Board of Directors

 

About Us

The Board of Directors acts as governing trustees of the organization on behalf of the community at large and contributors while carrying out the organization’s mission and goals. To fully meet this goal, the BOD must actively participate in the planning process.

Kanwarjit Sandhu

President

 Kanwarjit Sandhu has recently retired after 32 years working in various positions from supervisor to manager at the CIBC Visa Western Centre.  He is keeping busy with being a Director on the Board of the Indo Canadian Business Association and is involved with the National Association of Canadians of Origin in India (NACOI).  He also enjoys his hobbies: golf, travel and photography. Kanwarjit has been a member of RMCS for 20 years and on the Board for 10 years.  He is currently serving as the President and likes to contribute to the community in which he lives.

Glen Petrie

Vice-President

 Glen Petrie joined RMCS in 1994 and has served as Secretary and President over the years and is now serving as Vice President.  He is married with 2 sons and has lived in Richmond for over 29 years.  He came to RMCS with a BA from SFU and brings a wealth of life experience as a business owner.  Glen joined the Board all those years ago to serve his community and contribute to making Richmond a harmonious, welcoming place for all.  He and his wife like to travel to have opportunities to experience a variety of people, cultures and languages.

Victor Lai

Treasurer

 Victor Lai joined RMCS in Nov 2010 and has been appointed treasurer. As a treasurer, Victor oversees how the money is spent, either directly dictating expenditure or authorizing it as required. He also reports at the Board meetings the financial status of the organization to ensure checks and balances. Accurate records and supporting documentation must be kept to a reasonable level of detail that provides a clear audit trail for all transactions. Victor received his Bachelor of Science from UBC and is working towards obtaining his CGA.  He has worked for the City of Richmond in the finance department since 2007.

Vanessa Yu

Secretary

 Vanessa Yu serves as the current Secretary for the RMCS Board. Vanessa is a long time resident of Richmond and a product of the city’s educational system. Vanessa completed a BSC Degree in Biology at UBC and subsequently entered a post-grad specialization in Cytotechnology at the BC Cancer Agency.  She has been an active volunteer throughout her schooling and career (VANOC, Run for the Cure, Japanese Association and UBC Hospital).  Being first generation Chinese-Canadian, she is acutely aware of the difficulties encountered by new Canadians and is passionate about the services offered by RMCS. She is looking forward to helping the community achieve inter-cultural harmony and awareness.  Also, she is a huge “Star Wars” fan!

Tony Carrigan

Director

 Tony Carrigan recently retired as District Principal for Learning Services, Settlement Workers, and International Student Programs, School District #38 (Richmond). He brings a wealth of experience and education to the RMCS Board.  From 1989 – 2010, Tony personally welcomed more than 20,000 new immigrant and refugee children and their families to the Richmond School District.  Tony has an MA in TESOL from UBC and has taught courses on Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism for SFU, UBC and Kwantlen Polytechnic University.  He has written a book called “Canada: Who are We and Where are We Going: Immigration, Multiculturalism and the Canadian Identity.”

Vania Ganacheva-Kasui

Director

 Vania Ganacheva-Kasui has been an RMCS Board member since 2004.  She really believes in the work that RMCS does to assist newcomers as she immigrated to Canada 10 years ago and was a client of RMCS.  Vania has an MA in Physics and is an Ikebana Instructor. She is also the President of the North American Branch of Ishida Ikebana Association. She is active on the PAC at Palmer Secondary School and volunteers for the Bulgarian-Canadian Society of BC.  In her spare time she enjoys reading, Japanese flower arrangement (Ikebana) and travelling. She even puts on her bowling shoes on occasion!

Baldev Aujla

Director

 Baldev Aujla immigrated to Canada in 2004 and was introduced to RMCS by one of his friends.  He has been a Board member since 2008 and believes in RMCS’ vision of fostering intercultural harmony and creating an inclusive community.  Baldev comes to RMCS with 31 years of public service as a Senior Civil Engineer with the City of Delhi in India. He provided professional voluntary services the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak and was the Chairperson of the Educational institutions governing body. He enjoys golf, yoga and Tai Chi. Baldev is also actively involved with his grandchildren and their activities. 

Vern Jacques

Director

 Vern Jacques is married, has two children and has lived in Richmond for over 28 years.  He works in the Parks and Recreation Department with the City of Richmond and enjoys how the multicultural makeup of Richmond influences both his personal and professional life. He supports RMCS in its goal to provide beneficial services that meet the diverse needs of the community of Richmond.   Vern is a basketball and soccer coach and also volunteers for special events in the community.  He enjoys golf, travel, arts and culture in his spare time.

