Our Board of Directors

The Centre is operated by the New Marine Centre Society and its volunteer Board of Directors. As a not-for-profit organization (registered Canadian charity), the Centre relies on community support through admission fees, membership, partnership and donations. The Centre is operated by an Executive Director and a team of highly dedicated staff and over 150 volunteers.

ALLAN LANE, PRESIDENT (HE/HIM)

Allan had the good fortune to meet and raise a family with a special woman from “Sidney by the Sea”.  It was through this relationship that his prairie roots found affinity with the ocean.  Although his professional life as RCMP/WCB Investigator necessitated significant movement around the country, Allan and his family returned annually to vacation in Sidney. Each of his three children now have a lifelong love, fascination and respect for the ocean that was established by exploring Sidney’s beaches. In 2018 a longstanding dream for Allan and his wife became a reality when they anchored permanently in Sidney.  

As an outdoor enthusiast, Allan passionately believes that the wonderment of nature – particularly the ocean – has a positive influence for individuals as well as the broader community.  In an initial visit to the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, Allan immediately recognized its infinite value as an educational resource and pillar of environmental stewardship. Allan has resided in and supported nine different communities with various volunteer pursuits including youth sport coaching, Ducks Unlimited, emergency disaster management, and Special Olympics.  He enthusiastically provides a unique set of professional and interpersonal skills for the betterment of the community, which now includes the Shaw Centre of the Salish Sea and community of Sidney.

ALYSSA ALLCHURCH (SHE/HER)

Alyssa is a marine ecologist who was raised in treaty 7 territory and has a passion for education and all things seaweed. After completing her bachelors in 2017 she moved abroad to work as a dive instructor and marine biologist for an organization that taught marine managers and students about conservation and marine science techniques. After working in Thailand, Indonesia and Mauritius Alyssa moved to the west coast in 2020 and began volunteering at the Center for the Salish Sea as a volunteer naturalist and intern aquarist. She started her masters in 2021 working with the Kwakiutl Nation to understand the impacts of kelp harvest in their territory. This collaborative project fostered a lifelong love of kelp and a deep appreciation for the lands and waters on which she has been lucky to learn and grow. 

Currently Alyssa is working towards her PhD looking at the impacts of kelp encrusting bryozoans on 15 First Nations territories up and down the coast. She is at her happiest when diving through a kelp forest, running down a beach or teaching someone a cool ocean fact. She is grateful for the opportunity to join the board of directors at the Center for the Salish Sea and strives to foster kindness, curiosity and collaboration within the broader community through her time there.

BAILEY SALVADOR, TREASURER (SHE/HER)

Bailey grew up in North Saanich, graduating from Parkland Secondary School in 2008.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Accounting Major) and received her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in 2017.  Bailey started out her career in public practice working for the local Sidney firm of Hughesman Morris Liversedge CPAs.  She now works in the construction industry as Financial Controller for the Knappett Group of Companies. 

As a long time resident of Sidney, Bailey has enjoyed watching the town grow and rejuvenate it’s small-town charm in recent years – the Sidney Waterfront and Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea being a large part of that.  She is looking forward to getting more involved in her community and helping the Centre achieve its strategic goals as it enters it’s second decade of operations.    

Bailey has a passion for travel and exploring the world but believes there is no place quite like Vancouver Island and is grateful to call it home.  On the weekends you can find her hiking, camping, and enjoying all that our beautiful coastline and forests have to offer. 

BRIAN LIVERSEDGE (HE/HIM)

Brian grew up in Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula and currently lives in Sidney with his family. After graduating from Camosun College with a BBA Accounting Major, he went on to obtain his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in 2016.  Brian started his career in the public accounting world at Hughesman Morris Liversedge CPAs, and has been a partner at the firm since January of 2021.  With more than 14 years of experience in public accounting, working with various not for profit organizations and small to medium size private companies, Brian brings these skills, along with his love for the ocean, to the Society. 

Brian enjoys camping and hiking, with some of his favourite spots being right alongside our beautiful coastlines. Occasionally you might find him surfing in the frigid waters off the beaches past Sooke, or up in Tofino.

COURTNEY HALVORSON (SHE/HER)

Courtney is a marine biologist with a passion for cold water. The Salish Sea captivated her when she moved from Treaty 7 to the coast to finish her degree at the University of Victoria. She then spent over a decade volunteering and working as an educator in various forms - from touch tanks to expedition ships.

Courtney believes that one of the most effective ways to protect the ocean is by connecting human beings to the sea through experiences. Although a passionate educator, Courtney is also a humble student in the new and unique ways the ocean is being protected in BC through policy and partnerships. Her career turned to working with the peoples of this coast who have been here since time immemorial, developing marine management strategies and programs with First Nations in the South Coast of BC. This led her to her current role as the territorial planner for Gitxaała First Nation where she helps the Nation implement marine protected areas and works to integrate reciprocity and holistic ecosystem management with modern conservation tools.

