BOARD

I acknowledge with respect that I am a settler on the traditional lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples, recognizing their profound histories and deep connections to this land. I embrace this truth, and aim to foster meaningful dialogue and contribute to the path of genuine reconciliation through the essential process of truth-telling.

Peter Kruselnicki joined the Luther Court Society’s Board of Directors in June 2022.

Peter retired in May 2014 from TransCanada. As Vice President, Stakeholder Relations, Peter led the company’s government relations, communications/media and corporate social responsibility areas from 2007 till his retirement. He had been involved extensively in TransCanada’s strategy planning and advocacy for many of the company’s major projects, government relations strategy and advocacy and development/coordination of the company’s external communications and media, including paid, earned, and social media.

Prior to joining TransCanada, Peter worked for the Alberta Government for 26 years in several senior official capacities including Chief of Staff to Premier Klein, Deputy Minister of Finance and Secretary to Treasury Board and Deputy Minister of Labor. Prior to his becoming Deputy Minister of Labor, Peter spent 16 years in Alberta Public Works Supply and Services holding Assistant Deputy Minister roles, including Property Management and Capital Development as well as Acting Deputy Minister. Peter was also seconded to the New Zealand government and University of Victoria (Wellington) for a period of 9 months prior to joining the Premier’s office.’
Peter graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He is currently a member of APEGA. He also attended the Banff School of Advanced Management while he worked for the Alberta Government.

Peter has extensive experience and involvement with strategic policy, regulatory and legislation development, and implementation in the Province of Alberta. He also has extensive experience in working with all levels of government, industry and professional associations, and organized labor organizations. Peter has extensive experience on Crown Corporation and not-for-profit boards including the Alberta Capital Finance Corporation, Alberta Pension Administration Corporation, Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation, Careers – The Next Generation, Chair of The Bethany Care Foundation, Director of The Nature Conservancy of Canada (Alberta) Board, Director on the Alberta Enterprise Group Board and Member of the Board of The Brenda Strafford Foundation.

I respectfully acknowledge that I am a settler on the traditional lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples whose rich histories and deep connections to the land predate my presence. I approach these territories with respect, humility, and a commitment to learning from the indigenous communities who have stewarded these lands for generations. Recognizing this I seek to engage in meaningful dialogue and in the truth telling that leads to genuine reconciliation.

Perry was born and raised in British Columbia where he completed his undergraduate degree in Forestry at the University of British Columbia. He spent 12 years in the forest industry before graduating from Harvard Business School with an MBA in Finance and Strategy in 1986.

Perry and his wife Diane have two children, Heather, and Gordon.

Perry moved progressively through the savings and trust industry and then to the computer sector where in 1988 he took the position of VP Finance and Planning at The Hamilton Group, a public company on the TSX. In 1993, The Hamilton Group was acquired by GE Capital and Perry took over as President and CEO of GE Capital IT Solutions Canada and later to be President and CEO of GE Capital IT Solutions North America.

In 1997 Perry became President and CEO of GE Access a worldwide computer distribution business. While working for GE he was an officer of GE Capital and was promoted to GE’s Senior Executive Band.

In 2000, Perry left GE to be President of the US Operations of Tech Data, the 2^nd largest Computer Distributor in the world with US revenues of approximately $9 billion.

In 2003, Perry changed careers and moved back to Canada to do general management consulting in the technology industry, to raise money for pre-venture capital firms in game changing technologies and to perform volunteer work.

For several years Perry was the president of the Victoria chapter of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Perry also facilitated a peer and parent support group for sufferers of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Perry previously served on the Board of Luther Court Society, and held various executive positions (Treasurer, Vice-Chair and Chair).

I respectfully acknowledge that members of my family have been settlers on the traditional lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking people from approximately 1860 with my great grandparents marrying in Victoria in 1868. The Lək̓ʷəŋən n speaking people have rich histories and deep connections to the land, the sea and the air which predate my presence.

I was born near Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in Fort Macleod on the Treaty Seven Territory of the Kaini and Piikani Nations. I attended the University of Lethbridge above the coulees where the Last Great Indian Battle was fought between the Cree and Blackfoot. I approach the Lək̓ʷəŋən territories as I have the Treaty Seven and Eight Territories with respect, humility and a commitment to learn from the indigenous communities who have stewarded these lands for generations. Recognizing this stewardship, through my involvement with the Luther Court Society, I seek to engage in meaningful dialogue and in the truth telling that leads to genuine reconciliation.

Patrick Coristine joined the Luther Court Society’s Board of Directors in June 2022.

