support seniors of diverse backgrounds who live independently at home in areas including in-home supports, digital literacy, health education, and seniors-led social programs. Since the beginning of his career working as a settlement worker, he sees first-hand the challenges immigrant seniors face in accessing supports brought by systems that are not designed to support the diverse needs of a diverse people who live in our communities. He also sees the resilience in many who try very hard to navigate the digital world that is changing ever quicker.  Jacky is keen to learn more about innovative practices that can improve the quality of life for the seniors he serves.

Margaret Young is the Founder of Age Knowble, amplifying older persons’ voices, championing their human rights, and strengthening systems for healthy, active ageing. With award-winning corporate experience and advanced studies in business and gerontology, she blends passion, compassion, and strategy to build inclusive societies where older persons are leaders and changemakers. She is also Immediate Past Chair of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People, Human Rights Advocacy Lead at the Pass It On Network, and a Global Advisory Board member of the ASEM Global Ageing Center.

Organization and Project Management
Organizational Change Management
Research and Evaluation
Strategic and Operational Planning
Policy and Program Development
Community Consultation, Facilitation, and Training
Marketing and Communications

PROFILE SUMMARY (2025)

Zena Simces is a senior consultant with over 30 years of experience in the health (population and public health, primary care and mental health), social services, education, justice and employment sectors.

Zena has a unique combination of expertise in research (needs assessments), program evaluation (evaluation frameworks and performance measures), strategic planning, policy and program development  and project management along with a solid background in community consultation/facilitation, marketing, communications, and public/media relations.

She has managed many complex projects and has extensive government and voluntary sector experience as a manager, consultant and change agent working at a national level, and at a provincial and community level in the provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia.

She has supported organizations in understanding and implementing reforms and undergoing transformation both within their groups and across systems and has worked to build effective teams, partnerships and multi-sector coalitions to enhance collective impact.

Zena has facilitated numerous consultation sessions with a wide range of community organizations,  professional groups, academics, diverse cultural groups, First Nations, women, older persons, families, youth, people with mental and physical challenges and the general public.

She has conducted training sessions in program evaluation, strategic planning, communications, deliberative dialogue, and partnership development.  Zena has provided strategic advice and recommendations to senior management at all levels of government and in the voluntary sector.

Her volunteer work has been devoted to promoting human rights for vulnerable groups and she has organized humun rights dialogues in partnership with the Atlantic Human Rights Centre, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Equitas (Internaitonal Centre for Human Rights Education).

Zena Simces is an author of a book: You Can Make a Difference: A Guide to Being a Great Consultant.

Zena was a member of the National Seniors Council  (2021-2025) providing advice on issues impacting older persons to the Federal Minister of Seniors and Minister of  Health.  She also sits as a  board member of the Internationl Longevity Centre- Canada and a member of the Older Persons Advisory Group of the Canadian Coaltion Against Ageism. She recently received the King Charles 111 Coronation Medal in recognition for her “extraordinary dedication, contribution and service to community and country”.

Kasari Govender took office as B.C.’s first independent Human Rights Commissioner on September 3, 2019. Her role is to lead the promotion and protection of human rights in British Columbia through the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner.

Govender has devoted her life to promoting human rights, with a focus on the rights of those most marginalized. She is passionate about using her skills as a lawyer and community builder to create a more equal and just province. She has worked closely with organizations and communities promoting gender equality, Indigenous rights, children’s rights, the rights of people with disabilities and the rights of immigrant communities.

From 2008 until 2019, Govender held leadership positions at West Coast LEAF and was appointed Executive Director in 2011. She has co-authored key reports and articles and speaks widely on crucial social issues such as hate speech, access to justice, gender based violence and systemic racism. Her earlier work includes a pivotal role in establishing the Rise Women’s Legal Centre, a non-profit legal clinic in British Columbia.