Courtney is a guest on the lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples, where she lives next to the forest with her partner, stepdaughters and a friendly giant dog named Baloo. She’s found most often on the trails, on the beaches, or in her pottery studio in Victoria.

HEATHER PRIEST (SHE/HER)

After being born and raised in a landlocked industrial city in the UK., Heather yearned to live on the coast. Her annual trip to the coast was the most important and influential times of her life.

After attending art school and graduating as a Registered Nurse, she decided it was time to travel. Shortly after graduation, she emigrated to Canada, and in coastal BC found a different world than the one she left.  She spent as much time on the ocean as she could, kayaking, sailing, paddling with the Squamish Nation (Dragon Boat racing and outrigger). 

Heather and her young daughter spent many happy hours learning about ocean life at the Vancouver Aquarium, so when she relocated to Sidney, she was intrigued to learn more about the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea. Heather appreciates the engagement, education and exposure that public aquariums and learning Centres can bring to the public.

Throughout her adult life, Heather has maintained her connection to the ocean through various volunteer commitments including coordinating the North Vancouver Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, volunteering with the Peninsula Streams Society and working as a Herring Spawning Enhancement Volunteer through the World Fisheries Trust.

Heather is honoured to help the Centre work toward maintaining its values and achieving its goals in its second decade and looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm and energy to this valuable cause.

JENNIFER MARTIN (SHE/HER)

Jennifer Martin was the founding President and CEO of TELUS Spark from 2008 -2018 in Calgary, Alberta. It was her overall vision that guided the completion of the first new purpose-built science centre in Canada in over 25 years when it opened in October 2011. This vision of a next-generation science centre – and its role of active engagement in and with the community – has been honed by over 40 years of experience starting with Science North in Sudbury, Canada and leading to over 20 years at the Ontario Science Centre, in Toronto.

Since leaving the CEO role she has built a strong base of consulting projects and international exhibition experience working with Process Curiosity, providing interim executive leadership at the Museum of Science and Curiosity in Sacramento, California, as Interim CEO for Beakerhead, and representing touring exhibitions with MuseumsPartner of Austria.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Biology) from Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario) and a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business (Toronto, Ontario). She is also a 2009 Noyce Leadership Fellow and has held several voluntary board positions. In 2017 she was named one of 150 women who contributed to Calgary over 150 years, as part of the YWCA “She Who Dared” celebration.

KYLEE PAWLUK (SHE/HER)

Dr Pawluk has an extensive background in Marine Biology and Ecology, graduating with a Masters and a PhD with a marine ecology focus. Kylee has a history of being involved with several well-known non-profits including Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS). In 2018, Kylee was appointed Regional Projects Coordinator for the Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP), a collaborative marine planning partnership between 17 member First Nations and the province of BC.

Kylee is passionate about communicating scientific knowledge to the public and stakeholders; having given presentations at the Pacific Rim Whale Festival, UVic Speakers Bureau, and co-taught a marine ecology course for the Coastal First Nations Guardians. Kylee has spent countless hours as a researcher both above and below the water; as a science staff member on board Canadian Coast Guard Research Vessels, and as a Scientific Diver for the Smithsonian Institute surveying spawning corals.

Kylee appreciates the SCSS for the opportunity it provides visitors to explore the diversity of life in our waters.

LAURIE HENDERSON, VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVE (SHE/HER)

Laurie relocated to Sidney in 2022, after spending over 35 years working, raising a family, and recreating in the Yukon.  Laurie was legal counsel specializing in natural resource management for much of this time, providing legal support and advice to the Yukon government for over two decades. Prior to this, as a sole practitioner, she acted as counsel for a number of Yukon First Nations who had settled land claim agreements and were establishing resource management regimes. This work built upon her background in the environmental and conservation field and frequently drew upon her previously obtained B.Sc. in Zoology and Masters’ degree in Environmental Science.

Laurie is no stranger to the island, having completed a law degree at the University of Victoria and vacationing here many times over the years, and is happy to be able to return here semi-retired. She started volunteering at the Centre several months ago and always looks forward to her usual Thursday shift as a Oceaneer Volunteer. Each week brings new information and an opportunity to see something new, whether it is the flicking fans of the barnacles, prickle backs fighting for hiding spots in the eel grass or the wolf eels gracefully emerging from their dens to scarf a shrimp.

Kayaking and hiking, and even a little pickleball now, are important to Laurie, as is spending time with her daughter and young grandson, who have both joined her on the island.

