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Biographical Summaries:
WCAT Adjudicative Staff
CHAIR
Jill Callan has been the chair of WCAT since it came into existence on March 3, 2003. In the year prior to her appointment to WCAT, she held the position of special counsel with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. Ms. Callan was a member of the Workers' Compensation Review Board from 1993 to 1995 and an appeal commissioner of the Appeal Division from late 1995 to 2001. While at the Appeal Division, she held the positions of assistant chief appeal commissioner and deputy chief appeal commissioner. Prior to joining the workers' compensation appeal system, Ms. Callan practised corporate and commercial law.
Ms. Callan has spoken at several conferences held by the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals and the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals as well as at various legal education conferences. Ms. Callan holds an LL.B. from the University of Manitoba (1980) and an LL.M. from the London School of Economics (1985). She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia (1981).
SENIOR VICE CHAIR AND REGISTRAR
Jane MacFadgen became the registrar in January 2007. She has been a WCAT vice chair since its inception in March 2003, and prior to that had been a
non-representational appeal commissioner at the Appeal Division of the Workers’ Compensation Board since 1998. Ms. MacFadgen obtained her LL.B. from Dalhousie University and has been a member of the B.C. Bar since 1980. Her prior employment experience includes: legal research consultant, executive director of the Law Foundation of B.C., teaching articled law students in the Professional Legal Training Course, and staff lawyer for the Labour Relations Board of B.C.
OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR: VICE CHAIRS AND DEPUTY REGISTRARS
Steven Adamson was appointed as a vice chair of WCAT in March 2003. As of March 2007, he became a WCAT deputy registrar. Mr. Adamson was appointed to the former Appeal Division of the Workers' Compensation Board, now operating as WorkSafeBC (WCB) in April 2001 where he served initially as an employer representational appeal commissioner and then as a non-representational appeal commissioner. Prior to this, he was employed as a WorkSafeBC claims specialist with Canada Post Corporation. Mr. Adamson is a lawyer and has worked internationally in legal teaching and research. He is currently secretary of the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT) education committee.
Kevin Johnson was appointed vice chair and deputy registrar of WCAT in March 2003. Prior to this position, he held an Order-in-Council appointment at the Workers' Compensation Review Board as vice chair since 2001, and as a member from 1991 to 2001. During this time he also held the position of senior deputy registrar (since 2001) and deputy registrar (since 1994). Mr. Johnson has an extensive and varied background in the areas of industrial/labour relations, negotiations, the emergency medical and rescue fields, as well as several certified trade qualifications relating to the mining industry.
Paul Petrie was appointed vice chair with WCAT on March 3, 2003. He previously served as an appeal commissioner, registrar and deputy chief appeal commissioner with the Appeal Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. between June 1991 and February 2003. His previous experience with the workers' compensation system includes employment as a vocational rehabilitation consultant, prevention research coordinator, and director of the Workers' Advisers Office. Mr. Petrie has a Masters degree in medical sociology and has taught at Simon Fraser University and Capilano College. He has served on the boards of the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT) and the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals (CCAT). He was the recipient of BCCAT's 2002 Recognition Award for his outstanding contribution to the administrative justice field.
SENIOR VICE CHAIR AND TRIBUNAL COUNSEL
Teresa White was appointed as a vice chair of WCAT in December 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Biology), a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine (B.S.R., Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy) and an LL.B. from the University of British Columbia. Ms. White was called to the B.C. Bar in 1989. Ms. White was appointed an appeal commissioner with the former Appeal Division of the WCB in 1998. Prior to joining the Appeal Division, she practised labour and employment law both in private practice and in the B.C. health care sector.
OFFICE OF THE TRIBUNAL COUNSEL
Vice Chair, Quality Assurance and Training
James Sheppard was appointed vice chair with WCAT when it commenced operations on March 3, 2003. Prior to that date, Mr. Sheppard served as a non-representational appeal commissioner with the Appeal Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. from August 2000 to February 2003. Prior to joining the Appeal Division, he was the senior adviser with the Employers' Advisers Office of the Ministry of Skills Development and Labour. Mr. Sheppard provided assistance, advice and representation to employers throughout the province on compensation, assessment, and occupational health and safety matters. Mr. Sheppard was called to the Bar in March of 1987 and has Bachelor of Commerce and LL.B. degrees from the University of British Columbia.
