Board of Directors

Our volunteer board of directors serve for a three-year term for a maximum of two terms. The Victoria Foundation was created through an Act of the BC Legislature, and all new board members are appointed by a majority of the appointers as stipulated by the Act. These appointers include a judge of the Supreme Court sitting in Victoria, the Mayor of the City of Victoria, the President of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Greater Victoria, the President of the Victoria Medical Society, and the President of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

List of Past Board Chairs

Tamara Napoleon

Board Chair

Tamara is a member of Saulteau First Nations, and she co-leads Miller Titerle + Co’s Indigenous Law Group. Tamara’s Indigenous law practice focuses on economic…

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Rob Gareau

MBA, CIM, RRC, Vice-Chair

Rob Gareau’s professional role is Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor with Nicola Wealth. As a Portfolio Manager he works with a team specializing in investment…

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Rajiv K. Gandhi

BSc, LLB, Past-Chair

Rajiv is originally from the east coast of Canada, having been born and raised in Nova Scotia. He obtained a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie…

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Karen Cameron

CPA, CGA, Treasurer

Karen is a Chartered Professional Accountant, and a founding Partner in the Victoria CPA firm of Cameron Izard Snell LLP, where she values her role…

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John van Cuylenborg

BA, LLB

John is a lawyer and partner with a leading Victoria law firm, Cook Roberts LLP.  He joined Cook Roberts LLP in 2000, after being called…

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Marilyn Sing

BAA, CIPP/C

Marilyn has over 25 years of experience in management roles including business development, risk management, communications and marketing. She is the principal consultant at IPP…

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Wency Lum

BSc, MBA

Wency Lum is the Associate Vice-President, University Systems and Chief Information Officer for the University of Victoria. Wency joined UVic in 2016 and has been…

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Brad Clark

BA, CFP

Brad has obtained his Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Investment Manager designations and has worked as an associate financial advisor with the Ely & Associates…

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Teresa Lin

Teresa is a Chartered Professional Accountant and distinguished audit professional with extensive experience in working with the public sector, private enterprises, and not-for-profit organizations in…

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Ruth Young

BPHE, BEd, MA

Ruth is Cree from Wemindji on her mother’s side and mixed-European on her father’s side. She is the Director of Indigenous Initiatives with the Faculty…

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Dr. Hannes Blum

Dr. Hannes Blum is a Partner at Acton Capital Partners, a Munich based Venture Capital fund focused on SaaS and consumer internet. He currently serves…

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Tamara Napoleon

Board Chair
Tamara is a member of Saulteau First Nations, and she co-leads Miller Titerle + Co’s Indigenous Law Group. Tamara’s Indigenous law practice focuses on economic development, government-to-government agreements, corporate structuring, the implementation of Indigenous rights and title and natural resource regulation. Her previous legal experience in general corporate commercial law and infrastructure projects provide clients with a more expansive business perspective. Tamara shares her skills with the BC Cancer Foundation Board of Directors and her own Nation’s economic development entity, the Mistahiya Group of Companies. She is also former Vice President of the Aboriginal Mothers Centre Society, director of Vancouver Native Health Society and Governor of the Justice Institute of BC. Tamara was recognized in 2020 as a Lexpert Rising Star, one of the leading lawyers under 40 in Canada.

Rob Gareau

MBA, CIM, RRC, Vice-Chair
Rob Gareau’s professional role is Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor with Nicola Wealth. As a Portfolio Manager he works with a team specializing in investment planning and management. Rob is an active member of the Victoria community where he enjoys spending time with his family. He has volunteered with a number of organizations that serve Victoria, most recently coaching minor soccer, a board member for Victoria Hospice, and Investment Committee member for the Victoria Foundation.

Rajiv K. Gandhi

BSc, LLB, Past-Chair
Rajiv is originally from the east coast of Canada, having been born and raised in Nova Scotia. He obtained a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University in 1994 and his law degree from the University of Victoria in 1997. He was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1998. Rajiv lives in Victoria with his wife and daughters. He represents clients throughout British Columbia and beyond, with a focus on corporate and commercial financing, wealth planning, high technology transactions and land development. Rajiv also advises a number of institutional, commercial and academic organizations in the areas of intellectual property (including copyright and trademark registration and enforcement, technology acquisitions, cooperation agreements and technology transfers), employment law, restructuring, governance, financing and cross border transactions.

