Biographies - Board of Governors

Merle Alexander is a partner with Miller Titerle + Co. Alexander practices Indigenous resource law, focusing on Indigenous sustainable development. Active within his community, Alexander is a former director and president of the Vancouver Native Housing Society Foundation, has served as the chief negotiator for a UN Indigenous Caucus and was also a director and president of the Vancouver Child Family Services Society. He is a recipient of Business in Vancouver's 2009 "Top Forty Under 40" award and a UVic Distinguished Alumni Award. Alexander holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Victoria.

Paul Ramsey is an alumni of the University of Victoria, who graduated in 1996 with a Master of Science in Statistics. He has lived in Victoria with his partner Susan for 25 years, and they have raised two children here. Ramsey works as a software engineer for Crunchy Data, developing open source database software. In his professional career he has run a small business, managed software start-ups, put on conferences, and directed international non-profits. The best part of all of it has been helping other people succeed.

Chekwube Anyaegbunam is a PhD student of English (with a concentration in Cultural, Social and Political Thought). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Literary Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Master of Arts degree in Anglophone Literatures, Cultures and Media from the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany. Her research straddles the fields of memory, trauma, and identity studies, particularly through postcolonial lenses. As a published writer, scholar, teacher and activist, Anyaegbunam has a history of involvement in policy-making decisions affecting thousands of students, and she volunteers in different academic and community environments to help foster the representation of the under/misrepresented, support struggling students and promote healthy reforms.

Keith Barbon is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 20 years experience in finance and the real estate industry. Currently, Barbon is Chief Executive Officer with the Truffles Group of Companies, and President of KUB Developments Ltd. Active in his community, he has served as Treasurer for the Victoria Italian Assistance Centre and held a board position with the Urban Development Institute – Pacific Region.

Shailoo Bedi joined UVic in 2004 as a Director within the University Libraries and holds a dual appointment between the Libraries and LTSI, as Director, Student Academic Success focusing on coordinating programs that directly support student academic success and retention.

Bedi earned a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at UVic in 2016 and has published on topics related to leadership, equity, diversity, and inclusion and qualitative research methods. She also teaches in the area of leadership and diversity.

One of her key values is being an engaged university citizen and serves on several committees including: the Advisory Committee on Academic Accommodation and Access for Students with Disabilities, the Human Research Ethics Board, Strategic Enrolment Management, and co-chair’s ConnectU, the university’s staff and faculty conference. Bedi is also involved in the broader Victoria community where she serves on the Board for Artemis Place Society.

Josh Blair is the Co-Founder and CEO of Impro.AI, a high-tech company enabling the benefits of executive coaching to be brought to employees at all levels of organizations. He is also a Partner at Esplanade Ventures, a venture capital firm empowering entrepreneurs to deliver technology-based healthcare breakthroughs.

Blair is the Chair of TELUS International, a global leader in the delivery of digital customer experience solutions. Additionally, he is the Vice Chair of Carebook Technologies, an innovative digital health company, and a board member at Neighbourly Pharmacy, Canada’s third largest national pharmacy operator.

Blair has held key roles in supporting several societal organizations, such as Canada’s Health and Biosciences Strategy Table. As a distinguished alumnus (Engineering), he is a strong champion for the University of Victoria, including having served on the President’s 2018 to 2023 Strategy team. In June of 2021, the University further recognized Blair by awarding him an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree.

Marion Buller became Chancellor of UVic on January 1, 2022.

