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.
Norah Miner
Norah Miner is a creative and tactical negotiator, long time labour relations practitioner and a seasoned leader and mentor. Norah is currently the Director of Bargaining and Negotiations and oversees the Labour Relations Servicing division of the Health Sciences Association of BC, a union representing health science professionals throughout British Columbia. Norah brings to the table a background in social work and community organizing.
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 of 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 BCFED president 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 5 years. She has co-chaired the BCFED’s Human Rights Committee and is active in the federation’s Women and Gender Rights Committee. She previously served on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC Office Steering Committee until its closure.