Susan Tatoosh, Chair
Susan is of Shuswap ancestry and a member of the Hupacaseth First Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Territory. For the past 35 years, she has been actively involved in community work in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. Susan’s volunteer work has been at all levels — community, municipal, provincial and national — serving on boards, committees, task forces, panels and at round table discussions. She is currently the Executive Director of the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre. She has worked with the federal government via the Northern Native Development Corporation, the K’ensu Development Corporation and Aboriginal Personnel Services. As well, she has represented numerous Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal civic organizations, including: the Urban Native Indian Education Society, the Urban Native Youth Association, Aboriginal Community Careers Employment Services Society and the YWCA, among many others. Susan was recognized for her over-30 years of voluntary contributions to the community when she received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.
Jerry Adams, Vice Chair
Jerry is Nisga'a from the Eagle Clan. He has been in the social service field for over thirty years and is currently the Executive Director of the Circle of Eagles Lodge Society. Jerry is the recipient of the "Spirit of Crazy Horse Award" which recognizes inspirational leaders, from Reclaiming Youth International, an organization that works with youth issues throughout the world. He is the former Executive Director of United Native Youth Association, a well respected community member and youth advocate, and champion of the Native Youth Centre capital campaign. Jerry is married to his lifelong sweetheart and the proud papa of three grown children.
Stewart Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer
Stewart is a community banker with Vancity (Vancouver City Savings Credit Union) one of the largest member owned financial organizations in Canada. His mandate at Vancity is to broaden and deepen the Credit Union's involvement with Aboriginal communities in and beyond the traditional territory of the Coast Salish people where Vancity is located. Working in the financial services sector for the last 20 years, Stewart has a strong background in economic development, project finance, and corporate lending, as well as a keen awareness of the importance of relationship building. His clients have included First Nation Governments, Aboriginal and First Nations Development Corporations, Aboriginal Social Service agencies, and First Nations/Private Sector Joint Ventures. Stewart is active in the East Vancouver community where he lives, and serves on the boards of a number of community and arts organizations.
Merv Thomas, Director
Merv is Cree from Pelican Lake, Saskatchewan. He currently resides in the beautiful territory of the Coast Salish people, Vancouver, BC, where he works as the National Programs and Communications Manager for the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. Merv has held management positions for over 20 years, developing programs and services for Aboriginal people such as youth treatment facilities, an Aboriginal Halfway House for Women, and Elders’ Meals on Wheels. He is a leader in the Metro Vancouver Aboriginal community serving on the board of Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society, Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society, Pulling Together Canoe Society, Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council, Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee, United Native Nations – Zone 7 Director, Vi-Fineday Family Shelter Society, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority – Aboriginal Community Advisory Committee and many other groups and committees.
Ross Ramsey, Director
Ross specializes in improving the performance of organizations. His public and private sector career throughout Canada and the US for the past 35 years has focused on board governance, healthcare, foundation development and organizational effectiveness. He held senior government positions in Nova Scotia, Manitoba (CEO of a Crown Corporation) and Alberta. He was also President and CEO of a private family foundation in BC before entering private practice as an organizational effectiveness consultant.
Ross served as Chair of the Board of two national organizations: Community Foundations of Canada (1998-2002) and the Canadian Addictions Foundation (1980-1981). Other contributions include: Director, Centre For Sustainability; Advisor, Kakawis Family Development Centre; Member, Youth Advisory Committee, Vancouver Foundation; Director, Rediscovery International Foundation; Native Alcohol Abuse Program Regional Advisory Board (Prairie);
Tabitha Geraghty, Director
Helping Spirit Lodge Society’s (HSLS) Executive Director, Tabitha Marie Geraghty is from the Mohawk Nation of the Bay of Quinte, Tyendinaga whose lineage is of the Wolf Clan. Ms. Geraghty graduated in 2009 with a Master’s Degree in Distant Education (MDE) from the University of Athabasca. The focus of her efforts is in Aboriginal women who experience violence and their journey to empowerment.
As the Executive Director of HSLS, Tabitha is proud to serve as a member of several relevant Boards within the urban aboriginal community, such as Metro Vancouver Urban Aboriginal Council, ACCESS, Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee, and Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice.
George Chow, Director
George Chow was a Vancouver City Councillor and was first elected in 2005 and served for 6 years on council until 2011. Prior to that, he worked for BC Hydro as a senior engineer for more than 30 years.
A long-time Vancouver resident, he grew up in the Downtown Eastside and attended Britannia and Gladstone Secondary Schools. He graduated from UBC in mechanical engineering in 1975.
George is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, and a Fellow of Engineers Canada, and has served on many community organizations as a volunteer. He is currently a Trustee of the Vancouver Public Library Board, an honourary director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC, and an advisor to the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association.
George first served on the Chinatown Historical Area Planning Committee in the mid -70's and was actively involved with the building of the Chinese Cultural Centre (CCC) in Vancouver's Chinatown. He spent 4 two-year terms on the CCC Board as Special Events Chair who organized the first Spring Festival parade in Chinatown (1973), the UN Habitat Conference Festival (1976), the first community concert with the VSO (1979), as well as the first Dragon Boat Race in Vancouver (1986). He had also served on the boards of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Chinese Community Library Services Association, and other family associations.
In 1990, George was awarded the Dr. S. Wah Leung Award for outstanding volunteer service to Vancouver's Chinese community.
As President of Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver (2004-2006), he strived to reach out to the aboriginal and other communities, to help build a more harmonious and inclusive city. He continued this process on City Council, serving as Liaison Councillor to the Musqueam Nation.