Board of Directors

Satwinder Kaur Bains

Chair

Appointed for a term ending December 31, 2024. Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains is the Director of the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley and an Associate Professor in Social Cultural Media Studies, College of Arts. Dr. Bains’ critical analysis of India’s multilingual policy and planning has fueled her interest to study the impact of language, culture and identity on South Asian Canadian migration, settlement, and integration. Her research includes and intersects cross-cultural education with a focus on anti-racist curriculum implementation; race, racism, and ethnicity; identity politics; Sikh feminist ideology; migration and the South Asian Canadian Diaspora and Punjabi Canadian cultural historiography. Dr. Bains has served as a Commissioner on the Agricultural Land Commission, as a Director of the Fraser Basin Council, as a Bencher on the Law Society of British Columbia and as a member of the Farm Industry Review Board for British Columbia. She has served on numerous Boards locally, nationally, and internationally and received recognition for her commitment to social justice, preservation of histories and cultural knowledge, women’s rights, service and research. She lives in Abbotsford and with her partner Parm and three children she also helps support an international farming operation, shipping blueberries around the world.

Sukhvinder Chouhan

Vice Chair

Appointed for a term ending December 31, 2025. Sukhvinder (Sukhi) Chouhan, CPA, CA, CAFM, Director of Chouhan Accounting Ltd., with an office in Kamloops, BC. He is dedicated to helping First Nation communities and their for-profit entities to achieve success and provide meaningful employment to the members. Sukhi has been part of the First Nation teams in various different capacities for the past 10 year to establish a deep understanding of culture and history. He has held many roles such as CFO, Financial Controller, Finance and Audit committee member and Board of Director. Currently, appointed as a Board of Director with AFOA BC, Knowledge Network and Upper Nicola Indian Band Development Corp and appointed as Finance and Audit Committee member for Penticton Indian Band. As part of his practice, he provides accounting and tax and business consulting services to corporate and personal clients such as capital financing, accounts payable, taxation issues, revenue sharing, and negotiations. Sukhi was designated a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) in 2008 with KPMG. In 2015, he became a Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM).

Sarf Ahmed

Appointed for a two-year term ending December 31, 2024. Sarf Ahmed brings extensive experience of leading large and diverse public sector organizations where he has been involved in strategic planning, financial and corporate management, procurement, facilities management and strategic human resources. He is a Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal recipient with a distinguished career in the BC Public Service spanning 26 years, including five years as an Associate Deputy Minister. A position from which he retired in 2018. Prior to joining the BC Public Service, Sarf worked in the accounting profession and private industry for 15 years. Currently, he is also an independent management consultant and a member of the Board of Land Title & Survey Authority of BC (LTSA), a publicly accountable statutory corporation responsible for delivering reliable land-related registries, survey systems and information. Sarf is a chartered accountant and lives in Victoria, BC.

Jocelyn Eisert

Appointed for a term ending July 31, 2025.

Jocelyn Eisert, CEO of Bizzybody Enterprises provides education preparedness, employment readiness, entrepreneurial coaching and event management services since February 2008 for corporate and community gatherings. She is the youngest of 16 children, orphaned at 17 – never a quitter and has the heart of a true entrepreneur.

Based in Fort St. John, BC, Jocelyn has worked with presenters and speakers such as Theo Fleury, Adam Bach and Trevor Lindon to name a few and has made impacts in dozens of community to hundreds of individuals. For Jocelyn it is not who SHE meets, it is who SHE brings to the event and IMPACTS THAT ARE MADE IN COMMUNITIES.

Mrs. Eisert graduated from high school with honors in 1991 and completed her nursing assistant at Red River Community College. Realizing quickly that the medical field was not for her, she graduated from Herzing Career College in 1995 with a certificate in Business Administration. Since then, Jocelyn has completed Project Management Level 1 and 2 at College of New Caledonia in Prince George in 2011, Adult Educator through Canadian College of Educators in 2021 and numerous workshops and seminars across the Country over the past three decades.