Govender earned her law degree from the University of Victoria and her Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, UK. She has served on the board of directors for the University of Victoria, Pivot Legal Society, the Coalition for Public Legal Services, and the Society for Children and Youth. Govender has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of British Columbia and as an instructor at Simon Fraser University. Her work was recognized by the Women Lawyer’s Forum which honoured her with their Award of Excellence.

In addition to her role as Human Rights Commissioner, Govender is a mother, an aunt, a daughter and a sister.

The Honourable Stephanie McLean was first elected as Member of Parliament for Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke in the spring of 2025 and, shortly after, joined Mark Carney’s government as Secretary of State (Seniors).

In 2015, she was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Alberta and served as Minister of Status of Women and Minister of Service Alberta. She made history when she became the first member of the Legislative Assembly in Alberta to give birth while in office.

Secretary McLean earned her law degree from the University of Calgary. As a practising lawyer, she represented both unions and employers, including acting as general counsel for a building trades union. She has called Vancouver Island home since 2019 and lives in the city of Colwood with her husband Shane, son Patrick, and their three dogs.

With a background in geriatric social work, Louise Holland worked in a variety of roles from front-line to management in programs that delivered services to seniors for over 25 years in Prince George. Her experience included the areas of senior’s mental health and substance use, geriatric assessment, adult guardianship legislation, and long-term care. Retired from Northern Health, she continues to be involved in the field of aging as a sessional instructor in the School of Social Work at the University of Northern BC, a member of the Council of Advisors for the Seniors Advocate, and the chair for the COSCO Health Committee.

Coming soon!

Dr. Penny MacCourt has a social work background and has worked with older adults in the community, long term care and acute care settings for many years as a clinical social worker. She holds a Bachelor and Masters of Social Work from University of Manitoba and a PhD (Interdisciplinary Studies) from University of Victoria. Her doctoral and post-doctoral studies have focused on aging, mental health and service delivery. She is a founding member of the BC Psychogeriatric Association and was appointed to the Seniors Advisory Committee to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.  She received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her contribution to Canada for her work with caregivers. She is past Chair of Action for Reform of Residential Care, formed to advocate for improved quality of life in long-term care through system reform.

Andy is the retired former president of MoveUP. Move UP represents workers from over 90 workplaces in both the public and private sectors including ICBC, BC Hydro, TransLink, Coast Mountain Bus Company, Fortis, Capilano University, car rentals such as Hertz, Avis, etc., numerous credit unions and more.

Andy served for 20 years on his Executive Board as a director, Vice President and President. In addition, he also served on the Executive Board of his national union.

As head of his union for British Columbia Andy was an Officer of the BC Federation of Labour. As such he chaired numerous committees as well as chairing at the BC Fed Convention.

Andy is a delegate at the New Westminster and District Labour Council for over 30 years. He was President of the Labour Council, with its 60,000 delegated membership, until 2006.

Andy was an Executive Board member of the BC Federation of Retired Union Members.

He also served on various committees for the Canadian Labour Congress.

As well he served on committees for two Global Union Federations, UNI and ICEM (now IndustriALL).

During his career Andy served on numerous boards including; Employment Stands Tribunal. Working Enterprises, Columbia Foundation, Camp Jubilee, First Aid Ski Patrol.

Since retiring in 2011 Andy has remained active both within and outside of the union movement. He taught Parliamentary Procedures at the Harrison Winter School for the Canadian Labour Congress. In addition, he teaches and works with many unions and the executives and membership in parliamentary procedures and leadership development.

He has also worked with not-for-profit groups as a parliamentarian and advisor.

He was a Vice President for the 2012 BC Senior Games, and also the 2016 Junior World Taekwondo Championships.

He recently retired as as Vice Chair on the Board for TransLink and serves as a director for the BC Ferries Authority Board.

Juno Nominated Stand-Up Comedian
BC Book Prize Nominated Author
Co-Star of 2 Emmy-Winning Netflix Animated Series
Charlie Demers is an author, comedian, actor, playwright, screenwriter and political activist.

