FSA
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Colin Jones
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President and Chief Negotiator
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Colin has served on the FSA’s bargaining team for the last three rounds, most recently acting as Chief Negotiator. He has previously been an FSA Board Director and was elected back onto the board in November 2019, becoming President in December of the same year. Colin sits on a variety of committees on behalf of FSA, including Institute Placement Committee, senior management selection committees, Employee Engagement Committee, and member professional development committees. Colin is released from his position in Information Technology Services (ITS) at BCIT to serve as our President. With more than two decades of solutions-based work, Colin’s background in process improvement, strategic analysis, and project management is extremely valuable. Colin enjoys finding innovatively simple ways to solve thorny problems and frustrations. We are thrilled that he is taking on this leadership role with our organization at this critical time.
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604.456.8020
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fsa@bcit.ca
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Shannon Kelly
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Vice President
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Shannon joined BCIT in 2002 as an instructor in Communication and became a Program Head for PTS in 2004. Shannon has experience working in industry as well as a doctorate from the University of Waterloo, specializing in technical communication.
Shannon's first love is teaching and she specifically chose BCIT due to its polytechnic nature. Her passion for teaching is matched by her interest in research. Shannon's areas of research include teaching excellence, technology in the classroom, Humanities in the professions, and Sustainability.
Shannon is an FSA Co-Tech Rep for her department and has been informally involved with the FSA on many issues over the years. Shannon's focus is for the FSA to keep the priorities and wellbeing of all our members in the forefront at all times and to support our members as effectively and strategically as possible. -
604.451.7065
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fsa@bcit.ca
What’s your favourite thing about working at BCIT?
BCIT students are amazing: their passion and work ethic and intelligence never cease to inspire me (my fellow faculty and colleagues at BCIT are great too).
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I speak “ok” Italian, but I would love to be more fluent – ah, for some more time to practice, preferably in Roma.
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Terry Gordon
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Treasurer
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Terry has been an instructor in the Financial Management Department of BCIT’s School of Business since 1998. He is currently one of the first year program heads for the Accounting, Finance and Financial Planning diploma programs, and teaches various accounting and finance related courses. Terry’s involvement with the FSA dates back to 2006 when he was first elected to the FSA Board of Directors. After serving as FSA Treasurer for two years, Terry was elected as Vice President and was Acting President for 10 months while Amy Fell was on maternity leave. Terry has served on the FSA Collective Agreement and Bargaining Committees for the past several rounds of collective bargaining. He has a BA in Political Science from the University of Florida and a Diploma of Technology in Financial Management from BCIT. Terry is a CPA, CA, and a Chartered Business Valuator.
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604.432.8786
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fsa@bcit.ca
What is your favourite thing about working at BCIT?
My students! They keep me focused on what matters most at BCIT – helping young people launch meaningful and rewarding careers.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
Take my guitar playing to the next level so that I can fulfill my destiny of rock stardom.
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Vanessa Barron
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Director, Associate Members
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With a lifelong love of learning, Vanessa recently became a Part-Time Studies (PTS) instructor at BCIT. She has 25 years of experience leading individual, department, and system-wide strategic change in the public sector. With strong values of collaboration and transparency to build trust, she looks forward to contributing on the Board. Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto, an MBA from the University of Melbourne, and is a certified Prosci Change management practitioner
What’s your favourite thing about working at BCIT?
One of the things that attracted me to BCIT is the applied learning focus. At an individual level, I find great joy in helping students gain new insights and perspectives towards accomplishing their goals.
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Joe Boyd
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Director
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Joe has worked as Research Liaison in the Applied Research Liaison Office at BCIT since 2007. As Research Liaison he helps support research across the Institute, which includes supporting faculty and researchers individually and via funding committees such as the IRC, IMF and IDC. Joe has been involved with the FSA since he began at BCIT, as a Tech Rep, a board director in 2008-10, with FSA initiatives on applied research and on management/quad selection committees. Prior to BCIT Joe worked in industry in Vancouver, and travelled and taught, in Nigeria and with the Cree School Board in northern Quebec. Joe has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physics from the University of Toronto and a Master's in Library Studies from UBC.
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604.456.1031
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fsa@bcit.ca
What’s your favourite thing about working at BCIT?
The diversity and initiative of the BCIT community: the students, with their energy and passion for their education and projects, faculty and colleagues and their many interests, and the constant change that happens.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I’d like to learn how to understand people better, especially my children.
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Kevin Cudihee
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Director
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604.412.7479
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fsa@bcit.ca
I joined BCIT as Part-time Studies (PTS) Coordinator for Computer Systems Technology, CST in 1998. My background included over 20 years of technology business management, product and service development, as well technology training. Since 2002 as Program Head for Computing PTS, I lead one of largest program areas at BCIT with 70 PTS instructors and over 2,000 individual students. Together with a PTS Coordinator and Program Assistants every term we maintain and deliver over 160 COMP course sections interlaced into 15 different credentials.
