WE'RE CHANGING THE GAME

Ryan Beedie

Ryan Beedie oversees one of the most successful industrial and residential property development companies in Western Canada. Born and raised in Burnaby, BC, Ryan’s passion for real estate was ignited early on, learning about the family business at the dinner table from his father Keith, who founded the company in 1954. Ryan joined the company in 1993 and became President in 2001. By 2018, the company had diversified activities while exemplifying its community-driven principle, Built For Good.

With a personal commitment of $50 million, Beedie Luminaries is Ryan’s biggest philanthropic endeavour to date. It furthers his belief that you have a responsibility to give back to the community where you live and work. A philanthropist at heart, Ryan has donated or committed more than $35 million in the past decade to organizations such as Ronald McDonald House, BC Children’s Hospital, Beedie School of Business, YWCA, BC Institute of Technology, and Vancouver Police Foundation, to name a few. Ryan holds an MBA in real estate from the University of British Columbia and an undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University. He resides in Vancouver and shares his love of music with his wife Cindy and their three children.

Martina Meckova

Martina is a social-profit leader with over twenty years of experience in strategic fundraising, business development, operations management, marketing, governance, and special events. She joined Beedie Luminaries from the Vancouver Police Foundation where she led the implementation of important initiatives that resulted in the organization’s growth from $2 million to $20 million in assets. Martina was instrumental in launching the Vancouver Police Cadets, an award-winning youth program that continues to change the lives of hundreds of aspiring high school students from challenging backgrounds.

Before joining the Vancouver Police Foundation, Martina was the Executive Director of Cystic Fibrosis Canada – BC, Senior Manager of Communications for the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, and Senior Account Director of Spectrum Marketing Corporation. She also holds an MBA from Queen’s University. Martina’s personal experience of being a new immigrant and a beneficiary of scholarship funding herself solidifies her strong commitment to our mission. She sees her role as a unique opportunity to pay it forward and inspire others to achieve their dreams.

Ann Bolton

Ann holds a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. Ann has held several leadership positions for the Vancouver School Board, including Counselling Department Head and Summer School Principal. She has worked with many community partners, including the Cinderella Project, Big Sisters, Firefighters Challenge, Kelty Mental Health, YWCA, and the Boys and Girls Club. In addition to co-editing an anti-racism manual, she has been a co-editor of the Vancouver Counsellor Newsletter and has attended an International Conference for Counsellors in Scotland, at St. Andrews University.

Ann has a special interest in acculturation issues, which was the focus of her master’s thesis. She also strives to take a pro-active approach to help students to prepare and navigate their post-secondary transition. She has over thirty years of experience working with adolescents and is passionate about supporting students to build personal and academic resilience, overcome barriers to success and achieve their goals.

Florence Cosulich

Always behind the scenes taking projects from the ideation to reality, Florence is a multidisciplinary team builder and group facilitator. Florence’s drive for helping people realize their ideas and dreams began with her work in theatre as a stage manager, and since then she has brought an element of play and creativity to all of her work.

She has trained and worked as a leader and facilitator locally and internationally in the areas of public art, youth leadership, student travel, wellness, personal development and experiential education.

Florence’s facilitation style centers on becoming more comfortable with the uncomfortable and establishing deeper and more vulnerable connections both to one’s self and others.
Guided by these experiences, groups and individuals are free to serve a greater purpose and create a world around them that they are proud of.

Mackenzie Dickson

Mackenzie is a facilitator, educator, and professional futurist who loves engaging with groups in exploring both personal and global issues.

After completing his MSc in Strategic Foresight, Mackenzie took his relentless curiosity to UNESCO to further his learning about futures literacy and global systems. At UNESCO he had the opportunity to facilitate international workshops for policymakers and government advisers.

Drawing on his experience in group facilitation and personal development training locally and internationally, combined with his BA in Psychology from UBC, Mackenzie created FAM Studios and partnered with Florence Cosulich to design and offer engaging group experiences intended to provoke curiosity, vulnerability, openness, and connections.

Mackenzie is delighted to be working with Beedie Luminaries and is honoured to be a Community and Student Forum Facilitator for these amazing students. While he continues to develop new options for engaging online, Mackenzie and Florence are both aimed at making the student community self-sustaining over the next few years. And from what they’ve seen of these incredible students so far – it won’t be long!

Cameron McCaw

Having joined the team in January 2021, Cameron is Beedies newest recruit. He is a community service
and engagement professional with related experience in the fields of post-secondary education,
information technology, tourism, and the performing arts. 
 
