Our Board
Pacific Centre Family Services Association benefits from a governance Board of Directors who volunteer their time to provide oversight and strategic direction to the organization. The Board of Directors brings together professionals from the community with diverse skills to support programs and connections that reflect the needs of the community in which it operates.
To learn more about the Board of Directors or how to become involved, please reach out via email to the Board Chair:
Maria Weaver (she/her)
Chair
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Maria
Maria is passionate about the non-profit sector and the helping field. She is particularly interested in healthcare, and organizations that offer low-barrier programs that target under-served populations. Maria has a BSc in Biopsychology and is currently pursuing a post-degree certificate in Non-profit Management. Currently, Maria works as the Regional Suicide Prevention Manager for the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division. Before that, Maria was the Acting Executive Director and Operations Manager for NEED2 Suicide Prevention Education & Support. When not at work, Maria enjoys reading and writing, spending time outdoors (especially when swimming is involved!) and volunteering out in the community.”
Philip Bisset-Coveneiro (he/him)
Vice Chair
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Philip
Philip (he/him) is incredibly proud and honoured to have been selected to join the Board of the Pacific Centre Family Services Association in 2021, especially since he has devoted 10+ years fundraising and raising awareness for the amazing work that this organization has been doing. Philip has spent the last 15 years in the Financial Services industry, as a Certified Financial Planner, where his passion to support his clients through financial education is only paralleled by his commitment to supporting and lifting his local community. He has always made it a priority to contribute time to various charitable and community boards, organizing fundraising projects, events, and initiatives all aimed at supporting our communities’ most vulnerable members. Born and raised in Portugal, to living in Macau, China, and then moving to Vancouver, Canada, Philip finally discovered Greater Victoria in 2000. Philip has brought his sense of community that was cultivated from his European and Asian roots that inspired his belief that the only measure of our worth and the overall health of our community is how we treat and support our most vulnerable.
Philip is committed to learning more about what our community needs, continuing to support those organizations making the biggest impact and having the most success and then helping them get to the next level through community awareness and fundraising. We are all in this together, and those with wealth want to help and make the biggest impact possible through their donations and contributions, PCFSA is an incredibly deserving organization to help steward any family’s donation or legacy for an incredibly positive community impact. Philip is very excited to help share the impact and success that PCFSA has been doing for the past 50 years and help amplify the community support going forward.
If you are interested in making a donation or coming up with a fundraising campaign in order to help support the amazing work PCFSA’s dedicated staff do each and every day for so many in our community that need their support, please contact Philip today!!
Adam French (he/him)
Treasurer
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Adam
Adam (he/him) has achieved formal and informal training on three continents and shares a special passion for business/economic development and the sustainable economic independence and social well-being of Indigenous groups. Armed with insatiable curiosity, his passion for business comes from a competitive spirit that evolved from an early age. The tangible and intangible wins in business and teams fuels his fire. A mixture of creativity, systems/process creation and synthetic imaginative resourcefulness is how results happen.
The eternal balance between the old school hustle of practical application and understanding people, paired with a formal education consisting of a major in Managerial Economics (Hons), a master’s in Global Management, a master’s in Business Administration, a designation in Project Management and an Indigenous Studies certification, has enabled Adam to apply these many tools with real world experience.
His thesis and NGO focus in PTSD- “Establishing the feasibility of utilizing an NGO as a delivery model for mental health in a developing nation” has been a personal passion, stemmed largely from his past work as volunteer firefighter in Washington state, and volunteer work at the DropIn Centre Shelter in Calgary, Alberta
Trust and collaboration with others is everything, and trust in Adam’s eyes involves four key ingredients; integrity, intentions, capabilities, and results. A daily challenge to him is to consistently seek to give more value than offered in return, and create a listening and learning model to every experience.
Relationships did not always come easy when young, and through a continuous journey of personal development and extreme gratitude he has dedicated his life to serving and connecting with others offering his gifts to help others succeed.
Back to his hometown for a few years now, Adam is looking forward to immersing himself further into the community, and looks forward to many years with the growing PCFSA family.
Asmin Chen (she/her)
Secretary
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Asmin
Asmin is a seasoned project management professional who is deeply committed to social justice, decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her strong organizational and communication skills are rooted in personal integrity, which is reflected in everything she does. She puts empathy and compassion into tangible actions towards social and system changes.
Janelle Anderson (she/her)
Director
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Janelle
Janelle (she/her) has lived on Vancouver Island her whole life & absolutely loves it! Janelle also has a passion and love for living life with a Positive Mental Attitude. With always having a strong PMA she is able to always see the best in every situation. She is a solution seeker & loves living life with the glass overflowing with joy!
