The People of SWOVA

Our Staff

Lynda Laushway Executive Director

Executive Director, Lynda Laushway has a Masters Degree in Criminology and has worked in the Canadian Criminal Justice System in various capacities over the past thirty years. She has taught criminology at Memorial University in Newfoundland, been the Assistant Editor of a monthly publication on criminal justice for the Solicitor General of Canada, and for the past fourteen years has focused on prevention of violence against women and children. She is the mother of two grown sons.

Lynda is the recipient of the Attorney General’s, Regional Awareness and Promotion Award for a outstanding contribution towards crime prevention and community safety in British Columbia, as well as the 2005 winner of the YM-YWCA Women of Distinction Award for education, training and development for the Vancouver Island Region.

She is also one of the authors of the book Freedom From Fear, The How-to Guide on Violence Prevention, Inspired by Teens for Teens.

 

Megan Manning-Burton Assistant to Executive Director and Administrative Support

Megan comes to the organization with years of administration experience including arts organizations, advertising agencies and the civil service. She has a background in film, photography and graphic design and is also a published writer. She recently relocated to Salt Spring from England where she’d been living for 13 years, enjoying the weather!

 

Juli Macdonnell Bookkeeper

Juli Macdonnell has a BA in Women's Studies and Sociology, and has worked in the Women's Movement for the last two decades. She currently lives with her partner and cat on Salt Spring Island.  Whenever possible, Juli takes the opportunity to write, work with clay, and look for signs of wildlife.

 

Christina Antonick R+R Adult Facilitator SD#64

Christina Antonick has worked with SWOVA for the past seven years. She has been inspired by the voices of over 1500 youth in her five years acting as the adult female facilitator of R+R in SD #64.

Christina has worked as a social justice educator for the past 14 years. She attended McGill University in Montreal where she studied Theatre, Communications and Women's Studies. Between 1995 - 2000 Christina worked in Vancouver as a front line advocate/counsellor. She was the coordinator of a Pro Bono Legal Clinic for women dealing with custody and access issues as well as a classroom facilitator for youth violence prevention work in Vancouver schools. In 1999, Christina was involved in the creation of Safe Choices. She provided consultation and training for service providers and systems personnel who want to make their services more effective and accessible for women in same-sex relationships.

Christina's inspirations include Audre Lorde, James Hillman, Michael Meade and Dr. Martin Brokenleg. She is a passionate advocate for education that is dedicated to the cultivation of heart, soul and community.

 

Chris Gay Pass It On II Coordinator

I had the privilege of being one of a team of four who worked on the 'Widening the Circle' project for SWOVA from 2007 to 2008. It was through that involvement that I learned about the remarkable work that has been generated by SWOVA. What I appreciate about the work that SWOVA does is its collaborative and facilitative approach to community development which aligns with my own professional journey. Over the past 30 years I have had a varied career in the early childhood intervention field, community development, learning and development within the BC government and private contract work in the areas of facilitation and life coaching. Along whatever path my professional journey has taken me, I see facilitation as being my primary modality in working with others. I look forward to working with SWOVA over the next two years.

 

Kate Maurice Pass It On II Mentor Supervisor

After being at home with 3 babes in a row I felt re-inspired to work with youth again when I found out about the pass it on project. I really feel pulled to work and connect with youth, especially young women; communicating and facilitating all the inspiring ideas they have.

There is a need for young women to connect because with this connection (between all the ages involved) comes more understanding confidence and ability that so positively will affect all our futures.  The youth in School District #64 are excited to be involved, especially after all Pass It On's past success. They are anxious to be mentors but more importantly, to have a place to share and learn and grow with other young women.

 

Kevin Vowles R+R Adult Facilitator for SD#64

Kevin has been working as an educator since 1999. His work has included teaching with the Disabled Sailing Association of British Columbia, volunteering in Africa with a community center focused on reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, work at a Homeless Shelter in Toronto. Recently, Kevin taught with the Ditidaht First Nation, focusing on project based learning frequently using creative writing as a medium of expression.

He is the author of "21st Century Hippies: Activists in Pursuit of Peace and Social Justice."  Kevin has been influenced by authors Paul Fleishman, Anne Cameron, Barbara Kingsolver, Tchich Naht Han, Ivan Coyote, Richard Van Camp, Nelson Mandela, Josh Ritter, Khaled Hosseini and Gord Downie.

