Deirdre Roberts, Chair
Deirdre has enjoyed a successful career in radio and television broadcasting that started in London at the BBC and continued at CBC in Vancouver. In 25 years at CBC she was involved in many areas of arts and documentary programming. Currently Deirdre is a full-time artist exhibiting with the Winchester Gallery. Deirdre has been involved with the Victoria Foundation for several years serving as a valued granting committee member. Deirdre’s other community involvement has included Victoria Hospice, and she is currently involved in The Partnership Walk for Global Poverty and Friends of UVic Libraries.
Rasool Rayani, Vice Chair
In 2001, Rasool co-founded Metalogix Software, which grew to become a leading vendor of tools for the enterprise IT market. In 2008, Rasool sold the company and switched gears to become the owner and operator of the Victoria-based Peoples Pharmacy group. He continues to maintain his passion for technology as an active angel investor, and is involved with several Victoria-based tech companies. Rasool is a volunteer coordinator for the Victoria ALS Walk and he also volunteers his time as a mentor and advisor to young start-ups.
Steve McKerrell, Past Chair
Steve is the former Executive Chairman of Swiss Herbal Remedies Ltd., a Canadian company he successfully nurtured for over 30 years with the vision of improving the quality of life through the advocacy of naturally sourced nutraceuticals. Steve continues on a path of enhancing personal health through the development of wellness devices while managing other business and personal interests. An avid supporter of the arts and collector, Steve was one of the founders and a board member of Arts Sustainability Victoria. With a strong sense of community belonging, he has been on several volunteer boards and committees over the past 20 years, including currently serving on the board of the Victoria Foundation since 2006.
Andrew Jackson, CA, Treasurer
For the past 25 years, Andrew has been a partner with Victoria-based Chartered Acccountants Trenholme & Company. Raised in the Cowichan Valley and educated at the University of Victoria, Andrew has developed a keen sense of understanding for the region and enjoys being involved in his community. Andrew has a history of volunteerism in the local charitable sector that includes past Board Chair for the Greater Victoria Public Library and Treasurer for the Greater Victoria YM-YWCA.
Karen DeMeo
Karen DeMeo has worked for the provincial government for over 14 years. She currently works in the Premier’s Office, in Cabinet Operations. This dynamic office acts as the bridge between elected officials and the professional public service. Before Cabinet Operations, Karen had extensive senior experience with business planning, performance management and policy development in a number of program areas such as internal trade, film, First Nations and oil and gas development.
Sandra Harper
Sandra has called Victoria home since 1984. After joining McConnan Bion O'Connor & Peterson in 1985, Sandra became a partner in 1988. Eleven years later, she established Harper & Company. Sandra’s volunteer history is extensive and includes time as Chair of the following local organizations: the University of Victoria’s Board of Governors, the Innovation and Development Corporation (a subsidiary of UVic) and Victoria Women’s Transition House Society. Sandra has also served as a Board Member for the lsland Pacific Institute Foundation, the UVic Alumni Association, the UVic Faculty of Law Alumni, Heritage Realty Properties Ltd. (a UVic company that manages the properties bequeathed to the University by Michael Williams) and UVic Properties Investments Inc.
Mia Maki
Mia is currently a finance professor at the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business and also a financial consultant doing work with a variety of companies and organizations in Victoria and across Canada. She has served on not-for-profit Boards including the Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATeC), Society of Management Accountants (CMA BC and CMA Canada Council of Chairs), Mathematics and Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) Industrial Advisory Board and co-chaired the inaugural YM-YWCA of Victoria Women of Distinction Awards. Mia is very involved in the local community connecting individuals and organizations to improve and support the many initiatives that make Victoria a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.
Peter Malcolm
Peter Malcolm is a former Portfolio Manager and Partner with Phillips, Hager & North, Investment Managers. In addition to a tenure as a Sidney Alderman, Peter was also the Mayor of the Town of Sidney. Peter has held leadership roles with the Certified General Accountant’s Association of BC, Family Services of Greater Vancouver and is a past-Director of the GVRD, Special Olympics BC and the Vancouver Aquarium. In addition to Peter’s volunteer commitment with the Victoria Foundation, he also serves as a Director with the Victoria Hospice Foundation.
Judy Pryce, CA, CMC
Judy Pryce is the president and principal consultant of Pryce.ca Consulting Inc. With over 20 years experience, she leads teams to successfully deliver large transformational change projects. In addition to her consulting work, Judy is co-owner of The myo Clinic in Victoria. Judy’s past experience includes positions as Executive Project Director at the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, Principal Consultant and Associate Partner at IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting and Executive Director of Finance for the BC Provincial Government.
Grace Wong Sneddon
Born and reared in Victoria, Grace Wong Sneddon is passionately committed to her community. Her family arrived on the island in the early 1900s from Guangdong, China. Grace was a teacher in the public school system and is a registered clinical counsellor. Currently, she is the Director, Academic Leadership Initiatives and the Adviser to the Provost on Equity and Diversity at the University of Victoria. As part of her commitment to the community she loves, she is a board member of the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation, a member of the Victoria Chinatown Lionesses and the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She has been active with the Greater Victoria Police Diversity Board, Leadership Victoria and was UVic’s team leader for the World Partnership Walk.
Bob Worth, CA
Bob is the retired Executive Director, Finance for the University of Victoria and a current Trustee for its Faculty and Professional Employees pension plan, and brings a wealth of financial expertise to the Board. For six years he was a Director and Chair of the Board of Heritage Realty Properties, the company established by the University of Victoria to manage the properties generously bequeathed by Michael C. Williams. Bob’s career has taken him to Vancouver at Price Waterhouse, CANA Construction in Calgary and Laurentian (now AXA) Pacific Insurance in Vancouver.
Chuck Burkett, CA, CFP, TEP, President Honorary Governors
Chuck Burkett owns and operates a firm of Chartered Accountants in Victoria. Educated at the University of Manitoba where he received a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Chuck’s career in Winnipeg and Victoria has focused on tax and estate planning for owner-managed companies as well as high net-worth families.
As well as being a past chair of the Victoria Foundation Board of Directors, Chuck is a past president of the Estate Planning Council of Victoria as well as the Capital City Executives’ Association.
Chuck and his wife Shelley have two children, son Kevin and daughter Carlie.
