leadership & Coordination
Mandy Fraser
Governance Officer
Mandy is the MABR’s Governance Officer. Mandy manages the MABR’s internal and external communications, coordinates community engagement events, and facilitates Roundtable meetings and community forums for the MABR. Mandy is grateful to be working and collaborating as a guest within unceded Qualicum, Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, K'ómoks, Tseshaht, Hupacasath, and Ditidaht territories, in which the MABR is situated within.
Ray Woroniak
Program Officer
Ray's passion has always been advocating for our youth, social justice, and the natural environment. After a long history volunteering to create opportunities for youth, bringing awareness to our natural environment, and leading data gathering and restoration projects, Ray is excited to join the MABR team. Ray’s focus is to bring awareness, education and programming to our community about sustainable development and the biosphere region we share.
Governance
Staff for the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region and its associated research institute at Vancouver Island University receive guidance and direction from a Roundtable of regional representatives from local First Nations (Snaw-naw-as, Qualicum, and Snuneymuxw), local and senior levels of government, Vancouver Island University, conservation organizations, forestry industry and local businesses, as well as elected community representatives.
Roundtable Representatives
Anne Skipsey, Councillor, Town of Qualicum Beach – Amir Tabatabaei, Parksville Chamber of Commerce, Blain Sepos, Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association – Catherine Watson, Community Representative – Cheryl Jones, Councillor, Snaw-naw-as First Nation – Chris Hutton, Islands Trust – Geraldine Manson, Snuneymuxw First Nation – Graham Sakaki, Vancouver Island University – Jenica Ng-Cornish, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI) – Kim Burden, Nanoose Economic Development Corporation – Lehann Wallace, Regional District of Nanaimo – Mandy Fraser, MABR Governance Officer – Michael Recalma, Chief, Qualicum First Nation – Pam Shaw, Vancouver Island University – Shawn Lukas, The Nature Trust of British Columbia – Steve Adams, Mosaic Forest Management – Sylvia Martin, Councillor, City of Parksville – Teunis Westbroek, Mayor, Town of Qualicum Beach – Thomas Reid, The Nature Trust of British Columbia.