BC Staff

Shannon Daub, BC Director (on leave until March 2024)

Shannon has worked with the CCPA-BC since its early days, helping to grow the organization from a scrappy DIY outfit to a widely recognized source of progressive research and policy ideas.

Shannon's work mixes her expertise in both research and communication. Her research interests include social movements, framing, environmental communication and democratic capacity. She co-directs the Corporate Mapping Project with Bill Carroll at the University of Victoria. The project is investigating the power and influence of the fossil fuel industry in Canada, and is jointly led by UVic, the CCPA's BC and Saskatchewan offices and the Alberta-based Parkland Institute.

Outside her day-to-day work life at CCPA, Shannon has taught in the School of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University and volunteered on the boards of organizations like the Wilderness Committee, CCEC Credit Union and the Vancouver Public Library. Follow Shannon on Twitter

Bill Kilgannon, BC Director (Interim - July 2023 to March 2024)

Bill has a long history of leading progressive organizations and research institutes, and he’s excited and honoured to join the CCPA-BC team. He was the first executive director of Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta—CCPA’s sister organization—then served as interim ED from 2020-22. At the national level, he worked for the Council of Canadians (Ottawa) as director of campaigns and communications. Bill returned to Edmonton to be the first executive director of Public Interest Alberta (2004-15), then had the unique opportunity to serve as chief of staff to three Ministers in the Alberta NDP government.

Since 2019, he and his partner have provided advocacy, communications and training support to progressive organizations and unions. Bill has produced two documentary films about youth in Nicaragua and is currently co-producing a documentary project on the climate emergency, education and youth activism.

He balances work and community activism with his passions—cooking, running, hiking and connecting with his partner Susan, their pup, and his adult twins, Neil and Ian.

Lisa Akinyi May, Associate Director

Lisa joined the CCPA-BC in January 2023. As Associate Director, she oversees the BC Office’s communications team and is a member of the management team. 

Lisa brings a wealth of experience in journalism, communications and research to the role. Her early career focused on telling the stories of the most vulnerable in society at the United Nations in her native Kenya and at one of Belgium’s leading broadcasters, VRT News. Prior to moving to Canada, she managed communications and grants at Journalismfund.eu, a Brussels-based foundation that supports a global network of investigative journalists exposing money laundering, corruption and human rights abuses.

Lisa holds a BA in Journalism from the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences (Belgium) and a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, where she specialized in international migration policy. 

Having lived and worked on three continents, Lisa considers herself an accidental globetrotter. She is passionate about promoting quality public interest research that contributes to social change. In her free time, she enjoys reading African literature. Follow Lisa on Twitter.  

Mariwan Jaaf, Associate Director, Operations and Finance 

Mariwan Jaaf, Director Operations and Finance, CCPA-BC Mariwan manages the day-to-day operations of the CCPA-BC and shares responsibility for the financial and administrative oversight of major projects. He holds a degree in civil engineering and most recently managed operations for a 50+ employee, multimillion-dollar retail enterprise. Mariwan has been active in the struggle for democracy, human rights and freedom for as long as he can remember, for himself and for others. He is happy to be part of an organization that not only believes another world is possible, but shares in the practical work of building it. When not working, Mariwan can be found in the kitchen cooking with his kids, or on the soccer pitch coaching them.  He is also a Canucks fan and asks that you don't hold it against him.

Steph Yu, Administration and Operations Specialist

Steph is responsible for administrating and coordinating various financial, operational and development functions at the CCPA-BC office. She comes from a long line of work in social justice activism, having been involved with unions and organizations that focus on climate justice, sustainability, student activism and support for women. Steph holds an MA in Humanities, where she specialized in social theory and continental philosophy. Her formal education, along with her lived experience as a Filipina-Canadian, has strengthened her critical thinking skills, which inform the way that she lives and works. Steph currently sits on the Board of Room Magazine, Canada’s oldest feminist literary journal. When she’s not working, Steph spends her time volunteering in the community, creating art, discovering new music, immersed in a new book, or taking long walks in the park with her pup.

Bojan Stanojlovic, Project Manager and Grants Officer

Bojan StanojlovicBojan (pronounced Boyan) joined the CCPA–BC Office in January 2020. He manages two Partnership Grants funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC): the Corporate Mapping Project and Understanding Precarity in BC (UP-BC). He has a degree in environmental studies (environmental protection analyst) and over 20 years of experience in grant facilitation, program and project management, national and regional network coordination and non-formal education and training delivery. He is a passionate advocate of inclusive education and social inclusion. His previous work included research and development of education, youth and disability policies in Southeast Europe.

Bojan is passionate about the environment, nature and animals and is always looking for exciting off-leash trails to conquer with his dog and family. He enjoys music, especially on vinyl, and spends his free time with books, comics and graphic novels, playing collaborative board games and trying new plant-based recipes.

