Board of Directors 2024/25

Wayne Arondus, President | Wayne is a Corporate and community leader passionate to give back to local organizations. Currently the Chief Operating Officer for the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC working to support health, safety and wellness within the manufacturing sector of BC. Driven to support workers, making workplaces safer and addressing a much broader risk of mental health in the workplace. Wayne has been a business executive for over 25yrs leading organizations across North America. It has always been a desire to give back and support local community organizations. Wayne has served on several Boards as a Director including Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, CHMA BC and currently the Douglas College Foundation. Inspired to be a tri sector leader, Wayne is a past member of the 2012 Governor Generals Leadership Conference of Canada and continues to encourage other Canadians to understand how they can be better community leaders. Committed to making a difference, supporting organizations and people is a passion and Wayne looks forward to serving and helping the CMHA Board.

Kevin Erickson, Immediate Past President | Kevin, originally from Vancouver Island, lived in Alberta for ten years before returning to the west coast in 2018. Prior to joining CMHA, Vancouver-Fraser, he served on the board of directors for CMHA, Central Alberta for four years. He is the founder of Leadershyft, a firm specializing in business consulting and leadership coaching. Kevin’s approach to leadership and organizational development emphasizes the growth of leaders as a catalyst for overall organizational growth. He believes that leadership is a social endeavor that can have positive impacts on the quality of life for individuals and teams.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Kevin also runs Mindshyft, a private counselling and psychotherapy practice, helping individuals and couples with a range of mental health challenges. He believes that all individuals are inherently capable of achieving their own version of “better”. Kevin’s academic credentials include master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership and Counselling Psychology, and he holds certifications as an Executive Coach, Change Management Professional, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

Outside of work, Kevin stays active with hiking, running, and playing guitar, underscoring his belief in the connection between physical and mental health. These pursuits complement his professional life, providing balance and enhancing his effectiveness as a consultant and therapist.

Eric Rae, Vice President | Eric Rae is a Partner in the Technology Risk Consulting group at KPMG LLP (Canada), where he focuses on Digital and Technology Assurance, Risk Consulting, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Blockchain, and emerging A.I. technologies.

He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Network Security from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Amongst a suite of credentials, he is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and accredited to provide CSA Star Level 2 Attestation reports through his Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK).

Argi Ahmadi, Secretary | Argi is the Senior Public Affairs Advisor to the Vice President of Customer Communications & Public Affairs at TransLink. In this brand new role created at TransLink, Argi ensures the effective and efficient delivery of divisional priorities, and building upon TransLink’s brand and reputation as one of North America’s top transit systems.

Argi’s career is distinguished by her commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives alongside her expertise in public affairs and communications. Before joining TransLink, Argi served as the Manager of Programs and EDI Initiatives at the greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT). During her tenure at GVBOT, Argi led the launch of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council, a platform dedicated to driving EDI initiatives within the business community. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in establishing the Scale-up Centre for SMEs, providing essential resources and support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their growth journey. Argi also championed the development of the first-ever ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Microcredential in North America, equipping professionals with the knowledge and skills to navigate sustainability challenges.

Adan Moallemi, Director | Adan is a graduate student studying regeneration following spinal cord injury at UBC’s school of biomedical engineering. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in neurobiology from UBC. Adan’s passion is addressing the mental health needs of youth and especially university students. As an undergraduate, Adan recognized the need for student-led initiatives to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. This led him to co-found Drop the Puck for Mental Health, a charity hockey game which brought significant mental health awareness to UBC and raised nearly $130,000 for CMHA, Vancouver-Fraser. In addition, Adan has continued to be a part of various committees and organizations aimed at improving the student experience on campus. Adan is looking forward to bringing a different perspective to the board that complements and builds on the exceptional work already being done within CMHA, Vancouver-Fraser.

Christina Labarca, Director | Christina is passionate about reducing the stigma around mental health and believes in taking a proactive approach to mental wellness. Christina holds a BA in Adult Education and a Masters of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University. In her twenties, Christina spent 7 years travelling through 70 countries and discovered that she had won the “life lottery”, simply by being born in Canada. As a result, she has always looked for ways to give back and over the years has fundraised, volunteered and supported numerous local and international charity organizations.  Christina is the co-founder of a consulting firm, Giving Well, where she works with individuals and organizations to research, evaluate and select charities that align with their goals and values. She believes in the importance of finding purpose in both personal life, and in business.

