Board of Governors

Dan Reader has been employed with Murray Latta Progressive Machine Inc., a Surrey, BC based custom machinery manufacturer since 1986 and part-owner and President since 1996. He was previously a Chartered Accountant for Campbell Sharp and a Tax Auditor for Revenue Canada.

He has been actively involved with many industry and charitable related Boards for many years including Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), Surrey Board of Trade, Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC, The Peoples Law School, and Big Brothers Big Sister of Langley. He is also the Board Chair of the Executive Health & Safety Council of BC. Mr. Reader has served on several industry or program advisory committees including the Industry Training Authority, BCIT and the British Columbia Safety Charter.

Mr. Reader holds his Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting degree from Saint Mary’s University and his Chartered Accountant designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC.

Mr. Reader has been the Board Chair since June 2021.

TENURE

Appointed: January 1, 2019; expires July 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Chair, Executive Committee

The Board Chair is an ex officio member of all Board Committees, with the exception of the Governance Committee as Acting Committee Chair

Corry Anderson-Fennell is the Director of Communications/Political Liaison for the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 1611. Former Director of Communications for the BC Building Trades and editor of Tradetalk magazine, Corry is a storyteller at heart and spent close to 20 years as a reporter, editor and columnist for several British Columbia newspapers. She is passionate about the trades and the opportunities they offer to learn, advance, grow and build careers. She is the recipient of the 2022 Ed Finn Award for Excellence in Writing from the Canadian Association of Labour Media and holds a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University.

TENURE

Appointed: July 31, 2023; expires July 31, 2024

Dr. Catherine Boivie is the Principal of Strategic Technology Leadership Corporation. Previously, Dr. Boivie was the Chief Executive Officer of Inventure Solutions and Senior Vice President of Information Technology at Vancity, Canada’s largest credit union, and was also Senior Vice President of Information Technology (IT) at Pacific Blue Cross. As the founding chair of the Chief Information Officers Association of Canada (CIOCAN), Dr. Boivie played an integral role in establishing and growing a network of Information Technology (IT) leaders.

Dr. Boivie has been named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women for 2009: Top 100 by the Women’s Executive Network. She received her award in the “Trailblazers and Trendsetters” category, which recognizes women who are either the first in their fields or have made a major impact on them, and who have made a great contribution to Canadian society. She is currently a Director of BC Real Estate Association. Dr. Boivie received a Bachelor of Mathematics in computer science from the University of Waterloo, and a master’s degree and PhD from the University of Toronto.

TENURE

Appointed: August 1, 2021; expires July 31, 2026

COMMITTEES

Member: Human Resources Committee, and the Governance Committee

Michael Bonshor, CPA, CMA is a member of the Dzawada’enuxw First Nation of Kingcome Inlet and has worked with First Nations and Indigenous organizations for the past 20 years. He is President and CEO of Visions First Nations Financial Services/Ki’mola Indigenous Capital and Managing Director of First Nations Business Development Association.

In 2020 Michael was appointed to the National Indigenous Economic Development Board. He is also the Co-Chair of the BC First Nations Gaming Revenue Sharing General Partnership.  As well, Michael is a graduate of BCIT’s Financial Management Program.

Mr. Bonshor became the Board Vice Chair in June 2023.

TENURE

Appointed: July 31, 2022; expires July 31, 2026

COMMITTEES

Member: Audit and Finance Committee

Dr. Braundy, Principal of Journeywomen Ventures, is an Inter-Provincially qualified Red Seal construction carpenter and national advocate for Women in Trades & Technology. She chaired the Equity Sub-Committees of the Canadian Labour Force Development Board Apprenticeship Committee and BC Provincial Apprenticeship Board.

She is a community development worker, social change activist, independent research scholar, multimedia project manager, archivist, catalyst, and was the founding national coordinator of Women in Trades and Technology National Network (WITTNN). She currently curates and manages KootenayFeminism.com and has been active in the Canadian women’s movement since 1972. Seed-funded by ITA/BC, the Columbia Basin Trust, the BC & Yukon Building Trades Council, Columbia Power Corporation and Heritage Credit Union, Braundy is currently building a freely-available, full-text Provincial/ National/International Digital Archive of Equity in Apprenticeship & Technical Fields, with a focus on initiatives for under-represented groups.

Dr. Braundy has a Ph.D. in Technology Studies in Education from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and has developed curriculum used across Canada. She continues to work with men and women to bring effective integration for women in trades and technology training and work. Fernwood published Men & Women and Tools – Bridging the Divide (2011) which is used in Technology Education at UBC. In 2020, she completed a national study for the Federal Department of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour of Canada on “Lessons Learned and Best Practices for Success for Women in Apprenticeship & Skilled Technical Jobs.

President of Kootenay Women in Trades & Technology, she has been a board member of the Rural Alternatives Research & Training Society (RARTS) (1973-2022), a founding member of the Slocan Valley Seniors’ Housing Society, and a lifetime member of the West Kootenay Women’s Association and Nelson and District Women’s Centre.