In his role as Marketing and Community Engagement Specialist, Cameron supports the success and
growth of the Beedie Luminaries Foundation and plays a key role in raising the Foundation’s profile
among its external and internal communities. As a recent graduate, he brings a fresh perspective and
timely understanding of the post-secondary student experience which he is excited to apply to his role in
expanding the visibility and community networks of Beedie Luminaries.
 
Cameron holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia with a major in
History. He loves learning and feels privileged to have this opportunity to share his passion for continuing
education with the social profit sector.

Paula Salloum

Paula joined Beedie Luminaries in February of 2019 with over 30 years of experience in diverse administrative and organizational roles, working in the fields of law, insurance, office management, hospitality, and fund development.

In her role as the Program Development Coordinator, Paula works with the Executive Director to build and maintain relationships with essential partners, including community groups, educators, post-secondary institutions, and corporate partners to ensure that the program and processes roll out smoothly and evolve & grow as needed.

Previously, Paula worked for the owner and founder of Rocky Mountaineer and his family office, where she was also exposed to the philanthropic activities and many charity events and programs. From this experience, she had found her passion for the social profit sector and decided to join the Vancouver Police Foundation. In her role as the Executive and Development Coordinator, she assisted the Executive Director in the growth, program development and grants distribution.

Paula is excited to support this inspiring and meaningful scholarship program.

Margaret Suchonska

Margaret holds a Master Degree of Special Education (Poland), and a Master Degree in Counselling Psychology (Canada).

Margaret is an experienced, passionate educator and youth mentor with over 30 years of experience, assisting youth 13 to 25 years old from an extensive range of ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds with issues around relationships, identity development, mental well being, developmental transitions and life issues including trauma, poverty, losses and acculturation. She has worked with youth in Europe, Africa and Canada.

Margaret feels privileged to have learned from the young people she has worked with and admires their perseverance, resilience and determination. She understands the challenges faced by young people who have recently immigrated to Canada, as well as for youth endeavouring to honour their heritage and family values whilst finding their own unique voice and identity.

Over the last 15 years, Margaret has worked with Vancouver Coastal Health as a clinical youth counsellor. During this time, she has also worked with the Child and Youth Mental Health Team, as a mental health clinician.

Understanding the need for balance in life, Margaret is involved in her community; she enjoys time with family and friends, reading, walking the family dog and kayaking.

Ian Chisholm

Originally from Saskatchewan, Ian is a social entrepreneur and pioneer in the field of executive development. From 2000 to 2004, Ian served as the first CEO of the Columba 1400 Community and International Leadership Centre on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Columba 1400 was created to develop the leadership potential of young people from tough socio-economic realities across the UK. He has since served as the Centre’s first Fellow, assisting operational outreach in both Australia and South Africa.

Before his time in Europe, Ian served as the Director of Programs for Operation Enterprise, a division of American Management Association International headquartered in New York City, USA. There he played an integral role in pioneering an initiative to bring young talent from inner-city USA to experience a regime of formal leadership development.

Laurie Clarke

Laurie is a senior executive leader in health, education and social service sectors with over three decades of progressive experience as the leader of fundraising and non-profit organizations. She has served as a chief spokesperson in all areas relating to fund development, donor cultivation, stewardship, and government relations and advocacy, and has extensive experience in board cultivation, development and governance.

As CEO of the BC Women’s Hospital Foundation and member of the hospital executive, the Vice President of Development at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and many other executive leadership roles, Laurie possesses a unique combination of strategic leadership and organizational effectiveness expertise in high-growth environments.

Laurie has served on numerous non-profit boards, campaign cabinets and as a member of the Burnaby Board of Trade. Currently, Laurie is a Fundraising Strategist and Consultant and serves on the national board of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

Tim Cormode

Tim leads an organization that lives by its values, inspires philanthropy, and strives to have real impact in the communities in which Power To Be operates. Initially supporting young adults with disabilities at a summer camp as a teenager, Tim’s passion for the outdoors and supporting others led to a leadership program at Yamnuska Mountaineering School in Canmore, Alberta. This is where the inspiration came to help youth and families living with barriers climb their own mountains. With the help of a small government grant in 1998, the Power To Be adventure began and has grown to reach more than 10,000 participants and their families.

Tim is a recipient of the For Kid’s Sake Award giving by Today’s Parent magazine. In 2009, Tim received the Community Leader of the Year award for Vancouver Island. In 2010, he was awarded the Business Person of The Year for Victoria and was shortlisted as one of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneurs of the year. His greatest accolade came in 2011 when he received the British Columbia Community Achievement Award from the Lieutenant Governor of BC.

