Board of Directors
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Ken Coolen
President (Outreach, Media)
Biography |Ken Coolen
A natural event planner with a strong background in Food & Beverage management, Ken has thrown this energy into many events in Vancouver's gay community over the years. Logistics Coordinator for the AIDS Walk for eight years, Dining Room Coordinator for AccolAIDS since its conception, and recently Dining Room Coordinator for the Fowl Dinner; the list of Ken’s accomplishments is as big as his heart. In his first year with the VPS, he was swiftly tapped to spearhead the 2008 Parade Committee. Excited to give something back to the great community that has provided many years of support and friendship, Ken is as delighted with the VPS as the rest of us are with him.
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Emily Sors
Vice-President (Environment, Membership)
Biography |Emily Sors
Last year Emily Sors attended the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and was amazed by how she observed the clean conditions Jericho Park was left in each night. Now she wants to take this inspiration to the Vancouver Pride Society, to create a stellar environment program of our own. Emily is passionate about the environment, and is proud to be able to create this program in time for the 2010 Olympics. Emily also has a love of languages (her friends would term this an 'obsession'), one which makes her uniquely suited to sit on the Outreach committee. She desires to increase outreach to ethnic communities by providing materials in languages appropriate to each major community in Vancouver in the next couple years.
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Andrew Rutgers
Secretary (Strategic Planning)
Biography |Andrew Rutgers
Andrew is a full time student. In his spare time he enjoys skiing and sailing.
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Bernard Leclair
Treasurer
Biography |Bernard Leclair
Bernard has always felt that it is important to give back to community - something that was instilled in him by his mother from a very young age, growing up on a farm in rural Manitoba. He has found time in his busy business career to give to youth through the Young Men’s Adventure Weekend Society of British Columbia. He has also held several positions with Landscape Manitoba Association, including President. He looks forward to helping in putting on an amazing set of Pride events this year.
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Tim Kraumanis
Director (Parade)
Biography |Tim Kraumanis
Tim attended Queen's University and spent much of his time as a Chair of EQuIP, the student LGBT organization, and was the founder of Queens's Pride Week. As a professional web designer, Tim brings his experience to the new VPS web program. Wanting to continue to build upon his involvement with the LGBT community, Tim joined the Board of the Vancouver Pride Society in January 2008, and his passion for social activism has already begun to contribute to Vancouver's LGBT community and the Pride celebrations.
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Monika Whitney
Director (Volunteers)
Biography |Monika Whitney
Currently holding down a day-job as a research consultant, her heart lies in non-profit organizations. Volunteering comes as second nature to Monika. Since returning to Vancouver, she has actively volunteered with the BCPWA, the Vancouver Fringe Festival, Out On Campus at SFU, the Car-Free Commercial Drive Festival, and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. Having worked alongside many awe-inspiring volunteer coordinators, she feels confident in her ability to implement best practices as Volunteer Coordinator for the Vancouver Pride Society this year.
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Ray Lam
Director (Advertising, Graphics)
Biography |Ray Lam
Ray is excited to have the opportunity to donate his time and passion to the VPS for his fourth consecutive year. Having successfully completed terms with organizations ranging from grass-roots initiatives to national agencies, Ray brings expertise in the areas of corporate governance and marketing with relation to NPOs. Most recently, Ray has acted as a Director for the East Richmond Community Association, Regional Director – BC/Yukon for Egale Canada, and Chair of Youthquest! - Lesbian & Gay Youth Society of British Columbia. During his time with Pride, Ray has acted as Director of Governance, Advertising, Graphics, Fundraising, Youth, and Chair of the 2007 Fierte Canada Pride Conference’s organizing Committee.
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Terry Costa
Director (Arts & Entertainment)
Biography |Terry Costa
Costa is excited to join the board of the Vancouver Pride Society and share the many years of production and direction of live events in Canada and abroad, spanning all artistic disciplines. In the GLBT community his most popular work includes Gay Top Model and Mr. Gay Canada. He run Mirateca Arts Management and sits on the board of the European Festival and the Government of Portugal Communities Council. Costa's goal of making the world gayer one human at a time is that much closer to reality.
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Chris Ellis
Director (Governance)
Biography |Chris Ellis
Chris had volunteered for many LGBT organizations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. In high school and university he was a catering supervisor and event planner. He practiced law in Toronto for seven years and sits on the executive of SOGIC, Canada's national LGBT lawyers and law students organization. Chris has attended more than 60 Pride celebrations all over the world. This experience is an asset as chair of the VPS Governance Committee. Chris visited British Columbia in 2006 and fell in love with the mountains and ocean. He moved to Vancouver the following year and started the BC branch of SOGIC. He joined the board of the VPS in 2009.
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Raigen D'Angelo
Director (Fundraising)
Staff
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Caryl Dolinko
Sponsorship and Communications
Biography |Caryl Dolinko
Caryl Dolinko is the President of Smart Cookie Consulting a business to business communications company. She has been contracted to work with Vancouver Pride Society for a sixth year, coordinating the Sponsorship and Communications campaigns.
Caryl is a Communications specialist with over 25 years experience in Canada and abroad. She continues to be excited to make a significant contribution to the LGBT community in Vancouver.
Caryl possess excellent communication skills and is driven and passionate about everything she does. She recently organized the InterPride AGM and Conference (and was voted on to the international executive as VP of Operations), she's coordinated Softball tournaments, has created winning sponsorship programs for festivals and non profits, and works with businesses and community groups of all sizes to create dynamic communications and marketing programs.
Caryl is Smart Cookie Consulting and is big enough to serve you, small enough to know you. www.smartcookie.ca
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Sharon Nelson
Office Manager
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Janet Anderson
Festivals Coordinator
Biography |Janet Anderson
Valley Promotions Inc, has a long history of media, marketing, fundraising and event planning. Recent clients and events have included Vancouver Pride, World Police & Fire Games, Earth Run, Central City, East Side Cultural Crawl, Salish Tents & Event Rentals, Vancouver Triathlon, Vancouver International Marathon, Arizona Marathon, BMW/Hugo Boss Fashion Gala, Cottonwood Mall, Merritt Mountain Music Festival, the Canadian Thoroughbred Society, the Century Plaza Hotel and Spa, Quizno's Subs, the Variety Club of BC, the Marquis Group and the MS Society of BC, to name just a few.
Valley Promotions, has designed and co-ordinated many campaigns and events, and has established excellent rapport and solid contacts with both the media and corporate worlds as well as that of the entertainment business.