VICE CHAIRS
Cathy Agnew graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1983. She practiced family law in Toronto specializing in matrimonial and child welfare litigation. Ms. Agnew is past chair of the board of governors at Vancouver Community College. Previously she served as a member of the board of governors of the Vancouver Stock Exchange and also on numerous other boards and committees in connection with community health, education, recreation, and arts initiatives. Ms. Agnew was employed as a policy analyst in the Criminal Injury Compensation Program of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. prior to being appointed as vice chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board in 2002. She was appointed as vice chair of WCAT in March 2003.
Luningning Alcuitas-Imperial. Prior to Ms. Alcuitas-Imperial's March 2003 appointment to WCAT, she was appointed as vice chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board in December 2000. She worked previously as assistant to the registrar at the Medical Review Panel Department of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. and as an advocate for the Canadian Diabetes Association. At WCAT, she served as the Registrar from 2004 to 2006. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 and her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1991 from the University of Manitoba.
Beatrice K. Anderson was appointed as vice chair with WCAT in March 2003. Prior to that, she worked with the Workers' Compensation Review Board since 1991 after having worked eight years in labour relations and occupational safety areas for two large trade unions. Her post secondary education from Simon Fraser University is in the fields of political science and criminology.
W.J. (Bill) Baker holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (history) from the University of Western Ontario (1974) and a law degree from the University of British Columbia (1977). From 1978 until his appointment to the position of vice chair of WCAT on March 1, 2004, Mr. Baker was a member of the Law Society of B.C., practising primarily as a litigator in both civil and criminal law.
Hélène Beauchesne was appointed as vice chair with WCAT in April 2003. Prior to her appointment, she was an industrial relations officer with the Ministry of Labour, Employment Standards Branch. As an industrial relations officer, she investigated, mediated, and adjudicated complaints under the Employment Standards Act and conducted investigations and mediations on behalf of the Labour Relations Board. Ms. Beauchesne obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in Industrial Relations Management at the University of British Columbia (1993).
Sarwan Boal was appointed to WCAT as a vice chair in March 2003. From 1991 to his appointment at WCAT, he served as an appeal commissioner at the Appeal Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. Before joining the Appeal Division, Mr. Boal was the president of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union seeking legislative reform on behalf of British Columbia farm workers. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and his Master of Arts in Economics in 1970.
Dana G. Brinley was appointed as vice chair of WCAT in March 2003. Prior to that, he was appointed vice chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board in December 2000. Mr. Brinley previously worked for both the Employers' Advisers and the Workers' Advisers with the Ministry of Labour, and trained as an Industrial Relations Officer with the Employment Standards Branch. He graduated from Queen's University Law School in 1983.
Patricia Broad obtained her LL.B. and B.C.L. from McGill (1989) and her LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode (2004). She also has a B.A. in Political Science from University of Waterloo. Ms. Broad articled at the Office of the Official Guardian. She was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1991. She started her career in immigration matters in Toronto. Prior to joining WCAT as a vice chair in May 2010, Ms. Broad practiced administrative law for about 20 years in fields which include workers' compensation, landlord and tenant, provincial and federal disability matters and social assistance in Ontario. For a year she was a tribunal member with the Social Benefits Tribunal. She has been involved in the community serving on several boards and committees. This community work also included starting a legal clinic in Stratford, Ontario.
Kate Campbell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria in 1994, her Master of Arts from Carleton University in 1996, and her law degree from the University of Victoria in 2004. She was a judicial law clerk at the British Columbia Supreme Court in 2004-2005 and was called to the British Columbia bar in 2006. Ms. Campbell articled with a labour law firm in Vancouver and went on to practice private and public sector labour law with a focus in the areas of grievance arbitration, human rights, and collective bargaining. She was appointed to WCAT in 2011.
Lesley A. Christensen was appointed to the Workers' Compensation Review Board in 2002 and then to WCAT in March 2003. Ms. Christensen previously worked as an industrial relations officer with the Ministry of Labour, investigating, mediating, and adjudicating complaints under the Employment Standards Act and investigating and mediating applications pursuant to the Labour Relations Code. Ms. Christensen is a member of the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT).