Andrew Young

Director

 Andrew Young is a recent addition to the RMCS Board through the YOUTH NOW Program.  Andrew has spent several years volunteering at CHIMO Crisis lines. He worked as a host at the 2010 Winter Olympics.  He is currently studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at UBC.  Andrew hopes to bring a fresh perspective and ideas to help RMCS in a new direction.

Richard Belleza

Director

 Richard Belleza is a first time Board member for RMCS. Richard has made Richmond his home for 29 years. He currently lives in Richmond with his entire family. Richard is committed to serving on the RMCS Board as he wants to be part of an organization that gives back to the community. For Richard, diversity means living in harmony with your neighbors and accepting the differences between one another while discovering similarities. Richard holds a Diploma in Marketing Management from B.C.I.T. and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Royal Roads University. Richard is an enthusiastic public speaker with a passion for public service. Richard has previously served as VP Public Relations, VP Membership, and President of Richmond Toastmasters. Over the years, he has worked with various Filipino organizations in the Lower Mainland. Richard has been a member of the Speakers Bureau for the United Way and for the past 7 years he has also been a volunteer Big Brother for the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver. One day Richard hopes that he will have the opportunity to be a motivational speaker and affect the lives of many people.

Tara Sandhu

Director

 Tara Sandhu has served on the RMCS Board of Directors on and off since 2004. Tara has lived in Richmond for the past 30 years. Tara serves on the Board as she wants to give back to the community that she has lived in for most of her life.  To Tara, Diversity can be applied to many facets of life.  Whether it be diverse cultures and ethnicities, to maintaining a diverse life style by balancing work and play, to diverse socio-economic and political problems in the world.  Diversity can be applied to anything and it is what makes life interesting! Tara has completed a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Education in primary education and a specialization in teaching English as a Second Language.  Tara is currently employed with the provincial government at the Law Courts. Tara also volunteers with the Indo Canadian Business Association. Tara also enjoys photography and travelling.

Harsimen Aujla

Director

 Harsimren Aujla is serving for the first time on the RMCS Board of Directors. Harsimren has lived in Richmond for the past seventeen years. Harsimren decided to join the Board as the mission of RMCS aligns with his commitment to serve the community and to promote love and multiculturalism. Harsimren believes that Diversity is that we’re all equal regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, and religious beliefs. Harsimren has a Mechanical Engineer degree from the College of Engineering in New Delhi, India. In the span of his career, Harsimren served as a Project Manager, Chief Engineer and Technical Director for several Steel plants in India. Harsimren volunteers with Richmond Addiction Services and is a member of Richmond Seniors Network. Harsimren’s interests include Photography, music, health, walking and yoga.

Bob Mostar

Director

 Bob Mostar is a first time Board Member for RMCS. Bob has practiced law in the City of Richmond for the past 32 years. Bob’s law practice involves legal matters that touch on personal issues, personal injury, family law, estate litigation and, earlier in his career, criminal law. The opportunity to be of service to individuals in their personal lives connected Bob with many different cultures and backgrounds and he has developed over those years of practice, an appreciation for just what a rich and diverse society we have in British Columbia but particularly in the Vancouver area and Lower Mainland. For Bob, diversity means opportunity, and this is in the form of the potential for members of this diverse society we enjoy in Richmond to understand and enjoy different personal histories, different cultures, different cuisines, and different ways of looking at the world and life stories that give us a perspective on our own experiences in life. Bob was educated at the University of British Columbia. He has worked as a member and the Chair of a Board running a private school.  In the past, Bob has been a member of the Richmond Sunrise Rotary Club for approximately 10 years and was involved in all the projects that that organization carried on. Bob’s hobbies include hiking, boating, kayaking, boat building, and reading literature. Not many people know that Bob has had a beard since he was 17 years old.

Balwant Sanghera

Director

 Balwant Sanghera has been associated with the RMCS for a long time and has served on the Board in various positions. Balwant Sanghera is a well-respected educator, community activist and bridge builder between various communities and groups. He retired as a school psychologist in 2004 after serving in the BC Public School system for 36 years. His selfless service has earned Balwant various awards. These include the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, Order of British Columbia, Solicitor General’s Lifetime Community Achievement Award for Crime Prevention and Community Safety and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.  In 2010 he was voted as one of Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Currently, Balwant is also serving as president of the East Richmond Community Association and Punjabi Language Education Association of Canada.