Karen Cameron

CPA, CGA, Treasurer
Karen is a Chartered Professional Accountant, and a founding Partner in the Victoria CPA firm of Cameron Izard Snell LLP, where she values her role as a trusted business, tax and accounting advisor to business owners and individual clients. Karen retired as a Partner in 2023, and continues her role on a part time basis. Earlier in her career she was a Senior Manager in a National CPA firm. Karen is 5th generation born in Victoria with strong connections to our community. Karen is a former President and Executive member of the Victoria Entrepreneurial Club, and former Chair of the Follow a Leader program of Minerva Foundation for BC Women. She has enjoyed memberships and involvement with the Chamber of Commerce, UDI, and Think Local First Victoria. In her leisure time Karen feels fortunate to often be sailing around our local BC waters with family and friends and is an active member in both the Sidney North Saanich and Capital City Yacht Clubs.

John van Cuylenborg

BA, LLB
John is a lawyer and partner with a leading Victoria law firm, Cook Roberts LLP.  He joined Cook Roberts LLP in 2000, after being called to the BC bar in 1993.  John earned his BA in International Relations from UBC, and his law degree from UVic.   John previously served 3 terms on the Board of the UVic Foundation, and has been an active member of the Canadian Bar Association, including chairing a local section.  John was raised in Victoria and appreciates the privilege of living in such a community and the opportunity to contribute to that community.

Marilyn Sing

BAA, CIPP/C
Marilyn has over 25 years of experience in management roles including business development, risk management, communications and marketing. She is the principal consultant at IPP Consulting, which helps organizations meet their obligation to operate in compliance with applicable privacy laws. Born and raised in Victoria, Marilyn started volunteering at a young age and has continued to give back to her community throughout her adult life. She founded the OCTA Collective Society, which launched the artsREACH program in 2005. OCTA received a Quality of Life Award from the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria in 2006 and Marilyn was recognized with a For Kid’s Sake Award from Today’s Parent Magazine for the artsREACH program in 2007. Her past appointments include member of the TELUS Victoria Community Board and member of the CRD Arts Advisory Council where she served three years as chair.

Wency Lum

BSc, MBA
Wency Lum is the Associate Vice-President, University Systems and Chief Information Officer for the University of Victoria. Wency joined UVic in 2016 and has been responsible for the institution’s IT strategy, policy, governance and projects to enable UVic’s academic, research and administrative functions. She also serves on two other boards related to higher education and technology. Wency’s previous roles include leadership of complex technology projects, business transformation, and information security across multiple sectors and organizations, including government, private sector, and the United Nations. Wency was born and raised in Victoria, and has worked, lived and travelled in Europe, Africa, Middle East, and USA.  She is proud to call Victoria home, where her family roots have been for over 110 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science from McGill University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Victoria.

Brad Clark

BA, CFP
Brad has obtained his Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Investment Manager designations and has worked as an associate financial advisor with the Ely & Associates wealth management team at Raymond James Ltd since 2011.  Since graduating from the University of Western with a degree in economics, he has been providing clients with financial advice in both Ontario and British Columbia since 2004.  The beauty of the West Coast captured Brad, and he and his family moved to Victoria in 2007 where he feels fortunate to have been welcomed so warmly.

Teresa Lin

Teresa is a Chartered Professional Accountant and distinguished audit professional with extensive experience in working with the public sector, private enterprises, and not-for-profit organizations in Canada and abroad. In her management role at the Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia, she diligently serves the people of BC in upholding government accountability. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree in Accounting from the University of Alberta. Having lived on 4 continents and visited 60 countries, Teresa brings a diverse perspective while being deeply connected with Victoria as her cherished hometown and favourite community. Her substantial past and present service with NPO boards including Inter-cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA), Island Community Mental Health Association, Victoria Dragon Boat Festival Society, and Victoria Chinese Commerce Association, underscores her dedication to enhancing the lives of her fellow community members.

Ruth Young

BPHE, BEd, MA
Ruth is Cree from Wemindji on her mother’s side and mixed-European on her father’s side. She is the Director of Indigenous Initiatives with the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria and has extensive experience working in Indigenous post-secondary education, particularly in Indigenous student affairs and community engagement. In her current role, Ruth facilitates Indigenous community consultations, engages in strategic planning for Indigenous programming and student services, and works with various teams to ensure that local Indigenous laws and protocols are recognized and upheld, specifically in institutional spaces that have traditionally ignored and/or banned these practices. Ruth holds a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, specialized in Health Promotion Studies from Laurentian University, a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University, a Certificate of Intercultural Studies from the University of British Columbia, and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies focused on Indigenous leadership in post-secondary institutions from the University of Victoria. She currently serves on the board for the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness.