NICK POUSHINSKY, VICE PRESIDENT (HE/HIM)

Nick has lived in British Columbia for quite a few years. Initially, he came to Victoria to teach at the University of Victoria in 1976. This Tenure Track appointment followed similar appointments at Dalhousie University and Rutgers University in New Jersey. After teaching stints at these Universities he moved through a number of careers (Cabinet Secretary, Deputy Minister, business owner, Executive in a multi-national, publicly-traded company, and Board Member of a TSE listed company ) elsewhere in Canada and returned to Victoria in 2001.   He has resided in Victoria and more recently on the Saanich Peninsula since returning to the West Coast. 

Now retired, Nick is focused on ‘giving back’.  Whether doing a medical drive for Beacon Community Services or mentoring an Indigenous business person through CESO, Nick is keen to ‘re-pay’ the many people who supported his growth and development. Having at points in his life been a sustainable fisher (lobstering on the East Coast, salmon trolling on the West or raising Arctic Char in Whitehorse) the opportunity to participate in the ‘life’ of the Salish Sea fits perfectly.

SAMANTHA LOO, CO-SECRETARY (SHE/HER)

Growing up near a salmon spawning stream in Coquitlam, BC sparked Samantha's interest in marine biogeography. She is a recent UBC graduate that researched various topics in environmental and sustainable geography.

Learning spaces like aquariums, provided her with a safe and inclusive space to learn and grow in. She has a passion for creating similar learning spaces for others, currently working as a climbing instructor and in STEAM educational awareness for a professional regulatory body.

She lives, works, and plays on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation.  Samantha is extremely excited to have the opportunity to be a board member at the SCSS, and to spend the next couple of years learning about the Salish Sea bioregion.

TAYLOR REIDLINGER, CO-SECRETARY (SHE/HER)

Taylor is an ocean-loving social ecologist who grew up in Treaty 7 territory. She moved to Vancouver Island in 2009 to pursue her BSc in Biology at the University of Victoria. In 2016, Taylor joined the Centre for the Salish Sea as a volunteer naturalist, she did a stint as an intern aquarist in 2017, and eventually joined the Board of Directors in 2021.

Taylor has a strong background in research, education, and project management. Some of her past experiences includes researching local whales; acting as an ocean science ambassador on Coast Tsimshian territory; coordinating a restorative ocean farm project in Metlakatla; and analyzing and enabling fisheries policy change in BC. She has developed a well-rounded systems approach to stewardship and currently works in fisheries policy for Esquimalt Nation as their Marine Program Manager. She is also completing here Master of Environmental Management degree, with research focused on kelp aquaculture on the BC Coast.

Our marine and coastal ecosystems are critically important TO ALL OF US for recreation, health and livelihood. As a freediver, surfer, and beach lover - Taylor’s personal relationship with the ocean is a core port of her life. She is excited to be a board member with the New Marine Centre Society because she believes that the Centre for the Salish Sea provides a unique opportunity to foster curiosity, deepen connection, and inspire stewardship action within the broader community.

TEMOSEṈ Charles W. Elliott, OBC (Ex-Officio Coast Salish Advisor) 1943-2023

Mr. Elliott, or TEMOSEṈ, was a Coast Salish (T’sartlip) Artist and Master Carver. In 2005 he received the Order of British Columbia for his tireless work in reclaiming the heritage and culture of the Coast Salish Peoples.

TEMOSEṈ was among the very best of British Columbia’s contemporary artists. A master carver of the Coast Salish Art tradition, his works are considered by many to be masterpieces, and can be found in private collections around the world.

Inspired by his love of the Salish Art tradition, he worked steadily for more than four decades to revive the Coast Salish Art discipline, which was in danger of being lost. Through extensive research, TEMOSEṈ was able to locate images and information on the symbolic imagery and language of the Coast Salish people, which he brought back to life in his artwork.

TEMOSEṈ’s generosity of spirit and outstanding artistic skills enabled him to retain the integrity and richness of Salish traditions. His desire to encourage artists and youth in the knowledge of these traditions has been an inspiration to others. He has lectured on Salish art to all levels of education, and has acted as a mentor to countless emerging artists while still producing a high volume of artwork. He was a leader in his community, volunteering countless hours toward cultural education and the promotion of Salish Art.

TEMOSEṈ produced many notable carvings, from special commissions for totems and sculptures, to ambassadorial works, such as the Queen’s Baton for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, and the creation of a Talking Stick for Nelson Mandela. He also created the Salish-designed animals that run throughout the Centre and on marketing materials including the Centre’s current logo, announced in the summer of 2016.

The Centre opened to the public on June 20, 2009. Click here to learn more about us.