Melissa Clarke obtained her Law degree from the University of Victoria. She was a judicial law clerk at the B.C. Supreme Court and was called to the Bar in B.C. Ms. Clarke's experience as a lawyer includes positions in private practice and government. Ms. Clarke was a review officer in the Review Division at the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. prior to her September 2005 appointment as a vice chair with WCAT.
Daphne A. Dukelow was appointed vice chair of WCAT on March 3, 2003. From 1999 until 2003 she was an appeal commissioner with the Appeal Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. and was very active in the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT). She was chair or member of the Arbitration Review Panel under the B.C. Residential Tenancy Act, 1995 to 1999. As counsel in the Crown Law Office, Ministry of the Attorney General, Toronto, 1974 to 1988, Ms. Dukelow's work included providing legal advice to chairs of various tribunals and serving as executive member of the Residential Tenancy Commission. She has a B.Sc., McGill, J.D., Western and LL.M., Osgoode Hall.
William J. Duncan joined the Workers' Compensation Review Board in January 2001 as a vice chair, and effective March 3, 2003, was appointed a vice chair at WCAT. He was a team leader from March 2003 to March 2006. Mr. Duncan was educated at Carleton University (Bachelor of Arts) and the University of British Columbia (LL.B.) and was called to the Bar in 1974. He practised law at firms in Vancouver, Prince George, and New Westminster. He also had an extensive career in professional legal education as the director of British Columbia's Bar Admission course, as a consultant with the College of Law in the U.K., and in providing courses for junior lawyers of major law firms.
Andrew J. M. Elliot graduated from Queen's University in 1970 with an honours degree in engineering geology, followed by a master's degree from the University of British Columbia in 1975. He qualified for his Professional Engineer designation, and worked in field exploration in Western Canada and Mexico, and in mine development in the Northwest Territories. He then worked in process development and research in the Trail lead-zinc smelter. He obtained his law degree from the University of Victoria in 1990, and was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1991. He went into the private practice of law, with an emphasis on personal injury. Mr. Elliot represented parties in the Tax Court of Canada, British Columbia Provincial Court, British Columbia Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. He sat on Mental Health Act panels, and Insurance Corporation of B.C. informal appeals. He was appointed to the Workers' Compensation Review Board in 2002, and then to WCAT in March 2003.
Lisa Hirose-Cameron obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia. She worked as a registered dietitian and pharmaceutical sales representative before obtaining her law degree. She has worked in private practice as a criminal defense lawyer, as crown counsel, and as a review officer with WorkSafeBC. She was appointed as a vice chair to WCAT in 2005.
Warren Hoole received his LL.B (co-op) from the University of Victoria Law School in 2000. Since then, Mr. Hoole clerked at the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa and articled and practised at a large downtown law firm. Mr. Hoole is particularly interested in administrative law and co-authored a legal text on standards of review of federal administrative tribunals. In September of 2003, Mr. Hoole joined the Review Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. After two years as a review officer, Mr. Hoole joined WCAT as a vice chair in September of 2005.
Shelley Ion was appointed as a vice chair with WCAT in September 2011. She graduated from UBC law school in 1999, after obtaining her B.A. (Honours) in Philosophy at UBC in 1996. Ms. Ion practiced at a Vancouver law firm until 2005, primarily in the area of personal injury. Prior to joining WCAT, for almost five years Ms. Ion was a staff lawyer with the Law Society of BC in the Professional Conduct department (Investigations, Monitoring & Enforcement), where she investigated and analyzed complaints about lawyer conduct.
Nora Jackson was appointed as vice chair of WCAT in March 2003. Prior to that, she was appointed vice chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board in December 2001. She was initially appointed as an employer-interest member in October 1996. She previously worked as project assistant for the Centre of Human Settlements at the University of British Columbia and has work experience in banking and securities. Ms. Jackson has a law degree from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cynthia J. Katramadakis graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland
with a degree in Political Science and Business Administration. She was employed
with the Newfoundland Workers' Compensation Commission as case manager and internal
review specialist prior to moving to British Columbia in 1993. Mrs. Katramadakis
held the position of district supervisor with the provincial government's Ministry
of Human Resources. During her tenure as district supervisor,
Mrs. Katramadakis represented the Ministry at the B.C. Benefits Tribunal where she
gained valuable knowledge in the principles and practice of administrative law.
