Board Members & Operations
Katherina’s influence as a role model for women in engineering and physical sciences crosses disciplines and international boundaries. An award-winning educator in mechanical engineering, Katherina has connected with scholars and industry representatives across Europe, Australia, Asia and the Americas, demonstrating by example her mode of authentic inclusion. A strong advocate for fairness and instilling a sense of belonging, Katherina teaches engineering, project management and social responsibility courses for post-secondary institutions including the University of British Columbia, manages international projects as President of the Lokhorst Group Ventures and is a sought-after speaker on a wide range of project management, policy development and governance topics that focus on authenticity.
Michael is an accomplished digital executive and product leader with strong business acumen and analytical skills, He excels in dynamically changing environments and technologies and has held various leadership roles, including CEO at Stocksy United, a multi-class co-op with employees and suppliers as members. Key successes include implementing structured processes, driving revenue growth, launching new products, and fostering diversity and inclusion. Michael’s passion for mindfulness comes first-hand from seeing its power in helping deal with stress and anxiety and he looks forward to helping others discover the same!
Dana is committed to helping her community and is excited to be part of the BCALM team. She credits the organization for kickstarting her mindfulness journey. She is currently legal counsel for the Province, working on liquor and cannabis regulation. Since 2009, she has worked in criminal defence, civil litigation and as a barrister in the Province’s Indigenous Legal Relations group. In her work and life, she strives to support Reconciliation and values collaboration, respect and fairness. She is a drummer and singer in local bands and loves cooking and reading.
Elitsa is a passionate advocate for well-being. She believes in the human potential to heal, and live life joyfully, creatively, and purposefully. Elitsa is a former senior Capital Markets professional with a career in Corporate and Investment Banking managing a multi-billion dollar credit portfolio. Her expertise is finance, credit, and risk management. During her Capital Markets career Elitsa was also committed to diversity and leadership development through Women in Leadership, mentorships, and various Wellness, Diversity and Inclusion programs. Elitsa’s current focus is on promoting physical and mental well-being and expanding her education in the area. She is a certified Breathwork facilitator, transformational and leadership coach, and is currently completing a Compassionate Inquiry approach to therapy professional training.
As the Executive Director at the Independent Living Housing Society of Greater Victoria (ILHS), Tammy is the lead for all human resources and labour relations matters. As a Dare to Lead trained leader, she understands the importance of empathy, accountability and trust in leadership and has positioned ILHS as an Employer of Choice in the Community Social Services sector. Tammy is a founding member of the Victoria HR Network sharing resources, expertise and learning opportunities for HR professionals in the Community Social Services sector. A passionate people connector, Tammy is an active member of CPHR BC & Yukon including her roles as Advisory Council Chair, Membership Portfolio Lead and founding host of Wake Up HR.
Darshi is excited to work as part of a team to build on the successes of the BCALM program. She participated in a team effort to bring the inaugural and 2nd Annual BC Mindfulness Summits to Victoria and is chairing the Conference and Events Planning Committee to develop and hold the 3rd Annual BC Mindfulness Summit in April/May 2022. Darshi is retired from her 30-year BC Public Service career extensively in the debt management area of the Ministry of Finance. As Executive Director of Debt Management, she and her team were responsible for overseeing a multi-faceted borrowing program and managing a multi billion dollar debt and derivatives portfolio on behalf of the province and Crown agencies. She has completed the ALM program, is an avid golfer, practices yoga and trains regularly in a variety of fitness activities.
Ryan is an individual committed to making a positive difference within his community. Presently, he is working on an inclusive workforce development project for the Burnaby Board of Trade. This initiative aims to generate fair job prospects for all job seekers. Additionally, Ryan is actively involved in expanding a food recovery and security program that supports families in Maple Ridge. Prior to these engagements, he held Director positions at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, focusing on fostering trade, business, education, and connections for a span of 6 years. In his leisure time, Ryan’s passion for Lacrosse shines through as he dedicates a significant portion to playing and coaching the sport.
