About Us

Shellina Lakhdhir

Chief Executive Officer

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Shellina Lakhdhir, CFRE, EMBA (Candidate), is the Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Public Health Foundation. As a nonprofit professional, and woman of colour in leadership, Shellina brings over 20 years of experience in values-based philanthropy and collaborative fundraising. Her lived experience as an immigrant has shaped a leadership style grounded in empathy, inclusion, and equity.

Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of working with committed teams and generous partners to help advance community-centered initiatives. Shellina is honoured to continue that work at the Foundation, where she strives to listen deeply, lead with humility, and contribute to building healthier, more equitable communities.

Matthew Wright

Chief Operating Officer

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Matthew Wright is the Chief Operating Officer for Pacific Public Health Foundation, where he is responsible for the operational leadership of programs and projects that meet the overall strategic goals of the organization. He oversees areas of finance, legal, human resources, and general administration while working closely with the Fund Development and Marketing and Communications teams to ensure the Foundation continues to successfully grow its reputation, influence, and impact as a public health charity. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Integrated Management Studies, as well as a Private Pilot’s License. He brings over 14 years of experience in operational planning and project management within the non-profit sector, which includes leading initiatives benefitting BC Cancer Foundation and contributing as a member of the Leadership team at BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Matthew has a passion for healthcare and community engagement, which he has fostered throughout his career in the non-profit sector. He believes in organizations that value equity and compassion, not only for their people but also in the work they undertake. Matthew joined the Foundation because he recognizes the importance of public health in creating a positive impact on our way of life, work, and interactions with one another both as individuals and as a community. He takes pride in being part of a movement dedicated to enhancing the lives of all British Columbians.

Tracy Penner

Manager, Major & Legacy Giving

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Tracy Penner is the Manager, Major & Legacy Giving at Pacific Public Health Foundation, where she supports and executes fundraising activities to raise the profile, reputation, and reach of the Foundation. As a result of 9/11, Tracy was driven by a profound desire to make a positive impact and a tangible difference, ultimately leading her to make a career change to the non-profit sector. Her extensive fundraising experience includes meaningful roles and volunteer engagements within healthcare, humanitarian, animal welfare, and the arts and culture sectors, in Vancouver, Dubai, Amman, and Johannesburg.

Having lived in and traveled to a number of countries that experience social inequities and human rights challenges, Tracy has a genuine passion for the important work that the Foundation does and is proud to work for an organization that grounds its work in advancing equity, preventing disease, prolonging and improving lives, and promoting health through proactive, upstream interventions. She loves connecting with individuals and organizations who share the Foundation’s vision of a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for all.

Maddie Mackenzie

Digital Marketing Specialist

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Maddie Mackenzie is the Digital Marketing Specialist at Pacific Public Health Foundation, where she works with the Marketing & Communications team to advance the health and well-being of our communities across BC. With a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Environmental Studies and Anthropology, along with a Master’s degree in Intercultural and International Communication, Maddie’s professional background spans diverse sectors, including government and social enterprise. However, her passion lies in within the non-profit sector, drawing on her experience in international development.

Maddie joined Pacific Public Health Foundation because she is passionate about communicating and advocating for meaningful causes that create a positive impact on both people and the planet. She is excited to be a part of a like-minded team dedicated to health promotion, equity, and shared values, and remains inspired by their determination to make a difference in the field of public health.
 

Deanne Coupal

Marketing & Communications Officer

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Deanne Coupal is the Marketing and Communications Officer at Pacific Public Health Foundation.  She creates marketing and communications products that raise the profile, reputation and reach of the Foundation. She graduated from Carleton University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Her career has been spent primarily in the public sector at various federal government departments, where she communicated to Canadians about the programs and projects that impact our lives.

Deanne joined our small but mighty team after moving to Vancouver from Ottawa and seeing firsthand the various public health challenges faced by communities across the province. She loves her new home in BC and is passionate about communicating how our foundation makes immediate and measurable change to public health.

Emily Booth

Program Coordinator

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Emily Booth is the Program Coordinator at Pacific Public Health Foundation. She supports the Operations team with implementing the strategic plan to increase the growth and awareness of the Foundation, and successfully grow their impact as a public health charity. Emily supports the organization in day-to-day functions and business operations, including finances, the Board of Directors, systems, and team engagement/administration, and programming, such as public engagement, reporting, and project support.

