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Effie Pow was elected to the GVCSS Board in March 2017. Ms. Pow’s professional background is in events and marketing communications and she currently works for the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia. Ms. Pow's volunteer experience includes being a founding board member of Theatre as a Second Language and a past development committee member of Pacific Immigrant Resources Society.
Ms. Pow holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UBC in Asian studies and a BCIT Associate Certificate in Marketing Communications.
Her extensive leadership background extends through various facets of the health care system. She has had multiple leadership positions at BC Children's Hospital, and since 2014 has been in the role of Provincial Executive Director of the Mental Health Program. In early 2017 she took on the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer while maintaining some of her responsibilities for the Mental Health portfolio.
Ms. Bell's keen interest in leadership is reflected in her professional and volunteer activities which include Alumni Coach at the Sauder School of Business for the Physician Leadership Program, and mentor for the Canadian College of Health Leaders' Healthcare Mentorship program.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario, a Diploma of General Nursing from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and an Executive Masers in Business Administration from the Sauder School of Business, University of BC.
Elected to the GVCSS Board of Directors in August 2016, Mr. Sumner's professional background spans a multi-faceted financial career in the private, educational and government sectors, including an extensive career at the University of British Columbia from 1985 to 2008 where he was employed as the Director of Financial Services and later as the Vice President of Administration and Finance.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of PACE, an early intervention and educational centre for children and families and in January 2021 Mr. Sumner also joined the Board of Directors of The Boys & Girls Club of South Coast BC. Previously he served as a member of the Dr. Peter Aids Foundation Finance and Audit Committee, and as Chair of the Board of Directors of SunCentral Inc., a start-up company and innovator in the lighting industry. His broad finance background has also been an asset to various Boards both in the community and economic sectors. Previous Board memberships include service with BC Pets and Friends, UBC Investment Management Trust, UBC Properties Trust Inc., and the Canadian Association of University Business Officers. He has also served as Treasurer on various Foundations. Mr. Sumner is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Simon Fraser University and a Licentiate in Accounting from the University of British Columbia.
Samson Chan joined the GVCSS Board in 2018. His substantial professional and community undertakings reflect both his background in law and his health science education.
Mr. Chan's employment in the legal profession has taken him to Hong Kong and to Vancouver. Currently Mr. Chan is serving as corporate counsel to London Drugs Ltd. His past community involvement includes Legal Clinic Head at the UBC Law Students and Legal Advice Program, and Co-President at UBC Asia Pacific Law Club. He is currently a Board Director and President at the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC and had been involved with the St. John Ambulance in Vancouver as a Medical Responder and Community Service Coordinator. Prior to his legal work, Mr. Chan held various analytic and public health research positions at BC Centre of Disease Control.
Mr. Chan holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Public Health from the University of BC. He attended the Law exchange program at the University of Hong Kong, and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of British Columbia, Peter A. Allard School of Law.
Sandra Micheals joined the GVCSS Board in early 2018.
Ms. Micheals' career includes a focus in vocational rehabilitation and significant experience in the areas of mediation, negotiation and administration in various capacities with government and community organizations. Now retired, Ms. Micheals had an extensive career with WorkSafe BC where she was responsible for complex cases covering the medical management and return to work of seriously injured workers.
Ms. Micheals' education and volunteer work reflects her strong interest in medical and psychological aspects of rehabilitation. Her volunteer background includes Board Director and Chair of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, Community Health Committee member with the Vancouver Richmond Health Board, Three Bridges Health Centre and The Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Professionals. She holds a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Victoria, a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Ethnic Relations from Simon Fraser University, held an Accredited Canadian Rehabilitation Professional Certification throughout much of her career and trained in Conflict Resolution at the Justice Institute of BC.
Erin Monahan joined the board in June 2021. Ms. Monahan’s work history spans from theatre, hospitality, meetings and events to project management. For the past decade she has been working in the legal industry primarily with not-for-profit organizations and is currently project manager for Access Pro Bono Society of BC.
Ms. Monahan has planned events locally and internationally and has worked with a diverse range of stakeholders. Her leadership experience includes managing teams of seasonal part time staff, full time employees, and collaborating with volunteers.
Her volunteer activities include various committees for the Association of Continuing Legal Education and the fundraising committee for Heart for Africa, Canada.
Ms. Monahan earned her project management certificate from UBC Sauder School of Business in 2020 and in the spring of 2021 obtained her project management (PMP) certification.
Mr. Pourkarimi is an energy and sustainability executive with over 35 years of business and management experience in small, medium, and large businesses in a wide range of areas including strategic planning, business development and planning, regulatory, financial analysis, technology, sales and marketing, operations, and customer service. Mr. Pourkarimi is the founder and president of Energitix Management & Consulting Corporation, an energy management and sustainability consulting company. He also co-founded an international energy consulting company and grew the business from a start-up to an international consulting company focused on emerging markets by partnering with a large international company to expand the company’s international reach and financial strength. He has worked on international projects in 8 countries. Prior to founding Energitix, Mr. Pourkarimi held a number of management positions with one of Canada’s leading utilities and in the technology sector. He is a professional engineer with a bachelor of applied science in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Pourkarimi has a keen interest in supporting future generations. He has been a mentor to young CEOs and founders of start-up companies through Futurpreneur Canada since 2016 and is a board member of the Earth.IT Organization, an international, non-profit EdTech organization that offers a project-based after school learning platform for the world’s future leaders and changemakers.
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Adam Thompson was elected to the GVCSS Board in 2021, bringing an experience in law, real estate, finance and working in various non-profit sectors. Adam Thompson is a Legal Consultant with Miller Thompson LLP and a member of the California Bar. After 14 years of legal practice in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, he moved to Vancouver where he intends to continue his practice upon becoming a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
Adam specializes in the handling of commercial real estate, joint venture and financial transactions, and is experienced in guiding a project from conception, acquisition, financing, entitlement, ground-up construction, stabilization and eventual disposition. In the recent years Adam has also provided counsel on multiple projects involving municipal or other governmental partners, with an emphasis on the creation and rehabilitation of non-profit and affordable housing developments, as well as the restoration and preservation of historical buildings.
Ms. Tomren was elected to the GVCSS Board in early 2019. She is a creative and passionate communications professional experienced in project management, branding, content development, media relations, strategic storytelling, and social media planning. Ms. Tomren received her Masters of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia and currently works as a Marketing & Communications Officer with the Alzheimer Society of B.C. Ms. Tomren's achievements also include: PCM®, Marketing Management accreditation from the American Marketing Association, Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification. She is also a member of Golden Key International Honour Society.
Faye White joined the Board of Directors in Spring 2020 with many years of leadership experience in her professional and personal life. She has a consultant practice in the field of Organizational Development, Change Management and Leadership Coaching working primarily in the health care sector. Her consultant practice builds on 18 years of working in a variety of capacities in Community Health with Vancouver Health Authority. Ms. White has served on a variety of not for profit boards, most recently as the Chair of the BC Organizational Development Network.
Ms. White holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University, a Bachelor of Social Work from University of Calgary and Coaching Certification with the International Coaching Federation.
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