Our Team

Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is committed to offering support, sharing reliable information, and providing education for people with Parkinson’s, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

Executive

Joanne Baker

Joanne Baker

Chief Executive Officer

604-662-3240 (ext. 233) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 233)
info@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Joanne for questions related to:

  • Advocacy
  • Pro bono legal services for issues related to Parkinson’s (available for members)
  • The Society’s strategic direction
  • Major gifts
  • Estate planning/Planned giving
Biography

Dr. Joanne Baker is a seasoned social service professional with extensive experience across the non-profit sector, academia, and government in the UK, Australia, and Canada. Since beginning her non-profit journey in 1991, Joanne has served as a volunteer, board member, and staff member in organizations focusing on disability, child welfare, legal advocacy, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She contributed to the transformative deinstitutionalization movement in the UK, helping develop community-based supportive housing for people with disabilities. Her frontline work includes family support, crisis response, and counseling in homeless shelters and transition houses for women and children fleeing abuse.

From 2002 to 2012, Joanne held academic positions at three Australian universities, teaching and conducting research in social work, community welfare, and social policy. Upon returning to Vancouver in 2012, she took on senior leadership roles in provincial anti-violence and child welfare organizations, including the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Belonging Network Support for Families and Youth Association.

Outside of work, Joanne enjoys movies, novels, football (the round-ball kind), long walks, and exploring the world of podcasts.

Programs & Services

Alana Dhillon

Alana Dhillon

Manager, Education & Support Services

604-662-3240 (ext. 245) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 245)
info@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Alana for questions related to:

  • Information and referral inquiries (phone, email, in-person)
  • Education events
Biography

Alana brings a diversity of professional experience with completion of a Bachelor of Arts – Political Science degree at the University of British Columbia, followed by a Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of Victoria, and Marketing Management – Public Relations studies at BCIT.

Her professional experience includes helping geriatric and other vulnerable populations in several community-based social service settings, counseling, case management, as well as facilitation of psychoeducational groups for mental health, preventative health, and recovery. She was involved in government pilot projects to address the needs of vulnerable populations, developed and led community initiatives, and planned events to draw public awareness to various social issues. Her most recent work includes her role as an educator for eight years in the healthcare field, teaching a Social Service Worker diploma program to train students to work in the field.

Alexandra Hernandez

Alexandra Hernandez

Education and Support Services Coordinator

604-662-3240 (ext. 228) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 228)
info@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Alexandra for questions related to:

  • Support Groups
  • PD Link (peer-to-peer matching program)
  • Information & Referrals
Biography

Alexandra graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree, specializing in health, disease, and genetics, and has contributed published work in this field of study. Following graduation, Alexandra was involved with various non-profit organizations in programs that provided mental, social, and physical support services to seniors and other vulnerable populations across Canada. Further to this, she worked at a long-term care facility, exploring healthcare challenges, social determinants of health, and addressing how healthcare needs could be met in the local community.

Kelly Felgenhauer

Kelly Felgenhauer

Education and Support Services Coordinator

604-662-3240 (ext. 226) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 226)
info@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Kelly for questions related to:

  • Education events
Biography

Kelly graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Science degree majored in Biological Sciences. Throughout her education and work career, Kelly has experience in developing and facilitating programs designed to activate life skills and meet the needs of seniors through social activities in addition event coordination for larger functions. These include events for seniors and other non-profit health organizations, such as the Canadian Cancer Society, BC Epilepsy Society – SFU Sector and the Canadian Liver Foundation.

Corrina Masson

Corrina Masson

Social Worker

604-662-3240 (ext. 243) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 243)
info@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Corinna for questions related to:

  • Counselling
  • Healthcare Navigation
Biography

Corrina is a registered social worker in good standing with the BC College of Social Work. She has both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in social work from McGill University.

Corrina has worked with individuals experiencing a range of mental health struggles, movement disorders and life transitions, such as coping with a new chronic illness diagnosis. She integrates a mindfulness and strength-based approach and through collaboration aims to create a space of self-compassion for all clients when providing short-term counselling and/or healthcare navigation.

Corrina frequently draws from various therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Tricia Wallace

Tricia Wallace

Counsellor

604-662-3240 (ext. 244) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 244)
info@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Tricia for questions related to:

  • Counselling
  • Healthcare Navigation
Works Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Shelly Yu

Shelly Yu

Education & Support Services Coordinator / Neurophysiotherapist

Marketing & Communications

Alicia Wrobel

Alicia Wrobel

Director, Communications & Operations

604-662-3240 (ext. 237) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 237)
events@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Alicia for questions related to:

  • Media inquiries
  • Advertising/partnerships
Biography

Alicia has over 15 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, building a diverse skill set in marketing, communications, program development, and technical project management. She began her non-profit journey in an agency environment supporting over 20 associations, where she focused on social media, web presence, and marketing strategies. As a product manager for a SaaS platform, she developed technical training materials, led quality assurance (QA) initiatives, and managed client-specific application builds, solidifying her technical expertise.