Patrick (Pat) Coristine was born in the Southern Alberta town of Fort Macleod and lived in and around Lethbridge for many years. He attended the Universities of Lethbridge and Calgary, obtaining a Bachelor of Education from the latter. After a brief high school teaching career, he returned to the University of Lethbridge taking courses necessary to article for the Chartered Accountant designation, which he achieved in 1981.
Pat worked in public practice with firms in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie. For twenty years Pat was an accounting instructor at the Grande Prairie Regional College (now Northwestern Polytechnic University) teaching a wide variety of accounting, auditing and income tax courses.
Pat was involved as a volunteer with the Grande Prairie Downtown Business Association, Grande Prairie Piranhas Swim Club, Grande Prairie Minor Hockey Association and Royal Canadian Air Cadets. A highlight of his volunteer career was serving as Finance Director with Hockey Alberta for seven years.
Pat had been an Assistant Coach with his granddaughters’ hockey teams and had been a Level III Hockey Referee.
At the GPRC Pat served as Treasurer for the Academic Staff Association (ASA) and served two years as the ASA representative on the Board of Governors.

I am grateful to live, work, and play in the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

Dennis was born in Alberta, lived and educated in three provinces and one state.  He holds a BSc., MSW and a Ph.D.  In Alberta, he was a social worker (child protection), Regional Director of Social Services (Edmonton) and Program Developer for the Deputy Minister.  He completed the design for the often-replicated Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and the Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) programs.

In BC, he worked in numerous capacities within the provincial government: Deputy Secretary of Treasury Board, Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Environment) as well as other special assignments.

After completing his doctorate, he and three other individuals opened a successful consulting firm specializing in business planning and organizational change.  Upon convocation he was asked to teach in the UVic Department of Political Science and, subsequently, became Adjunct Associate Professor.

Dennis is passionate about the city of Victoria.  He is ardent community builder and, accordingly, has served on many Boards of Directors throughout the city: Greater Victoria Arts Commission, Past-Chair of Our Place Society, Past-Chair of Threshold Housing Society, Past-Vice-President of Craigdarroch Castle Society, Past-Chair, Canadian College for the Performing Arts, Past-Chair and current Board member of the LPC (Victoria EDA) as well as the Community Social Planning Council, to name only a few.

Three women—his partner Gwen, daughter Jennifer and granddaughter Anna Kate—are the north stars of his life.

My name is Rebecca Wong and I have joined the Board of Directors of Luther Court for a three year term (2023-2026). I currently work as a Social Policy Researcher with the federal government of Canada, in the department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. I work to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within the department. I have been with the federal government for over 6 years, working in various capacities, including as an Assistant Negotiator, a Parliamentary Affairs Officer and a Policy Analyst.

I moved to the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, and the lands of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ Nations (Victoria, BC) from unceded and traditional Anishinabe territory (Ottawa) in 2022 to begin the University of Victoria’s joint Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders program. I am passionate about Indigenous rights and self-determination because my mother is Bidayuh, who are an Indigenous people from the island of Borneo, Malaysia. I am grateful to be living here and that my family has been given an opportunity to build a new home on land far away from our ancestors. It has been my privilege and honour to be learning from and about the Indigenous peoples of the lands to which my parents chose to move.

I completed my Masters of Science in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford in 2019 and my Master’s thesis focused on what the Canadian citizenship study guide taught newcomers about Indigenous histories. Prior to this, I completed my Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in Conflict Studies and Human Rights with a minor in Indigenous Studies from the University of Ottawa in 2018. I am also certified as a Third-Party Neutral with the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution. Training for this certification included 160 hours developing facilitation, mediation and group conflict skills.

I joined the Board of Directors of Luther Court because I also have a background working with adults and children with developmental disabilities. I was involved with Best Buddies Canada for 4 years and also volunteered at a respite care agency in Ottawa for children and adults with complex special and medical needs. I am excited to join Luther Court to understand more how service agencies operate and provide care. Outside of school and work, I am the Secretary and a Board of Directors member of Indigenous Youth Roots which is a national Indigenous youth-led organization. I am a member of Lutheran Church of the Cross and regularly volunteer with live-streaming. I spend most of my free time walking and hiking Victoria’s beautiful beaches and trails with my husband and our 11 lb Yorkshire Terrier, Hank.

I respectfully acknowledge that I am a settler on the traditional lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples whose rich histories and deep connections to the land predate my presence. I approach these territories with respect, humility, and a commitment to learning from the indigenous communities who have stewarded these lands for generations. Recognizing this I seek to engage in meaningful dialogue and in the truth telling that leads to genuine reconciliation.

Alison is a retired Social Worker.  Her career began 30 years ago as an Early Childhood Educator and concluded at Island Health as the Supervisor of the Community Care Facilities Licensing Program. Her responsibilities there included administration and enforcement of the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and the associated Residential Care Regulation and Child Care Licensing Regulations.  She was a subject matter expert for the BC Justice Institute in developing Investigation Training for Licensing Officers. Alison has completed training in Administrative Law, Leadership and Executive Coaching through Island Health.

Over the 30 years of her career, Alison has worn many hats in service to vulnerable people.  She has been a student mentor and practicum supervisor for Camosun College, College of New Caledonia and    U-Vic.  She has worked for two non-profit societies: the Supported Child Care Program in Campbell River and the Elizabeth Fry Society in Prince George, and has sat on multiple advisory and inter-agency boards.

Both of Alison’s parents live at Luther Court.