In January 2001, she was appointed to the Workers' Compensation Review Board as
member with an employer-interest background. While there, she participated in three-person
panels deciding workers' compensation appeals. Mrs. Katramadakis was appointed as
vice chair to WCAT in March 2003.
Joanne Kembel received her Bachelor of Arts Degree (Criminology) from Simon Fraser University in 1987. She worked as an ombudsman officer from 1987 through 1989 and as an industrial relations officer for the Ministry of Labour from 1989 until 2004. Her experience includes Employment Standards Act adjudication, grievance mediation and providing mediation and consultative services to the Labour Relations Board, Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau, and the B.C. Council of Human Rights. Ms. Kembel was appointed vice chair with WCAT in March 2004. She is a member of the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT).
Brian King has been involved with workers' compensation since 1967 and has served workers and employers in several provinces through the management and adjudication of the program. Mr. King presided as chair of the Saskatchewan board and the Manitoba board, was president of the Ontario board, and chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board of British Columbia. He also served as deputy minister of Labour and deputy minister of Highways and Transportation in Saskatchewan. He was appointed as vice chair to WCAT in March 2003.
Rob Kyle graduated from UBC in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree. He became a Registered Professional Forester in 1983 and worked as a mostly self-employed forestry consultant throughout B.C. until 1999. During that time, Mr. Kyle was active in the Association of B.C. Professional Foresters, including serving as a Chair of its Standing Investigations Committee. He specialized in the areas of silviculture and forest management audits, and represented several clients as an expert witness in B.C. Supreme Court litigation. Mr. Kyle has served on a number of administrative tribunals since 1992. He was appointed through provincial Order in Council to several ad hoc Forest Appeal Boards between 1992 and 1996, when he was appointed as one of the original members of the B.C. Forest Appeals Commission. In 1999, he joined the Appeal Division at the Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. as a representational appeal commissioner. Mr. Kyle was appointed as a vice chair of WCAT in 2003.
Randy Lane was appointed as a vice chair of WCAT on March 3, 2003. After completing his Bachelor of Arts and LL.B. at the University British Columbia, he articled in the Legal Services Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. (WCB) from 1985 to 1986. From 1986 to 1991, as appeals administrator, he provided advice to the former commissioners of the WCB. From 1991 to 1997 he was a policy analyst in various parts of the WCB. In December 1997, Mr. Lane was appointed as a non-representational appeal commissioner with the Appeal Division, and was the assistant chief appeal commissioner from June 2001 until his appointment to WCAT.
Darrell LeHouillier was appointed as a vice chair with WCAT in May 2010. Prior to his appointment, he served as a workers' adviser with the Ministry of Labour, providing advice, assistance and representation to British Columbia's workers and their dependents; and as a review officer at the Workers' Compensation Board. Mr. LeHouillier has also practiced privately as a barrister and solicitor in British Columbia, after completing degrees in law from the University of British Columbia and engineering from Queen's University.
Janice A. Leroy has a graduate diploma in Adult Education (University of Alberta), as well as a B.Comm. (Queen's University) and an LL.B. (University of Ottawa). She began her career practising law in private practice in Alberta, followed by many years as in-house counsel to large commercial landlords. She entered the administrative law field in 1995, hearing appeals from residential tenancy arbitrations, followed by two and a half years as vice chair on the B.C. Assessment Appeal Board. Ms. Leroy joined the former Workers' Compensation Review Board in January of 2001, and joined WCAT at its inception in March of 2003.
Julie C. Mantini obtained her law degree from the University of
British Columbia in 1993 and was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1994.
She practised personal injury law, both plaintiff and defence, in the private sector
for approximately two years. After that, she spent approximately seven years as
legal counsel at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.
Ms. Mantini joined the Review Division at the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C.
in 2003 before being appointed to WCAT in 2004.
Susan Marten was appointed as vice chair of WCAT in March 2003. Prior to this, she was a non-representational appeal commissioner with the Appeal Division from August 2000. Previously, she had worked as an adviser at the Workers' Advisers Office since 1985. Ms. Marten was involved in the presentations made by that office before the Royal Commission on Workers' Compensation in British Columbia. Prior to her work as an adviser, she worked in the women's office and the employment programs branch of the Ministry of Labour. Ms. Marten has her Bachelor of Arts Degree (Honours) in psychology from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Renee Miller was appointed as a vice chair with WCAT in May 2010. Previously she was a member of the Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and a vice chair at WCAT. Ms. Miller obtained her J.D./LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1989 and has been a member of the B.C. Bar since 1991. Her prior work involved private practice in the areas of criminal and immigration law, as well as work with the Law Society of B.C. and the Continuing Legal Education Society.
