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:
Read about Larry
Larry (he/him) first came to Vancouver Island in 2010 after a lengthy career in the rail industry, and as a private entrepreneur, that took him and his family on a journey that included multiple moves within Canada, the United States, and Central America. Larry was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Island Corridor Foundation in 2018 where he is currently working to restore rail service to Vancouver Island.
Larry came to the board out of sense of responsibility to give back to our island community and a strong desire to put his skills and experience to work aiding organizations committed to improving the quality of life of for families and youth through the type of supportive programs offered by Pacific Centre Family Services.
Larry holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Queens University in Kingston, ON
Read 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.”
Read about Dalyce
Dalyce (she/her)has chosen the non-profit sector focusing on children, youth, and families in fulfilling her career aspirations as a registered Social Worker. She started her career in the child and youth care field in Edmonton Alberta, migrating to Victoria to complete her undergraduate degree in social work. Dalyce and her partner worked and raised their family in the Western Communities and remains passionate in supporting community based resources as she believes these are foundational in the pursuit of health and wellness for all. Since completing a Master’s degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University she has been the Executive Director of BGC South Vancouver Island. PCFSA is in a remarkable place as we transition during the Covid 19 experience. Having the privilege to continue to serve the children, youth, and families of the Western Communities and Sooke as a member of the governance table is exciting.
Read 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.
Read 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!
Read 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.
Read about Melissa
Hello, my name is Melissa, my traditional name is Naw-Hea’Mowha and I am part of the Songhees first nation. I am a person with lived and living experience of homelessness, addiction, and mental health disorders. Most recently I have started a new journey in recovery. At first, I was embarrassed of my life experiences, but I now realize that they shaped me into who I am, taught me valuable lessons, and helped me get the jobs I work in today. I have been involved with PCFSA since I was 4 years old. I went into art therapy in the older building by the lagoon when I was a child. As an adult I have participated in Women Seeking Safety groups and a lot of one-on-one support with great counsellors. PCFSA has helped me explore new possibilities in my live. Over the years I have worked with a few counsellors and have been able to rediscover who I am. I had support to apply to treatment twice and I have had support applying to get my status card and reclaim my identity. That is why I am so very grateful that PCFSA has been such a big part of my life and I want to give back to the organization any way that I can.
For a few years now I have been a Client Representative, and I have been a voice of lived experience that the programs provided by PCFSA are effective and can change lives as it has for me. I am currently a Peer Support Worker and Researcher for the Greater Victoria Coalition to end homelessness as well as on the Community Wellness Task Force Committee for the City of Victoria. I work as a co-facilitator and storyteller for the Face to Face with Stigma project, and I occasionally work as a Standardized Patient for the Royal Jubilee Hospital where we practice culturally safe interactions with the students, doctors, and patients.
I have lived here on the island almost my entire life and love being on our homelands near our family. I love the work that I do with the people in our communities.
Hych’ka Siem
Read 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!!
Read 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.
Read 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.
Read about JuwJuw
JuwJuw has lived in BC for 4 years and is loving the Island life. JuwJuw has a passion for making a difference in healthcare which has geared her career as a Registered Nurse and now as Certified Health Executive. Throughout my career, JuwJuw has developed a strong understanding of how to provide comfort and support to patients and their families during difficult times. She also have gained some insights on innovation to better manage projects/operations and lead effectively, which is valuable in providing services to our clients. My approach is non-judgmental and always finding positivity in all aspects of life.