Regional Manager

Kerry Baird

Kerry has been a Regional Coordinator with BC Conservation Foundation for over 16 years. She has a Bachelor of Science and a Post-Baccalaureate in Environmental Science. She manages a wide variety of projects involving many different species, but mostly enjoys the relationships she has built with co-workers, clients and employees over the years.

Regional Coordinator

Shelly Bhasin 

Shelly is an international development sector professional with a Masters in Geography, Masters in Regional planning, and a certified project management specialist. She holds over 15 years of expansive experience working with global and regional organizations including United Nations and UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, NGO’s, community-based organizations and Indigenous communities. She has administered various social and environmental programs.. She loves outdoors, travelling, continued leaning and passionate about volunteering for social and environmental causes.

Regional Manager

Ashley Ekelund

Ashley has a Masters in International Development and a 15+ year background in non-profit management and program development. Combine that with her deep appreciation for BC and the great outdoors, and she feels the Foundation is a fantastic place to work! When not at work you’ll find her hiking, mountain-biking, or teaching yoga.

Executive Director

David Hendrickson

David (PhD Geography) is a professional planner (RPP MCIP). David has led coalitions, including the BC Water Funders Collaborative and the BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative. He identifies key policy drivers that are necessary to change in order for environmental sustainability to flourish. David spends his spare time kayaking and is on the Sunshine Coast with friends & family when not at the office.

Finance Director

Deborah McNicol

Deborah has been with the foundation for 25+ years. Believing that constant learning is the secret to staying young, Deborah has dedicated her years of service to learning and practicing every facet of the foundation’s administrative processes. Deborah is a numbers cruncher and a troubleshooter; her strength lies in finding solutions.

Accounting Coordinator

Maritess Jimenez

Maritess grew up in the Philippines where she obtained her Master of Science in Finance. She moved to Canada in 2003 where she worked in the telecommunications industry for over 10 years. Her love for numbers led her to pursue an accounting diploma in 2021. She loves spending time outdoors and travelling with her husband and two kids.

Payroll & Accounts Clerk

Lisa Limerick

Lisa joined the Foundation in 2008 and has 17+ years of experience in administrative roles. She completed her studies at the Glasgow College of Food Technology with a Higher National Certificate in Hospitality Operations and is a qualified event planner. Lisa enjoys all things food-related, travelling and being with her family.

WildSafeBC Manager

Lisa Lopez

Lisa holds a Master of Education and has spent 20 years as an educator. She joined the Foundation as the WildSafeBC Program Coordinator and is currently the WildSafeBC Program Manager. Lisa enjoys collaborating with the team to build inclusive, innovative and effective education programs. Lisa loves to swim, garden, camp and explore with her family.

WildSafeBC Program Administrator

Liliana Ortega

Liliana is from Tlaxcala, Mexico and is completing her degree in Natural Resource Science at Thompson Rivers University. Her passion is for wildlife conservation, especially anything pertaining to bats. She loves to be creative and spend time outdoors, and is a big believer in community action which is why she is excited to join the team.

Regional Coordinator

Allen Wootton

Allen has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Geography from University of Victoria, a Master of Science in Ecology and Conservation from James Cook University in Australia, and a PhD in Ecology from ECOSUR in Mexico. He has worked throughout B.C. and Yukon in forestry and ecology and in Mexico with biodiversity and species at risk. He is excited to be facilitating conservation projects and exploring the ecosystems of the Southern Interior.

Office Administrator

Shelley Nohels

Shelley grew up in the East Kootenays and spent many years in Manitoba after graduating with a RT in Diagnostic Cytology in 1995. She returned to beautiful BC in 2010 and joined the Foundation in 2016. She enjoys assisting with the diverse projects and loves spending time outdoors on her hobby-farm, hiking or woodworking.