Herb Morton obtained his Bachelor of Law (1982) and Bachelor of Social Work (1978) degrees from the University of British Columbia, and was called to the Bar in 1983. He was the legal administrator for Medical Review Panel appeals from 1983 until 1986. From 1986 until 1991, he was an appeals administrator in the office of the commissioners of the Workers' Compensation Board. When the Appeal Division of the WCB was created on June 3, 1991, Mr. Morton initially worked as the assistant to the chief appeal commissioner. He was subsequently appointed as a non-representational appeal commissioner of the Appeal Division in April 1995. He was appointed as deputy chief appeal commissioner from December 1998 until November 2000. From August 1999 until February 2000, he was acting chief appeal commissioner of the Appeal Division. Mr. Morton served as senior vice chair and tribunal counsel for WCAT from March 3, 2003 until May 31, 2004.
Elaine Murray obtained her law degree from UBC in 1986. She then practised law for six years before joining the Criminal Injury Compensation Program as a Legal Adjudicator where she worked for ten years. Following that, Ms. Murray was a review officer in the Workers’ Compensation Board’s Review Division for two years before she joined WCAT as a Vice Chair in 2004. She left WCAT in 2006 to work as an Investigations Legal Officer at the Workers’ Compensation Board, and returned to WCAT as a Vice Chair in 2011
David Newell graduated from UBC in 1982 with a B.Sc. (Zoology) and in 1986 with an LL.B. He was called to the bar of BC in 1987. He practiced with the law firm of Ratcliff & Company in North Vancouver until joining the Law Society of BC in 1991 as a staff lawyer in the professional conduct department conducting investigation and analysis of complaints about lawyer conduct. In 1998 he was appointed as the Law Society's corporate secretary, a position he held for ten years. In that capacity he provided support to the Benchers of the Law Society in areas such as governance, policy, and in their role as an administrative tribunal. Mr. Newell was appointed to WCAT as a vice chair in February 2009.
Diep Nguyen was appointed vice chair with WCAT on September 6, 2011. Before her appointment to WCAT she had practised administrative law and personal injury law. She had also been a legal consultant for a regulatory body where she investigated complaints and made recommendations under the Health Professions Act. Ms. Nguyen has been a member of the Bar since 1992 and has been a registered pharmacist since 1988. She obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree and Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences degree from the University of British Columbia.
P. Michael O'Brien received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota and a Diploma in Health Care Administration through the Canadian Hospital Association. After a two-decade career in hospital administration culminating in the construction of the Victoria General Hospital, Mr. O'Brien became involved in workers' compensation appeals in 1986 as a management member and later vice chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board (Review Board). He was appointed as one of the first appeal commissioners of the Appeal Division in the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. in 1991 and returned to the Review Board for a five-year term as chair in 1994. Mr. O'Brien authored the Review Board's submission to the Royal Commission that recommended the establishment of WCAT. From 1999 until his appointment in March 2003 as a vice chair at WCAT, he was an appeal commissioner with the Appeal Division. He is involved in the restoration and preservation of traditional wood boats as Staff Commodore (Canada) of the Classic Yacht Association, member of the Board of the Silva Bay Shipyard School, and as a wood boat builder.
Andrew Pendray was appointed as a vice chair with WCAT in January 2011. Mr. Pendray obtained his law degree from the University of British Columbia, after having attended the University of Victoria for his Bachelor of Arts. Prior to joining WCAT, Mr. Pendray practiced law in the areas of personal injury and medical negligence, and as crown counsel. Mr. Pendray also previously worked at the Workers’ Advisers Office of the Ministry of Labour, where he was acting regional manager from 2008 until 2010.