Dr. Braundy is a member of the Human Resources Committee, and the Governance Committee.

TENURE

Appointed: July 31, 2019; expires July 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Member: Human Resources Committee, and the Governance Committee

Robert L. Enns, CPA, CGA. After starting his career in industry Bob worked in a medium sized national firm for eight years until he acquired the predecessor firm in 1991. Bob retired in January 2022 after having been a business services principal for more than 25 years. He brings a wealth of experience in a range of assurance, business advisory, taxation and accounting services.

TENURE

Appointed: December 31, 2019; expires July 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Member: Audit and Finance Committee

Don Matthew, CPC, CA; ICD.D, retired in September 2022 as an audit partner and the National Industry Leader for the Industrial Manufacturing Industry Group at KPMG with experience in various industries including construction, transportation and distribution, manufacturing, power generation, and technology. He joined KPMG’s Vancouver office in 1982, was promoted to partner in 1993, and was appointed Office Managing Partner in Edmonton in 2006, learning about the resource extraction industries in Central Canada. In 2013, he returned to the greater Vancouver area to lead the opening of KPMG’s new Langley office and the existing Fraser Valley practices.

Mr. Matthew is a member of the National Board of Directors of CME (Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters), was an active member of the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and has previously served on the boards and committees of various Chambers of Commerce (Richmond, Vancouver, Edmonton and BC), the Aerospace Industry Association of BC, and the Vancouver Power and Sail Squadron.

As a life-long learner with innate curiosity, an entrepreneurial spirit and a business development mindset, Mr. Matthew likes to contribute to thought-provoking discussions and mentoring on forward-looking strategies and change management initiatives.

TENURE

Appointed: December 31, 2021; expires July 31, 2026

COMMITTEES

Chair: Audit and Finance Committee

Member: Human Resources Committee, Campus Planning and Development Committee

Jeff Musialek is President of Smith Bros and Wilson Ltd. Mr. Musialek has worked in the local construction industry for more than 25 years and has had different roles with increasing responsibility from Estimating, Project Coordinator, Project Manager, Manager of Special Projects, Business Development Manager, and Operations Manager. Jeff joined SBW as the Vice President in 2013 and was elected as SBW’s new President & Co-CEO as of August 1, 2019. He has a demonstrated track record and a broad range of experiences in the industry. He has successfully completed projects across BC and the Yukon in civil, industrial, institutional, and social infrastructure markets.

Previously he was Operations Manager with Graham Construction, Manager of Business Development with Dominion Construction, and a Project Manager and Estimator with WR Shields Contracting.

Jeff graduated from the University of Victoria with a BA in 1993 and a certificate in Building Technology from BCIT in 1996. He has supplemented this education with Operations Management, Leadership, Advanced Risk Management, Communications, and Business Development training to name a few.

TENURE

Appointed: March 5, 2021; expires July 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Chair: Campus Planning and Development Committee

Member: Audit and Finance Committee

Mr. Balwant Sanghera is a well-respected educator, community activist and bridge builder between various communities and groups. All along, he has been actively involved in both the Indo-Canadian community and the community at-large. He is one of the founders and chairperson of the South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence. Mr. Sanghera retired as a school psychologist in 2004 after serving in the BC Public School system for 36 years. Over the past several years, Mr. Sanghera has served as Senator of Simon Fraser University, as a member of the Board of Governors of Langara College and College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia.

His selfless service has earned Mr. Sanghera various awards. These include the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, Order of British Columbia, Solicitor General’s Lifetime Community Achievement Award for Crime Prevention and Community Safety and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2010 he was voted as one of Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Mr. Sanghera was voted twice as Richmond Review’s Top Ten Citizens of Richmond in 2007 and 2011. In 2011, he was also awarded the Defender of Heritage Award by prominent South Asian Magazine Darpan. Mr. Sanghera was selected as UBC’s One of Education 100 –Year of Alumni Outstanding Contributors in 2015. Just recently, on May 31, 2018 Mr. Sanghera was honoured as one of Richmond’s top twenty (Richmond’s Best) citizens by the Richmond News.

Mr. Sanghera is a regular writer for the local community newspapers and frequently appears as guest on various radio and TV programs. Currently, in addition to heading the Richmond Multicultural Community Services, he is also serving as president of the East Richmond Community Association, Punjabi Language Education Association of Canada, and on the Management Committee of India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas in Richmond. He is also one of the founders and chairperson of Richmond’s popular Highway to Heaven Association.

Mr. Sanghera received his B.Sc. degree from Punjab University in India. He earned his B.Ed. degree from Notre Dame University and Master of Education degree from the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Sanghera is also a member of the BCIT Tributes Committee, and the Human Resources Committee.

