Board of Directors

Catherine Roome

President
Catherine is a tech innovator with a passion for serving the public interest. She is a director of BC Hydro, chairs the board of its energy trading subsidiary Powerex, and is a member of the Site C Hydroelectric Project oversight board. She also serves on the private sector boards of Prospera Credit Union, and McElhanney Engineering where she chairs their operating board. 
 
Catherine recently served as Interim CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society, supporting governance and operational renewal for BC’s largest supportive housing organization. Previously, she led Technical Safety BC for a decade. Catherine is dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and encouraging the next generation of leaders. 

 

Patra de Silva

Past President

Patra De Silva is a senior business executive with extensive experience in product development, manufacturing and marketing. She is the president of Natures Botanicals, a nutraceutical company which manufactures and markets dietary herbal supplements, pet remedies and natural personal care products. Being a student of Ayurveda, Patra is a strong proponent of a holistic lifestyle. She is an innovator in the pet industry and is the president of NHVNaturalPetProducts.com, a B to C e-commerce site for pet products.

Janice Comeau

Treasurer & Secretary

Janice Comeau is a strategic, trusted advisor and corporate director with over 30 years of diverse experience including award-winning CFO performance as a financial leader for business transformation. She has an established consulting practise that provides strategic corporate and financial services to a portfolio of privately held companies. Janice recently joined the board of a public cannabis company and prior to that was the Board Chair of the Land Title and Survey Authority.

Esther McGregor

Vice President & Co-Chair Engagement Committee

Esther McGregor has 25 years of experience in executive search, helping organizations across Canada and the Pacific Northwest find talented leaders. As Managing Partner of DHR’s Vancouver office, she works with clients in the public sector, nonprofit, and industrial sector, focusing on thoughtful and inclusive recruitment processes. Esther is actively involved in her community, volunteering with St. James Music Academy and Dress for Success Vancouver to support local initiatives. She values collaboration and is dedicated to building strong organizations and communities through her professional and volunteer efforts.

Pamela Martin

Co-Chair Engagement Committee

Pamela Martin is a trail-blazing and renowned veteran for women in news broadcasting in British Columbia, Canada.  She is an award-winning news anchor and journalist who brought critical issues into the homes of British Columbians for over 30 years, and is recognized as a source of fair and accurate information.

Subsequently, Pamela served as Director of Outreach in the Office of the Premier and engaged with stakeholders around the province.

Pamela has served as honourary chair of the United Way and Canadian Cancer Society campaigns and is currently a director of Coast Mental Health Foundation, an organization that supports the recovery of people affected by mental illness, and also on the board of the Pacific Autism Family Network Foundation, supporting BC families affected by autism.

Joanne Gassman

Chair Fellowship Committee

Joanne Gassman was with BMO Bank of Montreal for more than 39 years, most recently retiring from her position as the Senior Vice President of Personal & Commercial Banking for BC & Yukon Division. 

She currently Co-Chairs the Members Committee for the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and is a past Director for StreetoHome Foundation and Bowen Island Community Foundation, both where she continues to share her time on Committees.  She is past Chair of the Bill Reid Foundation and the Vancouver Council for CARE Canada and a past Governor of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Mary O’Callaghan

Chair Communications Committee

Since retiring as a partner with KPMG’s Management Consulting team in Vancouver, where she led the People and Change practice, Mary continues to provide Advisory Services to clients throughout BC. Her practice focuses on business performance improvement including strategy, governance, organization development, and change management. She also provides continuity planning services for family businesses as they transition from generation to generation.

Sherri Magee

Co-Chair Membership Committee

Sherri has been a researcher and author in the area of cancer survivorship for over 25 years. She is the co-author of the highly acclaimed book “Picking up the Pieces: Moving Forward after Surviving Cancer,” and the co-founder of “Abreast in a Boat” dragon boat team society. She’s the past Vice-Chair of the Vancouver Police Board and past Chair of the Vancouver Police Foundation. She is a director on the Streethome Board addressing homelessness, mental health and addiction issues.

Bal Pawa

Co-Chair Membership Committee

Dr. Bal Pawa is a physician with over 30 years of experience in women’s health and Integrative Medicine. She holds certifications in Mind-Body Medicine from Harvard Medical School and is a  Board Certified Menopause Clinician, alongside advanced training in functional medicine. A Clinical Instructor at the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Bal is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. Bal is a passionate advocate for bringing evidence-based medicine to the wider community. She has been an invited speaker at corporate, radio, and television events across Canada, the USA, and the UK, using her platform to educate on critical health issues. Her TEDx talk, viewed by nearly 1 million people, and her best-selling book, The Mind-Body Cure, reflect her commitment to empowering individuals with the tools to take charge of their health. Through her leadership, Bal continues to make significant contributions to both the professional healthcare field and the communities she serves, promoting wellness and education to improve lives across the globe. She is currently serving as the Medical Director /Co-Founder of the West Coast Women’s Clinic and Medical Education Director for the Pattison Food Group. She is currently working on completing books on Women’s Health and on her passion project of Culinary Medicine while juggling her most coveted role as grandmother.

 

Juanita Lohmeyer

Vice Treasurer

Juanita Lohmeyer is an award-winning CEO and Corporate Director with financial leadership, digital transformation expertise, and customer experience who delivers strategic growth resulting in billion-dollar outcomes. She has 25 years of experience leading fast growth in global organizations up to $20B revenue, including private, public, crown and family-controlled spanning financial services, information technology, telecommunications and education.

Catherine Holt

Member at Large

 

Marlie Oden

Member at Large

As a strategic communications expert, Marlie began her career in Edmonton and managed Tourism British Columbia at McKim Advertising in Vancouver, elevating its global presence. In 1995, she founded Bridge Communications, leading impactful initiatives for organizations like The College of Registered Nurses and City of Vancouver. A respected facilitator, Marlie contributes to her community, serving on boards including Vancouver International Wine Festival and Bard on the Beach.

 

Mia Maki

Member at Large
Mia authors, teaches and facilitates for Executive Education and Continuing Education certificate programs for the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC (CPA BC). Mia holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation, CPA, CMA, and was honoured as a Fellow in 2005 for her commitment to the organization and the community. She is an active volunteer in the local community.