Marc has worked in the Finance industry for more than 15 years. He is currently a Portfolio Manager for Vancity Investment Management, a subsidiary of Vancity Credit Union and a pioneer in socially responsible investing, where he is responsible for managing several public equity portfolios. Investing has been a passion of his since he was a teenager and he is excited to bring some of what he has learned to his role as a Director at BCalm. After graduating from University Marc spent time travelling Europe and North America and also worked in Northern BC as a tree planter for two years, followed by two years working for a non-profit organization based out of Banff, Alberta. He has also volunteered for several organizations over the years including Meals on Wheels, Big Brothers of Canada and Special Olympics where he was a soccer coach for 10 years. In his spare time Marc enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and skiing with his Wife and two children.
Facilitators & Staff
Deborah joined BCALM as Executive Director in April 2022. She has run her own consulting business, Well-Advised Consulting Inc, for over 30 years, teaching leaders and teams to radically shift culture so that people can flourish. Deborah is the founder of The Better Workplace Conference which she led for 17 years. It was a powerful initiative that created a whole generation of workplace health professionals and a huge community of practice. She has worked in healthcare, as a Registered Dietitian early in her career, and then after getting her Master’s Degree in Health Promotion she moved into the organizational health field.
Marina has a strong interest in helping teens build the foundation of emotional well-being through a strength based lens, and is a former high school Wellness Center Coordinator. She is a certified Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens teacher (formerly known as Making Friends with Yourself); a Mindful Schools Certified Instructor; and a Nonviolent Communication (aka Compassionate Communication) practitioner. Marina was one of the key contributors in launching the Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (MSC-Teens) Live Online Teacher Training, and is part of the MSC-Teens teacher trainer team. She is now also teaching Kristin Neff’s and Chris Germer’s Mindful Self-Compassion program with adults.
Lisa has been sharing wellbeing strategies for the last 20 years. A natural born connector with an innate ability to make people feel valued and heard, she is a teacher, a counsellor, a facilitator, and a mother. Lisa is a published author of Self-Compassion for Educators as well as, the creator of the AWE Method — Awakening the Wellbeing for Educators — which merges self-care, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Lisa has a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. Trained by mindful self-compassion pioneers Chris Germer and Kristin Neff, Lisa is also a certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher.
Fraser is a Family Physician and Clinical Professor with the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. He is currently the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs with the undergraduate medical program in Victoria and continues to practice Family Medicine primarily in the areas of inner-city medicine and hospice/palliative care. He has practiced palliative care over the last 18 years providing care to both adults and children including Canuck Place in Vancouver, which at the time was the first children’s hospice in North America. He is the Associate Director of the PAX (Palliative Access Program) of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR) and has been involved with palliative care initiatives in many countries including Nepal, India, Tanzania and Brazil.
Jennifer is a family physician in Comox BC, where she has been practicing for twenty years. She discovered mindfulness meditation early in her career, and continues to enjoy profound personal healing and growth as a result of the practice. After wishing for many years to share this practice with her patients, she was fortunate to train with BCALM in 2018; since then she has been offering Art of Living Mindfully classes in the Comox Valley. Prior to entering medicine, Jennifer studied International Relations at UBC and Oxford, and she maintains an interest in international affairs and social justice. In her spare time Jennifer enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, especially hiking and sailing.
Kelly is a general pediatrician in Nanaimo BC where she has been practicing for ten years. She absolutely loves her clinical work supporting children and families as they navigate the healthcare system, and caring for children when they are unwell. She discovered mindfulness and meditation after attending a physician conference with Dr Mark Sherman in 2018. These practices have shaped all aspects of her life including relationships with family and friends and those she encounters in her clinical work. She completed her ALM facilitator training in 2022. She finds that mindfulness brings such a richness to life and she is passionate to share this with others. Kelly lives in Nanaimo BC and is ever so grateful to spend time outside hiking, biking, skiing and exploring the west coast on these unceded territories of coastal first nations peoples.
Jane’s medical career spans 35+ years and has seen her in many rewarding positions of health services delivery. After providing administrative expertise for many years, she began working with Dr Mark Sherman in 2010, and has assisted in redesigning and creating The Art of Living Mindfully. Jane has welcomed meditation and mindfulness into her life and continues to see positive changes on a daily basis. Family connections mean a lot and her daughter and granddaughter are a continual source of pride, joy and love.
