BC HEALTHY COMMUNITIES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Adjunct Assistant Professor
- Planner, Local Government Expert and Trainer
Allison Habrkirk has a BA, MA (Planning), MPA, MCIP has thirty five years of experience in local government as a professional, elected official, and educator. Allison is a Registered Planner who has worked as a staff planner, consultant and trainer for local governments and the Province of BC, and is the author of a number of publications on local government planning including How local governments improve health and community well-being. She maintains a keen interest in leadership development, strategic planning, and small town planning.
Ms. Habkirk is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria and an Instructor with Capilano University. She served as Program Manager for the Local Government Leadership Academy (LGLA), which provides leadership training to local government and First Nations elected officials and senior staff.
She served as Mayor and Councillor for the District of Central Saanich for three terms of office.
Ms. Habkirk is the recipient of the University of Victoria, School of Public Administration Alumni Award for Excellence in the Public Sector and the Planning Institute of B.C. Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in the Field of Planning.
A lifelong learner, Allison recently completed courses in leadership training and governance at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the University of Helsinki, Finland.
Ms. Habkirk is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
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, 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 90's 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.
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 (e.g. Gates Foundation), until accepting the appointment by Abt with HHISP and currently holds the position of Director of PNG HHISP (Papua New Guinea Health and HIV Implementation Service Provider).
Job Titles:
- Grants & Engagement Coordinator
Claire Sauvage-Mar holds a BA in Political Science and an MSc in Kinesiology. Her international background includes work with non-profit organizations in Korea, Vietnam, and New York City. She brings expertise in community engagement, physical activity and lifelong health research, and a deep belief that holistic public health and planning are essential to thriving and resilient communities. She loves learning from her colleagues in Victoria and collaborators around the province.
Claire enjoys volleyball and other sports, reading and writing, bringing people together over food, and finding the perfect quote for any situation.
Claudia has been working in the field of sustainable (community) development for several years now. She was involved in various sustainable tourism projects in Europe before she moved to Canada. Claudia has a Bachelor of Business Administration and has extensive experience in event management and coordination, project and financial management. Through her work and travel experiences in Europe, North America and North Africa she has gained a deep understanding of the importance of communities for creating healthier cities and building resilience.
Job Titles:
- Research & Evaluation Specialist
Connie strives to empower communities to take their health and well-being into their own hands. Using a strength-based approach, she provides communities with the tools and resources needed to help them make decisions most beneficial for them. Through continuous learning, reflection and improvement, her aim is to make equitable, community-driven, sustainable contributions to community development programs.
Connie's background includes work in health research and evaluation, multi-sectoral policy development and social service work. Through her front-line experience, she gained first-hand knowledge of need for equitable public policies that address the complex nature of social challenges faced by vulnerable populations. Using her Masters in Environmental and Occupational Public Health training, she uses her knowledge of the healthy built environment to inform upstream interventions that tackle determinants of health.
Job Titles:
- Community Planner
- Healthy Community Planner
Emily is a community planner who is passionate about the potential for planning and design to promote health and well-being. She believes in community knowledge and expertise as powerful levers to support equitable and sustainable decision-making. Emily's background includes a Bachelor of Kinesiology and a Masters in Community and Regional Planning. Her past experience includes projects focusing on urban design, active transportation, physical activity, sustainability and social inclusion.
As a community planner at BC Healthy Communities, Emily supports communities as they work towards better health and well-being. She also works together with our partner organizations across the province, facilitating workshops and collaborative planning processes. In her spare time, Emily can be found biking, skiing and surfing.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Researcher With
Jacob's background includes a Bachelor of Political Science from UBC and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Urban and Rural Planning from Langara. This applied education in community land-use planning, paired with a focus on domestic and social policy, provides him with a wide-ranging set of tools and approaches for working in and with communities. His past experience includes projects focusing on equity and sustainability, and he brings these lenses to his work at BC Healthy Communities.
