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Irfan Ali (President)
Irfan is passionate about housing and firmly believes in giving back to the community. Prior to PHS, Irfan worked in various leadership capacities with numerous community organizations including Access Pro Bono, Collingwood and South Vancouver Community Police Centers, Thunderbird Community Centre, Burnaby Citizens Crime Watch, the Canadian Red Cross Society, Junior Achievement BC, and the Disabled Sailing Association. As current corporate counsel for one of Canada’s premier real estate developers and a former employee of the Office of Housing and Construction Standards, Irfan has extensive legal expertise and is committed to increasing the accessibility of safe and affordable homes for all persons struggling with homelessness and mental illness in the City of Burnaby.
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Jenny Katayama (Vice President)
Jenny is serving her second term on Progressive Housing Society's Board. She brings over 15 years of experience in the Financial industry, specializing in commercial and real estate loans. She is currently working as a Senior Manager at Canadian Western Bank's Real Estate Lending Group in Vancouver and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance from the University of British Columbia. Jenny is passionate about working collaboratively to address one of the key social issues we face in Burnaby and helping individuals who are most vulnerable in our community receive the support needed to start their journey to recovery and independent living.
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Elke Yeung (Treasurer)
Elke believes that safe and affordable housing is something everyone should have access to as it is essential to the growth and stability of our community. Elke joined the Progressive Housing Society to help support this cause. She has a professional CA designation and brings passion and commitment to the Society along with her finance and accounting background.
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Carrie McLaren (Secretary)
Carrie enjoys working with people to find solutions to problems, knowing that there is no "right" answer. As a CGA student and someone who has worked in Burnaby for many years, I can share some creative and common sense ideas, to work towards a common goal. I've been involved with Green Politics for the past 6 years to engage people, make them aware of issues and opportunities, to help create a better community. Carrie is passionate about working on the board to help move forward the issues of homelessness in this city, promoting PHS, its mandate and its services.
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John Morton (Director)
John is one of
the co-chairs of the Program Participant Advisory Committee (PPAC). He has been a client
of Progressive Housing Society for 11 years now, he has really appreciated the help he has received
over the past years and says that his life has been enhanced. John loves talking and getting to know people in the community, and really enjoys having the responsiblity and being
involved in the community which is a part of his reason for joining the PPAC. John has built strong relationships with his roommates and stays very busy and active volunteering in the community.
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Maria Ascuncion (Director)
Maria has lived in Burnaby for over 20 years and brings over a decade of experience in the software industry. She grew up in Canada and the Philippines. Progressive Housing has been a blessing to her and she enjoys volunteering, as well as establishing new relationships within the community. |
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Pam MacDonald (Director)
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Tania Dong (Director)
Having grown up in Burnaby and being a current resident, Tania is thrilled to be able to give back to her community and help improve its future. She has over 15 years of experience working as a Human Resources professional in the public and private sectors and has always supported local causes. Tania is looking forward to putting her people skills and energy to the task of moving forward Progressive Housing Society's cause. |
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Rose Bergen (Past President)
Having worked on the boards of non-profit societies,
Rose brings her expertise to Progressive Housing's Board of Directors as President.
Her experience with housing issues has helped her understand the importance of providing
safe, affordable housing and the link between housing and health. |
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Jaye Robertson (Executive Director)
Hired in April of 2007, Jaye comes to Progressive Housing Society with over 17 years of experience in the Health, Education and Social Service Sectors. Jaye has worked in a variety of non-profit and government agencies in Ontario and BC and has had significant experience in community-based programming and the implementation of service delivery. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Education degree in Psychology. |
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Progressive Housing Society Board of Directors are currently accepting applications for general Board Director Positions. If you would be interested in giving back to your community and gain some leadership experience, send a resume indicating your interest to: jrobertson@progressivehousing.net