Lyndsi has been providing administrative support for BCALM since 2018. She has gained invaluable tools from attending our mindfulness offerings and incorporates these skills in to her daily life. Time spent with family is very important to her and you can find them playing Bocce, exploring local parks, refueling at a spa or absorbing the great outdoors on camping trips.
Sarah (she/her) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors and holds a M.Ed. in Counselling from the University of Victoria and B.Ed in Education from Queen’s University. Sarah is a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SETM) certified through the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute. Sarah is grateful to live and learn on the unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Esquimalt and Songhees) peoples on the beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Ocean is passionate about the Body-Mind-Spirit continuum. She holds a BSc in Nutrition and Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. Ocean is a Registered clinical Counsellor in private practice. She specializes in a holistic approach to anxiety, depression and trauma by integrating talk therapy, somatic practices and yogic principles. She is ardent about helping distressed couples with Emotionally Focused Therapy. In addition, Ocean is a Yoga teacher and a Yoga therapist. While she loves all aspects of Yoga, she is particularly drawn to the psycho-spiritual aspects of Yoga. She has been teaching Yoga since 2002.
Janice is a Family Physician working in Courtenay, BC. After graduating from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine in 1990, she practiced in communities across the country including Greater Vancouver, Halifax, Northwest Territories and Vancouver Island. She enjoys the diversity and range of experience that comes with family medicine. Over the years her practice has included working in emergency medicine, pre-natal/maternal care and child medicine.
Anne graduated from McMaster University Medical School in 2008 and obtained her Canadian College of Family Physicians certification through the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in 2011. She then worked as a rural family physician in Sioux Lookout, Ontario between 2011-2015. Since 2015, Anne has worked in Inner City and Addictions Medicine in Victoria, BC. She is the founder of Victoria Inner City COVID Response (VICCR) and supports policy and program development for Inner City COVID Response in Victoria and across Vancouver Island through her work with the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
Mark is a family physician in Victoria, British Columbia, and is the founder and Past Executive Director of the BC Association for Living Mindfully (BCALM). Mark attended McGill University for his medical training and then UBC for his postgraduate Family Medicine residency. Mark has formal postgraduate training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, Yoga, Medical Acupuncture and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Mark’s passion and principle clinical interests lie in mind-body medicine and in the use and potential of mindfulness and meditation helping people navigate the negative effects of stress in their lives.
Trish is a Family Physician, with an interest in the mind body connection as it relates to restoring health and revitalizing well-being. She believes that what makes people optimally healthy is not found in a pill or in a procedure (although these may be necessary!) but ultimately comes from their attitudes and their emotional resilience. She absolutely believes that wellness can be learned! Her practice is an eclectic one including technical surgical work as an assist on the Open Heart Surgical Team at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, as well as an office practice devoted to the exploration and treatment of metabolic issues such as obesity, diabetes and PCOS. In addition, she teaches people mindfulness skills and mental health tools that revitalize their emotional fitness and improve their lives.
Krista is a family physician based in Saanich, BC. She completed her Family Medicine training with a specialized focus in Indigenous Health at the University of British Columbia in 2007. Since that time she has primarily practiced as a family physician in First Nations communities on the west coast of BC. Krista sat her first Vipassana meditation retreat in 2004, after a particularly trying time in her training opened the door to her healing journey. Inspired by an early teacher, she learned to bring this lens of mindfulness into her work with patients. Later, living and learning in First Nations communities, Krista’s worldview and helping approach was further transformed by land base healing practices founded in ‘All My Relations’.
Caren is a US-trained Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) whose professional specialization is in Family Medicine. After receiving her medical degree at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, she completed the University of California, San Francisco-affiliated three-year allopathic (MD) Family Medicine residency in Santa Rosa, California. In 2009 she became the first Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine to receive full licensure for general practice from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Caren was attracted initially to Osteopathic Medicine’s emphasis on the interconnection between all parts of the body, the mind and the spirit, which comprise an integral whole with inherent self-healing properties.
