Members elected our 2022 Board of Directors at our Annual General Meeting on November 17th!
​Please click here for more details.

Ingrid Vaughan| President.   Ingrid owns and operates Smart HR, a consulting service geared towards helping business owners create and sustain strong leadership and HR practices. As an HR consultant, author and leadership coach, she assists businesses with achieving success by leading well. She is also the founder of the Smart Leadership Academy, a cohort-based program that brings business leaders together to grow their leadership skills. Ingrid is a former manager of the WestShore Chamber of Commerce and has extensive experience in helping Chamber members grow their businesses.  She previously served as President of the board of South Island Centre for Counselling and Training, and on the board of Worklink Employment Society. Ingrid has served on the WestShore Chamber Board since 2016. When not working she enjoys cooking, writing and reading and is an avid Canadian Football League fan.​

Kelly Darwin | Vice President. ​ Kelly is the owner of Seriously Creative, an award winning web design & marketing agency with offices in the Westshore, Vancouver and Kitchener\Waterloo. Kelly grew up in Langford, raised his family here and continues to reside and operate Seriously Creative in the Westshore.

As co-host of The Westshore Business Podcast, Kelly along with his co-host John Juricic sit down with local business owners and community leaders and discuss their challenges and successes here in Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Highlands & Metchosin.
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Sharon Mitchell | Secretary. ​ Sharon specializes in working with women who are facing a major life transition such as widowhood, divorce, downsizing or retirement. A Certified Financial Planner and Associate Portfolio Manager, Sharon has worked in the financial industry since 1993, joining the Dividend Value Partners team of Raymond James in 2014. She holds two bachelor degrees: a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta. In addition, she earned her insurance license in 2014, and is now US licensed to assist US citizens with their finances and investments. She enjoys analyzing her clients’ entire financial situation including investment management and advising on areas for potential improvement. Sharon first joined the Board of Directors in 2018.
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​Clark Lawrence | Treasurer. Clark is Chartered Professional Accountant and Principal at Baker Tilly Victoria Ltd. and has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree with a Concentration in Entrepreneurship from the University of Victoria.  Since joining the firm nearly 18 years ago, Clark has focused on providing assurance, accounting, Canadian tax, and business advisory services to a wide range of clients including for-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and registered charities.  Clark has had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors of both the Victoria Hospice Society and the Victoria Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation since 2015.  A proud Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, Clark also serves as a member of the Rotary Club of Victoria.  Clark resides in Colwood with his wife and two children and enjoys coaching minor hockey and baseball as well as playing hockey and golf.

Sarah Alasaly | Director. Sarah was born in Ottawa and raised in Vancouver. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and practiced as a Registered Nurse for approximately five years before going to law school at the University of Ottawa. As a Registered Nurse, Sarah worked in both Labour and Delivery and Acute Medicine in two of the busiest hospitals in BC. Now as a lawyer, Sarah practices in the area of Family Law, Wills and Estates, and Personal Injury with Alasaly Law Group. Sarah is passionate about helping people and believes it is her duty to give back to the community. ​She is always willing to lend a helping hand and truly wants to see the people around her succeed. When Sarah is not working, she can be found horseback riding, yoga, cycling or playing tennis with her husband and family.  

Paula Blazina | Director.  Paula Blazina has 20+ years’ banking experience with Coastal Community Credit Union and has been managing in the CRD for 5 years now. She is currently Branch Manager of the Eagle Creek Village Branch.  Paula has been a WestShore Chamber member representing Coastal Community Credit Union for four years and joined the Board in 2018. Coastal Community Credit Union is Vancouver Island’s largest island based Credit Union, employing nearly 600 people tip to tip – coast to coast with 24 retail branches, 16 insurance offices as well as Business/ Commercial services and Wealth and Personal Insurance.

Chris Burdge | Director.  Chris is the owner of bWEST Interactive, an award winning online marketing firm based in Langford.  Chris is also the founder and CEO of SOHO Victoria, an annual conference designed to help small and home office business owners succeed by empowering them to manage and grow their business, through workshops, 1-1 Expert Advice and networking. Chris is an avid supporter of the West Shore community and JDF Minor Hockey. When not working he can be found playing hockey, cycling or paddle boarding with his kids.
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Rachelle Dallaire, BSW/MSW/RSW | Director. ​ Rachelle is from the Montagnais people in lower Quebec. She brings more than 15 years of management and leadership experience to her work as Indigenous Perspectives Society’s Executive Director. Rachelle’s credentials include BSW, MSW, RSW and she has extensive front line service experience that informs her leadership.  Her early work includes experience with at risk communities including women in the sex trade, corrections, and the homeless community. Her current areas of expertise include non profit leadership, governance, public speaking and project management. 
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​Michele Hansen | Director.  Originally from Ontario, Michele joined the Board in 2016 with over 30 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur. For the last 7 years Michele has transitioned to management and implementation consulting. Her business Prismatic Business Solutions is focused on organizational excellence and continuous improvement projects with micro, small and medium sized organizations. She specializes in change management, project implementation, and team development.
 
Michele is deeply committed to moving reconciliation forward and creating mutually beneficial relationships. She is a Registered Organizational Excellence Specialist, a Certified Personality Dimensions® Facilitator and a CPHR Certified Workplace Investigator.

​JRR (Reg) Létourneau | Director.  ​A relative newcomer to Vancouver Island, Reg has a wide variety of business experience from across Canada, in fields of endeavor that range from the geomatics engineering and environment sectors, to participating on First Nation land claims projects.  At the Board level Reg has experience as a School Board Trustee (Oromocto, NB), was a founding member of the Calgary Geomatics Cluster, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of a private company (Stromtech Energy Services Ltd), and is Managing Partner for the Hunter Spirit Energy Group consortium based out of Calgary, Alberta. Reg also works for Island Tigers Energy Corporation, which is a proud WestShore Chamber Member. Reg is excited to be a part of the thriving WestShore business community during these most challenging times.

​Mike Reilly |  Director.  Mike was raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, and graduated from the University of Victoria with a degree in biology. He worked for several years as a habitat consultant for forest companies in the BC Interior but gradually shifted to more IT management as the industry changed. After working as a project manager with a division of Hewlett-Packard, Mike changed careers to become a financial advisor with Freedom 55 Financial. Mike is excited to help his clients achieve peace of mind for themselves and their family’s future. Mike and his wife Karen are busy with six kids, three boys and three girls, ranging from middle school to post graduate students. His non-working hours are spent at dance recitals, animal husbandry activities, parent teacher interviews and other domestic engineering tasks.

Annette Siewertsen | Director.  Annette is born and raised in Victoria, BC and now lives and works on the Westshore. She has worked at Royal Roads University since 2005 and completed her Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching in 2012 through the university. Annette is passionate about moving people forward so also spends time coaching people in small business or career transitions in her coaching practice, SeaStar Coaching. One of Annette's values is giving back to her community and has made volunteering in her local and global community a priority in her personal and work life.

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