Carla Qualtrough was appointed as a vice chair of WCAT in 2011. Ms Qualtrough holds a BSSc. (Political Science) from the University of Ottawa and an LL.B. from the University of Victoria. She was called to the bar of British Columbia in 1998. She has acted as legal counsel with the BC Human Rights Tribunal and with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. She has worked as a mediator, facilitator, and instructor in alternative dispute resolution. She has acted as Senior Advisor to the Parliamentary Secretary (Sport) to the Prime Minister; Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State (Physical Activity and Sport); and Special Advisor to the Director General of Sport Canada. She worked as Director of Sport and Inclusion at 2010 Legacies Now. Ms. Qualtrough volunteers at the national and international levels with a number of organizations, including the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and the Toronto 2015 Parpan-Panamerican Games. She is currently the federally-appointed Chair of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. Ms. Qualtrough competed nationally and internationally in the sport of swimming, including the Paralympics in Seoul 1988 (1 bronze), the World Championships in Holland in 1990 (2 silver, 2 bronze), and the Paralympics in Barcelona 1992 (2 bronze).
Michael Redmond was appointed to WCAT in March 2004. He has a Bachelor of Arts and LL.B. from the University of British Columbia and was called to the Bar in 1984. Prior to his appointment to WCAT he practised corporate and commercial law in his own firm and as in-house counsel at B.C. Tel where he specialized in CRTC regulatory proceedings. Before going to law school, Mr. Redmond was a high school social studies teacher. He is a member of the Westminster Club, the Canadian Club, and the 78th Fraser Highlanders..
Dale Reid graduated from Simon Fraser University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching certificate. Mr. Reid entered the public service in May of 1980. He worked from 1980 to 1988 for the Ministry of Labour in the fields of employment law, labour relations, and human rights. While employed by the Ministry, he developed and honed his skills in administrative law working as an arbitrator and mediator. In 1989 he joined the Workers' Compensation Review Board (Review Board) as a vice chair. Mr. Reid was appointed registrar of the Review Board in January of 2001. On March 3, 2003 he was appointed vice chair, inventory strategist of WCAT. In this assignment, Mr. Reid was responsible for developing and implementing strategies for dealing with the undecided inventory of the tribunal. On April 1, 2006, having overseen the elimination of the backlog, Mr. Reid returned to work as a vice chair at WCAT.
Deirdre Rice holds a law degree (1986) and a Bachelor of Arts degree (1983) from the University of Victoria. She has been a lawyer since 1990 and has extensive experience in a range of administrative law areas, including human rights, immigration, employment insurance and workers' compensation. Ms. Rice was appointed to WCAT as a full-time vice chair on April 1, 2003.
Guy Riecken received his law degree from the University of British Columbia in 1983 and was called to the Bar in 1984 after articling with the Legal Department of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. He was in private practice until 1994 when he joined the Legal Services Society as a staff lawyer practicing immigration and refugee law. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Law, teaching an Immigration Law course from 1996 to 2001. Mr. Riecken worked as a review officer at the Review Division of the WCB from January 2003 until joining WCAT in March 2004.
Simi Saini received her B.A. from Simon Fraser University and LL.B from the University of Western Ontario. After being called to the B.C. Bar, Ms. Saini practiced Labour and Employment law in a large downtown law firm. She then took a position at the Workers’ Advisers’ Office where she assisted injured workers with their workers' compensation claims and appeal matters. Ms. Saini was also called to the Ontario Bar. In Toronto, she worked for a private management company as a Legal Consultant providing workers' compensation claims management and appeal services to employers across Canada. She returned to B.C. and worked in private practice in workers' compensation and immigration law. Ms. Saini was appointed as a vice chair to WCAT in September 2011.
Shannon Salter holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, both from the University of British Columbia. After obtaining her law degree, Ms. Salter worked for WCAT as a summer law student before completing a judicial clerkship with the Supreme Court of British Columbia. In June 2011, she graduated with a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. Before joining WCAT as a Vice Chair in September 2011, Ms. Salter practiced litigation at a Vancouver law firm for several years. Ms. Salter’s recent board experience includes sitting as a Commissioner of the Financial Institutions Commission. She is also a past board member of the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia. Ms. Salter has been actively involved with several legal assistance programs, providing low-income individuals with volunteer legal advice and representation before courts and tribunals.
Shelina Shivji received her Bachelor of Arts Degree (Economics) from Simon Fraser University in 1990. She worked in the private sector for several years and then for the Ministry of Labour as an industrial relations officer. Her experience includes employment standards adjudication, grievance mediation, and providing mediation and consultative services to the Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Commission and the Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau. She was appointed vice chair at the Workers' Compensation Review Board in January 2002 and then as vice chair with WCAT in March 2003. She is a member of the B.C. Arbitration and Mediation Institute and the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT).
