JSABC Fall Symposium: Who’s On First… A Discussion of Federal, Provincial and Local Government Responsibilities for Seniors

JSABC along with BC Care Providers Association and Shay (Shy) Keil present:

Who’s On First…
A Discussion of Federal, Provincial and Local Government Responsibilities for Seniors
Sunday, November 23rd at 2:00 PM
Address: At the JCC | 950 W 41st Ave, Vancouver
Free Event | Suggested Donations: $10
Refreshments Included.

On Sunday November 23rd, we will be hosting our Fall Symposium at the JCC, featuring Anthony Kuperschmidt, Dan Levitt, and the Honourable Joyce Murray in an important discussion on the state of seniors at the city, provincial, and federal levels of government.

Panelists:

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.

Dan Levitt has tirelessly championed the rights of seniors for 30 years at the provincial, national and international levels. Prior to his appointment as B.C.’s Seniors Advocate, Dan held leadership positions in senior-living and long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland for more than ten 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 the country.

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 masters 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.

Hon. Joyce Murray served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra from 2008 to 2025 and held several senior cabinet posts, most recently as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (2021–2023). Over her federal career, she also served as President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government, championing issues of wild salmon recovery, environmental protection, climate policy, transparency, and digital transformation. Before entering federal politics, Murray was a BC Liberal MLA representing New Westminster and provincial cabinet minister (2001–2005).

Born in South Africa, and raised in Vancouver where she attended Queen Elizabeth Elementary and Lord Byng Highschool, Murray co-founded Brinkman & Associates Reforestation Ltd., one of Canada’s largest reforestation and ecosystem restoration firms, planting hundreds of millions of trees worldwide. With an Executive MBA from Simon Fraser University, she has long been recognized for her leadership in sustainability and climate action. In July 2023 she announced she would not seek re-election, and she concluded her parliamentary service in April 2025. She aims to remain active in public life, community initiatives, and environmental advocacy. Murray and her husband Dirk Brinkman have three children and six grandchildren.

Moderator:

Isobel Mackenzie served as British Columbia’s first seniors’ advocate from March 2014 until April 2024. She has over 20 years’ experience working with seniors in home care, licensed care, community services and volunteer services. Isobel led B.C.’s largest not-for-profit agency, serving over 6,000 seniors annually. In this work, Isobel led the implementation of a new model of dementia care that has become a national best practice, and led the first safety accreditation for homecare workers, among many other accomplishments.

Isobel has been widely recognized for her work and was named B.C. CEO of the Year for the not-for-profit sector and nominated as a Provincial Health Care Hero. Prior to her appointment as the Seniors Advocate, Isobel served on a number of national and provincial boards and commissions, including the BC Medical Services Commission, the Canadian Homecare Association, BC Care Providers, BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry, and the Capital Regional District Housing Corporation. Isobel also served on the University of Victoria’s Board of Governors. Isobel received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Victoria and has a Certificate in Health Care Leadership from the University of Toronto.

Thank you to our sponsors:
Michael and Sally Geller | Zalkow Family Foundation