The BCHC Board of Directors is a policy governing board and conducts its work based on BCHC’s Constitution and our 2021-2024 Strategic Directions.
Chris Lovelace, President & Chair
James Christopher (Chris) has been a member of the BCHC board since 2019.
Chris has a long history in health and international development. Early in his career, he was in senior management for the Province of British Columbia, in both the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and the Ministry of Health.
He then spent several years working in New Zealand as the Director-General of Health and the chief executive of the Ministry of Health, New Zealand. In the mid 90s he worked with the World Bank where he served in a variety of capacities including Director for Human Development in the Europe and Central Asia Region, Director for Health Nutrition and Population for the Human Development Network, country manager in both Central Asia and East Africa and Senior Adviser HNP/Program Leader for Health Systems Strengthening for the Africa Region, retiring in 2012.
From September 2012-2016 Chris was a Principal Associate with Abt Associates, working primarily on the Health Finance and Governance Project funded by USAID, retiring December 2016. He continued to take on short term consultancies in international health until taking up an overseas assignment in Papua New Guinea completed in 2019.
Joshua Tan, Director
Joshua is a lawyer practising through Tangram Legal Counsel, with a focus on serving the needs of individuals, local businesses, community groups, and non-profit organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Combined Honours in Political Science and East Asian Studies from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts in History from Simon Fraser University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.
Joshua finds the work of building relationships and community very rewarding. Working extensively with immigrant communities and non-profit organizations, his community service includes pro bono work at a legal clinic in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese, Joshua has served abroad as an interpreter for a Canadian medical mission, extending his volunteerism beyond the local community. He is pleased to have the opportunity to contribute in a role that involves the protection of the public interest on the board of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists of BC.
In his younger days, Joshua ran as a competitive track athlete. Trading in his spikes for a military uniform, he ran to the rescue of others as a combat medic. These days, Joshua is learning to embrace a less hurried life, no longer running to or from anything. Outside of work, he is often found at the dojo, where he trains in Yoshinkan Aikido as he finds his way along the path of transformation from award-winning athlete to non-competing martial arts practitioner.
Asma-na-hi Antoine, Director
Asma-na-hi Antoine is from the Toquaht Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth lands (west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada). She acknowledges and pays respect to the ancestors and families of the unceded Lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations where I live, work, play, and learn. She is the Indigenous Research Project Officer at UBC and a Ph.D. Candidate in the Doctor of Philosophy Educational Theory and Practice program at Simon Fraser University. She has a Master of Education in Psychology and Leadership Studies, specializing in Indigenous Community Counseling, and a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care with a Minor in Indigenous Studies, both from the University of Victoria.
Asma-na-hi has utilized various skills in academic institutions and other non-profit Indigenous organizations as an Indigenous educationist and systems change leader on Indigenization. Asma-na-hi believes her life and work are connected to a strong foundation of Indigenous ways of knowing and being used in communicating, training, and facilitating teachings about reconciliation, decolonization, and Indigenization. She continues to walk between two worlds: Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and is recognized for her need to build and sustain a culturally safe place for all.
Asma-na-hi will share stories and life experiences along her academic journey into career opportunities. She has had the privilege of learning from Indigenous scholars and mentors who have become friends, and engaging with National and International Indigenous communities and organizations. Of course, along her journey, she has stated that it did not come without trial and error using different innovative modalities tied to family values, culture, traditions, and ceremonies.
Mary-Ethel Audley, Director
Mary-Ethel holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Victoria and is a graduate of the BC Police College, now the Justice Institute of BC. She has 25 years of experience with the provincial government. She chaired the task force on Protection of Children From Known Abusers and the victim services committee, managed police-based victim services programs, and had the lead on other police-related projects. Later, she was Chief Financial Officer of the Ministry of Human Resources/ Social Development & Economic Security, where she was responsible for managing a $2.3-billion budget. While with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, she worked as a Treaty Negotiator and Director of Implementation for Treaties. This role provided an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge of smaller and rural communities in this province and some of the challenges they face.
Mary-Ethel has taught law courses in the School of Humanitarian Studies at Royal Roads University for 12 years as an Adjunct Professor. She was event director for the Ride for Refuge fundraiser, which supports charities that provide refuge and hope for displaced, vulnerable and exploited people. She has served on a variety of boards, including the Cridge Centre for the Family, the Victoria Alternate Dispute Resolution Centre, and the Saanich Police Board.
Jocelyn Stanton, Secretary
With 20 years of experience in public affairs, health care policy, strategic planning, and stakeholder and media relations, Jocelyn has worked on many high profile public sector projects in BC involving multiple stakeholders at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. As a senior advisor and Chief of Staff to three BC Ministers of Health, and then more recently working in public relations with Island Health, Jocelyn has a thorough understanding of the diversity of BC’s communities and how they intersect with the health care system.
Jocelyn is very passionate about governance, mental health, accessibility and services to support children with disabilities and their families. Jocelyn strongly believes that a healthy community is an inclusive community, and that when everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full potential, the community as a whole benefits. With a keen interest in health regulation in the public interest, Jocelyn is honoured to serve as a public representative on the Board of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists of BC, the Board of the College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC, as well as the BC College of Nursing Professionals’ Registration Committee and Nurse Practitioner Standards Committee. Jocelyn holds her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria.
Vanessa Lee, Director
Vanessa brings together her interest in education, in business and finance and in her desire to live in healthy, active and inclusive communities to BCHC. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) with over 20 years experience in a public practice accounting firm working alongside small to medium sized businesses, individuals and non profit organizations. In addition, she is a teacher with specializations in math education and is currently attaining her inclusive education certificate.
Vanessa has traveled the world and is always planning another adventure. She loves the outdoors and enjoys any activity that gets her moving, whether it be yoga, walking, hiking or cycling. In her spare time, you will find her walking along Dallas Road, spending time with family and friends and catching flights to the UK.
Jack Shewchuk, Treasurer
Jack holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and was a registered Chartered Accountant for a period of 42 years. He practiced in public and private sectors. Moving from Saskatchewan to British Columbia he joined BC Office of the Auditor General and was responsible for the audits of the three major BC universities and the Ministry of Health. He then joined the British Columbia Ministry of Health. At the Ministry he held three positions, Director of Finance Budgets, Executive Director of Audit Services, which included the audit of Medical Services Branch and Pharmacare Services, and as the Registrar General for the BC Vital Statistics Agency. During this time, he was the chair the Canadian Vital Statistics Council of Canada for a number of years, and oversaw the development of legislation establishing gender rights on birth certificates.
Recent retirement has led to more traveling, painting, pickleball and cycling.