His collection of essays, Vancouver Special (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2009), was shortlisted for the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. He is also the author of Property Values (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2018). He is one of the most frequently returning stars of CBC Radio’s smash-hit comedy The Debaters, with a weekly listening audience of 750,000.

He has performed for national television and radio audiences and at the Just for Laughs Festival. He is one of the most frequently returning stars of CBC Radio’s smash-hit comedy show The Debaters.

Charlie’s latest book is Noonday Dark (June 2022). Noonday Dark is an exciting second installment followup to Primary Obsessions (Sept 2020) Noonday Dark continues the series of mysteries starring Dr. Annick Boudreau and involving themes of mental health. In the Doctor Annick Boudreau Mystery Series, the endearing and unflappable Dr. Boudreau returns in this complex and nuanced portrait of psychology and a city.

Charlie’s second album I Hope I Don’t Remember This My Whole Life was released in March 2022, on 604 Records comedy arm, Comedy Here Often. Demers, who CBC Radio calls “one of the smartest comics out there” has many achievements in the entertainment world under his belt including a Juno nomination for his previous, debut album, Fatherland.(Nov 2017)

Over the time of the pandemic, Charlie had a lot of the same soul-searching and identity crisis that so many people have experienced, and he reflects that in his new album. “I lost almost three quarters of my income from 2019 to 2020” says Demers.

“I wasn’t sure when comedy would come back, or always sure if I was still going to be a comedian when i t did. I’m incredibly proud of how this album turned out, and I think people are really going to enjoy it. My hope is that it builds on the last album, shows some growth & evolution, but also the fact that I will always be a comedian, and nothing will change that.”

Culled from multiple performances in Vancouver in April 2017, Charlie’s first album ‘Fatherland’ shows Demers at his sophisticated best. Clearly influenced by the current state of world politics, the album brings a fresh and hilarious perspective to many of the commonly debated topics of the day such as racism.

Dan Levitt has tirelessly championed the rights of seniors for 30 years at the local, provincial, national and international levels.

Prior to his appointment as BC’s Seniors Advocate, Dan held leadership positions in senior-living and long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland for more than 10 years where he helped shape a dementia-friendly future for seniors and their loved ones.

He was an adjunct professor of gerontology at both Simon Fraser University and a former sessional instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He has also been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada, reviewing quality improvement and person-centred care at long-term care homes and community-based service providers across Canada.

He is a certified health executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and achieved Fellowship status in the college in July 2024. He also received the Young Executive Award presented by the BC Lower Mainland Chapter Executive of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. On the global stage, Levitt recently served as a member of the board of directors of the Global Ageing Network and the International Federation on Ageing.

Dan earned an undergraduate degree from the UBC and master’s degree from the University of North Texas, Center for Studies in Aging. He has served on the board of directors for the Denominational Health Association and the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. He is inspired by the aging journeys of his grandparents and great-grandparents, and is now supporting his parents, who are living life to the fullest in their mid-80s.

Dr. Laura Kadowaki is a Specialist, Research and Knowledge Mobilization for the Healthy Aging Department at United Way BC. Through her work with the Raising the Profile Project and United Way BC, she has been collaborating with the community-based seniors’ services sector in BC since 2016 to raise the profile of and build the capacity of this sector. Laura has a PhD in Gerontology from Simon Fraser University. Her areas of research interest include community-based seniors’ services, ageism, seniors’ housing, and home and community care. Laura is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University. She is also an Executive Committee Member for the Canadian Coalition Against Ageism.

SPEC Guiding Elder, Director, and Executive Team member

Carole has a doctorate in nutrition and has developed and taught university and adult education courses for fifty years, promoting local, sustainable, and just food. She has been a Director of The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, (SPEC) since 1997 and Board President from 2015-2019, during which she started two initiatives; a Reconciliation/Decolonization project and the SPEC Elders Circle which encourages Western Elders to reclaim an active and engaged elder role in society.  She is designated as the SPEC Guiding Elder and is the current lead of the SPEC Elders Circle.