Dedicated to the work she does, Jocelyn has designed a variety of programs and workshops to support learning and opportunities for growth and professional development. She has come to love facilitation and seeing each individual full of energy with their light bulbs bright, truly makes Jocelyn’s heart sing. When she grows up – she wants to be a comedian – making people smile and healing our nation through laughter is only one dream away

Selwyn Jacob

Appointed for a term ending December 31, 2024. For over three decades, award-winning filmmaker Selwyn Jacob has been telling stories about the lives and experiences of Black Canadians, Indigenous peoples and other often underrepresented communities. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Jacob came to Canada in 1968. He holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta (1970) and an MSc in Film Education from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (1975). Early in his career -1976 to 1981 - Jacob worked as a teacher, and as a school principal with the Lac La Biche School Division in Northern Alberta. He also taught for two years with Edmonton Public School Board before joining Alberta Education as a Media Consultant from 1983 to 1995. As an independent filmmaker he directed We Remember Amber Valley (1984), about the Black community that existed near Lac La Biche, AB; Carol’s Mirror (NFB - 1991) which won six international awards; and Gemini award-winning The Road Taken (1996), about the Black sleeping car porters of the Canadian railroad. In 1997 Jacob Joined the National Film Board of Canada as part of the Special Mandate Team for Cultural Diversity. Based at the Pacific and Yukon Studio in Vancouver, he went on to produce over fifty films. During 23 years at the NFB, he produced a wide range of documentaries including Charles Officer's Leo- and Emmy-award-winning Mighty Jerome (2010) and Mina Shum’s feature documentary Ninth Floor, about the Sir George Williams Riot of 1969. The 2015 film was selected to TIFF’s annual Top Ten list of the best Canadian films of the year. His most recent films - Holy Angels (2017), Because We Are Girls (2019), and Now Is The Time (2019), were also award-winning, and screened at numerous national and international film festivals. Personal honours for Jacob include:

Lifetime Achievement Award from Vancouver Film Critics Circle (2020)
An Honorary Doctor of Laws from Dalhousie University (2019)
Outstanding Achievement Award from Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta (2017)
Certificate of Appreciation from City of Vancouver, Black History Month Planning Committee (2015)
An Alumni Honour Award from the University of Alberta for community contribution (2013); and
The John Ware Award for Black Achievement (1997, Edmonton AB).

Jacob retired from the NFB in June 2019 and spends much of his time mentoring emerging filmmakers.

Sonia Lachar

Appointed for a term ending July 31, 2025. Sonia Lachar brings 18 years of senior HR expertise in labor and employee relations across municipal, healthcare, education, public, and private sectors. Sonia's diverse background includes previous work with UBC, District of Squamish, British Columbia Nurses Union (BCNU) and City of Vancouver. Sonia has completed a Master's of Industrial Relations Degree, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Executive Coaching certificate and is in the final stages of completing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate at UBC. She is passionate about learning, education and works in the Education sector as a member of the senior leadership team in the role of an Executive Director. She has a strong commitment towards the public sector and providing services that benefit the public in a meaningful way. She has also shared her wealth of knowledge through teaching labor relations and human resources at the post-secondary level. Her passion for teaching and commitment to lifelong learning coupled with strong employee relations leadership experience will further enrich our board.

Doreen Manuel

Appointed for a two-year term ending December 31, 2024 Doreen Manuel (Secwepemc/Ktunaxa), MFA is the sixth child of Grand Chief Dr. George Manuel and spiritual leader Marceline Manuel. Doreen is a residential school survivor. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Production from UBC. She is an award-winning filmmaker. She is one of the developers of the esteemed Capilano University Indigenous Digital Filmmaking Program and sole owner of Running Wolf Productions. Doreen holds positions on the: Motion Picture Production Association of BC Equity and Inclusion Committee; Women in Film & TV Equity and Inclusion Lobby Group; Telefilm Indigenous Working Group; Moving Images Distribution Board of Directors; TELUS Storyhive Indigenous Advisory; and IM4 Virtual & Augmented Reality Training Program Matriarch Advisory. She is a Telefilm Talent to Watch partner and a founder and instructor of the esteemed WIFTV Tricksters and Writers feature film screenwriting program for Indigenous women. Ms. Manuel has an extensive background as a leader working in First Nations education and community development in both rural and urban centres. She has specialized in life skills programming, anti-gang violence, and youth at risk. As an educator, she has developed and led cultural and specialty programs for sexual abuse intervention and prevention, and First Nations recovery from violence and substance abuse. As a program manager she has assisted in the development of training programs for residential school survivor counsellors. Ms. Manuel has served on the Indian advisory boards of the University of Washington and Idaho State University, Okanagan University College First Nations Advisory, Urban Images for Native Indian Women Board of Directors, the North Western United States Language Preservation Council and is the President of the George Manuel Institute.

