Thanking the outgoing Chair and Vice-Chair
The Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) is composed of family members and people who receive (or are eligible for) CLBC funded services, bringing lived experience from 12 regional community councils. The Committee has elected a new leadership.
Our sincere thanks to Dr. Adeel Zafar (Simon Fraser Community Council) and Alex Evanshen (North Shore Sunshine Coast Community Council) for their dedication over the past two years as PAC Chair and Vice-Chair. Their leadership helped amplify community voices and strengthen the advice brought forward from councils in B.C.
Working together with community councils, the PAC shares advice grounded in lived experience to help improve quality of life for people and families. Members meet regularly with organizational leadership and Board representatives to raise issues, ask questions and share priorities from communities across the province.
Welcoming the new PAC leaders
At the January meeting, PAC members elected:
- Jennifer Hartley – Provincial Advisory Committee Chair (South Island Community Council)
- Alexandria Stuart – Provincial Advisory Committee Vice-Chair (Central North Island Community Council)
Congratulations to both Jennifer and Alexandria on their new roles. We look forward to your leadership and to the continued strengthening of relationships between CLBC, the PAC, and community councils across the province.
Jennifer’s Bio
Jennifer Hartley – Provincial Advisory Committee Chair
Like so many others, Jennifer Hartley wears many hats. She is a features writer for various magazines across Canada. INSPIRED, 55+Lifestyle Magazine in B.C., Fifty-Five Plus Magazine in Ontario, Ottawa Life Magazine and Travel Trek & Tour.
She has also written articles for a variety of magazines across the country, including The Toronto Star, and abroad in the United Kingdom on arts, life and everything in between.
As many people involved in communications have done, Jennifer has also worked on Parliament Hill with a variety of members of parliament and a senator over the last 25 years.
Most importantly, she is mother to a 20-year-old daughter studying Computer Science at Dalhousie University and a highly neurodivergent 22-year-old son, Jacob, with whom she lives in Victoria.
She and Jacob are contributors to B.C. disability magazines, including Accessible Journeys and FashionAbility.
Together, they have become advocates promoting an increased understanding of the challenges, as well as the opportunities and contributions, that intellectually disabled individuals in our community make.
Jennifer represents the South Island Community Council on PAC.
“I wanted to get involved with CLBC, like many parents, to better understand how I could work with care providers to help my son. What I found was an organization that is passionate about the people they work with as well as parents and a community of individuals committed to making a difference. That inspired me to want to do more.
I look forward to working with PAC members and CLBC.
Alexandria’s Bio
Alexandria Stuart – Provincial Advisory Committee Vice-Chair
Alexandria has been part of the disability sector in paid and volunteer roles for over 25 years. As parent to a young man who receives CLBC services she has many different types of experience with the community inclusion movement.
“In my time as the Central/North Island Community Council Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) Representative I’ve really enjoyed working with other Councils and CLBC leadership,” she says.
Alexandria works with the Commission on Accredited Rehabilitation Facilities International (CARF) as a surveyor and travels all over North America to see how different agencies do this work, then she brings what she learned home to her community in Nanaimo. Alexandria also sits on the City of Nanaimo Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusiveness. She’s excited about this opportunity to serve as Vice Chair for the PAC because that connection between CLBC leadership and the people who receive services is so critical.
“I’ve seen the power those voices have at the table, and I’m committed to making sure they’re not just heard, but honoured too,” she says.
Watch Alexandria’s video here.