Carole has served on many community boards and advisory councils, including being past chair of the Vancouver Food Policy Council, advising City Council on food security.  She is a master gardener, an enthusiastic camper and creative cook with her partner Rick. She speaks and offers workshops on topics related to food security and Becoming an Elder.  She is an avid jazz vocalist, a dedicated meditation practitioner, and, in 2018 was acknowledged by the City of Vancouver for her thirty-five years of volunteer work as the recipient of the Vancouver Award of Excellence in the category of Healthy City for All.

On September 14, 2022, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Sylix Nation, was re-elected by acclamation to his ninth consecutive three-year term as President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), a position he has served for the past 26 years.

Prior to his tenure as President of UBCIC, he served his community as Chief of the Penticton Indian Band (PIB) for 16 years, in addition to previously serving as an elected Band Councillor for a 10-year period. He has also worked within PIB Administration in various capacities such as Band Administrator, Education Counselor, Director of Land Management and more. Aside from his 26-year tenure as an elected leader of PIB, he also served as Chair of the Okanagan Nation Alliance for 16 years.

In October 2006, the Okanagan Nation, led by the Elders of the Penticton Indian Band, bestowed on him and his family the rare title of Grand Chief in acknowledgement of his lifetime commitment to advancing Okanagan Title and Rights and the Title and Rights of all First Nations.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip’s activism to First Nations Title and Rights across Turtle Island has been acknowledged through various awards and honors, including the BC Reconciliation Award in 2021 and the Eugene Rogers Environmental Award in 2017 (awarded jointly with Joan Phillip) for his decades-long commitment to protecting the lands, waters, and environment. Additionally, in November 2018, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of British Columbia for his lifelong advocacy. His work has extended to shaping and advancing landmark legislation and policies, such as advancing the Tsawwassen Accord to unite BC First Nations leadership, the passing of the Bill 41 into the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and his involvement in founding the Indigenous Youth Internship Program (IYIP) in partnership with the BC government.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip has been married for 46 years to his wife Joan Phillip, who is currently serving as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of BC for the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. They have three sons (one deceased), two daughters, six granddaughters and nine grandsons. He has been enjoying sobriety for 37 years while splitting his time between Penticton and East Vancouver.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip has long since committed to strengthening and protecting the interests, title and rights of First Nations people and communities in need and addressing the climate emergency. He has taken a lifelong role in working tirelessly to ensure that the actions of all levels of government are directed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 2S+ Calls for Justice, including advocating for crucial movements and campaigns that advance First Nations title and rights. His immense wisdom, patience, empathy, and leadership continues to be a source of inspiration and hope for those fighting for their voices to be heard.

“I hereby commit to work collectively with the Chiefs of the UBCIC, the First Nations Summit and the BC Assembly of First Nations. We must work together to ensure the governments of Canada and British Columbia endorse and implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for our Nations and communities. We must work together to compel government to update the Comprehensive Claims Policy to reflect the many hard-fought court victories such as the Delgamuuk’w, Haida and William cases” — Grand Chief Stewart Phillip.

Anthony Kupferschmidt is a Credentialed Professional Gerontologist and the Strategic Lead, Aging and Older Persons with the City of Vancouver.  In this role he leads policy, planning and strategy for the aging population and works collaboratively across departments and with community partners and other levels of government to help make Vancouver a more age-inclusive city.  He completed the MA in Gerontology at Simon Fraser University and has been working in the field of aging for his entire career, including in seniors’ centres, care homes, adult day programs, hospitals and research settings.