Regional Coordinator

Dani Owen

Dani holds a Master of Science in Marine Biology and spent several years working on marine conservation projects and teaching scuba diving across the globe. She joined the Foundation in 2019 as our Safety Administrator before moving into a Regional Coordinator role. In her free time, Dani enjoys hiking with her dog, swimming, and exploring new places.

Regional Coordinator

Kayla Wiens

Kayla’s passion for the outdoors, wildlife and community agency led her to join the Foundation as a Project Coordinator in the Fall of 2022. She completed her studies at the UNBC with a degree in Environmental Studies and is honoured to be a part of the great work that WildSafeBC and Wildlife Collision Prevention accomplish.

Regional Coordinator

Nich Tuovila

Nich has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He has worked in biodiversity and sustainable agriculture for the BC interior, and in automation and Business development with a focus on reducing environmental impact. He is excited to have a role in BC conservation and the protection of endangered species.

Regional Coordinator

Rina Guxholli

Rina holds an MSc from the University of New Brunswick in Biological Sciences where she developed genetic tooling to detect freshwater fishes in Atlantic Canada. She joined BCCF in 2023 and is eager to work on projects that support fish and wildlife conservation programs across BC. Rina loves to travel, reading, and spending time with family back home in Ontario.

Office Administrator

Phoenix Pham

Regional Coordinator

Katie Calon

Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology and has 17 years of experience in the conservation field. Her previous work spans federal and provincial government employment, private sector consulting, a series of field work stints that finally landed her in her happy place, the environmental not-for-profit sector. She loves learning new skills, gardening, and animal training.

Program Manager

Jamieson Atkinson

Jamieson is the ARRC Program Manager, and brings over a decade of experience in fisheries conservation, restoration and research projects from across B.C. Jamieson is a Co-Manager of the multi-year BCSRIF funded Bottlenecks to Marine Survival Program. He has worked extensively with First Nations, federal and provincial agencies and non-profit foundations and has authored and co-authored numerous technical and published reports.

Int. Bio

Aaron Androsoff

Aaron moved to B.C. in 2012 where he completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Northern British Columbia majoring in wildlife and fisheries. He has worked in various roles throughout BC including wildland firefighting, enforcement and fisheries research/conservation. Since 2020, Aaron has led/assisted various projects at the Foundation and is currently leading the Vancouver Island Small Lake Enrichment Program.

Int. Fisheries Technician

Thomas Negrin

Thomas was born and raised in Lantzville, BC and received a Natural Resource Science (BNRSc) at Thompsons Rivers University in Kamloops. Thomas joined the Foundation in 2021 and has worked on many ARRC projects with a focus on the Bottlenecks to Marine Survival program.

Int. Bio

Danny Swainson

Danny is from Northwestern Ontario and attended the University of Guelph, studying ecology and aquatic systems. He has worked as a biologist on the B.C. mainland and in the Northwest Territories. Danny has been with the Foundation since 2019 and works on a variety of ARRC projects.

Int. Bio

Haley Tomlin

Haley grew up in the Yukon, where she began her education at Yukon College before transferring to Vancouver Island University to finish her studies. Starting with the Foundation in 2022, Haley has been co-leading the BCSRIF funded Tire Wear Toxin Monitoring program and is contributing to a variety of ARRC’s other research and restoration initiatives.

Jr. Bio

Jessie Paras

Jessie (BSc, Combined Biology & Earth and Ocean Science from University of Victoria) joined the Foundation in 2022 as a summer student and has since become the project lead for the UV Filters project in Lake Cowichan and the Enos Lake Monitoring program. Jessie assists on multiple ARRC projects and enjoys honing her field skills.

Jr. Bio

Ally Badger

Ally grew up in Burnaby, B.C. She moved to Vancouver Island in 2017 and attended Vancouver Island University, earning a Bachelor of Science in biology. Ally has been working on a variety of projects with the Foundation since 2021, and leads the Streamflow Monitoring Program along the east coast of Vancouver Island.