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Tasha Henderson is a first-term City Councillor in New Westminster and humbled for the opportunity to join the Police Board. Through her role on Council, Tasha sits on the Burnaby-New Westminster Sexual Exploitation Task Force and is actively involved in the Building Safer Communities project in partnership with Public Safety Canada. Prior to 2022, Tasha worked on a wide range of challenging and pressing social issues across Canada including working with youth under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, poverty reduction, human trafficking education, and Specialized Victim Services. She is currently teaching about policy and legislation, including the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the Mental Health Act, at Douglas College to students in the Child and Youth Care Program. When she’s not busy working with community, you can find Tasha trying to keep up with her kids at local parks or listening to audiobooks while walking her dog, Moose.
Heather is an experienced leader who is driven by her passion to improve systems through innovative practices. She has had numerous leadership roles within the health authorities and the ministry of health. She is currently the Regional Director -Virtual Health at Vancouver Coastal Health in this role her work has focused on improving health care processes and patient experience through the use of technology. In her spare time, she enjoys pottery, swimming, and walks within her community.
Drew Hart is a health care leader with over 15 years of experience in the public health care system. Drew currently serves as the Director, Facilities Management & Capital Projects for BC Mental Health & Substance Use Service. Over his career Drew has held a number program management and project management roles primarily in the areas Mental Health & Substance Use and Public Health. He particularly enjoys working to help improve services for some of the most marginalized individuals in our society. Drew has held leadership positions at Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health and Provincial Health Services Authority. Drew holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and a Masters in Health Administration, both from the University of British Columbia. Outside of work, Drew is an active member of the community theatre community in the lower mainland.
Dr. Patrick Lalonde is a faculty member in the Department of Criminology & Legal Studies at Douglas College. He teaches courses in policing, border security, media and crime, and criminal justice system professionalism and interviewing skills. Patrick’s research interests are related to Canadian border security, policing, surveillance, and migration. He has been published in major academic journals including Policing & Society and the British Journal of Criminology. Patrick holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Waterloo as well as an MA Criminology and BA (Hons.) Criminology from the University of Windsor. He previously worked as a peace officer while employed as a student border services officer with Canada Border Services Agency through FSWEP. Patrick has previous organizational governance experience related to serving as a senator on the University of Windsor Senate (the institution’s highest academic decision-making body) as well as various committees and subcommittees.
For the last decade, Mary has been actively involved in community-building efforts in New Westminster. She has more than 12 years of experience as an elected official in municipal work, serving as a City Councilor for eight years in New Westminster and three years in North Vancouver City. Mary has been appointed to various City Committees, including the Economic & Culture Mayor’s Task Force, Economic and Development Advisory Committee, Public Art Advisory Committee, Arts Commission, Massey Theatre Task Force, Library Board, Land Use and Planning Committee, and PACT (Peer Assisted Care Team) Pilot Project. Additionally, she has served on the E-Comm Board, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Committee, and Liquid Waste Committee. Mary’s professional background includes working as an E-Comm Call Taker, owning an award-winning independent bookstore called 32 Books, and, for the last 12 years, founding and managing 32 Solutions, which offers a high level of support and consultation to CEOs and Entrepreneurs. When not working, Mary enjoys spending time reading and connecting with her community and family.
Alejandro is a resident and business owner in New Westminster. Prior to opening his own business in New Westminster, he worked for twenty years in the financial and hospitality industry. He currently sits as a Board Member with Tourism New West and The Lower Mainland Purpose Society. By the mere nature of the work, policing in any jurisdiction is constantly under increasing scrutiny. The public demands as much transparency and communication as possible. Too often people see a difference between “the police” and “the community”. Alejandro believes that that viewpoint is not a healthy one. The police are an integral part of the community, not separate from it. It is his observation that the police in New Westminster view their work as more of a service to the community than strictly a “Law Enforcement” organization. He strongly believes that mutual trust and respect between the New Westminster Police Department and the community are critical to maintaining public safety. Where there is trust and respect then communication and interaction between the parties becomes solution focused. Police officers, when seen as part of the community, have a more influential role in how that community builds its values around public safety, crime reduction and support for its marginalized members. Good police departments ensure they increase their informal contacts with citizens, provide a timely and competent response when their services are needed, and clearly communicate their goals and processes with the public. As a Board member, Alejandro promotes relationships between the key components of a community: Residents, Business, and Police. He is passionate about connecting with people and helping them to acquire the kinds of community resources they need and deserve.
Kelsi is a policy and government relations professional with over ten years of experience working within community, with students and as part of a large public institution. She is currently a Senior Advisor of Government Relations at the University of British Columbia. Kelsi is passionate about equity, justice and community building. In the past she has served as a Multiculturalism Advisory Committee Member to the City of New Westminster, worked on West Coast LEAF’s CEDAW and BC Gender Equality Report Cards as a volunteer for four years and served as a mentor in Surrey RCMP’s Restorative Justice Program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from UBC and a Master of Arts in Political Science, with a specialization in Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction, from Western University. Kelsi is proud to be raising her young family in New Westminster and in her spare time, she enjoys walks on the boardwalk, reading and dreaming about her next travel destination.