Dr. Mei Fang is an Assistant Professor in Urban Aging at Simon Fraser University (SFU), jointly appointed in the Urban Studies Program and the Department of Gerontology. She serves as the Undergraduate Chair for the BA in Urban Worlds and is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Dundee, Scotland. Mei has over a decade of experience in aging and wellbeing research, with expertise in transdisciplinary and participatory research methods, including narrative and visual approaches such as photovoice, story mapping, walk-along interviews, and deliberative dialogues. She is currently leading COALESCE (Championing Older Adults for Leadership in Environmental Sustainability and Climate Empowerment), a CIHR-funded climate action project that engages older adults as co-researchers and climate leaders. Mei is also an Associate Member of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO) and serves on the COSCO conference planning committee.

Andrew Wister, PhD is the Director of the Gerontology Research Centre, and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Gerontology, in which he has been a faculty member for 34 years. His research covers healthy aging, resilience and aging, social isolation and aging; life-course trends and transitions; and applications of the above areas to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Wister is the past Chair of the National Seniors Council of Canada. He was awarded the Distinguished Member Award, Canadian Association on Gerontology in 2014; the prestigious SFU University Professorship award (2015-2020); and is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Wister was the primary architect of the MA and PhD Programs in Gerontology at SFU, and has served on the committees of over 85 graduate students. His extensive research career has produced over 160 peer-reviewed articles, in addition to numerous books, textbooks, and other publications. Dr. Wister is the SFU PI on the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) SFU Data Collection Site and the CLSA SFU Computer Assisted Telephone Interview Site. He is also the PI of the five year (SSHRC funded) Connect!Age Project and PI or Co-Inv on numerous other grants and contracts that coincide with the strategic initiatives of the GRC.

Janet Marren was elected to the Board of the Prince George Council of Seniors in 2021 and served as Board Chair from 2023-2025.  Prior to her retirement in 2019, Janet’s professional career included work in special, academic and public libraries.

While Director of the Prince George Public Library, Janet became involved in the important work of the Council of Seniors by participating in its strategic planning sessions and the restructuring of its governance model. Through its membership of Senior Centres and other senior serving agencies, the Council strives to bring together seniors’ voices throughout the community and to provide much needed advocacy, information, services and resources for seniors in the North.

Janet enjoys working with her colleagues to help make Prince George a place where seniors can age well and enjoy a safe, healthy and connected life.

Connie Newman is the executive director and lead consultant for the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities which currently leads Age-Friendly Manitoba and Social Prescribing Initiatives. MASC is a member association currently with 86 member groups throughout Manitoba. MASC-AFI connects with 96 municipalities in Manitoba on the Age-Friendly pathway..

Since 2022, Connie has also been a member of the Appropriate Use Advisory Committee of the Canadian Drug Agency (National).

Among her many volunteer engagements, Connie continues to be very involved with the St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Active Living Centre and Friends of Living Prairie Museum.  She is a primary caregiver for a friend residing in community and another living in a personal care home.

Connie is 76 years young and holds a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Manitoba. She was a junior high teacher and principal for 34 years in the St. James Assiniboia School Division and retired from education in 2004.  Newman has many connections in Manitoba, Canada and beyond.

Newman believes in active aging and all that it means. Keeping the mind and body active helps to assist those around her who may need information and support as we all age together. She believes giving back and giving to others is important and we can all give in some form as it makes our Canada a much better place.

Barb Mikulec is a retired Vancouver teacher who serves on the provincial
Board of the BC Retired Teachers Association.  Barb is chair of the R. R.
Smith Memorial Foundation which funds literacy projects in BC and in developing countries.

She is first VP of COSCO the Council of Seniors Citizens Organizations of BC
and serves on committees including Finance, Communications and Strategic Policy.

Barb is chair of the Seniors Health and Wellness Institute which facilitates over 300 free workshops yearly, throughout BC on healthy living, safety and financial literacy for seniors.

Barb serves as 1st VP of the National Pensioners Federation and is Housing chairperson. She also serves on the Council of Advisors for the Seniors Advocate of BC.