Véronique Sioufi, Researcher for Racial & Socio-economic Equity

Véronique is the CCPA-BC’s Researcher for Racial & Socio-economic Equity, a data-driven, intersectional initiative that investigates structural racism and socio-economic inequalities in BC. An interdisciplinary researcher, Véronique critically examines the social and political structures affecting the ability of the working class to thrive. She brings a rich blend of expertise and work experience in labour, economic geography, critical data studies, critical race theory and communication.

Currently a doctoral candidate in geography at Simon Fraser University, her SSHRC-funded study delves into crowdwork in Canada and Tunisia, particularly how platforms rely on and reproduce precarity and the uneven distribution of that precarity across gender, race, class and geography. Véronique also holds an MA in Communication from SFU, where she explored the tensions in Canadian unions’ use of privately owned social media platforms for collective organizing.

Véronique is proud of her Palestinian roots, which make her particularly sensitive to the geographies of politics and power. She is passionate about community-driven, collaborative and hopeful research.

Marianela Ramos Capelo, Digital Communication Specialist

As the CCPA-BC’s Digital Communication Specialist, Marianela is passionate about translating our work into compelling and accessible online content to reach audiences far and wide.

Previously, Marianela worked at the digital advocacy organization OpenMedia as the Manager of Digital, specializing in visual communications and data analysis. She comes to the CCPA-BC with over 10 years of experience in communications, having worked with progressive non-profits such as rabble.ca, BCFIPA and the School of Communication at SFU. She holds a BA in Communication from SFU and is an alumnus of the Communication Arts and Electronic Media Design programs at Langara College.

Ben Parfitt, Resource Policy Analyst

Ben Parfitt head shot Ben joined the staff team in 2005 after years working as an investigative journalist with numerous magazines, and previous to that as a reporter with The Vancouver Sun. He is author and co-author of two books on forestry issues and currently devotes much of his policy research to natural resources, with special attention paid to energy, water, forest resources and climate change. He values being part of a great team at the CCPA as well as the opportunities provided to meet regularly with First Nations, community leaders, environmental advocates and the many people who work in the province’s resource industries and who are committed to progressive change.

Ben is an avid cyclist and budding day hiker who likes to take advantage of the  many outdoor recreation options open to him and others living in Victoria and south Vancouver Island. He is the proud father of a super-talented daughter, Charlotte Priest, who is wise beyond her years and has taught him much. He also loves to listen to music—the good old fashion way—on vinyl. Follow Ben on Twitter

Marc Lee, Senior Economist

Marc LeeMarc researches and writes on a variety of economic and social policy issues for the CCPA’s BC and National Offices. In addition to tracking federal and provincial budgets and economic trends, Marc has published on a wide range of topics from poverty and inequality to globalization and international trade to public services and regulation. He is the Director of the Climate Justice Project, which looks at climate change and energy policies in BC and nationally, integrated with social justice. Marc was "classically trained," with an MA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. But most of the time he argues against the conventional wisdom in economics and policy debates. He is a past Vice Chair of the Vancouver City Planning Commission. Marc also worked for the federal government in the mid-1990s as an economist in the Information and Communications Technology branch of Industry Canada. Follow Marc on Twitter

Jean Kavanagh, Senior Media Specialist

Jean manages the CCPA-BC’s media outreach and contributes to communication activities. She has extensive communications experience in the non-profit and government sectors including at the David Suzuki Foundation and Vancouver Public Library.

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, Senior Fundraising Coordinator Rav Kambo

Rav learned at a young age that her purpose in life was to help people. Her many years of working with youth helped cultivate her passion for social and economic justice and taught her the importance of progressive public policy. After nine years of front-line work, she sought out a new challenge and began her career in fundraising.

Rav leads the fundraising program for the CCPA-BC office. She loves connecting with donors to learn about the issues that impact them. 

Iglika Ivanova, Senior Economist and Public Interest Researcher

Iglika Ivanova headshot 2015

Iglika is a feminist economist who researches and writes on key social and economic challenges facing BC and Canada, including poverty, economic insecurity and labour market shifts toward more precarious work. Iglika also investigates issues of government finance, tax policy and privatization and how they relate to the accessibility and quality of public services. She is particularly interested in the potential for public policy to build a more just, inclusive and sustainable economy.

Iglika actively seeks opportunities to share her expertise more broadly. Much of her community involvement outside of CCPA—on boards, in coalitions and in other advisory roles—is in service of promoting equity and empowering women and other marginalized people.

Iglika holds an MA in Economics from the University of British Columbia and a BA in Economics from Simon Fraser University. Follow Iglika on Twitter

Alex Hemingway, Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst

Alex Hemingway

Alex Hemingway is a Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst at the CCPA’s BC Office. His research focuses on tax fairness, public finances, public services and economic inequality in BC and Canada.

Alex holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia, where his research examined the relationship between economic class and political inequality in the advanced industrialized world. He holds two master’s degrees from the London School of Economics (MSc Social Policy and Planning; MSc Global Politics), as well as a BA in psychology from Simon Fraser University. Follow Alex on Twitter

 

Photography: Kirsten Daub, Assia Missaoui, Terra Poirier, Donimo.