Board of Directors

Koyali Burman works in a senior management position in the immigration and integration sector in Canada. She is also a strategist, international researcher and a Monitoring and Evaluation specialist. Her areas of interest and research are migration and integration, global diplomacy & governance, and gender and economic development. Recently she has received a prestigious UN fellowship. She holds a leadership position and has spoken about international migration on various platforms and at universities in Canada, US and India.

Originally from India, she holds a Master of Arts in Adult & Higher Education from UBC. She has held various board of directors and advisory positions in Canada, advising strategic paths and advancing development causes. These have included sustainable local economic development; gender-sensitive strategy for ICT in open Schooling; Entrepreneurship a strategy for local economic development; mentorship for women and girls; Global Citizenship and workplace diversity and inclusion. She holds a leadership position and have spoken about international migration and community economic development in Vancouver and India. She is passionate about supporting the United Nations Association in Canada and support the Sustainable Development Goals to build strong, safe, and resilient communities that will be inclusive and innovative for decades to come.

Dariel Filwood is the Communications Coordinator for the United Nations Canada Vancouver Branch. Passionate about making a difference in the world through human rights and education; Dariel is currently pursuing her Master’s of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia with a focus on humanitarianism and diplomatic relations. After graduating with her BBA in 2016, Dariel incorporated her tutoring business, Tutor Wing, where she predominantly works with newcomers to Canada from South Korea. After having the opportunity to travel to South Korea, she became interested in pursuing her graduate education in the hopes of working towards a peaceful and compassionate future between the global community and North Korea. Furthermore, she wishes to utilize her education in policy to advocate for minority rights, equal opportunity in education and jobs, as well as alliances between all genders, races, and income levels.

Lauren (she/her) was born and raised in Montreal and moved to BC to pursue her MSc in Geography from the University of Victoria, focusing on drought analysis in Victoria’s water supply. She worked as a research assistant at Natural Resources Canada and conducted research in Taipei through a scholarship. Her summers were spent researching in BC’s Coast Mountain glaciers.

Lauren has over four years in public sector service. Previously a Senior Policy Analyst in Indigenous Relations for a regional district, she is now the Acting Program Manager of Relationships in Indigenous Relations. She also worked as an Environmental Specialist for a First Nation.

She holds certificates in Indigenous Canada (University of Alberta), Negotiation (Osgoode Hall Law School), and Indigenous Cultural Safety Training (BC Provincial Health Services Authority).

Lauren has volunteered as an Advisory Member for UNAC-Vancouver, a Trip Lead for Bitches n’ Barrels, and an English teacher for newcomers at the Intercultural Association of Victoria.

She enjoys both urban and natural settings, having biked from BC to California, run multiple half marathons, and enjoys surfing and skiing. Lauren speaks English, French, and has been learning Spanish for over two years.

Rosio Godomar was born in Peru and now lives in Vancouver, Canada. She is a nutritionist and keen amateur photographer, having worked with UN World Food Program and UN Food and Agriculture Organization for more than 20 years. Additionally, Rosio worked in humanitarian and emergency programs in Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia and Liberia) and the Middle East (Iraq), as well as South Asia (Pakistan and Afghanistan). She has studied nutrition in Lima, Peru and Germany, with an MSc in Human Nutrition from the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In 2014, Rosio started the Education Girls Network (EGN) initiative to sponsor young female students from under privileged rural families in Maryland County, Liberia, West Africa, to complete their education in order to become teachers. This initiative was created based on the challenges facing girls who want an education in Liberia. Rosio changed course and from 2011 to 2017 worked as the food service supervisor in the Burnaby Hospital with Fraser Health. Currently Rosio volunteers as a mentor with MOSAIC Workplace Connections Program in Vancouver, in addition to the Treasurer of the Board of the United Nations Association, Vancouver Branch.

JJessica Steele (she/her) was born in France and grew-up in Victoria, BC. In 2015, she completed a BSc in Biology (Specialization in Marine Biology) from the University of Victoria. Jessica has a wide range of experience in research, environmental management, climate policy, science education, and youth engagement, and has worked across Canada as well as abroad. Most recently, Jessica worked with səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) as their Natural Resources Planning Manager and Consultation and Accommodation Manager, upholding the Nation’s Rights through co-management initiatives and Consultation on environmental assessment projects. In 2023, Jessica started her Masters in Resource Management at the University Centre of the Westfjords (University of Akureyri) in Iceland. She is currently conducting her thesis research with the Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures Project exploring the role of Inuit-led art in knowledge co-production to protect Nunatsiavut’s coasts.

Jessica has held various roles with UNAC-V since joining the board in 2017 including Vice-President and co-President. She sits on the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund’s Strategic Planning Working Group and the KAIROS Canada Ecological Justice Working Group. She has been a delegate to the UNFCCC COP 24, the 2022 UN Oceans Conference, and IMPAC5. She is fluent in both English and French.