Eric Doherty is a semi-retired transportation planning consultant who specializes in improving community accessibility, as well as reducing climate pollution. His work includes the 2023 report Access for Everyone? Publicly Operated HandyDART in Metro Vancouver.  His education includes a MA from the School of Community and Regional Planning at UBC, and he is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) and a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP). Eric lives on Lekwungen Territory (Victoria BC). More information, including links to Eric’s videos and writing, is available at www.ecoplanning.ca.

Tim is a lifelong advocate for public passenger transportation.

He was the BC President of Transport 2000, now known as Transport Action. Transport 2000 actively and successfully advocated for improvements to Canada’s national passenger railway network VIA Rail. He was also part of the ad hoc Citizens for Rapid Transit group that was an advocate for the building of rapid transit in Vancouver. Tim was a member of the advisory group for the development of the Merritt Age Friendly Action Plan. He was also on the BC Ferries qathet Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee until it was discontinued last spring. Tim is the Chair of the COSCO Transportation Committee. He is also an active member of the qathet Council of Canadians.

Tim practised architecture as an employee and as principal of his own firm. He later moved on to be an executive in the non-profit sector. He is now semi-retired, enjoying his grandchildren and driving a bus in the qathet rural transit system.

Chris Fudge serves as BC Transit’s Director of Government Relations, leading the organization’s efforts to build and maintain productive relationships with local government staff and elected officials and to support the growth and development of public transit service throughout British Columbia.  His team members serve as the key liaison between BC Transit and external stakeholders, and ensure effective communication with municipal, regional and provincial partners in over 130 communities across the province.  He has been instrumental in helping communities to benefit from the diverse range of services that BC Transit provides, while ensuring that the unique needs of each community are reflected in the transportation solutions that are delivered.

Prior to joining BC Transit, he held various management positions with the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Whistler, VANOC and Intrawest Corporation. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Carleton University.

Paul Adams is the Executive Director of the BC Rural Health Network (BCRHN), an organization dedicated to advocating for equitable healthcare access across rural and remote communities in British Columbia. With a background in health policy, community engagement, and advocacy, Paul has worked extensively to bridge the gap between government, healthcare providers, and rural communities. Under his leadership, BCRHN has strengthened its role as a voice for rural healthcare, fostering collaboration with stakeholders, facilitating research, and advocating for policy solutions that address systemic barriers. Passionate about the social determinants of health, Paul works to ensure that rural and remote populations receive the care and support they need, with a focus on housing, transportation, and equitable access to healthcare services.

Sarah Ross is Vice-President of Transportation Planning and Policy and provides leadership on multimodal service, investment, and policy decisions through the development of statutory, strategic and tactical plans; major studies and business cases; multi-modal service, infrastructure and network plans; regional policies and guidelines; and, transportation analytics, forecasting and research.

Sarah is passionate about advancing sustainable transportation so that all people of Metro Vancouver have access to the services and activities that are integral to their daily lives. She has applied this passion throughout her career: removing barriers for people with disabilities, improving the experience of taking the bus by reducing delay, advancing protected cycling infrastructure so people of all ages and abilities can cycle safely, advancing funding strategies for expansion of the multi model transportation system.

Sarah is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in planning and research. She joined TransLink in 2004 and has been in this VP position since 2022. She is the Executive Sponsor for the Women and Allies Employee Resource Group.

Sarah is a Registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and holds degrees from McGill University (BA Sociology), University of Toronto (MA Sociology) and University of British Columbia (MA Planning). Sarah loves the outdoors, riding her bike, trail running and coaching cross-country skiing.