Before entering the non-profit world, Alicia worked with the Government of Canada, supporting funding programs and coordinating the distribution of promotional materials province-wide.

For the past decade, she has been an integral part of Parkinson Society BC, contributing across all departments. Her work has included planning advocacy campaigns, leading awareness efforts, streamlining programs and services delivery, and enhancing tracking systems. Deeply inspired by the resilience of the Parkinson’s community, she draws strength from their courage as she navigates her own health challenges.

Alicia holds an Honours Degree in Communications with a minor in Publishing from Simon Fraser University, specializing in critical media studies. Recently, she has been exploring responsible applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on transparency and reducing bias in emerging technologies.

Mirela Prime

Mirela Prime

Marketing & Communications, Senior Coordinator

604-662-3240 (ext. 256) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 256)
events@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Mirela for questions related to:

  • Good News
  • Viewpoints
  • Parkinson’s Awareness Month
Works Monday to Thursday.
Meghna Powani

Meghna Powani

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

604-662-3240 (ext. 273) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 273)
events@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Meghna for questions related to:

  • Weekly Digest
  • Social media
  • GroupLink
  • Website updates

Fundraising

Susan Atkinson

Susan Atkinson

Office Manager

604-662-3240 (ext. 263) or
1-800-668-3330 (ext. 263)
donations@parkinson.bc.ca

Contact Susan for questions related to:

  • Renewing/becoming a member
  • Tax receipts
  • Making a donation
Andrew Davenport

Andrew Davenport

Chair

Biography
Andrew Davenport is Director of Corporate Development at TELUS and previously worked in the United Kingdom as a Principal with IBM Consulting in addition to working in executive roles at Bell Canada International and its subsidiaries. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Physics) from Queens University as well as an MBA from INSEAD in France. Andrew became involved with PSBC as his father, Dr. Alan Davenport, has Parkinson’s disease.
Dave Rickards

Dave Rickards

Vice Chair

Biography
Dave Rickards, CPA, CA is a retired Partner from Grant Thornton LLP in Vancouver. Dave is a graduate from UBC faculty of Commerce and obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1979. He is a past Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation and has held various positions with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia. Dave is actively involved with various community volunteer activities. He joined the Board of Directors as a tribute to his brother who passed away from complications related to Parkinson’s disease, and Dave also serves on the Board Finance Committee.
Martie Rose Mendoza

Martie Rose Mendoza

Treasurer

Biography
Martie Mendoza, CPA, CA has 20 years of progressive and extensive experience in Accounting, Finance, Audit and Advisory. She obtained her Chartered Accountant designation in 2010 and is currently an experienced Manager at Deloitte with a focus on modernizing the Finance function (Accounting Operations Advisory). She previously served in the capacity of Director of Finance at Seymour Health Centre and Controller at Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc, and also previously worked at Ernst ! Young and Mondolez International (formerly Kraft Foods International). As a world traveler, she has explored over 33 countries across America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. Previously, she has been involved in serving as volunteer in various communities by helping the community library, transition home, soup kitchen, mentoring young adults, and raising awareness on financial literacy. Martie joined the PSBC Board of Directors because of her passion for giving back to the community.
Richard Mayede

Richard Mayede

Secretary

Biography
Richard Mayede is a creative consultant who works with companies that need help with social media, marketing, web design, video, and photography. He was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease in 2005, and from that point forward he was determined to be a source of positivity and encouragement. He first became involved with PSBC through fundraising for Parkinson SuperWalk in 2005. After over 10 years of fundraising for the event, he wanted to do more for people with Parkinson’s. In 2016, he asked and was accepted, to join PSBC’s Board of Directors. In 2017 & 2018, Richard acted as one of the faces of the Society’s awareness campaign, drawing attention to the many ways that the disease affects patients. His involvement in advocacy efforts in 2020 helped secure more operating room time for DBS surgeries in BC. In 2021, he had DBS surgery, which allowed him to win two consecutive grants in 2022 and 2023 to produce two documentary series based on people with Parkinson’s. He now serves as Secretary of the Board.
Mark Hutchinson

Mark Hutchinson

Director

Biography
Mark Hutchinson has 35 years of business leadership. He served as CEO of a multinational franchise company, growing the company from his dining room table to a company with 650 franchises and annual sales revenue of $90M. His main skills are in sales, marketing, and people/team development. Since semi-retiring, he has served a number of companies on a part-time basis as a business leadership coach. From a Parkinson’s perspective, he has a personal interest in PSBC as a caregiver to his wife Angela, who has lived with PD since 2008. He is an advocate for her and for PSBC — keen and willing to serve in any way he can to help the 17,500 people in BC who live with PD. Through these advocacy efforts, he hopes that people with PD are granted the best quality of life possible, and to raise awareness of PD in general.
Arne Johansen