Deeply committed to leaving the world a better place for this family and others, Tim connects people to causes that matter and inspires change in the world around him.

Avis Glaze, Ed.D.

Dr. Avis Glaze is the Founder and CEO of Edu-Quest International Inc.
As a recognized international leader in elementary and secondary education, Avis has been acclaimed for her work in leadership development, student achievement, school and system improvement, human rights, social justice, diversity and inclusion, character development and equity of outcomes for all students. She has been invited by political and educational leaders to improve school, district, and governance structures towards improved performance. Her areas of special interest include working with educators to close achievement gaps, improving student engagement, and forging strategic partnerships with parents, business and community organizations.
Avis has worked with educators in 50 jurisdictions across the globe including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, England, the United States, the Caribbean and the majority of Canadian provinces. She is in demand as a keynote speaker at international conferences and for system performance reviews. She is currently a member of Scotland’s International Council of Education Advisers.
Avis has received more than thirty awards for outstanding contribution to education, including Educator of the Year, The Distinguished Educator Award, the 2001 YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the Harry Jerome Award, Sandford D. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award for Character Education, Scotland’s inaugural Robert Owen Award and The Order of Ontario, among others.
For further information, please visit her website at: www.avisglaze.ca

Kelly Heed

As a founding shareholder, Kelly’s career with Colliers traces back to 1967, when he joined Macaulay Nicolls Maitland as an investment salesperson. Within 10 years he was Managing Director, expanding Collier’s presence across Western Canada, and then into the U.S. as President, Western Region.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Kelly was active on the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and as Director of Asia Pacific. After playing numerous integral roles in the growth of the company, he was appointed Vice Chairman in 2002.
Kelly has always adopted the attitude and motivation of a business owner, as evidenced by extensive internal and external partnerships he maintains around the globe. This network was achieved through the ethos of connecting and giving. As Kelly puts it, “giving is good for business.”
A big part of that giving has also come through his involvement with numerous community organizations and initiatives, including serving as a BC Government-appointed representative to the Chartered Accountants Institute for three years, Cabinet member of the BC Business Hall of Fame Gala, as well as member of United Way Cabinets, BC Children’s Hospital Telethons, and the UBC Chancellor Selection Committee. More recently, he has started working with BC Housing and several non-profit agencies to find real estate solutions to assist our region’s homeless population and is actively supporting several VCH and UBC Hospital public health research projects. For the past 18 years, Kelly has also remained an Advisory Board Member of the Salvation Army BC Division.
Kelly will be retiring from Colliers in May, 2021 and is looking forward to devoting more time to community initiatives.

Sharad Kharé

Sharad Kharé is a storyteller, documentarian and the founder of Human Biography, a Vancouver-based content agency that produces original video content for the most incredible humans, brands, and organizations across the globe.

Sharad has documented people such as Dalai Lama, Meryl Streep, Arianna Huffington, Chip Wilson, Susan Sarandon, Val Kilmer, Maye Musk, and Katy Perry, just to name a few, as well as many leaders and CEOs from all over the world. Human Biography has also created content for organizations such as TED, Microsoft, UN Women, Beedie, RBC, The David Lynch Foundation, Goldcorp, BCIT and many more. This may include video content for advertising, social media, or for educational purposes. They have captured stories in Canada and all across North America, as well as Europe, Asia and the UK.
 
Sharad holds a Masters degree in communications, where his academic research focused on personal and digital legacy. He is also the co-founder of “The Indigenous Collective” and has been a prolific collaborator with the Indigenous community, directing and producing video projects that capture First Nations stories and culture.
 
Sharad serves on the board of the Laurier Institution, Live Big Society, and BC Cancer, and is currently the President of TIE Vancouver – a chapter of a global entrepreneur group that mentors and advises some of the most active entrepreneurs in the world.

Kris Magnusson, Ph.D.

Dr. Magnusson has served as Dean of the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University since 2009. During that time, he also served two terms as the Chair of the Association of BC Deans of Education, was co-chair of the BC Advisory Group on Provincial Assessment, led the development of the ACDE Accord on Internationalization in Education, and was co-chair of the SFU Aboriginal Reconciliation Council.