Farinaz Rikhtehgaran is a Project Manager at Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST), with a multidisciplinary background in Gerontology and Urban Planning and Design. Her work focuses on creating age-friendly, inclusive communities through system-level change, accessible transportation, and equitable urban design. With over five years of experience in seniors’ mobility, built environment accessibility, and aging in place, she brings both practical and strategic insight to her work. She has supported province-wide collaboration efforts aimed at improving transportation options for older adults, helping lead community engagement, research translation, and public education initiatives. Farinaz also brings international experience as an urban planner with private consulting firms, where she led projects rooted in equity, inclusion, and participatory design.

Trish has served as President of the National Pensioners Federation (NPF) since being elected at the 2018 Convention, continuing to provide strong, principled leadership to the present day.

Retiring from General Motors in 2013 after a distinguished 30-year career, Trish brought with her 14 years of experience in Union Leadership and a deep commitment to education as a classroom facilitator of Worker Education Programs, specializing in Human Rights Training.

Since retirement, she has continued her advocacy work, including running twice for Federal office as a passionate champion of social justice. As a committed advocate for senior’s social housing, Trish was invited to serve on the executive board — and later as President — of Parkview Place, a not-for-profit seniors housing in Oshawa.

An active and dedicated member of the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC), Trish spearheaded the formation of the South-Central Ontario Area Chapter. She also contributed significantly to the development and facilitation of CURC’s Pre-Retirement Courses and How to Lobby workshops.

A proud supporter of public healthcare, Trish is a long-time member of the Canadian Health Coalition and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Health Coalition, where she continues to advocate for equitable, accessible health care for all Canadians.

Before her election to NPF, Trish served three terms as an executive member of her workplace retired worker’s chapter, Unifor Local 222.

Trish remains a steadfast voice for pensioners, workers, and communities across Canada — always grounded in justice, equity, and grassroots empowerment.

Terri Van Steinburg has been a labour leader, community and political activist for over forty years.

As well as being a post-secondary educator who taught in the Career and Life Success Program for Women at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Terri has served on many boards and executives at the local, provincial and national levels.

Terri held various leadership positions in Kwantlen Faculty Association, finally serving as President from 2004 to 2015.

She has also served as a full-time officer of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE), first as Secretary-Treasurer then as President.

Nationally, Terri was the President of the National Union of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (NUCAUT) and was a member of the Canadian Labour Congress Canadian Council.

She served as an Executive member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and Chair of the CAUT Collective Bargaining and Economic Benefits Committee.

Terri was the President of the New Westminster and District Labour Council and served as an officer of the BC Federation of Labour.

She served on a number of local boards such as the United Way of the Fraser Valley and the Union Protein Project.

In 2020, Terri was appointed to the BC Chiropractors Association Board by then Minister of Health, Adrian Dix and subsequently served as Board Chair.

Terri currently serves as a public member on the College of Complimentary Health Professionals of BC Board and is the Vice Chair of the Human Resources Committee.

She serves as Vice-Chair of the Kwantlen Polytechnic Retirees Association (KPURA) and is the KPURA delegate to the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO BC).

Terri is the Second-Vice President of COSCO BC and serves as Chair of the Conference Planning Committee and Income Security Committee.

Terri continues to be a fierce advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion in all she does.

Leslie Gaudette is President of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia (COSCO BC) which serves as the “Voice of BC Seniors”.  A ‘retired’ epidemiologist whose career with federal agencies focused on chronic disease control, she serves on the Public Awareness Committee of the Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network.

She represents COSCO BC on the Steering Committee of the BC Health Coalition and as a founding member of the Canadian Coalition Against Ageism to support the UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

She is active in local community groups including Langley Seniors in Action and her local Branch of the National Association of Federal Retirees, among others, and is a member of the Steering Committee for Langley’s Primary Care Network. She has been recognized for her contributions through the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award in 2022, the SFU Gerontology Research Centre’s 2022 Seniors Leadership Award for Outstanding Service and Community Education, the 2021 Eric Flowerdew Langley Volunteer of the Year Award of Meri and in 2015 the National Collaboration Award with the National Association of Federal Retirees.