Link to public statement announcing the launch of the BCSPS »
Rising to meet the moment: a message from BC Policy Solutions’ new Co-Executive Directors (September 2025)
The BC Society for Policy Solutions (BCSPS) is led and staffed by people who have a long history with progressive policy work in British Columbia. Our founding board members and founding Executive Director (Kevin Millsip) were all former board and steering committee chairs and former Directors of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office (CCPA–BC) and our initial staff team joined the Society after the closure of the CCPA-BC Office in early 2025.
The BCSPS was created so that the type of progressive policy solutions needed to advance a better province for all who live here would be led and informed by people who live and work in this province and who are best attuned to its policy solutions needs. We seek to work in partnership with social movements and our research agenda is informed by the needs of our social movement partners.
The operations and governance of the organization are located in BC with all of the money raised by and donated to the Society staying in British Columbia and funding this necessary work in our province.
We acknowledge that we work for a more just future on the lands of many Indigenous nations, including our head office which is located on the lands of the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We affirm our belief that progressive policy solutions can only be truly just and effective when designed and implemented in right relationship with Indigenous nations, peoples, and rights holders.
Our Team
Amanda Adams (she/they)
co-Executive Director
About Amanda
Amanda oversees the organization’s operational functions, financial management and people management systems to support the BCSPS’s mission of advancing progressive policy solutions in British Columbia.
Amanda brings over 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to her work at BCSPS. She comes to BCSPS after serving as Manager, Governance & Office of the CEO at Take a Hike Foundation and as Executive Director, Programs & Operations at Growing Chefs, where she spent over 10 years in progressively senior roles spanning program coordination, management and executive leadership. Her extensive background includes research and advocacy work with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society of British Columbia, research experience with the Centre for Applied Conservation Research at UBC, as well as wildlife conservation research with Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Amanda has also served in various nonprofit governance roles, including as Board Chair of the Environmental Youth Alliance, where she led strategic planning with an inclusive and justice-focused lens. She currently sits as an advisory board member on the City of Port Coquitlam’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Group.
Amanda holds an Honours B.Sc. in Biology and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Education and Communications from Royal Roads University. Her diverse academic background and deep nonprofit experience inform her commitment to supporting organizations that work toward social, economic, and environmental justice.
Iglika Ivanova (she/her)
co-Executive Director
About Iglika
Iglika brings 17 years of experience analyzing economic and social policy in British Columbia and Canada, having previously served as Senior Economist and Public Interest Researcher with the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) until its closure. Her work focuses on labour market trends, poverty reduction, living wages, precarious work, inequality and public finance, with a commitment to turning economic analysis into actionable policy solutions that promote economic security and justice.
A skilled communicator, Iglika specializes in making complex economic issues accessible to a wide range of audiences. She is a frequent media commentator and has provided expert analysis to provincial and federal policymakers through public consultations, task forces and policy roundtables, helping to shape conversations on key issues affecting people in BC.
Iglika co-directs the Understanding Precarity in BC project. She holds an MA in Economics from the University of British Columbia.
Alex Hemingway (he/him)
Senior Economist & Public Finance Policy Analyst
About Alex
Alex’s research focuses on public finances, housing, inequality, taxation policy and tax fairness, public services and democratic innovation in BC and Canada. He comes to the BCSPS after working at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office since 2016.
Alex earned a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia with research on the relationship between economic class and political inequality across developed democracies. He holds two master’s degrees from the London School of Economics (MSc Social Policy and Planning; MSc Global Politics).
Véronique Sioufi (she/her)
Racial Equity Researcher and Policy Analyst
About Véronique
Véronique leads a community-driven research desk dedicated to applying an intersectional lens to socio-economic policy. This work is guided by advocates from community organizations, unions and academia. She comes to the BCSPS after working at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office since 2023.
Véronique earned a PhD in Geography from Simon Fraser University where her SSHRC-funded research focused on the ways inequality is reproduced through digital platforms, data-driven technologies and artificial intelligence systems. She has an MA in Communication also from SFU. She brings expertise in labour studies, economic geography, critical data studies and critical race theory.