Jessica loves jumping in the ocean, riding her bike, summer picnics, backpacking backcountry trails, singing, and playing the piano. She is grateful to call Squamish home, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

Soon-Lan is an educator in higher education. She is certified as a Career Development Practitioner, Human Resources Management, and has completed an Essential Skills Practitioner Training Certificate. Soon-Lan currently holds a Master of Arts in higher education administration and leadership at the Royal Roads University. Soon-Lan focused on learner-centred education and learner’s learning experiences as an educator, instructor and career development facilitator.

Soon-Lan has facilitated the Sustainable Employment and Environmental Directions (SEED) program for three years, a federally funded program designed to help vulnerable youth at-risk find and keep employment. Soon-Lan believes that continuous learning and a positive attitude are key aspects of her career philosophy.

Born and raised in South Korea, Soon-Lan has moved to Canada in 2007. As a refugee committee member, Soon-Lan supported refugee families from Syria and Burma through settlement and community services. Soon-Lan dedicated her time to supporting immigrant youth through the Vancouver School District and is currently a mentor to professional immigrants through the Immigrant Employment Council of BC. Soon-Lan continues to expand her contributions so her footsteps will be meaningful.

With over 20 years of marketing, media and communications experience, Alfred represents the next generation of social entrepreneur in Canada. Educated at Oxford, he has created and managed integrated marketing campaigns for international brands in New York, London, LA and Hong Kong.

Lorena Grande was born in El Salvador and currently lives in Vancouver, Canada. With over 12 years of progressive project management experience, she specializes in sustainable design, construction, engineering, environmental and architectural projects. Her expertise includes organizational leadership, strategic planning, budgeting and stakeholder engagement, all underpinned by a deep commitment to sustainability. She holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from PMI, a Master’s degree in Bioecological Architecture and Technological Innovation for the Environment and a post-graduate diploma in Green Business Management.

She currently works as a project manager with BC Hydro on the electric vehicle service delivery team. Her background includes managing complex projects as a project advisor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in El Salvador, where she spearheaded successful projects in the education, health and water sectors focused on the SDGs. Lorena has also led high-impact environmental projects and infrastructure developments throughout Latin America with a Canadian environmental and engineering firm. During her early career, she focused on pioneering bioclimatic and energy-efficient architectural solutions in Costa Rica and worked with public works and urban planning at the City Hall of Pisa, Italy. Her experience extends to climate change adaptation and risk analysis, having participated in major projects such as the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in El Salvador and the Risk assessment of the country’s priority infrastructure.

Fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, she drives strategic initiatives and fosters sustainability in diverse projects. Passionate about supporting and promoting sustainable development goals, Lorena is committed to joining the United Nations Association, Vancouver branch, to promote justice, sustainability and peace.

Salma Ameera Husain (she/her/hers) is a proud Alumna of Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Thompson Rivers University, graduating with a Master of Business Administration. While completing her education, she had a core focus on incorporating humanitarianism, advocacy, and justice within business concepts. Particularly, with her NGO and Non-Profit studies, having learnt the Sustainable Development Goals in-depth to achieve peace and prosperity for people, planet, and the importance of incorporating the goals within all sectors. This has driven her passion for community advocacy primarily for just quality education. She is a member of a Youth Centre in Surrey, BC, planning community-based events, sports, and religious initiatives.

Salma has worked in the academic field for over six years. Being amongst a diverse and inclusive community has enlightened her passion for equitable initiatives within policies and procedures. This led her to be on the President’s Diversity and Equity Committee at KPU to strengthen diversity, further community dialogue, improve the focus on Indigeneity, accessibility, and resources. Salma envisions a world with harmony, compassion, and humility, through universal goals and education.

Sebastian was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia and relocated to British Columbia in 2022. He holds an MSc in Development from the University of Los Andes and has nearly a decade of experience in corporate sustainability with a focus on social performance. His career includes several years working with rural communities in Latin America, implementing human rights due diligence and conflict resolution strategies. He spent three years with the United Nations Development Programme in Colombia, advancing inclusive economic opportunities for small businesses.

Sebastian is deeply committed to empowering resilient entrepreneurs who navigate challenging environments, helping them connect with scaling opportunities to foster equitable economic development. Currently, he volunteers with UNAC-Vancouver, and his main goal is to encourage young leaders to embrace inclusive and environmentally responsible business practices.

Patsy George is a retired public servant and social worker with an MA in Social Work and two Honorary Doctorates of Law from the University of the Fraser Valley and the University of British Columbia, respectively.

