National Board

Valerie lives in rural Saskatchewan and has been passionate about electoral reform since her first Political Science class in University. Even though she didn’t fully understand it at the time, years of teaching Social Studies, a master’s degree, and many professional development opportunities later, Valerie has come to realize that our Colonial legacy of Government in Canada has been flawed from the start; never truly representing the diversity of people living within it. She believes collaborative work, with people of diverse ways of knowing and being, will make for stronger policies and laws that stand the test of time. PR demands governing bodies work across party lines constructively for all constituents and Valerie believes this is a natural evolution in a healthy democracy.

Ryan also served on the National Board from 2012 to 2015 and has been a board member at Fair Vote Vancouver for the past few years. He has lobbied MPs, given presentations, volunteered on social media, knocked on doors for PR, produced advertising, coordinated volunteers, organized town halls and other events for PR, and worked diligently for the YES side in the BC referendum. Ryan has been a Liberal member for more than a decade and will continue to use that connection to advocate for PR.

Wilf has been a lawyer since 1971 (recently retired) in Port Hope, Ontario. Elected as a school board trustee for 12 years, Wilf joined FVC soon after it was formed and chairs its local action team in Northumberland—Peterborough South riding. He was elected to FVC National Council in 2004, and is National Secretary, as well as Secretary of the Fair Vote Ontario Committee. He served on the Ontario Bar Association Council and its Family Law Section Executive, on the Ontario Public School Boards Association provincial Policy Committee, chaired the local community legal clinic board, chaired the municipal Planning Board, and was a board member of the local community credit union.

Michele is a prairie girl who has lived in Saskatoon, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Winnipeg. Her university studies – culminating in an M. Sc. in biogeography – prepared her for a career as an interpretive naturalist, program manager, and executive director of an environmental NGO. Michele never questioned Canada’s electoral system until she noticed that our governments (seat count) rarely reflects the will of the voters (popular vote). She believes that Canada’s electoral system is outdated, discriminatory, and contrary to Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It leaves millions of voters without any political representation. This inequity impacts every aspect of Canadian life (environment, society, and the economy). Michele is a supporter of the Charter Challenge and believes that Fair Vote Canada will be instrumental in achieving Proportional Representation in Canada.

Mimi Lee is a multitasker – we also call it “slash”. She is a Social Influencer / Financial Advisor / Officiant / Human rights activist / Photographer / Mentor at TIREC / UX Designer / Author / Publisher. Mimi is an energetic person, when she got an objective, she can stay up for a long time, never stop until it’s completed. She is a passionate and persistent person. 

Jeff is committed to the accountability, strength and resilience of our democratic institutions. He has been an advocate for electoral reform since members of the BC Citizens’ Assembly attended his high school in 2004. His passion for democratic reform grew as he studied political science at the University of Victoria, and later attended law school in Australia. Jeff currently serves as the treasurer of Fair Vote Vancouver and is an active member of 123 Vancouver. He practices law in Vancouver, and also enjoys spending time in Kelowna.

An organized, driven person who never seems to pick the “easy” causes, Gisela works as a grassroots advocate for more resilient local communities, and firmly believe that proportional representation is a necessary stepping stone to achieving lasting progress on the critical issues of our time: climate change, income inequality, zenophobia… you name it. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science and has lived abroad several times, experiencing life in proportional countries firsthand. She has been active in the PR movement for a decade, both at the chapter level and as a board member (since 2019). She was a leader of the pro-PR side during BC’s 2018 referendum on electoral reform, and lived to tell the tale.

Ever since I came to Canada , twenty years ago I have been a strong advocate for climate, social justice, indigenous rights and electoral reform and have been a core team member with the many local ENGOs . I have worked on several campaigns like the BC Poverty Reduction Plan, which has been adopted into legislation; Climate Emergency Declaration in Municipalities and the Fossil Free Non- Proliferation Treaty in Burnaby; All On Board  Campaign  for accessible, affordable transit; and the referendum on electoral reform in BC. My involvement with Fair Vote Canada  has amplified the need for a Citizen’s Assembly advocating for proportional representation and PR  at the federal, provincial and  municipal level.

With the various crises the world faces, be it climate catastrophe, burgeoning inequalities, changing world orders and  the dire pandemic we are living through, we need urgent action and renewed  energetic trajectory changes. PR will offer us better governance and a better democracy.

Mike Smith, a Montreal native with a diverse background, has called the same political riding home for his entire life. With a foundation in marketing and communications, he transitioned from a challenging stint as a technology entrepreneur into a successful legal career and angel investing. Mike is a dual-bar member (Ontario/Quebec), serving clients both as a private practice and in-house attorney for over 15 years. He specializes in corporate/commercial law, particularly in technology and finance. Currently, he practices law at one of Canada’s largest credit unions.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mike dedicates his time to mentorship within educational charities focused on entrepreneurship. He also brings his expertise to an ethics research board, having just completed a three-year term. Furthermore, he actively participates in advisory roles for several start-up and scale up technology companies and mentors several entrepreneurs. In the past he has served on various committees of local chambers of commerce and a theater troupe.

Recently, Mike obtained the dual chartered director (C.Dir) /ASC designations from the University of Laval. He is a graduate of the John Molson School of Business (B.Comm) and McGill (LLB/BCL). He equally holds the CIPP/C designation from IAAP and has completed the Canadian Securities Course.

His motivation to join Fair Vote Canada stems from the frustration of his riding’s consistent voting patterns, despite his centrist political stance. As an advocate for alternative voting systems seen in Europe and other nations, Mike is committed to advancing the discourse on electoral reform in Canada.