TENURE

Appointed: July 31, 2018; expires July 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Chair: Tributes Committee

Member: Human Resources Committee

Claire Wang is the Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Burnaby Hospital Foundation. She oversees the organization’s financial functions, including accounting, audit, treasury, financial reporting, capital projects, and financial planning. She also leads human resources and IT activities. Her career spans over 18 years of varied experience in financial management, business development, healthcare, and education.

Active in her community, Ms. Wang is an incumbent Council Member of the Insurance Council of British Columbia, an insurance regulatory body appointed by the BC government to ensure licensed practitioners act within a professional framework. Formerly, she served as a Board of Governor for the Justice Institute of British Columbia for over five years and as Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee for the Simon Fraser University Childcare Society for three years. Ms. Wang is a co-founder of the Burnaby Hospital Foundation Chinese Ambassador Society to raise awareness and funds in local Chinese communities for equitable access to high-quality healthcare close to home. She is the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Community Contribution Award by the United Global Chinese Women’s Association of Canada.

Ms. Wang is a Chartered Professional Accountant. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Queen’s University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.

TENURE

Appointed: December 31, 2021; expires July 31, 2026

COMMITTEES

Chair: Human Resources Committee Chair

Member: Tributes Committee

Eric Fry (MEd, ID, AD, RSE) is the Associate Dean, Agile and Work Integrated Learning responsible for operationalising the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s (BCIT) Agile Learning Initiatives. Eric collaborates with BCIT’s 6 Schools, 5 campuses, 300 full-time and over 1000 part-time programs to provide short, stackable, transferable, relevant and responsive training opportunities to meet industry’s reskilling and upskilling needs. Starting at BCIT over 30 years ago as an apprentice in trades, with the last 21 years as an educator.

Eric is driven by the experiences, accomplishments and success he has gained in his own developmental journey. This drives his passion for facilitating accessible learning and providing alternative pathways to higher education. With 9 years on Education Council serving on Programing, Policy and the Executive sub-committees, Eric is looking forward to new experiences and opportunities to contribute to success working with the Board of Governors.

TENURE

Term: June 7, 2023; expires June 4, 2024

COMMITTEES

Member, Governance Committee

Scott McAlpine is BCIT’s Institute Photographer working within the Marketing and Communications department, a role he has held for 20 years. In addition to a Diploma in Photography (with Honours), he holds a Bachelor of Business Administration. Previous Board experience includes three years of service with BCIT’s Board of Governors and on the Board of Directors of CAPIC, a national photography association effectively advocating for better copyright protection for photographers and illustrators.

Mr. McAlpine serves the BCGEU as a shop steward. A truly engaged member of the BCIT community, he is a 2015 recipient of the BCIT’s Service Excellence Award and was a member of the 2008 and 2016 Team Excellence Award recipients.

TENURE

Term: June 1, 2021; expires May 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Member: Tributes Committee

Tamara E. Pongracz (she/her) brings over 25 years of insight as an active member of the BCIT community. She has served as Vice Chair of BCIT Education Council and Chair of the Programming Committee (2003 –  2004), Burnaby Campus Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (2019 – 2022), the Respect Diversity and Inclusion Committee (2012 – 2022).  Currently, she is a member of the Harassment and Discrimination Steering Committee (2022 – present) and is a Bargaining Committee Member for the BCGEU Faculty (2019 – present).

An advocate of trades and apprenticeship training, Ms. Pongracz is the Department Head of the BCIT Trades Access group. Trades Access provides programs and services to support students who are enrolled in or planning to enter trades or technical studies.

Tamara received a BCIT Teaching Excellence Award in 2005, an Employee Excellence Award (Inclusivity) in 2019 and was recognized by the Vancouver Regional Construction Association as Outstanding Woman in Construction 2007.

Ms. Pongracz descends from the Haida Nation (Old Massett Village Council), and is an Inter-Provincial Certified Plumber (RSE – 1995) with a Master of Education Degree (2010) from Simon Fraser University.

TENURE

Term: June 1, 2022; expires May 31, 2025

COMMITTEES

Member: Governance Committee

Mia Bui joins the BCIT Board of Governors as the recently selected BCIT Student Association President. She is in her final year in the Bachelor of Accounting program, and will be graduating in April 2024.

Mia has been a student Executive with the BCIT Student Association as Vice President Finance & Administration for two years, and has contributed immensely to the lives of BCIT students. She hosted a successful free of charge, Tax Clinic in 2023, assisting over 70 students to file their taxes. Using her strong business acumen and organizational skills, she is currently planning another Tax Clinic in 2024.

TENURE

Term: January 22, 2024;  expires May 31, 2024

COMMITTEES

Member: Tributes Committee

Bobby Davidson has been elected by the BCIT student body as the Student Representative on the Board of Governors. More on Bobby shortly.

TENURE

Term: April 4, 2024;  expires May 31, 2025

COMMITTEES

Member: Tributes Committee