Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2018 to July 31, 2025
Joey Hartman retired as President of the Vancouver & District Labour Council in February 2018. She is recognized as a community and social justice activist and serves on a number of boards including the Council of Canadians, BC Labour Heritage Centre and Pacific Blue Cross. She holds a Certificate in Early Childhood Education from Capilano College.
Ajay Patel, President & CEO Ex-Officio
Ajay Patel was confirmed as president of Vancouver Community College on January 24, 2020. He first joined VCC in May 2019 as Vice-President, Enterprise and International Development. Ajay has over 20 years of post-secondary experience, and has consistently distinguished himself for his strategic leadership and for his inspiration and support for students, employees, and the whole community.
Ajay’s ongoing commitment to International Education across the post-secondary sector was recognized in 2019 with the BC Council for International Education Distinguished Leadership Award. Other awards include the City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation’s Volunteer of the Year, the Sport BC President’s Award, and the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant award in 2021.
At VCC, one of Ajay’s priorities is to lead the college into a promising future by implementing the Strategic Innovation Plan, including a Campus Master Plan designed to guide VCC’s development over the next 10 years.
Libby Davies, Vice Chair Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2018 to July 31, 2024
Libby Davies was a Member of Parliament for Vancouver East from 1997 – 2015. During that time she served as House Leader, Deputy Leader (2007-2015), and Official Opposition Spokesperson for Health. Ms. Davies is invited as a guest lecturer on a variety of topics related to government, situation related to drugs and HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Natasha Mandryk, Education Council Chair Ex Officio Member Term: Jan 1 to December 31, 2023
Natasha Mandryk is the current Chair of Education Council (EdCo) at VCC. Natasha has worked at VCC as a mathematics instructor since 2013, and is the current Department Head of Mathematics. Natasha has been a member of EdCo since 2018, serving on the EdCo executive, Education Policy Committee, and Curriculum Committee. Natasha has a Master of Science in Mathematics and Statistics from Acadia University, and a Bachelor of Science from UBC.
Dr. Chi Lo Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2023 to July 31, 2024
Dr. Chi Lo is Principal Lawyer, Barrister & Solicitor at CML Law Corporation. Previously, he was Census Enumerator at Statistics Canada. Active in his community, Dr. Lo is an Advising Lawyer with Access Pro Bono, and Honourary Legal Advisor for The Natives of Toi Shan Benevolent Society. Dr. Lo holds a Juris Doctor in English and Hong Kong Common Law, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Chinese University of Hong Kong; a Master of Applied Science from the University of British Columbia; a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from Imperial College, University of London; a Chartered Financial Analyst from CFA Institute; advanced (postgraduate) diploma courses from the British Columbia Institute of Technology; and, certificates from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and Harvard University Online.
Jeffrey Yu Appointed Member Term: July 12, 2021 to July 31, 2025
Jeffrey Yu is the principal owner of REL Technology Inc, a company that empowers people to live an independent and healthy lifestyle. As a former Assistant Operations Manager for Five Star Building Maintenance, and as an Integrated Service Manager and numerous Management roles in the Long Term Care Industry, Mr. Yu has extensive management and leadership experience. Mr. Yu is also experienced in real estate development and master site planning.
Active in his community, he is a member of Premier’s Chinese Canadian Community Advisory Committee, Trustee Chair for the New Vista Society and the Board Chair of Trustees for the Burnaby Library. He is a Nutrition Manager of the Canadian Society of Nutrition Managers and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Simon Fraser University.
Mahin Rashid Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2018 to July 31, 2024
Mahin Rashid is a strategic leader and change professional, dedicating her career to organizations that create a positive impact in community. As Director, Customer (Member) Readiness and Process Optimization at Vancity Credit Union, her role is to create and lead change within the organization, resulting in a better customer (member) and employee experience. Her previous roles include the Director of Business Planning and Performance at Vancity, Accessibility and Inclusion Consultant for the Presidents Group, a network of BC business leaders working to recruit and retain diverse talent, and a Director of Revenue Development at United Way, an organization focused on poverty alleviation and community development.
Mahin is a long-standing and active volunteer with a variety of organizations such as Vancouver Foundation and Rainbow Refugee. She has a passion for fostering change in the areas of social and economic inclusion.
Nadia Belokopitov Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2018 to July 31, 2024
Nadia Belokopitov is a status member of the Haida Nation, House of Yuuglaanas, Raven Clan. She is the owner of the Cedar Root Gallery, the only 100% owned and operated Indigenous retail store in Vancouver. Ms. Belokopitov was previously a Federal negotiator with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and is an activist with the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women’s Inquiry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia. Nadia was the proud recipient of the 2019 Arbor Award from University of Toronto recognizing her dedication to enhancing the experience of its students.