Dr. Hannes Blum

Dr. Hannes Blum is a Partner at Acton Capital Partners, a Munich based Venture Capital fund focused on SaaS and consumer internet. He currently serves on the Board of four companies (Aluula which is listed at the TSX.V under the symbol AUUA.V, Maple Telehealth in Toronto as well as Codename Entertainment and Category 12 in Victoria) and is an active Angel Investor. Previous exits under his guidance at Acton Capital include Toronto based Knix (sold to Essity) and Chef’s Plate (sold to Hello Fresh), Vancouver based Mobify (sold to Salesforce) and NYC based Eloquii (sold to WalMart). He started his career with The Boston Consulting Group in Germany and founded his first company (JustBooks GmbH) with colleagues of his Ph.D. program in 1999. After selling his business to AbeBooks.com, he took over as CEO of AbeBooks which brought him and his family to Victoria, Canada in 2003. After acquiring 5 companies, he sold AbeBooks to Amazon in 2008 and stayed on as a VP for Amazon until May 2015. He won several industry awards during his tenure at AbeBooks and Amazon, including Entrepreneur of the Year in the Consumer Category Pacific Region from Ernst & Young. He holds a Masters degree in Business and Engineering from the University of Karlsruhe and a Ph.D. in Business, Controlling, and Logistics from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. In his spare time, Hannes loves to spend time with his wife and 2 children, on tennis courts, ski hills and golf courses.

Special Advisors to the Board of Directors

The Victoria Foundation Board of Directors is supported by advisors, the honourary governors, committees, and staff. The board has two special advisors that are invited to board meetings and provide input without voting privileges.

Patrick Kelly

Indigenous Cultural Advisor

Patrick is a member of the Leq:amel First Nation (Sto:lo Nation.) He operates a private consulting business providing services in economic, community and organizational development,…

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Dr. Grace Wong Sneddon

Honourary Governors President & Advisor

Dr. Grace Wong Sneddon is an adjunct professor in the Department of Art History and Visual Studies and an associate fellow in the Centre for…

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Patrick Kelly

Indigenous Cultural Advisor

Patrick is a member of the Leq:amel First Nation (Sto:lo Nation.) He operates a private consulting business providing services in economic, community and organizational development, governance, planning and management. Patrick is an active community volunteer. In addition to his role with the Victoria Foundation, Patrick is a Governor, Law Foundation of BC; Co-Chair, Banff Centre Indigenous Program Council; International Advisory Board Member, Gustavson School of Business, UVic; Ch’nook Indigenous Advisory Board Member, Sauder School of Business, UBC; and Founding President, BC Aboriginal Golf Association. Patrick has held executive and management roles with the Canadian Executive Service Organization, the Missing Women’s Commission of Inquiry, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and others.

Dr. Grace Wong Sneddon

Honourary Governors President & Advisor

Dr. Grace Wong Sneddon is an adjunct professor in the Department of Art History and Visual Studies and an associate fellow in the Centre for the Studies of Religion and Societies at the University of Victoria. As the former Director of Academic Leadership Initiatives and Adviser to the Provost on Equity and Diversity at the University of Victoria, she has been responsible for the development and implementation of professional development for senior leaders, a diverse faculty renewal program and tasked with creating a campus wide culture of respect that values diversity, equity and inclusion.

With an Interdisciplinary Ph.D in Anthropology and Pacific and Asian Studies from the University of Victoria Dr. Wong Sneddon’s areas of research include: race and gender in popular culture, Asian North American identity, the Chinese diasporic culture, women in leadership, equity, diversity and inclusion. Her research has informed her extensive experience in the areas of educational and employment equity and she consults widely with post-secondary institutions and government agencies locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. She is honoured and privileged to work, live, and play in the traditional lands of the Lkwungen Peoples, the Esquimalt and the Songhees and acknowledges with respect the Huu-ay-aht of the Nuu-chah-nult First Nations where her father lived without his family for 40 years. She is passionately committed to her community and is President, Honorary Governors of the Victoria Foundation, Director of the Hoy Sun Ning Yung Benevolent Association and Pacific Opera Victoria, ViceChair of the Victoria Chinese Museum Society and past president of the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation.