About Me
I am proud to live in Maple Ridge, where I have raised my family and built community around literacy and education over the last two decades.
My deep roots in the area are through my mother’s family who settled here in the early 1900s farming their land in Pitt Meadows until the 1940s.
My husband and I moved to Maple Ridge 27 years ago and chose to work and raise our family here.
Our three children were SD42 French Immersion students.
Community connections: I am always available to listen. For almost two decades, I have built partnerships that support my work helping adults improve their literacy skills, supporting newcomers to develop their English skills, and creating opportunities to build a stronger community.
With the Literacy Committee, I connect with at events, including the Winter Fair at the Maple Ridge Library celebrating family literacy, Multicultural Day, Pride (SD42), Volunteer Festivals, GETI Fest, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event.
I am blessed to live in a community with so many resilient lifelong learners, caring educators and compassionate neighbours. My other work has allowed me to exercise my passion for community kitchens, food gardening and supportive community programming. I have coordinated the twice-annual Hive Neighbourhood Centre Children’s Clothing and Book Freecycle at Eric Langton Elementary since May 2010. Participation is open to everyone.
Business and Government
Before discovering the joys of working in my own community, my earlier career included:
· Overseas ESL teaching and editing work;
· Trade & Investment Officer for the Ontario Ministry of Industry, Trade & Technology;
· Systems Project Manager for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources;
· Executive Assistant to the Consul General of Japan in Vancouver; and
· Trade Officer for the Japan External Trade Organization, Vancouver.
My formal education includes a BA in International Relations, University of Toronto.