Board of Directors
Rory joins JBCP with many years of experience as a government and industry executive in the agriculture and food sector. He has particular interest in reconciling Canada’s tremendous food production capacity with the reality that far too many Canadian households, including many in Victoria, are food insecure.
Rory has been involved with national and provincial food security initiatives while serving as Executive VP of Government and Industry Relations for Maple Leaf Foods. Prior to that he served with the Canadian and BC governments as a Trade Commissioner in the Canadian Foreign Service, trade policy executive at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and as BC Deputy Minister of Agriculture Food and Fisheries.
With a passion for driving collaboration across governmental, non-profit and private sector organizations, Rory looks forward to helping JBCP grow its community impact.
Catharine Read values the focuses on community connections and building the resilience of community members that underlie the programs and service of the JBCP. The JBCP has demonstrated its ability to adapt its community programs and services, engage volunteers and thrive in the face of changes over the past 40 years and most recently with the COVID-19 challenges. Catharine has worked for governments and in the private sector. She has been Chair of an independent tribunal, Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister for the BC government (10 years) and for the Yukon government (10 years). As a consultant, she has worked for First Nation organizations, including negotiations, governance advice and treaty implementation. Catharine is also on the Board of Our Place Society and she has a master’s degree in economics from Queen’s University.
Lauren was born and raised on Vancouver Island where she currently lives with her husband and young children. She has been involved with JBCP on the board and committees for ten years and remains passionate about the organization’s vision and mission. She has experience with working with NPOs in her career and is an active volunteer on boards and committees of non-profits in Victoria. Lauren is a Chartered Professional Accountant and it is important to her to use her skills and experience to give back to the community. Lauren enjoys spending time outdoors and time with her friends and family, especially if it involves physical activity.
Britt Allen is a passionate professional dedicated to leveraging her extensive experience and education to make a meaningful impact in the community. As the founder of Golden Business Consulting, she specializes in driving systemic change, particularly in digital transformation and organizational development.
Britt has a Master’s in Business Administration focused on international business and has extensively researched how to align corporate social responsibility strategies with business objectives. Her expertise in change management and agile practices, along with her commitment to social responsibility, make her a valuable asset to the JBCP in shaping impactful programs and fostering community development.
Philip Calvert is Canada’s former ambassador to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. He served for 34 years in Canada’s foreign service, with 3 assignments to Beijing, the last one as Deputy Head of Mission. At Global Affairs he served as Director General for North Asia, Director of the Technical Barriers to Trade Division, and Deputy Chief Negotiator for Canada during China’s accession to the WTO. He is a Senior Fellow at the University of Alberta’s China Institute, and an Associate at the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives at the University of Victoria. Raised in Prince George, BC, and studied at UBC, York University in Toronto, and the University of Washington.
Efemena, born in Lagos, Nigeria, brings 6 years of auditing and accounting experience from working at KPMG in Nigeria and Canada. Working with a wide range of local and international clients across sectors, she has gained invaluable insights into their distinct needs and challenges. She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
Driven by a passion for social impact, Efemena actively volunteers to address SDG 1, “No Poverty,” SDG 2, “Zero Hunger,” and SDG 4, “Quality Education.” She supports initiatives that eradicate poverty, ensure access to nutritious food, and promote quality education.
When not immersed in work or volunteering, Efemena nurtures her creativity through stage play acting.
She is excited to bring her diverse skill set, passion for community service and financial expertise to the JBCP.
Robb Johnstone comes to JBCP from the tech industry, where he works as a content specialist to build software that engages people in donating, volunteering and completing “acts of goodness.” He embraces the values of B Corporations and their dedication to social responsibility.
A former resident of James Bay, Robb devotes much of his spare time to giving back: volunteering at local shelters, performing environmental cleanups, combatting food insecurity and donating blood. He is excited to be a part of the JBCP legacy of building community and connections in James Bay and beyond.
Martin McCann has spent most of the last 45 years involved in non-governmental International Development and Humanitarian response. Starting from being a CUSO volunteer in the rainforest of West Africa to the Chair of the Geneva based organization that sets global standards for Humanitarian Action, he has shown a deep commitment to help create a better and more equitable world. He sees that commitment in the JBCP and aims to make whatever contribution he can to its direction and programmes.
Martin has a BA (Hons) from the University of Toronto and a MA in Rural Development from the University of East Anglia ( UK). He has served on over 15 Boards of Directors in the charity sector and presently also serves on the Board of ChildFund International.
Mary moved to James Bay almost 30 years ago. Working at the legislature as Research Director, and later Executive Director, for the government caucus in the 1990’s and the opposition caucus in the late 2000’s, she supported MLAs in strategic planning, communications, and community outreach. As a small business owner for several years, Mary developed citizen engagement strategies, managed a public opinion research program to inform meaningful policy development, and delivered training and facilitation workshops for clients. From 2011 to late 2019, Mary lived in Iraq, Libya and Algeria working with political parties, civil society organizations and elected officials to help strengthen their democratic participation. Throughout her career in politics and international development, volunteer engagement and motivation to build stronger communities has been a consistent thread. She looks forward to continuing this endeavor with the James Bay Community Project.
- Joined the JBCP Board of Directors in December 2021
- Has +20 years of accounting and finance experience in different industries
- Bachelor in Accounting, Master of MBA
- Freelance Accountant and Business Advisor