Véronique is proud of her Palestinian heritage and is dedicated to decolonization from Turtle Island to Palestine.
Jean Kavanagh
Senior Media Specialist
About Jean
Jean has extensive communications experience in the non-profit and government sectors including at the David Suzuki Foundation, Vancouver Public Library and Metro Vancouver. She comes to the BCSPS after working at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office since 2016.
Jean came to communications work from a career in journalism locally, nationally and internationally, including covering civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala. She has won journalism and communications awards and is passionate about telling stories that need to be heard.
Rav Kambo (she/her)
Senior Fundraising Coordinator
About Rav
Rav’s years of working with youth helped cultivate her passion for social and economic justice. Her six and half years working for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office gave her the opportunity to connect with people who care about making BC more inclusive, fair and sustainable. She finds her work incredibly meaningful because it supports efforts that aim to create a more equitable and just society for all.
Sinéad Pollard (they/she)
Administration and Operations Specialist
About Sinéad
Sinéad is responsible for supporting financial, administrative and development functions at BC Policy Solutions. In their early career, Sinéad worked in the arts industry as a stage manager, where they discovered a passion for creating and maintaining a supportive work environment. After immigrating to Canada, they continued this work in the financial technology sector, working in data processing, leadership and learning and development roles. Sinéad is proud to use their experience to support the BCSPS’ work of envisioning a more equitable society.
Marianela Ramos Capelo (she/her) Digital Communication Specialist
About Marianela
As part of the communications team, Marianela’s role focuses on knowledge translation and knowledge mobilization. In other words, she develops content and strategies to share the work of our researchers with different audiences across a variety of platforms.
She comes to her role with over 10 years of professional experience in visual communications and knowledge mobilization. Before joining the BCSPS, she worked alongside folks at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office, the digital advocacy organization OpenMedia, the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, Rabble.ca and the Simon Fraser University School of Communication—among others. If you’d like to make her day, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social.
Bojan Stanojlovic (he/him)
Project Manager and Grants Officer
About Bojan
Bojan has over 25 years experience in grant facilitation, program and project management and non-formal education design and delivery. His previous work included advocacy and organizing around education, youth, human rights and disability policies in Southeast Europe, research grants support at Simon Fraser University and management of the SSHRC-funded Corporate Mapping Project at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office.
Bojan is passionate about social justice, nature and animal rights. He spends his free time with music on vinyl, comic books and graphic novels, playing board games and walking his dog.
Our board
Mary Childs
Mary Childs is a lawyer and currently serves as General Counsel and Manager of Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs for Tsawwassen First Nation. Mary has extensive experience advising all manner of purpose-driven organizations: charities, not-for-profits, cooperatives, social enterprises and values focused businesses. She has also served as a past Chair of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Steering Committee.
James Coccola
James Coccola is the Executive Director of Communications, Organizing, Learning and Occupational Health and Safety for the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU). Prior to this role, he was an executive vice-president with the BCGEU, from 2017 to 2024. He previously served on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office Steering Committee until its closure.
Marcy Cohen
Marcy Cohen is a researcher who has co-authored a number of research and policy studies looking at public solutions to the current challenges in our healthcare system. She is a former chair of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office Board and has been a research associate with the CCPA-BC Office.
Shannon Daub
Shannon Daub is a former director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office with a deep knowledge of the BC and Canadian public policy landscape. She is a strategic leader and communicator with decades of experience in the non-profit sector where she has worked to advance shared goals of social and economic justice. She served as co-Director of the Corporate Mapping Project, a multi-year research and public engagement initiative on the role and influence of the fossil fuel industry on public policy in Canada.
Caelie Frampton
Caelie Frampton is the Coordinator of Policy and Planning for the Hospital Employees’ Union. HEU represents 60,000 members delivering health care across British Columbia. HEU members work in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and community services. She’s a strong advocate for public health care and workers’ rights. From 2017-2019, Caelie was the chief of staff to the BC Minister of Environment.