Emily joined Pacific Public Health Foundation with the intent to promote public health through policy and evidence-based initiatives, with the overall goal of advancing equity and social justice for all. With a Bachelor of Social Work and experience in the non-profit and community development sector, Emily understands the barriers and challenges faced by the community and wishes to address these issues with Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Jimmy Vuong

Development Coordinator

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Jimmy Vuong is the Development Coordinator at Pacific Public Health Foundation and supports the day-to-day needs of the Fund Development team while working to grow the foundation’s annual and mid-level giving portfolio. Jimmy has had broad experience in the higher education and non-profit sectors in areas such as development, events management, volunteer engagement and communications.

As someone who has lived experience on the direct impact public health makes on individuals and families in the community, he is proud to help build awareness and support for the vital role public health plays in preventing healthcare challenges from taking root in our communities while making sure those that have recently faced or are currently facing these challenges are not alone in the journey.

Douglas Nelson

Chair

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Doug Nelson founded The Discovery Group with a vision to bring together a group of talented and compassionate leaders. Together they are aligned with his belief that the social profit sector represents individuals and communities coming together to change the world for the better. Collectively, they spearhead inspired strategies to help nurture that change. Described by the media as a ‘fundraising phenom’ and a ‘true innovator,’ Doug unravels complex challenges in aligning governance and philanthropic performance. His early development work in education propelled him to become the Chief Development Officer at the University of Alberta, and responsible for the second largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history.

As President and CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation for six years, he led the organization to revenue of $300 million, including a campaign that would launch the Personalized Onco-Genomic (POG) program. His work is award-winning in the areas of governance, culture, advocacy, and innovative granting, and he has raised nearly $1 billion for organizations in Canada and the United States. As President of the California Pacific Medical Centre Foundation, he led the development and execution of a campaign that would support the opening of two hospitals valued at $3 billion, shaping the future of care in San Francisco. Doug is also host of the leading social profit sector podcast, The Discovery Pod. With a photographic memory for baseball statistics, Doug had a childhood dream to be the first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. These days, he can be found remarkably often at a Bob Dylan concert.

Andrew Montgomerie, CPA CMA

Secretary-Treasurer, and Finance Audit Committee Chair

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Andrew has a diverse background, with experience in financial management, healthcare services, and a passion for public health. Andrew’s education and credentials include a CPA (CMA) designation, executive studies at the Sauder School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Dalhousie University. Professionally, he has spent almost 20 years at WorkSafeBC, where he is the Corporate Controller. Andrew is passionate about physical and mental health and safety, both in the workplace and beyond.

Andrew joined the Foundation Board of Directors to help create a healthy and safe province for everyone so that we can ensure that our children, grandchildren, and generations to come can enjoy healthy living in the most beautiful place in the world.

Caryn Dooner

Director and Governance & Nomination Committee Chair

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Caryn has worked as a Registered Nurse in Victoria, BC, in the Intensive Care Unit with patients directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the toxic drug poisoning crisis. She previously worked with the EQUIP group doing research on equity-focused interventions in healthcare, and currently works as a Research Coordinator at UVic for the Parent Child Lab organizing a research study focusing on parent-infant sleep. Caryn previously completed her nursing degree at the University of British Columbia and her Master of Science degree at the University of Western Ontario. Her previous experience in the non-profit sector at the local level with both social programs and health programs led her to pursue contributing to public health at the provincial level with the Foundation. She recently collaborated with a group of students at UBC to write a children’s book addressing vaccine literacy and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree through Queen’s University (Lakeridge campus).

Caryn joined the Foundation Board of Directors to find innovative solutions for longstanding problems that affect our communities and those most vulnerable.

Jane Ingman Baker, PhD

Director 

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Dr Jane Ingman Baker is a lawyer with Paul A Hildebrand Law Corp in Vancouver. She has a diverse litigation practice with cases across the country. Her main areas of practice include professional negligence and insurance coverage litigation. In her law practice, Jane actively seeks out and employs alternative dispute resolution techniques and works to resolve conflicts efficiently and effectively, acting as a Fairness Advisor on several major construction projects. She taught Construction Law at UBC for several years. Before joining the legal profession, Jane trained as a Biochemist and concluded two post-doctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia. She has maintained her interest in basic science and has had the privilege of continuing to teach in the Faculty of Medicine until recently. She is currently a member of the UBC Clinical Research Ethics Board and the Children and Women’s Research Ethics Board, as well as a former member of the CFRI Board. Jane was born and raised in London before emigrating to BC to undertake her doctoral work. She lives in Vancouver, is a master gardener, and is the proud mother of three young adult children.

Jane joined the Foundation Board of Directors because she has a keen interest in the impact that public health initiatives can have on the quality of everyday life. She believes in the power of directed philanthropy to assist in basic research advances.