Along with the laddered credentials leading to the CST/PTS Diploma, I have developed 10 related Applied Associate Certificates as IT sector sub-sets of the CST Diploma. These smaller part-time programs are aimed at those with other education who want to change or advance their careers while continuing to work during the day.
To help student success I have created a Computing PTS Student Guide. I also work very closely with industry and our instructors to keep our courses and programs in demand. My methods have been documented as best practices for PTS Coordinators and Program Heads across BCIT. I have volunteered for several selection committees and served on various councils; Life Long Learning, ITS User Chair, and Marketing. For the last 12 years I was the Tech-Rep for Computer Systems and I was elected by our members to the FSA as Director-At-Large in 2019.
What is your favourite thing about working at BCIT?
BCIT has allowed me to create and develop many post-secondary courses and credentials that didn’t exist. These courses and programs have enabled thousands of students get rewarding jobs as well provide as a foundation to move on to earn a degree one course at a time.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I always wanted to learn how to draw but don’t have that skill. Maybe I could using a computer tablet if I had more time.
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Holly Munn
- Holly Munn has spent her career helping world-class public, private and government organizations communicate and tell their stories.
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fsa@bcit.ca
Holly believes knowledge and expertise deserve to be shared and is passionate about helping her students succeed. In addition to her role as a part-time studies instructor in the Technical Writing program, Holly is a partner in a professional communications firm. She also serves on a number of non-profit boards bringing communications and board governance expertise.
Holly was elected to the FSA board in 2019. She is eager to ensure BCIT provides a safe and fair learning environment for all students and instructors at BCIT, particularly those in part-time studies.
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Judy Shandler
- Judy Shandler has been working in post-secondary as an instructor for over 30 years and has completed a Doctorate in Education focusing on Educational Leadership from SFU. Working in post-secondary has been a rewarding career, which has allowed her to expand into areas outside of teaching into the business of these institutions.
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604.456.8180
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fsa@bcit.ca
Judy joined Information Technology Services (ITS) at BCIT after completing a diploma program in the High Performance Technology program in 2000. Today she splits her time between the role of Senior Business Analyst in Enterprise Planning in ITS and that of Performance Development System (PDS) Coordinator for the FSA Faculty, Specialty Faculty and Tech Staff. Judy also holds a position as Governor on the BCIT Board of Governors.
Judy was elected to the FSA board of directors in May 2020.
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Michael Conlon
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Executive Director
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Michael joined the FSA in August 2020. Michael’s unique blend of experience from the post-secondary and faculty association sectors within BC and across Canada brings a wealth of knowledge to our FSA office.
Michael’s career includes a variety of roles over 15 years in post-secondary labour relations. His time as the Executive Director for the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia (CUFA BC) representing five faculty associations is reflected in the depth of his understanding of BC’s post-secondary environment. Michael was also the Executive Director of the Association of Administrative and Professional Staff (AAPS) at UBC. On a national level, Michael served as the Research & Policy Officer at the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), to which we are affiliated. Most recently, Michael expanded his national scope by serving as the Executive Director for the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), representing their 17,000 members.
In his spare time Michael is a year round cyclist and is looking forward to getting back up into the North Shore mountains.
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604.432.8696
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mconlon@bcit.ca
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Maria Angerilli
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Operations & Human Resources Director
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Maria joined the FSA in October 2011 as the Executive Assistant and has advanced over the years into the Operations Director position and then into her current role as the Operations & Human Resources Director. Her role is critical in leading the business and personnel operations of the FSA office. Maria served as an Interim Co-Executive Director from June 2019 - Aug 2020..
Maria works closely with the FSA Board of Directors, the President, and Executive Director assisting them with the overall operations of the FSA office and providing resources and support to ensure effective and efficient governance. Over her career, Maria has experience supporting senior level executive teams in commercial real estate and retail industries and has contributed to the improvement of the FSA’s internal systems and administrative practices. Maria draws upon her professional photography and design experience and knowledge to support the FSA’s brand identity and communications work. As a long-standing employee at the FSA, Maria brings extensive organization history to her work.
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604.432.8356
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mangerilli@bcit.ca
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Kyla Epstein
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Member Engagement Officer
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Kyla joined the BCIT Faculty & Staff Association in 2013 in the newly created position of Member Engagement Officer and served as an Interim Co-Executive Director from June 2019 - Aug 2020. Building on her degree in Political Science and International Development Kyla has worked for social justice in both Canada and Guatemala. With almost two decades of experience in non-profit administration, governance, fundraising, engagement and communications, Kyla is an active volunteer having served on many boards and most recently was a member of the City of Vancouver Civic Asset Naming Committee, a Director with the BC Library Trustees Association (BCLTA), and is a past Chair of the Vancouver Public Library. Kyla currently serves on the board of the Laurier Institution, the board of the Vancouver Writers Festival, is an active member of the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) of her child's school, and in 2017 Kyla was selected to attend the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference.
