The Atira Women’s Resource Society has appointed new members to its Board of Directors following its Annual General Meeting on December 3, 2023.

 

“We are really pleased to have such a high caliber of professionals join Atira’s Board of Directors,” said Catherine Roome, Interim CEO. “Atira’s work is more important than ever as a result of the overlapping crises we face in British Columbia.”

Our Board

Anne Kinvig

Anne Kinvig

Anne is a seasoned senior Executive with 30 years of leadership experience, most recently in the position of Chief Operating Officer with Pacific Blue Cross, which is the largest provider of health, dental, and travel, benefits in BC.

Prior to assuming this role Anne has held leadership positions in the area of Human Resources and Labour Relations, both at Pacific Blue Cross and Canadian Airlines.  Anne possesses a strong understanding of Board Governance and Oversight.  In addition to serving on the Board of Coast Mountain Bus Company, Anne also serves on Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society, and Canadian Mental Health Association North and West Vancouver Branch and also has her ICD.D certification (Institute of Corporate Directors).  Anne graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Industrial Relations.

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Hilary Marks

Hilary Marks

Living on the streets for approximately 15 years has made Hilary experience many situations regarding violence, sexual assaults, abuse of all kinds and extreme trauma.  Through all of that violence, she did lots of soul searching to create a different person than the one that was on the streets.

Hilary created the generous and caring side of herself, and deeply committed herself to paying it forward to the community that helped her to leave the streets behind.  She believed in fighting for the well-being and dignity of those living in poverty, and her significant involvement in the community demonstrates this fully. Hilary is passionate in her fight for the rights of people struggling on low incomes, those who are homelessness, and those dealing with addiction or mental illness. She fights for the social inclusion of people in poverty at all levels of government, and within businesses and not-for-profit societies. She works to be a voice for those who cannot speak and works behind the scenes to create change to better people’s lives. Hilary can attest to the fact that she is a person of action.  She does the right thing for the right reasons for people.  She uses her life experiences of incarceration, prostitution, sex trafficking, addictions, mental health, poverty and homelessness to energize and move forward in efforts to make things better, to connect with those who actually have the powers to change things.  Hilary is in for the fight regarding the rights of women and gender diverse peoples in respect to housing.

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Renee Lytle

Renee Lytle

Renee Lytle is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in financial oversight, strategic leadership, human resources, and corporate governance. She is known for driving sustainable, values-based growth and fostering strong organizational cultures across both for-profit and non-profit sectors.

As Chief Financial Officer at EB Horsman & Son, Renee provides strategic financial leadership, ensuring sound governance and high-impact solutions. She has been recognized for cultivating a culture of excellence, inclusivity, and continuous improvement while navigating complex business environments.

Renee holds the ICD.D, MBA, CPA, and Family Enterprise Advisor designations, reflecting her commitment to lifelong learning and strong governance expertise.

Beyond her executive role, Renee is an active board leader. She currently serves on the Atira board and has previously held key positions with the Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) and Seniors Come Share Society.

Renee is deeply committed to building inclusive communities and advancing Atira’s mission of supporting women and children affected by violence.

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Jessie Adcock

Jessie Adcock

Jessie has held several executive roles in the private and public sectors and has amassed substantial global experience in delivering innovative and transformative strategy and results in rapidly changing, complex organizational operating environments across a multitude of industries and disciplines.  

Jessie’s career started off in technology and telecommunications and has led to various multi disciplinary leadership positions driving organizational transformation through strategy, technology, operations, culture change and program delivery work. She has held senior roles with the Government of Canada, Finning International, the City of Vancouver, and HSBC Group. She is currently working on driving complex projects and providing executive advisory services through her private consulting practice, Adcock Capital and Advisory Services.   Jessie speaks English, French and Punjabi, holds a BA and MBA, has completed professional training in project and product management disciplines and recently received the ICD-Rotman ICD.D certification.

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Melanie Achtemichuk

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Margaret Lucas

Margaret Lucas

Margaret Lucas currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Victoria Airport Authority and is their Chair, Finance & Audit Committee. She is a Director on the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and is Chair of the Infrastructure, Planning and Development Committee and the Ogden Point Master Plan Committee.

In 2003 she led the transformation team for the restoration of the Hotel Rialto.  In 2009 she was awarded the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award for her work and community spirit.  In 2012, she received a University of Victoria Distinguished Alumni Award. Margaret is currently the Executive Director, Business Development for PARC Retirement Living. Margaret has served on many civic boards and committees including a Governor on the Camosun College Board of Directors, Chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, Vice-Chair of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, board member on the Victoria Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation, and a director for Victoria Civic Heritage Trust.  Margaret was an elected Councilor in the City of Victoria from 2014 to 2018.  She cares deeply about her community, is not afraid to get involved, and she brings a strong business acumen and understanding of regional perspectives to the Board.

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Michelle Yung

Michelle Yung

Michelle Yung is a commercial real estate lawyer with Bennett Jones LLP, where her practice is focused on commercial leasing transactions, acquisitions and dispositions, financing, and on the re-zoning, subdivision, development and building permit processes.

Prior to joining Bennett Jones, Michelle served as in-house legal counsel to a leading commercial real estate owner, operator and developer with a Canadian portfolio of best-in-class office, retail and mixed-use properties valued at around $31 billion. There, she advised on commercial leasing, procurement and property management. In the community, Michelle has served on the board of directors of The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society, a not-for-profit cultural organization operating the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and Commercial Real Estate Women Vancouver (CREW Vancouver), a non-profit association seeking to advance the achievements of women in the real estate industry. Michelle regularly volunteers as a clinician for Access Pro Bono Society of BC. She also served for a number of years on the organizing committee for Arts Umbrella's annual fundraising gala.

