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.
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
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
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
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
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
Shelly Yu
Education & Support Services Coordinator / Neurophysiotherapist
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
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
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
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
Chair
Biography
Dave Rickards
Vice Chair
Biography
Martie Rose Mendoza
Treasurer
Biography
Richard Mayede
Secretary
Biography
Mark Hutchinson
Director
Biography
Arne Johansen
Director
Biography
Sean Lee
Director
Biography
Bill Mathieson
Director
Biography
Brian Mauch
Director
Biography
James Patterson
Director
Biography
Elisabeth Sadowski
Director
Biography
Jim Wu
Director
Biography
Dr. Martin McKeown
Medical Advisor
Biography
Join Our Team
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.