Arne Johansen

Director

Biography
Arne Johansen was formally diagnosed with PD in March 2013, although with the recognition of many non-motor symptoms manifesting well before motor symptoms become apparent. After diagnosis, he began an extensive online search on PD and potential methods to slow the onslaught of the disease. Using the PSBC website as a starting point, he discovered many useful websites such as, but not limited to, Davis Phinney, Michael J. Fox, Rock Steady Boxing, UBC Parkinson’s Research Centre, and McGill University. He began volunteering with many in-person studies through UBC, as well as online studies including the Michael J. Fox Insight program. A few of the UBC studies he participated in over the past decade have focused on balance, eye movement, response time, stomach biometrics, and the development of cameras to aid in PD detection methods. He is also the current facilitator for the North Shore Parkies Support Group. During the past few years, he has participated in the first (known of) Improv Troupe for people with Parkinson’s. He has had extensive and varied experience dealing with multiple levels of authority and responsibility throughout his work exposure.
Sean Lee

Sean Lee

Director

Biography
Sean Lee is a professional problem solver and Chief of Staff at TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre. With over a decade of experience in international research, government relations, and corporate communications, Sean is responsible for managing TRIUMF’s complex network of partners and stakeholders. Prior to his current role, Sean served in various positions in Washington, DC and Ottawa, including time with Global Affairs Canada; his academic credentials include a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Bachelors degree from the University of British Columbia. Sean joined the Board of Directors in honour of his grandfather who battled Parkinson’s disease in the 1990s.
Bill Mathieson

Bill Mathieson

Director

Biography
Bill Mathieson, B. Comm., MBA, MSc, CHRP (Ret.) is a retired senior human resource executive who has worked as a management consultant on many labour relations negotiations and human resource projects on behalf of employers. He was the senior HR executive in an international corporation and a key team member in negotiating, acquiring, and integrating acquisitions into the organization. He was Vice-President Human Resources of the Business Council of BC, representing employers to unions, provincial, and federal governments. His earlier career responsibilities in the forest industry included labour relations, productivity and safety improvement programs and change management initiatives. As a junior management consultant, he participated in several large scale organization studies. At BCIT, he served as an HR Advisory Committee member and subsequently as a part-time instructor for many years. Bill has been an active leader in a number of community organizations. Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in May, 2013. Since then, he has participated in several UBC Brain Centre studies and has been an active participant in the UBC Brain Wellness Program. He joined the Board of PSBC in 2023.
Brian Mauch

Brian Mauch

Director

Biography
Brian Mauch earned Business and Law degrees from UBC, and in 1997 founded an IT services company named BMC Networks which was acquired by TELUS in 2023. 
He now works for TELUS in a business development role.  Brian’s company has provided pro bono IT support for Parkinson Society BC (PSBC) since 2014, and they were honoured to receive the Above and Beyond Volunteer award at the 2024 PSBC AGM. 
Brian’s parents Pat and George volunteered for PSBC for decades, and George passed away in 2022 after living with Parkinson’s for almost 30 years. Brian lives in Vancouver with his wife and two teenage children.
James Patterson

James Patterson

Director

Biography
James Patterson is a Crown prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the Vancouver Regional Office. In the past, James has volunteered with a Melbourne-based non-profit organization that provides basketball programs for disadvantaged children and a non-profit organization that represents inmates on Death Row in Louisiana. His interest in Parkinson’s disease and the Society spans many years and he supports family members who live with the diagnosis.
Elisabeth Sadowski

Elisabeth Sadowski

Director

Biography
Elisabeth Sadowski is an associate lawyer at Hammerco Lawyers LLP in Vancouver. Her main areas of practice are personal injury and estate litigation. Liz is very active in the legal community including serving as past president of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC. She joined the board of PSBC because her late father, a neurologist for over 40 years, had the disease.
Jim Wu

Jim Wu

Director

Biography
Jim Wu has been developing symptoms of Parkinsonism since he was 22 years old, and in 2016, at the age of 30, was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s. Since then, Jim has been called to the British Columbia Law Society where he subsequently ran his law practice before joining his current firm at Forte Law, where he exclusively practices employment law. In the span of just one year, Jim made several appearances before the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Federal Court of Canada — his most recent being a two-week-long trial in Northern British Columbia that he ran as lead counsel. Outside of work, Jim holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiujitsu and he trains his long-haired German Shepherd, “Hachiko,” in the sport of herding. He is also a mentor for the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver and an active member and mentor for the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers of British Columbia.
Dr. Martin McKeown

Dr. Martin McKeown

Medical Advisor

Biography
Dr. Martin McKeown is the Medical Advisor to the Board of Directors. He is the Director of the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre at UBC and a clinical neurologist with an interest in movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s. The unique combination of his medical training and engineering background is reflected in his research where engineering principles are applied in investigating disease mechanisms and potential treatments.

At Parkinson Society British Columbia, we are committed to providing support, education, and advocacy for individuals living with Parkinson’s. We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our team and help us achieve our mission. Explore our current job openings and become part of a compassionate and dynamic organization.