Asma-na-hi Antoine (she/her)
Director
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Asma-na-hi
Asma-na-hi Antoine is from Toquaht Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth lands (west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada). She resides in Lekwungen (Songhees) and Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) traditional lands (Victoria, B.C.). Asma-na-hi is the Director for Indigenous Engagement at Royal Roads University (RRU). Previously, she was the manager of Indigenous Education and Student Services for RRU. She has a Master of Education in Psychology and Leadership Studies specializing in Indigenous Community Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care with a Minor in Indigenous Studies, both from the University of Victoria. Asma-na-hi is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Doctor of Philosophy Educational Theory and Practice program at Simon Fraser University.
Asma-na-hi has utilized various skills in different academic institutions and other non-profit Indigenous organizations as an Indigenous counsellor, family counsellor, educational and career advisor. Asma-na-hi believes her life and work are connected to a strong foundation of indigenous ways of knowing and being used in the way she communicates, trains, and facilitates teachings about reconciliation, decolonization, and the history of Indigenous people. She continues to walk between two worlds: Indigenous and non-Indigenous and is recognized for her need to build and sustain a culturally safe place for all.
Asma-na-hi will share stories and life experiences along her academic journey into career opportunities. She has had the privilege of learning from Indigenous scholars, mentors who have become friends, and engaging with National and International Indigenous communities. Of course, along her journey, she has stated it did not come without trial and error using different innovative modalities tied to family values, culture, traditions, and ceremonies.
Jo-Ann Bateman (she/her)
Director
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Jo-Ann
Jo-Ann Bateman, M.Sc., brings over 15 years of strategic leadership experience across diverse sectors, including healthcare, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and international development in countries such as Canada, Uganda, Egypt, and Zimbabwe. Holding a Master of Science in International Health Leadership, she specializes in data-driven learning and adaptation, program design and evaluation, and strategic and operational planning.
Jo-Ann’s dedication to inclusivity is evident from her co-authorship of “It’s My Turn to Play,” a story encouraging inclusivity in sport for Ugandan children living with disabilities. Her expertise in strategic planning, program development, and healthcare system optimization will support advancing PCFSA’s objectives.
As a new Board Director at Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA), Jo-Ann’s experience aligns with the organization’s mission to provide equitable access to team-based, trauma-informed, culturally safe, and holistic care for individuals and families within the diverse communities served. Her expertise in strategic planning, program development, and healthcare system optimization will be instrumental in advancing PCFSA’s vision of being a community leader in facilitating equitable access to physical, emotional, and culturally appropriate care.
Jo-Ann acknowledges and respects the Lekwungen and WSANEC peoples on whose traditional territory she lives, works, and plays.
Lisa Caton (she/her)
Director
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Lisa
Lisa (she/her) brings over 25 years of senior non-profit leadership experience in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia to her role as Board Director with PCFSA. She has worked with change-making organizations in a wide range of sectors including health, poverty reduction, local economic development, workforce development, financial empowerment, microlending, arts and culture, and the environment. Over the course of her career, Lisa has led non-profit operations, strategy, planning, organizational development, human resources, evaluation and impact, public policy, systems change, and governance. An active volunteer in the community, Lisa has over 20 years of Board involvement in organizations working to advance social justice and wellbeing. Lisa is a lifelong learner, has a MA in Adult Education from the University of Toronto, and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Non-Profit Governance Essentials program.
Andrew Pharo (he/him)
Director
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Andrew
Andrew ‘Andy’ (he/him) and his family moved to Victoria in 1992 by way of Edmonton, AB, and Thetford Mines, PQ. He completed a B.Sc., at Concordia University, Montreal, in 1976 and after a stint as a Labourer/Teacher with Frontier College in Granisle, BC, he worked in a peer counselling organization at the University of Alberta, followed by work on a suicide prevention phone like with the City of Edmonton. Eventually Andy joined the insurance and investment business with Sun Life where he completed a Chartered Life Underwriter designation. Semi-retired after 40 years in the finance/insurance world he is currently midway through a 5 year stay in Waterloo, Ontario, as House Spouse in support of his wife Norah McRae who holds a position as Associate Provost, University of Waterloo. Norah and Andy have two children, Adrienne and spouse Cameron, Emergency Room RNs in Nelson, BC, and son, Connor, currently studying Geomatics at University of Victoria.
Currently limited to joining PCFSA meetings via Zoom, Andy looks forward to rejoining everyone in person as soon as time and circumstances permit.
Kristie McCann (she/her)
Director
Pacific Centre Family Services AssociationRead about Kristie
Kristie (she/her) brings over 15 years of experience in criminal justice and public policy, with a strong foundation in research and evidence-based practice. She holds academic credentials in psychology and criminology, and her published work has focused on youth justice, sexual offending, and risk assessment. Her career spans academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and law enforcement agencies. A keen educator, Kristie has been teaching at the post-secondary level since her graduate studies, with a focus on research methods. Her passion for learning extends beyond her primary field—she is also a trained coach, a certified doula, and has completed specialized training in child and adolescent mental health. After living in several regions across Canada, Kristie settled in Victoria in 2019 and is proud to call it home. She is excited to contribute to PCFSA and looks forward to supporting her community through meaningful, collaborative work.