Debbie Sigurdson was appointed as vice chair of WCAT on April 1, 2003. Between 1999 and 2003 she worked as an industrial relations officer with the Employment Standards Branch. She has also worked as a human rights investigator and mediator for the provincial and federal Human Rights Commission. Ms. Sigurdson graduated from the University of Victoria in 1990 with a Bachelor of Education and graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1994 with a Bachelor of Laws. She was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1995 and practiced in the area of civil litigation and personal injury.
Timothy B. Skagen has been a vice chair of WCAT since its inception in March 2003. Prior to this he was a vice chair with the Workers' Compensation Review Board for one year. Mr. Skagen earned a MBA and a LL.B., from the University of Alberta, and a BA in economics from the University of Calgary. Mr. Skagen has a diverse background in construction, oilfield, and the correctional service prior to his practicing law after moving to BC in 1990.
Anthony F. Stevens joined WCAT in March 2003 as a vice chair and brings many years of experience in the compensation system. He previously held appointments with the Workers' Compensation Review Board (Review Board) as a member from 1986 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1997. He was appointed as a Review Board vice chair in 1997. His background included general advocacy in the early 1980s and compensation specific advocacy in the early 1990s with the City of Vancouver. Mr. Stevens graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Science and has taken many courses and workshops relevant to the compensation system. He volunteers with Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation, participating in community and special events.
Allan Tuokko was appointed as a vice chair with WCAT in May 2010. He is a retired member of the Law Society of B.C. with a law degree from the University of Victoria (1982) and an M.A. in clinical psychology from Lakehead University (1977). Before joining WCAT, Mr. Tuokko was chair of the Mental Health Review Board for 16 years. Prior to that, he held a variety of positions in administrative law, including a position as an appeals administrator at the Workers' Compensation Board.
Andrew J. Waldichuk obtained his law degree from the University of Windsor in 1989. He then went on to practise law, mainly in the area of personal injury and workers' compensation. Prior to his appointment to WCAT in 2004, Mr. Waldichuk had also worked as a review officer in the Review Division of the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. and as a legal officer in the former Criminal Injury Compensation Program.
Kathryn P. Wellington became a registered nurse in 1971, after which completed post-basic paediatric training. She nursed in a variety of practice settings, including community hospitals, northern outposts and a student health facility, where she became interested in the occupational hazards facing women workers.
After serving as vice president and later as president of A.U.C.E. (local 2), in 1981, she joined the B.C. Nurses Union as a labour relations officer, specializing in workers' compensation and long-term disability advocacy and occupational health steward training. She served as a resource person in contract negotiation.
In 1993, Ms. Wellington was appointed to the Workers' Compensation Review Board as a labour member; and in 2002 was appointed as a vice chair. She became a WCAT vice chair in 2003.
Lynn M. Wilfert was appointed vice chair with WCAT in March 2003. Prior to that, she was appointed member to the Workers' Compensation Review Board (Review Board) in February 1989. She was seconded to the Criminal Injury Compensation Appeal Committee in October 1998 and has been vice chair with the Review Board since December 1999. Prior to joining the Review Board, Ms. Wilfert was employed as a teacher with School District No. 42, owned a retail business, and was employed with the Correctional Service of Canada.
Lois J. Williams was appointed as a vice chair of WCAT when it opened its doors in March 2003. Previously, Ms. Williams had been a vice chair of the Workers' Compensation Review Board since 1991. She was initially appointed as an employer-interest member in July 1987. She previously worked as an occupational health and safety supervisor in the mining industry. Ms. Williams has been a Canadian registered safety professional since 1985. She has helped develop and continues to teach administrative justice courses for the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT) and has served on its board of directors.
Sherryl Yeager graduated from the University of Victoria in 1991 and began her professional career as a journalist, working as the justice reporter for the Whitehorse Daily Star. In 1994, Ms. Yeager moved to Vancouver to work as a freelance journalist and a duty coroner. She became deputy regional coroner for the Vancouver region in 1998. She completed her Masters in Business Administration degree in 2001. Ms. Yeager was appointed as vice chair at the Review Board in 2002 and at WCAT in 2003. In her spare time, Ms. Yeager is a cross-country ski instructor and volunteers as a race official and club coach.
