British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Executive Director

Paul has been the Executive Director of the BCAAFC for the past 13 years. He is a member of the Cariboo Clan and a citizen of the Carrier Nation in north central British Columbia.  His education was completed at the University of Victoria in the area of Political Science and in the study of the administration of Aboriginal Governments.  He is a certified facilitator and specializes in organizational development and success planning.

Paul and his partner Asma have 4 daughters and one son and his home in Victoria is commonly referred to as “the House of Happiness”.

Carl joined the BC Association in May of 2001, as the Provincial Coordinator of the Raven Youth Tech Program and he now serves as the General Manager of Operations.  He has a Diploma in Petroleum Geology, a BSc. in Natural Resource Science and most recently he completed a Business Management Diploma at the University of Victoria.  Carl was previously employed as the GIS / IT Manager for the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council.  He also spent 10 years working as an engineer/supervisor for an American oil service company in Texas, Nova Scotia, Norway, Holland and Scotland. Carl is a Saddle Lake (Cree) band member and enjoys spending time outdoors with his three children, Danielle, Mason and Hannah. His principal passion is sailing but he enjoys traveling, running, biking, hiking, dancing and traditional ceremony.

Lisa is proud of her Mikisew Cree and French heritage.  In October 1999, she began working for the BCAAFC and has managed the Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program (AFCP) and the First Citizens Fund initiatives for seven years.  Lisa’s role is to provide direct technical support with the guidance of a 9 person peer advisory committee to the 24 local Centres - in areas of organizational development, human resources and governance. She balances work and family with volunteering as a way to give back to the community. Lisa is one of the founders and current Vice-President of the Nihiyaw Language and Culture Society, to preserve her heritage and become a role model for her three daughters. She is very active in the Aboriginal community such as developing a First Nations and Metis Program curriculum for the Conseil Scolaire Francophone of BC. In addition, Lisa is was recently nominated to the Board of Directors of Volunteer BC.

Warren joined the BCAAFC in the summer of 2004 and quickly fit into the organization as a valued team member. He is a graduate of the University of Victoria, majoring in History. Warren began his work at the Association as the Executive Assistant and moved to the Health Policy Analyst position in 2006. He is an avid hockey player and enjoys activities with family and friends.

Tanya first joined the office as a summer student in 2005, and now works full time as the Youth Initiatives Director. She previously worked in Ottawa with the National Association of Friendship Centres as a Program Officer and she continues to study Creative Writing part time at the University of Victoria. Her best friend Maggie wagged her way into the hearts of the BCAAFC staff and has taken up residency as our mascot and guard dog.

Diane joined the BCAAFC in the fall of 2006.  She is a member of the Tsimshian Nation and was born and raised in Prince Rupert BC.  She attended Malaspina University College for two years before taking time off to raise her young family.  She lives in Victoria with her husband and two wonderful sons.

Ron was born and raised in Duncan and is a member of Cowichan Tribes. He started with the BCAAFC in May 1998.  His background in hospitality and event planning has served the association well.  In 2007 Ron took a 19 month leave of absence to manage Cultural Events & Ceremonies for the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games. He has also gained prominence within the Aboriginal Friendship Centres movement working to support a number of Friendship Centres in transition throughout BC and in Quebec. Ron has been the President of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre since 2003.

Naomi joined the Association in September 2007, and dove head first into the planning processes for the regionalization and transformation of Aboriginal Child and Family Services in BC. She completed her Bachelor’s of Social Work at UVic in the spring of 2007, where she focused her studies on social policy. Naomi is a visitor to Coast Salish territory; her family is from Aotearoa and Scotland. She is the proud Mother of a vibrant little girl named Grace.

Diana is a Coast Salish Cowichan Tribes member with equal roots in the Nuu Chalth Nuth Tribal Territory.  Diana has accumulated over 18 years experience in the field of Early Childhood Development and working with Aboriginal children and families.

Diana is the mother of two sons and truly understands and appreciates the importance of learning in the early years of life and the benefits of family and parenting support, including extended family members.  She appreciates the cultural teachings of her Elders and incorporates these into her daily work from a family centred program philosophy.  For more information on Aboriginal Infant Development Programs of B.C., go to www.aidp.bc.ca .