Jacob Cramer is a Researcher with BC Healthy Communities. In this blog post, Jacob reflects on his first few months working at BC Healthy Communities and his approach to working with communities. -- Most days at BC Healthy Communities I f...
Jennifer brings several years of experience as a learning facilitator and sustainability coach for population health promotion initiatives to her role. She believes in supporting communities to grow and thrive through upstream approaches, cross-sector collaboration, and asset-based strategies.
Job Titles:
- Finance & Operations Coordinator
Originally from Eureka, KS Jessie brings her passion for public health as well as substantial administrative experience to her role at BC Healthy Communities. Jessie's professional background includes a BSc in Microbiology and time in public health administration as well as general operations management. With her strong interest in urban planning, sustainability, intergenerational integration, and the role of communities in supporting mental well-being, Jessie brings a strategic and informed lens to her financial and operations role.
In her spare time, Jessie enjoys running, gardening and spending time with her two young children.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Jodi has a Masters in Environment and Management, over 20 years of community development experience working both at the local and international level. She also has a strong background in engagement and leadership, community change and practice-based research. She provides expertise in multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships,systems thinking, the healthy communities approach and practical approaches to understanding the links between the determinants of health.
As a hobby, Jodi runs ultradistance trail races, facilitates leadership courses and maintains her organic garden.
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
Claire Sauvage-Mar is BC Healthy Communities' Grants & Engagement Coordinator. A few weeks ago, our Communications Specialist Johanna and I had the good fortune of attending a public participation (P2) training put on by th...
Hailing from Charlie Lake in northern British Columbia, Johanna is a seasoned communicator and researcher with a deep curiosity about communities and the people that comprise them. Her background includes work with a variety of community-based organizations across the province, with project areas including social policy, social innovation, sustainability, community-university engagement, and health initiatives for seniors and men.
Johanna recently received the Royal Roads Chancellor's Award for her graduate studies in Professional Communication, where her graduate research focused on the intersection of communications, organizational theory and urban studies in neighbourhoods. Johanna also holds certifications in Community Economic Development and Volunteer Administration, and has studied Communication Design at Emily Carr and the Alberta College of Art and Design.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
Judy is a Municipal Councillor for the District of Saanich, and a Director at the Capital Regional District, and has been in office since 1994. She has been a passionate advocate for healthy communities for many years and currently holds the following local appointments: Chair, Saanich Administrative Traffic Committee; Council Liaison to Engineering, Ministry of Transportation, School Districts and the University of Victoria.
Job Titles:
- Administration & HR Assistant
With a diverse background including training in photography, human resources, counselling, sound production and leadership, Lauren brings a range of skills supporting all aspects of administration and HR. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences in Counselling and a Post-Degree Diploma in Business Administration, with a focus on Human Resource Management and Leadership from Camosun College.
Having lived in multiple countries including Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Guam, Lauren has a deep understanding of community connectedness in different contexts and cultures. In her spare time, Lauren is a textile artist, focusing on hand sewing and other needlework.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Paul Pallan holds a BSc, Diploma in Hospital Administration and Certificate in Public Administration. He has over 40 years of experience in the social policy area and has held senior positions in the health care sector, in education and in children's services. He has been an Assistant Deputy Minister of Health as well as serving for six years as an Assistant Deputy Minister in Education. Paul has played a significant role in managing and funding support services for vulnerable children, including Aboriginal, ESL, special needs and high risk children in the education system.
For the past 10 years, he has been providing consulting services to a number of provincial government ministries; to non profit agencies; other provinces and the federal government. His work covers a wide range of health, education and social policy areas and services provided include strategic planning; policy development; project management and facilitation of small and large groups.
Job Titles:
- Community Well - Being Specialist
Sarah holds a BSc in Food and Nutrition as well as an MSc in Nutritional Sciences, with a focus on nutrition in older adults. Her background includes more than 15 years of experience in best practice health research and health communications in a number of health areas, including gerontology. Sarah is committed to transforming thinking around aging to focus on health and vitality.