I respectfully acknowledge and thank the lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÃNEÈ Peoples, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations communities, for allowing us to live, worship, work and play on their unceded ancestral lands.

Andrew was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and has been a Victoria resident since 1976. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Sciences at the University of British Columbia and undertook graduate studies in education administration at the University of Victoria.

Andrew and his wife, Cathy, have three grown-up children who live with their respective families in Australia, Victoria and Revelstoke.

Much of Andrew’s professional career focused upon the use of information technology to support post-secondary and K-12 education.  After an initial engagement with the Department of National Defence, Andrew worked for Camosun College for twenty years.  During that time, he managed the development of administrative software, including student information systems, for a consortium of provincial colleges and institutes.  He eventually became the Dean of Information Technology and Learning Resources, with responsibility for library, computing services, educational and administrative software, and network and communication infrastructure.

In 2004, Andrew joined the BC Ministry of Education where he served as a director responsible for implementing the provincial student information service for public and independent schools.

Andrew has been a committed volunteer for several organizations over many years.  For over forty-six years, he served in a variety of roles, including as a board member, for “Operation Trackshoes, a provincial sports festival for people with developmental disabilities.  For seventeen years, he was a youth leader and group commissioner for a local scout unit.  He served twice on organizing committees for the BC Summer Games, held in Victoria.  Since retirement in 2018, he has volunteered at the BC Aviation Museum as a tour guide, board secretary, and chair of several planning committees.

He has been a member of Grace Lutheran Church (ELCIC) since 1984 and has served on Church Council for eighteen years.  Andrew is currently the church’s president and very active at both the congregational and synod levels.

Andrew recently became a member of the Luther Court Society and is currently a client of the Luther Court Community Health Centre.  He looks forward to learning from and serving with a dynamic organization that is having a positive impact on our community.

Alia grew up here in Victoria and after a short stint in Ontario and six years in Vancouver she found her way back to our beautiful city. She is incredibly grateful to call the traditional and ancestral territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, her home.

Alia holds a BSc in Biology and Anthropology from the University of Victoria and a Master of Public Health from Queen’s University. Always having known she wanted to work either in, or supporting, health care, Alia has spent her career thus far in related fields, spanning clinical research, coordinating HIV/AIDS research, community resource planning for mental health, and for the last ten years, working with programs that support family medicine with the aim of improving our health care system across BC. Seeing the impact and changes happening in our health system and being able to support that work motivates her to continue to find ways to make an impact.

Alia is excited to join the Board of Directors at the Luther Court Society and to support the upcoming expansion and development of Luther Court.

When not trying to figure out how to meet the needs of family doctors and primary care at work, Alia can often be found trying a new recipe, with her nose in a book, or doing everything she can to get outside and moving!

With deep respect and humility, we acknowledge that we are settlers on the traditional lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples, whose rich cultural heritage and deep connection to this land precede our presence. We pledge to approach these territories with reverence and a commitment to listen, learn, and honor the teachings of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ Peoples, who have served as the stewards of this land for generations.

My name is Josh Boutin, and I am a lawyer working in Aboriginal law dealing mostly with large Aboriginal Title and Rights litigation. I also represent Indigenous individuals and First Nations in general and commercial litigation. I went to law school at University of Ottawa and graduated with a focus in Social Justice Law. I knew going into law school that I wanted to build a career centred on social justice, and I found my passion in Aboriginal law. After graduating, I articled at Woodward and Company in Victoria. I was called to the BC Bar in September 2022, and have since continued working with Woodward and Company.

I have been an active member of Lutheran Church of the Cross-for the past two years. I would be honoured to be a part of the Board of Directors at Luther Court. I have been eager to find ways to give back to my community, in particular through my church community. I am excited to learn about the workings of Luther Court, and to bring my passion to this role.

I acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory my family and I live, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

Thiago moved to Canada from Brazil with his family over 7 years ago to pursue a PhD at the University of Victoria. With a background in language and literature, Thiago used to work as an English teacher in his home country. In Canada, his studies and research focused on digital literacies and on how to educate teachers on the critical and creative use of digital technologies to enhance their teaching and student learning.

Academically, Thiago has presented at conferences, published papers and book chapters, and been a member of academic associations and ethics boards. Today, Thiago works as an instructional designer at Royal Roads University, where he provides both pedagogical and technological support to instructors and program coordinators in the design and build of online courseThiago was born into a family of German immigrants in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. His grandparents and parents have been actively involved with the Lutheran church for many years, which was a formative experience to him. Thiago contributed to his congregation by being a Sunday school and Confirmation teacher, a youth leader, and a member of church council. In Victoria, Thiago and his family are active members of the Lutheran Church of the Cross and have been part of different activities.

Thiago’s wife, Eli, is an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church in Brazil. She has assisted with Sunday school, confirmation classes, and youth group. Thiago’s son, Felipe, has attended Sunday school and is now in confirmation classes. Thiago and his family are also patients at the Luther Court Community Health Centre and highly value the support and services they can access through there.