Esther is Nlaka'pamux, Thompson or Interior Salish from the Nooaitch Indian Band of Merritt, B.C. Esther joined BCAAFC in July, 2007, as the AIDP Provincial Assistant in the office of the Provincial Office of the Aboriginal Infant Development Programs. Esther earned her diploma for business administration at the University of Victoria. Esther’s family consists of five sisters and one brother. She was gifted with one beautiful daughter, Cedar Kyla Fawn and one grandson, Tavien Gabriel Henry. Esther strongly believes in keeping traditional and cultural ways of life alive. Her parents, Leslie and Dora Shackelly (predeceased) gave her the Indian name of “YeXutetkw “.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  Provincial Coordinator: Aboriginal Family Literacy Initiative

Kathryn joined the team in the position of Provincial Coordinator of the Aboriginal Family Literacy initiative in July 2008.  As of April 2009 Kathryn has been working in the AFCP and FCF programs as well.  She is from the Carrier Nation in northern BC.  Kathryn has a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature, as well as a Bachelor of Education.  Kathryn enjoys spending time with family and has a passion for national and international travel.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  Youth Conference Coordinator

Rosy joined the Association in January of 2008 as Team Support Assistant.  She is now the Youth Conference Coordinator for Gathering Our Voices 2009.  She is of Cree decent from Saddle Lake First Nation, and was born and raised in the Okanagan Valley, in BC.  In May of 2007 she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science and a minor in Canadian Studies from Mt. Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.  In the future she hopes to pursue a Masters degree in International Relations.  Rosy enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, hiking, and swimming, and has a passion for travel.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  Program Manager: AFCP-BC, FCF

Lindsey is from the Killerwhale Clan of the Tsimshian Nation.  She was born and raised in the Prince Rupert area, in Northern BC.  Lindsey attended Camosun College taking General Arts and Science courses before taking time out of school to work full time at the Museum of Northern BC in Prince Rupert.  There she was able to combine her passion for learning, teaching and sharing her cultural roots.  She recently moved to Victoria and began working with the Association in February of 2008. 

Alisa joined the BC Association team in November 2007. She has more than 25 years experience as a self-employed accountant in both the non-profit and profit sectors. Leisure time will usually find her enjoying the coastal waters on her classic wooden trawler.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Director of Child and Family Services

Carla was excited and honoured to join the Partnerships and Business Development team of the Association in August 2008.  She brings 12 years of policy experience in child and family services and Aboriginal health.   Her ancestors originate mainly from Italy and Scotland.  In her undergrad, Carla studied Science and Psychology.  She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Public Administration with a course focus in Dispute Resolution.  She also volunteers with Restorative Justice Victoria and is a Director on the provincial board of Options for Sexual Health.  Carla has a beautiful 17 year old foster daughter, Allisin, and a hound dog, Cooper.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Director of Health Initiatives

Christine Atkins is Cree First Nations from Friendly Manitoba. She and her partner, Don have a blended family of 6 children and 6 grandchildren. She has 25 years experience as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse and worked in a variety of health related fields, both community and hospital. 
She is a Workshop Facilitator, Presenter & Educator for Mental Health & Addictions  Concurrent Disorders & Suicide Prevention, & Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Workshops.

She came to the Director of Health position at BCAAFC from her role as Aboriginal Liaison Nurse, VIHA. She worked as a Consultant for FHA as Liaison for Aboriginal Mental Health & Addictions, and as Co-ordinator - Dual Diagnosis Program/Concurrent Disorders, VIHA. She brings a Management and Clinical Supervision background from her experience at Crisis Stabilization Unit & Mobile Crisis Unit. Christine participates in alternative healing modalities and is active in Spiritual Traditional Teachings. 

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  Director of First Impressions

Jamin has rejoined the BCAAFC in April 2009 as the Director of First Impressions.  He is of Ukrainian and Namgis First Nation descent.  Jamin is happy to be back in formation with the Friendship Centre Movement.  His artistic talents continue to shine through B.C. communities with his traditional and contemporary style.  He loves spending time with friends and family, especially with his son Alex.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Environmental Coordinator

Shane Hartman is a member of the Beaver Clan from the Dakelh First Nations. He completed his undergraduate degree at Malaspina University College in tourism management. Currently, he is putting the finishing touches on his Masters Degree at the University of Northern British Columbia in the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Program. For this graduate work he looked at ecotourism development with a remote First Nation’s community and the benefits and impacts associated with tourism development. An avid golfer and downhill skier, Shane also enjoys getting outdoors as much as possible. He is the newest member of the BCAAFC team, and is looking forward to helping the BCAAFC establish and implement its environmental strategy.