 

SWOVA Board of Directors

Lorna Cammaert Board Chair

As Chair of the SWOVA Board, Dr. Cammaert brings a wealth of experience to her position as leader of a non-profit society dedicated to youth violence prevention and the development of healthy and respectful school environments in British Columbia.  Dr. Cammaert is now retired from the University of Calgary, where she served as a Professor of Psychology and Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs.  She has also been a Psychologist in private practice.  A published author and award-winner for her outstanding achievements in promoting the advancement of women in Canadian universities and colleges, Dr. Cammaert brings strong vision and insightful leadership in her role as SWOVA’s Board Chair over the course of the past decade.

 

Elizabeth Bastien

Elizabeth returned to school after 20+ years with the federal government to complete her Master of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University. After graduation she joined the Native Women's Association of Canada, where she currently works on the Sisters In Spirit file. This initiative has documented the extent of violence facing Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, and aims to address the root causes of their vulnerability to experiencing violence. In the past, she assisted with the evaluation of previous SWOVA projects, including the R+R program on Salt Spring and R+R outreach in other BC communities. She is the author or co-author of several papers on issues affecting Aboriginal women, including matrimonial real property and violence against Aboriginal women.

 

Marcia Burton

Marcia has a Masters Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She practices and teaches Hakomi, a mindfulness-based method of self discovery, based on Buddhist principles such as non-violence and compassion. Marcia has a deep commitment to encouraging people to bring the spirit of non-violence into relationships. Since 2000, she has used Hakomi to support individuals and families experiencing the effects of bereavement, trauma, stress-related illness, cancer, and challenges in relationship. She is a volunteer with the Salt Spring Hospice and Bessie Dane Foundation, and a Board Member with SWOVA.

 

Karen Curtin

I came to Salt Spring Island after years of being an undergraduate and then masters student in English studies at the University of Saskatchewan. While working for the Driftwood, I gained experience in marketing and communications, but my real interests lie in writing, research, fitness, and non-profit work. I became interested in SWOVA because I think it is a brilliant way to constructively protest pervasive violence in our society, especially in regards to women. As a mom, I am concerned for my 15 year old daughter and sickened by media images and cultural myths that contribute to the objectification of women.

Now that I'm older and the frenzy of being a student and single parent working two or three jobs has abated, I have more time to commit to community service work. I am honoured to be involved with SWOVA as a board member and hope that I can contribute to the good work happening here.

 

Debbie Harris-Funfer

Debbie returned to Salt Spring Island four years ago from Santa Fe, New Mexico so that her son Josh could attend GISS. He is now in the 12th grade and has been part of SWOVA since he got here. He loves the program and is both a youth facilitator and one of the National representatives at the 2011 conference in Toronto. The R+R program is also close to Debbie's heart. She developed and ran a program, similar to R&R, called Creative Expression at a private elementary school in Santa Fe. During the seven years that she worked there she saw just how much it was needed as well as the positive impact it had on the students' relationship with themselves and others.

Debbie has her BA in the Social Sciences (Sociology, Psychology, and Cultural Anthropology) from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She has a teaching credential and has taught children for many years. She also has a grief-counseling certificate and has counseled both adults and children privately and in group settings.

She is honoured to be on the board of SWOVA and is interested in helping to expand the program so that more and more youth can benefit from it.

 

Richard Kerr

Richard is an economist specializing in the analysis of social programs and issues. He has advised the National Crime Prevention Centre on the cost-benefit analysis and evaluation of their programs. His reports for the federal Department of Justice and various bar associations have been cited in court decisions, including by the Supreme Court of Canada. He is co-author of the report "Paying for Violence: Some of the Costs of Violence Against Women in B.C." Richard has also been a volunteer probation officer and a member of Salt Spring Island's restorative justice and community policing programs. Before becoming a Salt Spring resident in 1993, he worked with community economic development groups in Canada, Africa and Asia.

 

Zelly Taylor

When I was a young kid, Newsreels were still shown at the movies. Even though it was after the Second World War, the newsreels sometimes included footage of film shot at liberated concentration camps. SWOVA's Respectful Relationships program is the best possibility I've encountered anywhere for ending the unthinkable. I realize it will always be a possibility, but the short range benefits from this program are impressive. Initially, I was told that the atmosphere in our secondary school has completely changed. It has become a very pleasant place to work. More recently I've learned that bullying has all but disappeared. So, I've joined SWOVA's board and hope that the organizational and logistical skills I've gleaned during thirty-some years in IT management can be of service.

 

Ian Thomas

Ian's art work includes installations and performance and employs painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed media processes. His subject matter is individual experience and how this is determined by personal and cultural history and what is a consequence is remembered and what forgotten. He has exhibited extensively throughout B.C.

 

E-mail Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to the SWOVA Blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.