Patsy has specialized in community development, working across Canada from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia prior to arriving in BC in 1975. She was the Director of Immigrant and Settlement Services for BC before she retired. Patsy has served on the Immigration and Refugee Board and was appointed to the commission responsible for reviewing government policies and laws of Family and Children’s services.

As the president of the International Council on Social Welfare, she represented Canada at various UN summits, forums and conferences, contributing to the development of international agreements, protocols to fight poverty, enhance social cohesion, human rights and international development. For her volunteer work, the Senate of Canada, City of Vancouver, M.O.S.A.I.C., United Way and others, have recognized Patsy. She holds both the Queen’s the Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada. She is a past president of UNAC-V, Vancouver Branch.

George Somerwill started his career in the media and communications world working for the BBC World Service in Africa in the early seventies. In 1976, he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), eventually as executive producer of a top daily current affairs radio programme, spending three years as a producer in the CBC’s Paris office. During his journalism career, George travelled to some of the world’s worst trouble spots – Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, to cover the revolutions and the 1984 famine. Following a brief stint with the Canadian International Development Agency, in the early nineties, George joined the NGO CARE International, working in communications and fundraising for emergency programming in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Rwanda. It was while working with CARE in Angola that he was recruited by UN – DPKO in 1996 to work on demobilization in UNAVEM III.

While taking up a humanitarian post with the Oil-For-Food Programme (OFFP), George was recruited to be the Baghdad spokesperson and Head of Public Information for the OFFP. A stint with UNICEF in Pakistan followed as the world’s attention focused on Afghanistan which was followed by a return to DPKO and the Horn of Africa, serving in the public information office of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 1994 George joined the fledging UNMIS in Khartoum as the Chief of Public Information, a challenging assignment unto itself. George ended his UN career in 2011 with the UN Mission in Liberia serving as Director of Public Information. George has an MA in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (University of York, UK), and is married with one son.

Deirdre is a long-time public school teacher and tech enthusiast. She has dedicated her personal and professional life to promoting global awareness. Even as one person in the face of unimaginable global issues, Deirdre believes she can make a positive difference.

Deirdre’s professional life is centred around assisting people to meet their potential, and has included time with the BC Ministry of Education and a stint as a Faculty Advisor in Professional Development Programs at Simon Fraser University. Currently, she has the role of Indigenous Success Teacher at her urban secondary school. Her work with Model United Nations education, videoconferencing and staff development resulted in receiving a National Technology Innovation award, VANOC Olympic Committee recognition, Social Studies Teacher of the Year and the Gibbard Memorial Award. 

Her alma mater is the University of British Columbia where she earned a BA in International Relations and an MA in Curriculum Studies. 

She loves the sport of rowing but was pleasantly surprised to discover the joy of hiking and beautiful views under Covid-19 restrictions.

Joy is a Behavior Consultant with a Master’s Degree in Behavior Analysis and an undergraduate degree in Mass Communication. She has furthered her education with an accounting course from Simon Fraser University, certificate courses from Yale, and is currently pursuing a certificate in Early Education and Leadership at Harvard University. Joy has ventured into diverse roles, from serving as an MOA at Vancouver General Hospital to managing a shop, working as a Behavior Interventionist, and practicing Photography. This varied experience has equipped her with many unique perspective skills. Currently, Joy is the proud owner of a behavior therapy, tutoring/learning, consulting company, and lifestyle/boutique shop. In this role, she works closely with individuals facing behavior challenges and special needs.

Passionate about promoting women’s rights and education, Joy serves as a spokesperson for education in the Greater Vancouver area and has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity in the Philippines alongside former Presidents Carter and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Her background also includes extensive experience in the financial sector, covering areas such as credit, account management, treasury, and trust. Joy is actively involved with “Life in the Spirit,” “Tuloy sa Don Bosco,” and the “Philippine National Red Cross.” Along with her family, she has been committed to aiding the less fortunate, focusing on vulnerable children who lack access to education and individuals affected by calamities in the Philippines.

Rhiannon Dominy-Pergentile started volunteering at an early age with a varied selection of organisations in capacities such as volunteer coordinator, public relations and chairperson. These included Roots & Shoots, Free the Children, Me to We, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International in addition the United Nations in Canada, Vancouver Branch. Throughout her work, Rhiannon explored her passion for social and environmental justice, looking to create a unique career path for herself.

Gaining diplomas in criminology and forensic anthropology from Camosun College, Rhiannon gained a BA in Justice Studies from Royal Roads University. Her professional life has fostered the development of her executive administrative and HR toolbox. Presently, she works as a public servant with the BC Government Criminal Courts, aiming to further pursue education in the fields of investigative journalism, public policy and emergency preparedness. When not working or further her knowledge-base, you can find Rhiannon deep into one of a dozen books she has on the go, or out exploring the beautiful sights the West Coast has to offer.

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