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Raheil Moradi

Raheil Moradi

Raheil brings extensive leadership experience, academic expertise, and a deep commitment to community building to the Atira Women’s Resource Society board. As a successful entrepreneur, mentor, and advocate, Raheil has a proven track record of empowering communities through innovative initiatives and strategic collaborations.

Raheil brings extensive leadership experience, academic expertise, and a deep commitment to community building to the Atira Women’s Resource Society board. As a successful entrepreneur, mentor, and advocate, Raheil has a proven track record of empowering communities through innovative initiatives and strategic collaborations.

Currently a PhD candidate, Raheil is also a professor of law, criminology, and business. Her academic insights and dedication to education enhance her ability to advocate for systemic change and equity. Raheil is the founder of the Pay It Forward Foundation, a respected BC-based charity, and has served on several prominent boards, including the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Aboriginal Housing Association and Impact North Shore. She is the recipient of the 2024 YWCA Women of Distinction Award for her outstanding contributions to connecting diverse communities.

Professionally, Raheil is recognized for her expertise in business development and law. She has served as the President and CEO of Monarch Group of Companies, where her leadership resulted in remarkable revenue and growth achievements. Additionally, she has supported numerous newcomer entrepreneurs in establishing their ventures, reflecting her dedication to fostering economic independence.

Raheil holds a Master’s degree in International Business Law from the University of Liverpool, among other credentials, and is fluent in multiple languages, enhancing her ability to connect with diverse groups. Her passion for supporting women and families aligns closely with Atira’s mission of providing safe, supportive spaces for those in need.

 

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Sienna Richardson-Isberg

Sienna Richardson-Isberg

Sienna is the Director of Marketing at Third Space. Sienna holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia and has spent the last 8 years working in real estate development marketing.

In this role, Sienna is responsible for overseeing the corporate brand and marketing strategy for the entire residential and commercial real estate portfolio. Sienna was raised in a remote community of Skidegate on Haida Gwaii and is a member of the Haida Nation. Her Haida name is NangK’uuyas, which translates in English to ‘precious one’.

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Carolyn Willick

Carolyn Willick

As a freelance consultant, Carolyn supports growing businesses in mapping out their digital transformation path to allow teams, processes, and technologies to stay competitive. A primary focus is on streamlining business processes, with a strong focus on positioning the finance team as a key business partner.

Through her past experiences with Canadian Forest Products, leading a variety of business and finance initiatives, she was fortunate to work with a forward looking leadership group with a vision of a building a modern connected workplace.  Her passion is to enable transformation of people, processes and technology within the global finance framework.

For Carolyn it is about being a true business partner and enabling finance professionals to deliver on their best work. In this capacity she has taken on project management roles and governance roles in various phases of business lead technologies focused on business process standardization and efficiencies, as well as change management; including sales, transportation, supply chain, S&OP processes, order to cash, GL integration, and AP automation. Acting as a key catalyst for change, including implementing a finance shared service delivery model, a global ERP role out at Canfor was an exciting and successful journey. Her career includes a varied range of roles; in sales and marketing, strategic sourcing, capital, operational controllership, and margin improvement programs. She is acknowledged as having a depth of understanding in business processes with an eye for innovative solutions to complex problems and the cross team collaboration and leadership to drive change. When not on the job, Carolyn enjoys outdoor adventures of all kinds. As well, she is actively involved in two registered charities that focuses on providing improved educational facilities for children in Vietnam, supporting young women at risk of exploitation, and community settlement/diversity services.

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Sarah Wang

Sarah Wang

Sarah Wang is a VP of AI at Mastercard. She leads initiatives of AI application in fraud system products and services, enhancing customer satisfaction and business efficiency.

Sarah’s expertise centers around software development, data science, business intelligence, and artificial intelligence alongside extensive financial industry experience.  With 15 years being in a leadership role, Sarah has demonstrated a consistent ability to lead and innovate in both corporate and startup environments and the strength in merging technical acumen with strategic business planning. Her commitment to community involvement is reflected in her 9-year tenure as a career mentor aiding new immigrants in their professional journeys and cross-cultural skill development.Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Information and Data Science from the University of California, Berkeley, an Executive MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from China Agricultural University.

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Join Our Team: How to Become a Board Member

Are you passionate about making a difference in your community? Do you have skills and experience that could contribute to our organization’s mission? If so, consider becoming a board member!

Becoming a board member is a rewarding opportunity to play a vital role in shaping the direction and impact of our organization. Our board members provide strategic guidance, oversight, and support to ensure we fulfill our mission effectively.

If you’re interested in joining our board, here’s how you can get started:

  1. Learn About Us: Take the time to familiarize yourself with our organization’s mission, values, and programs. Understanding our work will help you determine if it aligns with your interests and expertise.
  2. Visit here to familiarize with Atira’s Governance Structure
  3.  Send us a message to info@atira.bc.ca

Atira has welcomed the following new members to its Board of Directors (hyperlinked to LinkedIn profiles):

Organizational Chart

Atira Womens Resource Society (AWRS)

Link To AWRS Board Members

Atira Property Management Inc. (APMI)

Link To APMI Board Members

Atira Womens Arts Society (AWAS)

Link To AWAS Board Members

Atira Development Society (ADS)

Link To ADS Board Members

Anne Kinvig(Chair)

Michelle Yung

Margaret Lucas

Hilary Marks

Jessie Adcock

Sarah Wang

Sienna Richardson-Isberg

Carolyn Willick

         Raheil Moradi

 

 

Sarah Boatman(Chair)

Cindy MacMillan

Eme Housser

 

Emma McLagan(Chair)

Deb Jack

Ghislaine Chan

Rhiannon Mabberley

Cindy MacMillan

Melissa Howey(Chair)

Michelle Yung

Rhiannon Mabberley

Margaret Lucas