Hayson Chan, Director | Hayson is an entrepreneur and business consultant who works with private corporations and families in Western Canada and Asia.

Hayson has a veritable track record of success in various settings and a strong background in accounting, tax planning and business consultation.  He has helped countless business owners and families to achieve their goals.

Hayson also believe the importance of giving back to the community.  He volunteered for a government registered not-for-profit organization for 10 years and acted as the Treasurer for 5 years.  His responsibilities included overseeing the finances, communicating with the government liaison officers (funding), organizing fundraising dinners and reporting to all members at the AGM.

In his spare time, Hayson enjoys traveling, photography and outdoor activities.

Jennica Palecek, Director | Jennica is a Commercial Real Estate Advisor with global firm Colliers International, Canada’s largest brokerage. In her role, she advises office occupiers in the Greater Vancouver Area on their real estate strategies. She previously worked in Finance in Brazil and New York, where she supported over 300 minority and women founders in scaling their businesses. She is a passionate advocate for mental health and previously served on the boards for My Artist’s Corner, an organization focused on supporting mental health through art in Burnaby, and Community Volunteer Connections, an organization aimed at strengthening the community as a whole. She currently serves as a Board Member with Big Sisters Big Brothers to support youth through their growing years and help lead the future generation.

Nick Neacsu, Director  |Nick is a licensed Realtor in British Columbia. For the last 13 years he has worked in Vancouver. Nick has a Bachelors of Science in Marketing from Hawaii Pacific University. He mentors a lot of young agents in the industry, hosts a podcast, and is also involved in volunteering for different organizations throughout the year.

Nick struggled with severe anxiety attacked from the age of 9 to nearly 20 years old. Nick’s brother also suffers with severe PTSD from his tour in Afghanistan with the Canadian Army. Nick feels his mental illness as a child and young adult shaped who he is today in a very positive way. Nick’s involvement with the CMHA Vancouver-Fraser Board of Directors gives him an opportunity to further support an organization that truly helps people with mental illness understand and manage their battle with this stigmatized illness.  With his background in business and his personal experience with mental illness, Nick feels he can offer another perspective sounding board that adds value to this incredible organization.

Serina Sharda, Director | Serina is a multi-talented professional, with experience in a wide range of services. Her skills span the creative and artistic world to the academic and legal field.

Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Serina graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She obtained her LLB from the University of Birmingham in England. Upon completion, she returned to Toronto and practiced in various areas of law, including real estate, estates, corporate and family law. After taking some time to travel and explore other creative pursuits, Serina has acquired a passion for human rights issues and is currently focused on assisting vulnerable peoples seeking asylum in Canada. She is an Associate at Titan Law Corporation in Vancouver, and her practice includes refugee and immigration law as well as corporate law. Outside of Titan Law, Serina is also an accomplished hairstylist at Brush Salon in Vancouver.  She has figured out a way to mesh both her professional worlds in a way that produces high quality services, while maintaining integrity and transparency. She has found balance in activating her creative mind while simultaneously engaging her analytical brain, resulting in a unique perspective on work and life.

Warren Wong, Director | Warren is a retired strategic human capital and business executive whose passion has been to transform, enable, and inspire organizations. Warren has more than 35 years of experience and success in influencing hyper growth and emerging organizations ranging from local industry award winning start-ups to Fortune 500 companies with operations in North America, Europe and Asia. Throughout Warren’s career under his leadership, mental health and wellness were critical pillars in his human resources management strategy.   Warren is presently, semi-retired independent human capital and business consultant advising primarily founder CEOs across different industries.

Warren is a 1984 Simon Fraser University Bachelor of Arts, Communications graduate.  After graduating, Warren was one of the first recipients of the province’s Certified Human Resources Professional (“CHRP”) designation, which he helped develop the program requirements for as a member of the Professional Development Committee with the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association.

A lifelong Vancouverite, Warren has generously given his time to a variety of community and civic events including the 1986 World Exposition, 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2011 Grey Cup Festival, and the City of Vancouver 2011 civic election.  An active board volunteer, Warren has sat on several boards including the Psoriasis Foundation of Canada, Canadian Information Processing Society, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society.  In addition to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Vancouver-Fraser Branch, Warren is the Board Secretary with the province’s largest cycling club, Glotman Simpson Cycling Club. Warren is an avid cyclist having cycled in different parts of the world, on multiple Ride Don’t Hide events, two Ride to Conquer Cancer rides and seven Whistler GranFondo’s.