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604.432.8569
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kepstein@bcit.ca
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George Talbott
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Senior Labour Relations Representative
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George earned a law degree from the University of Alberta, receiving the Alberta Labour Relations Board prize, and was called to the bar of Ontario. Previously, he earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in physics from the same university.
While articling for a boutique labour and employment law firm, George was an activist with the Council of Canadian’s Ottawa chapter, and later became the Council’s head of human resources. In the past, George has written freelance articles, mostly in the area of labour law and labour relations, for publishers such as Canada Law Book, Lancaster House, and Workforce magazine. As a result of his experiences, he became a founding member of the C.E.P.’s Canadian Freelance Union, now part of Unifor.
Advising organizations in the non-profit, private, and public sectors, George’s repertoire includes collective agreement interpretation, conflict resolution, training, collective bargaining, legal drafting and research. He is a member of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources, BC & Yukon and of the Law Society of Ontario.
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604-432-8568
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gtalbott@bcit.ca
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Kristie Starr
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Labour Relations Representative
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Kristie was born and raised in southern Colorado and graduated with a B.A. in history and russian studies from Colorado College. She spent the next ten years at Yale University, pursuing a graduate education in history and learning valuable lessons in social justice activism. While enrolled in a Ph.D. program, she joined the effort to organize the first teaching assistants union at a private university in the U.S., partnering with the other unions on campus and in the city of New Haven. This experience inspired her to become a union representative and organizer in cities across Connecticut, California, Florida, Colorado, and, finally, brought her to work with a local in B.C. Her passion for social justice then led her to work in Vancouver’s non-profit community, in the roles of outreach or operations coordinator at Megaphone Magazine, Green Jobs for BC, Next Up, and Organize BC. With sixteen years of experience in the labour movement, Kristie has developed expertise in servicing union contracts, member engagement, and grassroots organizing. In her spare time, you can find her delving into a good historical fiction novel, knitting yet another toque, or marveling at the beauty of this province on its many woodland and seaside trails.
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604.451.7161
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kstarr3@bcit.ca
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Michael Thompson
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Labour Relations Representative
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Michael Thompson’s interest in labour activism began at the age of seven when he joined his dad on the picket line. That early experience of his father’s union taking a stand for workers’ rights forged his passion for social justice. He went on to study Economics and Business at SFU, rounding out his skillset to service the membership. His formal work with unions began in the early nineties where he served at the local level, holding various elected and appointed committee positions. During this time Michael also volunteered for several years with the Vancouver Police department. There, he received training in conflict resolution and gained other valuable experiences that greatly enhanced his ability to help members in need. In 2006 he was elected as a full-time Business Agent and went on to become the National Secretary-Treasurer of his union, responsible for staff and seven offices from Burnaby to Montreal. Michael most recently worked as a representative for an interprovincial construction union prior to arriving at the FSA. His experience includes collective agreement interpretation, membership training, legal research and pension plans.
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604.432.8349
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mthompson117@bcit.ca
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Steve Kwon
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Junior Labour Relations Representative
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Steve’s journey into unions and labour relations started soon after he finished his university education in 2011. As an undergraduate student at SFU studying International Studies, Steve worked extensively around the campus, from SFU’s residences to providing research support to work as a teaching assistant. He spent a semester during his undergraduate studies over in Africa at the University of Cape Town. Upon completing his undergraduate studies, Steve moved to the United Kingdom and completed his masters degree at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences in the International Relations and International History program.
Soon after completing his education, he started working for one of the largest private sector unions in BC where he specialized in collective bargaining agreements, negotiations, and grievances. He was eventually elected as the unit president of the bargaining unit at the union and he worked diligently to represent his colleagues’ interests and rights in the workplace.
Steve is very excited to be back in the post-secondary environment and to be working with his FSA colleagues towards strong representation of the interests and rights of FSA members.
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604.456.8051
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skwon35@bcit.ca
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Pierre Cassidy
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Information Officer
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Pierre Cassidy has extensive experience in the post-secondary sector, notably on matters of policy, process, and privacy, as well as managing, processing, and securing corporate records. He teaches a variety of courses on ethics and critical thinking, reading, and writing. He has volunteered in the labour movement as an executive committee member, bargaining committee member, and as a shop steward. This experience is supported by robust and broad educational foundation in the liberal arts, business analytics, database administration and design, business process mapping and improvement, and personal information protection.
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604.432.8859
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pcassidy4@bcit.ca
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Debbie Kinequon
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Operations Assistant
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Debbie joined the FSA in October 2017. Debbie has 13 years of experience working in high level administrative roles from which she acquired a very diverse set of office skills. Debbie’s past experience and knowledge will be an asset as she assists with the day to day operations in the FSA office.
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604.412.7408
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dkinequon1@bcit.ca
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Meet The Team
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