We support the communities that make up the Downtown Eastside in their efforts to build on their many strengths and to address the current issues of poverty, homelessness, addictions, mental illness and the toxic drug crisis.

01. Board Members

• Larry Beasley C.M.

  Larry Beasley is recognized as an authority on urban development and urban issues. Larry was former Co-director of Planning with the city of Vancouver. He is recognized as having a participative and socially responsible approach to zoning, planning and design, which has become known internationally as the “Vancouver Model”.
  
  Larry is an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Community and Regional Planning and lectures widely elsewhere. In 2004, Larry was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

• Jacquie Forbes Roberts

  Jacquie Forbes-Roberts is recently retired from her position as General Manger of Community Services for the City of Vancouver. She was responsible for wide range of planning, development, social and cultural services. She is a former Co-Director of Planning for the City and has served as Vancouver’s Heritage Planner. Jacquie has many years of experience working with the public and private sectors, non-profit agencies, and community groups in the delivery of policy, projects and services. She brings expertise in organizational change, policy development, strategic planning and conflict resolution.

• Roger Hughes

  As a leader practicing in the field of public and institutional work, Roger has focused his 40-year career on leveraging the power of design to contribute to a strong, healthy and socially diverse society. Roger is a current and past member of the Vancouver Urban Design Panel and the Shaughnessy Design Panel, and has been active as a Guest Critic at the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. He was made a fellow of the RAIC for his contribution to design excellence in 1995 and recognized with an AIBC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

• Dr. Bill MacEwan

  Dr. MacEwan is the former Head of Psychiatry at St. Paul’s Hospital and is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC. Bill has done clinical work and research in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) of Vancouver for the last 21 years. This work was initially psychiatric outreach to the single room occupancy hotels and now also involves working at the Downtown Community Court (DCC)

• Sanja Simic

  Sanja Simic is the Executive Director at the Conconi Family Foundation. She comes from the world of finance and integrates elements of finance and philanthropy into a hybrid operating model.

• Paul Sullivan

  Paul Sullivan was the western editor of The Globe and Mail, and managing editor of The Vancouver Sun; he also worked in television and radio before launching Breakthrough Communications to provide communications products and services. Breakthrough Communications works with a wide array of corporate and institutional clients across North America to create effective communications. Clients include non-profits, including a number from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

• Gerry Zipursky

  Gerry Zipursky has over 40 years of committed strong leadership and expertise in organizational development and community work in the field of social, community and social enterprise services.. Gerry has overseen a wide variety of large projects including, major construction, international events, as well as video and film productions. Gerry has extensive board and committee involvement with a variety of municipal, national and international organizations. He is the recipient of a number of awards including the Canada 150 good citizen & 2019 British Columbia Good Neighbour Award.

• Paul Kennedy

  Coming soon

• Bennie Graydon

  Coming soon

02. Team Members

• Mike Harcourt

  Mike Harcourt has travelled from storefront lawyer in Strathcona, to city councillor, to mayor of Vancouver, to Premier of British Columbia. Mike’s commitment to the environment and sustainability helped BC earn its reputation as one of the most livable places in the world and has also contributed to the transformation of cities and communities around the world.. Mike has received many awards, including the University of British Columbia has awarded him the Alumni Achievement Award of Distinction for contributions to British Columbia, Canada and the world.

• Ken McFarlane

  Ken McFarlane is trained as an economist and lawyer. After a diverse career in the government, non-profit and university sectors, he and two partners founded The Katalysis Group Inc. The company acquired, developed and commercialized nine industrial technologies created at research universities in North America and Europe. The company sold its last three operations in Europe in 2019. Mr. McFarlane is now Chair of Regeneration International, a company which consults on economic development efforts.

• Ethel Whitty

  Ethel was formerly the Director of the Carnegie Community Centre in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver for twelve years and Director of Homelessness Services at the City of Vancouver for four years. Previous to those positions she worked as a counselor therapist in the inner city. Ethel holds a masters degree in Social Work in Community Development and currently provides consultation services in the DTES. She is a published author working on a new novel.

• Frank Kaplan

  Coming soon