Eve Munro

Appointed for a term ending December 31, 2025. Eve Munro retired from the practice of law in 2017 after 34 years as a practising lawyer. Most recently her practice focus was in the areas of intellectual property, privacy law, licensing and technology. As a former partner in the national firm Miller Thomson LLP, and prior to that in the Vancouver firm Ferguson Gifford, she also has an extensive background in business and commercial law more generally. She has particular experience in the education and entertainment industries, First Nations schools and educational organizations, and in relation to intellectual property issues as they apply to charities and the not-for-profit sector. She earned her Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of British Columbia. During her years of practice Ms.Munro volunteered in leadership roles and service positions. For many years she volunteered with the Canadian Bar Association Women Lawyers Forum Mentoring Program for young lawyers and with the YWCA mentorship program for high school students. For more than a decade she acted as leader of the Intellectual Property and Information Technology Practice Group of an international association of lawyers, Multilaw. She currently serves as director of the Jericho Tennis Club and serves on its Governance and Facilities Committees.

Anne O'Shea

Appointed for a term ending December 31, 2025. Anne O'Shea is an independent strategist serving libraries, nonprofits and public institutions in social impact strategy, leadership, and team development. She was previously the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at Vancouver Island Regional Library, where she led strategic and operational planning, IT and library collections for 39 branch libraries across BC's island and coastal region including Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and on the Central Coast in Bella Coola. Between 2008 and 2018, Ms. O'Shea led several services at the Vancouver Public Library, including the Inspiration Lab - a free community digital media centre supporting video production, podcasting and self-publishing - and supported creative residencies in writing, Indigenous storytelling, documentary filmmaking and audio production. Ms. O'Shea holds an Executive Certificate in Social Impact Strategy (UPenn), Bachelor of Arts (SFU), and Master of Library and Information Studies (UBC). A member of the Knowledge Network Board since 2020, she sits on several committees including Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Strategic Planning; and Audit and Finance. A proud member of the LGBT2SIQA+ communities, she is privileged to live with her family in Snuneymuxw territory on Vancouver Island.

Binny Boparai-Gill

Appointed for a term ending July 31, 2025. Binny Boparai-Gill is the Co-Founder and President of Farming Karma Fruit Company, a farm-to-table operation producing award-winning fruit beverages. Under her leadership, the company has received multiple awards for innovation and sustainability.

Binny immigrated to Canada as a teenager and has now established her roots in Kelowna BC. She has a family history of agriculture and public service, both of which inspire her work today. She turned her family's farming legacy into a successful value-added fruit products company while also bridging the gap between consumers and farmers through educational tours at their vertically integrated manufacturing facility. Binny is committed to fostering and advocating for a more resilient agriculture and small business sector in BC. She partners with local educational institutes to educate and engage young minds in discussion around careers in agriculture, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Through Farming Karma’s Do Good Initiative, she collaborates with local charities to support community causes. Binny has over a decade of experience working in the finance industry which has been instrumental in scaling her family business across Canada and beyond. She strongly believes in the value of financial literacy and aspires to work towards making financial knowledge more accessible. She also serves on Kelowna’s Agriculture Advisory Committee.

Her dedication to diversity, inclusion and compassion is evident in both her professional and personal life. With extensive experience in leadership and finance, an innovative approach to business, and a strong commitment to education and community outreach, she is well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to the Knowledge Network's board of directors.

Heather Bastin

Appointed for a term ending July 31, 2025. Heather Bastin has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications, primarily in publishing, architecture and post-secondary education sectors. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University in 2000 and a Master of Arts for the School of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University in 2011. Currently, Ms. Bastin is the Executive Director, External Relations, at Coast Mountain College, a public post-secondary institution serving northwest BC. In her spare time, she teaches music lessons and plays violin in a community orchestra.