Kris’ academic work is in the area of counselling psychology and career development. He was the recipient of the Province of Alberta Career Development Award of Excellence and the 2006 recipient of the Stu Conger Award for Leadership in Career Development. Kris is also a co-founder of the Canadian Research Working Group for Evidence-Based Practice. Before joining SFU, Kris was a junior high school teacher, a college counsellor, and a faculty member in counselling psychology at the Universities of Calgary and Lethbridge.

Heather McCaw

Heather is pleased to have re-joined her alma mater, the University of British Columbia, to lead its Development and Alumni Relations program after serving for three years as the Vice-President of Advancement at the University of Alberta. As UBC’s Vice-President, Heather is responsible for development and alumni staff and programming across the university’s two campuses. Throughout her career, she has been involved in several major campaigns and co-directed UBC’s successful Start an Evolution Campaign, which raised over $1.6 billion from 2008 to 2015.

In addition to over 20 years of experience in the post-secondary sector, Heather was vice-president of two associated consulting companies, Give Canada Fundraising Corporation and Spectrum Marketing Corporation. These organizations specialize in securing strategic business partnerships and multimillion-dollar donations on behalf of non-profit clients that have included the United Way of the Lower Mainland, the Rick Hansen Foundation, the universities of Calgary and Victoria, and the Toronto Rehab Foundation. Heather’s volunteer activities have focused on social services and disability resources.

David P. Burns, Ph.D.

Dr. David Burns is an educational policy scholar at KPU. He has written articles and book chapters on education policy, science education, moral education, education politics, educational technology, and many other topics. You can find his writing in publications such as the Canadian Journal of Higher Education, the Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, University Affairs and Times Higher Education. His work was recently featured in Maclean’s magazine.

David is currently the Vice-Chair of the KPU Senate and a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Educational Studies. He chairs standing committees on curriculum, budget, teaching, and research. Through his student research group, the Kwantlen Educational Policy Incubator, he is currently working on competency-based university admission systems.

Lisa M. Collins

Ms. Collins provides leadership and strategic direction to a comprehensive student services portfolio, including the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Student Housing, Health and Accessibility Services, Counselling, Student Life and Recreation, Student Judicial Affairs, and Workplace Education. Lisa is also responsible for the Enrolment Planning and Institutional Research offices.

Lisa came to BCIT from the University of Alberta, where for five years she held the position of Vice-Provost and University Registrar, responsible for institutional enrolment management and a broad range of registrarial and enrolment-related student services. Before the University of Alberta, Lisa spent eighteen years at the University of British Columbia in progressively senior administrative roles in academic governance, policy development, and the evolution of student service models.

Lisa holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in French Studies from York University in Toronto and a Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia. She also completed the Institute in Management & Leadership in Education at Harvard University and the Certificate in University and College Administration from the University of Manitoba.

Ghezal Durrani

Ghezal Durrani is a Community Development Coordinator at the YWCA and a student at Simon Fraser University, majoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSWS) and minoring in criminology. She is also a single mother of two (almost adult) children. As a scholar, Ghezal is driven to advocate for social equality. She immigrated to Canada twenty years ago as a young bride from Pakistan. Her journey in Canada was not easy. Being a racialized young woman with little education, no work experience, no English proficiency, and no community or family support was an enormous challenge. However, she was able to overcome these challenges and find her voice in the community to advocate for her rights and her children’s rights. After twenty years of struggle Ghezal can share her story, be a voice, and stand for those who cannot stand for themselves. She is determined to make positive community changes and strongly believes in the power of action and making life decisions that foster change. She focuses on collaboration and empowerment rather than individualized views based on race, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, political views, and lifestyle.

Ghezal has volunteered with the Hastings Sunrise Community Policing, was a representative on the Education Council at Vancouver Community College, a student representative at the Board of Governors at Langara College and also was board chair at the Chair of the Board Assessment Task Form along with many other community endeavours.
Her inspirational personal journey and professional experience will provide an invaluable perspective to the selection process of Beedie Luminaries’ Single-Parent Awards.

Melinda Giampietro

With her expertise, network, enthusiasm, and genuine love for education, Melinda Giampietro has built Options Solutions to be the industry standard in educational consultancies in Canada. Melinda takes great pride in being a lifelong educator with over twenty-five years of experience, and she has helped over 5,000 students find their educational paths in the US, UK and Canada.

Melinda, Options president, is a vibrant and widely respected educational consultant in the fields of academic planning, career counseling, university admissions, and sports recruitment. Melinda believes options are empowering, and she helps students–and their parents–work together towards their educational goals, finding majors, post-secondary institutions and careers that match each student’s unique interests and aspirations.