Noorjean Hassam, MHA, CHE

Director

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Noorjean Hassam (she), a settler on unceded Coast Salish territory, is the Associate Vice President, Student Health Services at the University of BC, overseeing primary healthcare, counselling, health equity, health promotion & education, and the Office of Wellbeing Strategy. Prior to UBC, Noorjean led the BC Centre for Disease Control as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Noorjean was a key leader of the COVID 19 emergency response, was an advocate for addressing the social determinants of health, had financial and business oversight over the full range of public health services, and was recognized for her commitment to shifting the culture and practices of the organization to address social justice issues, and advance truth, reconciliation, decolonization and anti-racism.

Noorjean joined the Foundation Board of Directors because she is committed to advancing public health, which is based on social justice and equity, in BC and Canada and this is an important Foundation supporting these areas. This is important to her because it allows her to meaningfully contribute her time, knowledge, and experience to achieve success in public health, and as a Board. She feels privileged to be able to provide this level of leadership and to work alongside renowned public health and business leaders.

Edoye Porbeni

Director

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Edoye Porbeni is a founder, innovator, healthcare executive, and trusted advisor. She has led initiatives and made impacts to improve the lives of young people, women, and seniors, as well as individuals living with both chronic and infectious diseases around the world. She was recognized for her efforts as a nominee for the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award (2018) and the Surrey Board of Trade Women in Business award (2021). Edoye holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and International Relations from Georgia State University, as well as a Masters of Public Health and a Diploma in Applied Project Management, both from Simon Fraser University—where she now funds an entrance award.

Omar Visram, CPA, CA

Director

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Omar Visram is a CPA, entrepreneur, and growth-focused leader committed to transforming how organizations manage their finance function. As Co-Founder and Head of Growth at Enkel, he leads the company’s national expansion, helping hundreds of nonprofits and growing businesses improve their financial operations through outsourced bookkeeping, payroll, and fractional CFO services.

With more than 15 years of experience in Canadian tax, audit, and financial operations, including senior roles at KPMG and BCAA, Omar combines deep technical expertise with a strong entrepreneurial mindset. He is passionate about building solutions that empower organizations to grow with clarity and confidence.

Omar is also a recognized thought leader in the accounting industry. He frequently speaks on financial management and technology at national webinars and events, including sessions with Intuit and Charity Village. His focus is on helping organizations strengthen their financial systems and make better decisions through strong reporting and oversight.

He holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University and is a proud CPA, CA.

Dr Jat Sandhu

Advisor

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Dr Jat Sandhu is the chief strategy officer at BCCDC. He also serves as a clinical associate professor with the UBC School of Population and Public Health. Dr Sandhu holds a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Bristol, a global MBA from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Business School in England, an MSc in epidemiology from the University of Alberta, an MPH from the University of New South Wales, and a BSc from Ulster University. He is also hard to beat at table tennis!

Dr Sandhu’s award-winning work focuses on population health assessment and disease control. A passionate advocate for public health, he also serves as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) on mass gathering surveillance and urban health observatories. He has spent his career focusing on public health practice and policy, and we are grateful that he shares his expertise with us as a member of our advisory board.

Dr Jason Wong

Advisor

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Jason Wong is the chief medical officer at BCCDC and Deputy Provincial Health Officer. He is also a clinical associate professor in the UBC School of Population & Public Health. His research interests include epidemiology, integrated surveillance, syndemics and public health.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Wong was the medical director for the Clinical Prevention Services division at BCCDC, providing public health leadership in the areas of sexually transmitted infections and bloodborne infections (STIBBI) and tuberculosis (TB), overseeing the provincial STI and TB clinics. He is also a clinical associate professor in the UBC School of Population and Public Health.

Dr. Wong completed doctor of medicine (MD) training at the University of Alberta and a master of public health (MPH) degree at the University of British Columbia. He holds a Certification in the College of Family Physicians (CCFP) and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) with a specialization in public health and preventive medicine.

Naveed Janjua

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Dr Naveed Janjua is an epidemiologist and the executive director of Data and Analytic Services at BCCDC. He is also a clinical professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health. Dr Janjua is a medical doctor and holds a Master of Science in epidemiology and biostatistics, and a Doctorate in Public Health.

Dr Janjua has influenced clinical and public health guidelines and policies with his work studying infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, C, and COVID-19, health disparities, syndemics of psychosocial conditions, chronic diseases, health outcomes, intervention effectiveness, health surveillance, and program monitoring. He also leads Hepatitis Education Canada, where he helps develop culturally and linguistically sensitive hepatitis C education resources for the population, patients, and healthcare providers. His work aligns with our vision for a more equitable future for all of BC, and we appreciate his guidance and support as a member of our advisory board.