Buller received her undergraduate degree in anthropology (’75) and her law degree (’87) from UVic. In 1994, Buller became the initial First Nations woman appointed as a BC judge. In 2006, she established and presided in the First Nations Courts—now known as Indigenous Courts—and provided the foundation for the Aboriginal Family Healing Court conferences, meant to incorporate traditional restorative justice principles into sentencing proceedings and child protection matters. She was the chief commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls from 2016 to 2019. She served as both a director and president of the Indigenous Bar Association and has been a member of B.C.’s Law Courts Education Society, the province’s law foundation and the B.C. Police Commission. Buller was commission counsel for the Cariboo-Chilcotin Justice Inquiry and published reports and articles dealing with Aboriginal rights and legal services for First Nations in B.C. Buller has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UVic Faculty of Social Sciences and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Thompson Rivers University. She is a member of the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, a Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Brian Cant is Vice President, Business Impact & Engagement for 4VI, a social enterprise created to ensure that travel is a force for good for Vancouver Island. Inspired by his summer job guiding visitors through the underground mine at the Rossland Museum in the Kootenays, his career has focused on the tourism industry. He has worked in communications, developing and executing communications and engagement strategies, for more than 15 years – including having worked as Director, Communications & Engagement for the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, as well as roles with Destination Greater Victoria, Destination British Columbia, and tartanbond (formerly Tartan Group).

He is a proud graduate of the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business MBA program. He also holds a BA in History and Geography and a Diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria. He also serves as Past President of the Alumni Association. 

Christina Clarke is Executive Director of the Indigenous Prosperity Centre, a not-for-profit committed to the self-directed economic vision of First Nations and Indigenous Peoples throughout Southern Vancouver Island. She looks forward to facilitating the economic goals of First Nations and Indigenous people as co-creators of an inclusive economy.

Before joining the IPC, Clarke spent 27 years with the Songhees Nation, serving as Senior Finance Manager, Executive Director and as inaugural CEO of the Songhees Development Corporation. Clarke is a board member of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and a former board member of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and South Island Prosperity Partnership. In 2022, she was appointed to UVic’s Board of Governors. 

A graduate of the University of Victoria, Clarke is proud of both her maternal NunatuKavut (Inuit European) and her paternal Irish ancestry.

President Kevin Hall is an innovative academic leader and civil engineer known for his strong commitment to sustainability, innovation, community engagement, and unwavering belief in equitable access to education, and equity, diversity and inclusion.

Throughout his career at three world-class institutions, Hall has served at many levels and functions—from faculty member, research centre director and department chair, to vice-president and senior deputy vice-chancellor of global engagement and partnerships.

A civil engineer who has made global impact, Hall has put research into practice by delivering knowledge to industry and community. His academic interests are focused on water quality modelling, environmental monitoring and pathogen detection systems, and water and health in marginalized communities. He is known for identifying opportunities for collaboration and for creating value in the regions in which he works. Hall played an integral role in establishing many new academic, research and enterprise ventures that have benefited students, staff, and the community at large.

Hall has served on over 30 corporate boards in Australia and Canada, is an avid arts enthusiast, and has a lifelong commitment to fitness.

Adam Monahan is a Professor of Atmospheric Science in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, and a member of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems.   His main research interests are characterizing and modelling variability in the atmosphere and ocean, with a specific focus on unifying statistical and physical perspectives.  He has particular interest in near-surface winds and renewable energy meteorology.   Monahan has written or co-authored more than 110 peer reviewed papers and has been awarded the President's Prize of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.  He holds a BSc in Physics from University of Calgary, and an MSc in Physics and a PhD in Oceanography from the University of British Columbia.​

Erinn Pinkerton is a respected senior executive with over 20 years of expansive, results oriented, public-sector experience in the transportation industry. Pinkerton is the first female President and Chief Executive Officer of BC Transit, overseeing the delivery of public transit across 130 communities in BC. She is a visionary leader and is modernizing public transit through innovation, technology and converting the fleet to zero emission. Pinkerton is the recipient of Business in Vancouver’s 2021 ‘Influential Women in Business’ award and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters of Business Administration.

Jyoti Stephens is the VP of Mission and Strategy for Nature’s Path Organic Foods. Stephens leads the company’s commitment to sustainability, including ethical sourcing, climate strategy, waste, community engagement and sustainable packaging. As head of Strategy, she works with the Executive Team and her family to define and refine the company’s vision, mission, values and long-range strategic plan.   

Stephens currently serves on Trust Protector Committee of the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust and was previously a board member of the Sustainable Food Trade Association. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Victoria and an MBA with a focus on Sustainable Food and Agriculture from the Pinchot University (Presidio Graduate School).