Melinda holds multiple degrees in education, and she is a graduate of both the Counseling for College Institute and the Harvard Institute on College Admissions. Before she started Options Solutions, she worked as an Advanced Placement (AP) teacher, head of a university counseling department, and a high school principal. She has earned both local and national recognition for her commitment to education.

To provide the best possible service to her clients, Melinda attends regional and national conferences, and to stay current, she travels throughout Canada and the United States visiting universities. She is also a member of numerous educational and college counselor associations leading to a broad and diverse professional network. She is in constant contact with admission teams and the British Columbia Ministry of Education. Melinda loves reading, researching, and sharing information about education, admissions, and career trends with her clients, her staff, and her community.

Melinda has also written articles for and served as an expert on post-secondary issues for the Globe and Mail, CBC Radio, the IB Blog, and Canadian Student Magazine.

Melinda has worked closely with WE Charities since 2014 to raise awareness of women empowerment issues and currently sits on the WE Care Vancouver Circle of Champions board. She has also served on other local education and entrepreneur boards.

Candy Ho, Ed.D CCDP

Dr. Candy Ho is the inaugural Assistant Professor, Integrative Career and Capstone Learning in the
University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. She also holds teaching positions in Kwantlen
Polytechnic University’s Educational Studies department and in Douglas College’s Career Development
Practitioner Program, and has taught at the University of British Columbia in their Department of
Counselling Psychology and Special Education.

Prior to becoming a faculty member, Candy has also worked extensively in university student affairs in
areas such as first year experience and student transition, campus and residence life, career and
volunteer services, co-operative education, academic advising, and university advancement. Her
collective professional experiences to date have culminated in her doctoral dissertation investigating the
conceptions of post-secondary career influencers in student career success, and she readily shares her
expertise locally and globally. Finally, she currently serves as Vice Chair of CERIC, a Canadian charitable
organization that advances education and research in career counselling and career development, in
order to increase the economic and social well-being of Canadians.

David Paterson, Ph.D.

Dr. David Paterson has served as Dean for the Faculty of Education at Vancouver Island University (VIU) since 2017. In his role, he provides academic leadership to ensure the highest quality of instruction and program delivery for VIU students as well as entrepreneurial leadership to assist with program development and new initiatives.

Paterson has held many key roles within education. Most recently, he served for 10 years as an Associate Dean for the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University (SFU). He has also served a teacher and counsellor educator.

Dr. Paterson holds a PhD (1999) from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Counselling Psychology. He has consistently served his profession at a high level throughout his career as President of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, Vice President for the International Association for Counselling and Former President and Honorary Life Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

Brian Silzer

On June 30, 2009, after a successful 41 year career dedicated to the administration of higher education in Canada, Brian James Silzer retired as the Associate Vice-President (Enrolment Services) and Registrar of the University of British Columbia. Mr. Silzer was formerly Associate Vice President and Registrar at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta from 1984 to 2002. At a major, research intensive university, the AVP/Registrar plays a major role in assisting the university to achieve key strategic initiatives, in part through the effective deployment of the staff resources contained in its Enrolment Services/Registrar’s Office operational units.

Mr. Silzer holds Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Education, and Master of Education degrees from the University of Alberta. His professional interests are in the areas of strategic enrolment management, student information systems, student access to higher education, the quality of the student experience, student assessment and grading, and the alternative delivery of instruction. He is a member and former academic advisor of the Delta Chi Fraternity and an honorary member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. In February, 2010, he was awarded the National Inclusive Education Award for his instrumental role in making post secondary education inclusive of people with developmental disabilities.

Jessie Williams

Jessie Williams is a member of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, Squamish Nation, and of
mixed European decent. Leaning on her lived experience and elder teachings, Jessie is
committed to being a connector and a relationship holder.

Jessie is the first of her immediate family to obtain post-secondary degrees (Bachelor of
Business Administration and a Master of Educational Administration and Leadership).
This has inspired her meaningful career which includes senior roles in kindergarten-
grade 12 and post-secondary Indigenous-focused educational governance, policy,
strategy, programs, services, and administration.

Currently, Jessie serves as Director of business Development and Communications with
the New Relationship Trust, which is an independent non-profit organization dedicated
to strengthening First Nations in BC through: Governance Capacity, Education (K-12 &
Post-Secondary), Language, Youth & Elder programming, and Economic Development.

Jessie is passionately committed to promoting whole human well-being and fulfillment.
This includes creating opportunities for others to step into their personal power, for
themselves, and for each other.