Vancouver-based writer, accessibility advocate and educator, Brittanny is the founder of the Judy Jamieson Foundation for Education, and the Play4EveryBody project — dedicated to building universally accessible, public play spaces. She held positions with Calgary Magazine (Red Point Media) and Transcontinental Media before striking out on her own as a freelance copywriter, editor and language educator. She has worked on projects ranging from short fiction and screenplays to legal textbooks and Ph.D. dissertations. Her last park project became a model for the Rick Hansen Foundation Schools Program. She serves as a panel judge for the annual About Love Playwright Festival. Brittanny studied creative writing at UBC where she earned degrees in Literature and Education.
Tiffany Sosnowski is a Registered Social Worker with extensive experience in the field of Youth Substance Use and Mental Health. Currently, she is a full-time faculty member at Douglas College in the Child and Youth Care program. She has worked in both the public and the not-for profit sectors over her career.
Tiffany’s work also includes program development, monitoring and evaluation and her approach to the work aims to centre the voice of the consumer in order to improve program outcomes and client experiences.
Outside of her professional achievements, Tiffany is an avid patron of the visual and performing arts as well as a visual art collector.
Tiffany holds a Masters of Social work from University of British Columbia.
Ilinca is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over twenty years experience in a variety of sectors, including non-profit. Currently, Ilinca holds the role of Director of Finance at the Pacific Salmon Commission, and also volunteers on the board of directors of the Greater Vancouver Law Students' Legal Advice Society. In her free time, Ilinca enjoys spending time with her family, attending cultural events, and going on hikes with her dog.
Vancouver-based and raised, a communications and event management consultant. Valerie held the position of Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships at the Rick Hansen Foundation, and has been a consultant to a broad range of not-for-profit and corporate clients in the arts, retail, sports, healthcare and science. She began her involvement with CACV in 2012 as the inaugural event organizer of SWITCH!, a fundraiser raising nearly $700,000 over 7 years. Valerie studied communications at Simon Fraser University where she earned a degree in Communications and Publishing; and a Marketing diploma from Capilano University.
Valerie believes we all possess creative abilities, not limited to self-proclaimed artists who earn a living from pursuing their passion. She enjoys a vast array of artmaking projects, with an emphasis on photography. The magic happens when we apply our talents and begin our creative journey – start anywhere, just start.
Between Arts and Sciences, I first chose science. Curious about the mind, I eventually became a psychiatrist. But my frustration with the business mentality that has infiltrated health care led me back to question my early decision. I received my BFA from Emily Carr in 2007 and my MFA from Concordia University in 2011. I am presently a full-time interdisciplinary artist with a socially engaged practice. My works have focused on environmental and mental health issues. I am a member of the Gallery Gachet and the Art Is Land collectives, a board member of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and the Emily Carr Alumni.
After graduating with a BA in Classics & History from the University of Alberta, Jeff fell in love with the charitable sector and has spent his career leading fundraising teams in both staff and volunteer roles at several non-profit organizations. Working closely with individuals and corporations, he has helped translate their desire for stronger communities into tens of millions of dollars of donated support.
Having lived across Western Canada, Jeff and his wife now call Vancouver home. When not working, they’re likely to be researching out of the way restaurants and museums to visit in whichever country they are planning to visit next.
Beatrice is a Project Management Professional (PMP) with close to 20 years of project management experience in a variety of industries, including financial services, higher education and the non-profit sector. She is also a Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner having managed large and complex multi-year business transformation programs, primarily in the financial services industry. Beatrice has a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from UNSW in Sydney, Australia, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UBC. She is also a board member and volunteer with the South Granville Seniors Centre and supports both early career professionals and seniors through volunteer supports and services, as well as through advocacy and mentorship.
As a recent graduate of Viola Performance and Political Science from the University of British Columbia, Francesca Kohn brings her passion for community engagement and the arts in all sectors of her life. As a Vancouver local, she has been involved in performing and community arts activities since childhood as a student of the Vancouver Academy of Music. Francesca has performed as an orchestral musician with the UBCO, the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship program, the UBC chamber strings and has participated in music festivals in both the United States and Europe. During her time at UBC, she became increasingly involved in her community as the Vice President of Finance at the Music Undergraduate Students Association as well as through her role as Recruitment and Advising Program Assistant at the UBC School of Music. Francesca is committed to bridging and uplifting various communities which she also pursues as Board Director at the United Girls of the World Society.
Vida Mehin - Lawyer
Vida Mehin has over 20 years experience as a securities lawyer in the public and private sector in Canada and the United States. She has provided advice on capital markets regulation and banking law to market participants. As a mother of four young children, Vida has a particular interest in children's involvement in the arts and women's empowerment in artistic businesses. She is excited to join CACV as a board member to support artists and to foster a vibrant local arts community. Previously, she served as a board member of the Vancouver Ballet Society.
Setareh Yasan is an educator and artist/curator based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Nooksack peoples, with more than a decade of experience in teaching drawing, sculpture, and critical thinking to a diverse student demographic. She is an internationally exhibited artist with a Master's degree in Fine and Studio Arts from the University of British Columbia.
Her studio practice explores existential philosophy and the concept of dwelling, delving into the complexities of being and engagement with existence. In her work, the studio becomes a space for distancing oneself from the everyday, creating an opportunity for critical reflection on our surroundings.
Since 2015, Yasan has played an active role in initiating, curating, and directing artist residency and project spaces that provide platforms for emerging artists, both nationally and internationally. She believes in the power of independent art spaces outside of institutional settings to foster dialogue and grant artists the freedom to explore new ideas.
Shayna Kuffert is a communications specialist working in the non-profit housing sector who has over 7 years of communications, writing and design experience. After graduating from the University of Victoria with a BA in history and writing, Shayna pursued a career in the arts and eventually transitioned into the non-profit sector. Shayna has a passion for using her communication skills to uplift and advocate for the most vulnerable populations and as a resident of Chinatown/DTES Shayna is passionate about supporting her local community. Outside of her professional achievements, Shayna loves to read, paint, collage, and spend time outdoors.