Andrée Gacoin
Andrée Gacoin is Director of the Division of Information, Research and International Solidarity at the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Her research focuses on developing a unique, in-depth and contextualized exploration of education in BC from the perspective of teachers. Andrée is particularly interested in using research as advocacy to uphold and strengthen an inclusive public education system.
Seth Klein
Seth Klein is the Team Lead and Director of Strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit, a project of the David Suzuki Institute. Prior to that, he served for 22 years (1996-2018) as the founding director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office, a public policy research institute committed to social, economic and environmental justice. He is the author of A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency and an adjunct professor with Simon Fraser University’s Urban Studies program.
Matthew Norris
Matthew Norris (he/him) is Nehithaw (Cree) and a proud member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in northern Saskatchewan (Treaty 6) and and lives on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-waututh Nations. He is the Associate Director of the BC Assembly of First Nations and President of the Urban Native Youth Association in Vancouver, BC. He has nearly a decade experience advocating for Indigenous rights across a wide-array of policy and governance areas, as a policy professional, community leader and academic. He previously served on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office Steering Committee.
Karen Ranalletta
Karen Ranalletta was elected President of CUPE’s British Columbia and Yukon Division in May of 2021 and is currently serving her second term in the role. Karen’s election as CUPE BC’s senior officer came after serving three terms as General Vice-President and four terms at President of CUPE 2950, where she represented more than 1,500 clerical, library and theatre workers at the University of British Columbia. She previously served on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office Steering Committee.
SussanNe Skidmore
Sussanne Skidmore was elected president of the BC Federation of Labour in 2022 after being elected as the Federation’s Secretary-Treasurer in 2018 and 2020. A well-known human rights, social justice and queer rights activist, she served as Executive Vice-President of BCGEU for five years. She has co-chaired the Federation’s Human Rights Committee and is active in its Women and Gender Rights Committee. She previously served on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office Steering Committee until its closure.
Miriam Sobrino
Miriam Sobrino is Director of Strategic Communications & Member Development at the Health Sciences Association of BC, a union representing health science professionals throughout British Columbia. Previously, Miriam was a Director of Communications at the BC Federation of Labour and was a reporter with the Peace Arch News and Chilliwack Progress.
Kendra Strauss
Kendra is a geographer and feminist political economist with teaching and research interests in the areas of labour and regulation, social reproduction, migration, urbanization and social infrastructures. Her research has focused on pension politics and financialization, precarity and unfreedom in contemporary labour markets and labour and urbanization. Kendra is the co-Director of our Understanding Precarity in BC (UP-BC) Partnership Grant. The project runs from 2021-2027 and includes 37 academic and community-based researchers and 27 diverse community partners, committed to researching and tackling multi-dimensional precarity in BC and in a comparative context.
“Confronted by the impacts of the climate crisis and the rise of right-wing populism, fascism, the fabrication and promotion of fear and the othering of our neighbours, community members, friends and family, I welcome the launch of the BC Society on Policy Solutions as a much needed bastion of progressive research, analysis and solutions-oriented, data-informed thinking to help guide decision-making in this province and beyond.”
— Matthew Norris, President, Urban Native Youth Association + Associate Director, BC Assembly of First Nations.
CUPE BC is excited to be working with the BC Society for Policy solutions. They will provide the necessary progressive working class analysis that moves communities forward!
— Karen Ranalletta, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees – British Columbia
“I wholeheartedly welcome the launch of the BC Society for Policy Solutions and am looking forward to working together. The landscape of BC is incredibly diverse and complex, and our work depends on non-partisan research and analysis that is grounded in social justice and upholds First Nations inherent and constitutionally protected title and rights. In the current climate of political uncertainty, I am confident that the BC Society for Policy Solutions will carefully consider the challenges before us and provide pragmatic and reasoned advice.”
— Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs
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