Seung Oh Appointed Member Term: February 25, 2019 to July 31, 2025
Ms. Oh is an experienced advisor for local business owners and managers and is currently the sole proprietor of Seung Oh Ltd. chartered accounting firm in Burnaby. She is an experienced director and CFO for Canadian public companies and a seminar speaker for the Korean Canadian Business Community on business and tax related matters.
Shobha Rajagopalan Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2018 to July 31, 2024
Shobha Rajagopalan is a passionate educator with many years of post secondary teaching experience and served in many leadership roles in private public sectors in British Columbia. Currently working as the Health Science Program manager at the Native Education College.
Very active in the local community, served as the chair for the Youth justice committee, City of Coquitlam. A passionate community organizer, previously served as the president of Kerala Cultural Organization and Society of Women Empowerment.
Sue Hammell Appointed Member Term: July 31, 2019 to July 31, 2025
Sue Hammell recently retired as a Member of the BC Legislature. She was re-elected as the MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers in May 2013. She was first elected in 1991, and then re-elected multiple times. She serves as Opposition Spokesperson for Mental Health and Addictions. Ms. Hammell served in a number of cabinet positions as MLA, including Minister of Housing, Recreation and Consumer Services, Minister Responsible for Co-operatives, and Minister for Women’s Equality. In addition, she was government caucus chair and was active on several legislative committees. Ms. Hammell also worked with the Surrey Aboriginal Society as their Executive Director, where she developed the society into a modern urban centre for aboriginal people with an annual budget of over $2 million. She has been working with the Washington, D.C.-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) for many years. With NDI she travelled to the Middle East five times to work with emerging political parties and female candidates. She is also a founding member of the Minerva Foundation for B.C. Women, initiated in 1999 to provide funds for projects that will assist women to realize their potential and to create a safe place for them to live and work in British Columbia. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of British Columbia, she taught in Verdun, Quebec, Courtenay and Surrey.
Dr. Paul Yeung, Support Staff Representative Elected Member Term: November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2023
Dr. Paul Yeung was elected by the Support Staff group in October 2020. Dr. Yeung has been working as a VCC support staff since 2011. He has held various positions in academia, government and the not for profit sector. In academia, he has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at UBC, SFU, and Brock University and is currently treasurer of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), as well as a board member for the Private Practitioner Chapter. In government, Dr. Yeung was a researcher to the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control (CCDPC) for the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Dr. Yeung has authored articles in refereed journals and presented at conferences in Canada and abroad.
Karen Brooke, Faculty Representative Elected Member Term: November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2023
Karen Brooke was elected by the faculty group in October 2020. Ms. Brooke has been an instructor at Vancouver Community College since 2004, first with the English as an Additional Langauge department and now with the School of Instructor Education. She has been proud to serve the college on a number of committees. She is interested in the history and mission of community colleges.
Justine Gonzales Elected Student Member Term: November 1, 2022 to November 1, 2023
Justine Gonzales is an international student in the Business & Project Management post-graduate program. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Medical Technology from Centro Escolar University in the Philippines. He was the Medical Technology Student Council President in 2014 and 2015 at the university and is a leadership award recipient during his time at the university. He has been part of different business sectors from pharmaceutical, logistics, and finance. He has been part of an executive committee for a freight forwarding company in the Philippines for 3 years and he has experience in customer service, sales, marketing, and finance.
Yanni Wong Elected Student Member Term: March 1, 2023 to November 1, 2023
Yanni Wong is a full-time international student pursuing the diploma in Automotive Collision and Refinishing in Broadway Campus. He holds a master degree in Building Engineering.
Before arriving in Vancouver, Yanni was a Chartered Building Surveyor in the UK, and a Chartered Construction Project Manager working for a sizable charity organization in Hong Kong for 10 years. Yanni is experienced in dealing with public sectors for town planning and building development issues.
Contact us
For questions relating to Board Governance at VCC, please contact Executive Assistant, Deborah Lucas at dlucas@vcc.ca or 604.871.7000 Ext. 8313
Appointments
Government-appointed board members are appointed by the Province of British Columbia. For information on appointment processes and guidelines, please visit the Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office.
Board Committees
The VCC Board of Governors has three standing committees:
Governance Committee
Mahin Rashid (Chair), Karen Brooke, Paul Yeung, Justine Gonzales
Public Board Meetings commence at 5:30pm at VCC's Broadway Campus, 1155 East Broadway.
Public attendance in-person and by Zoom are offered. The meeting link will be located on the agenda, posted below approx. 5 days in advance.
ASL services are in demand, we will do our best to accommodate requests, but if possible, please provide a minimum of 2 weeks notice.
All persons or groups wishing to make a presentation must submit their request in writing at least 14 days in advance of the meeting date to Deborah Lucas, Executive Assistant to the Board of Governors at dlucas@vcc.ca.
The Board breaks during the summer and meetings resume in September. The Board will approve the January to December 2024 meeting schedule in June 2023.