For over 40 years, the Registered Nurses Foundation of BC has come to rely on the passion and expertise of our board. This year is no exception! Although from different backgrounds within the nursing community, whether working at present or retired, the common thread our volunteer board members have is their dedication to all the Foundation can offer the Registered Nurses of BC in their pursuit of educational nursing excellence.
Dianne Doyle
President
Dianne is a results-oriented health leader with over 30 years of senior executive experience, predominantly within an academic health science centre. She served as CEO of Providence Health Care, one of Canada’s largest Catholic Health Care organizations for 12 years until retiring from that role in 2018. Her accountabilities included sustaining a mission-focused culture, developing high-performing teams to deliver exceptional care, research and teaching, overseeing a budget in excess of $930 million and a staff of over 8000.
From August 2019 to 2022, Dianne served as President at St Thomas More Collegiate, an independent high school part of a global network of Christian Brother schools.
Now, as a certified board director, Dianne brings her experience in strategy, governance, organizational culture, team building and capital planning to multiple boards. She has served as director on the BC Rapid Transit Company and the College of Dental Surgeons of BC. Currently she is Director Provincial Health Services Authority, Chair of Providence Living Society and Director for Mothers Matter Centre.
Dianne brings humility to her search for truth and reconciliation with Indigenous communities and brings compassion to issues of social inequity.
Pat Semeniuk
Past President
Pat is an RN (non-practicing) and an Independent Health Care Consultant. She has wide experience in all levels and fields of practice, including senior administration, leadership and education. Before her retirement, she was the Executive Director of Clinical Education and Management Development at Vancouver Coastal Health. She is also very connected to a wide network of nurses and leaders. As a member of RNFBC Pat was first involved as a member of the Bursary Committee, then as an appointment Director to fill a vacancy on the Board. She too has been very involved on the Transition Committee and her skills and experience were pivotal in the process of transition.
Anne Cameron
Vice President, Secretary
Anne’s former nursing career as an emergency room nurse and her subsequent 30-year legal career defending malpractice claims (on behalf of nurses, hospitals and midwives) have given her an understanding of the many issues and challenges faced by health care providers in our province, both in rural and urban settings. Anne practiced nursing for 6 years at St. Paul’s Hospital and then studied to become a lawyer. Her legal practice began at a downtown law firm in Vancouver for 6 years. Anne subsequently moved back to Victoria, her hometown, and has practiced law since at Carfra Lawton LLP. Anne’s professional activities over the years have included being an executive member of the Medical-Legal Society of BC and a reviewer/member of the University of Victoria Human Research Ethics Board. Anne became a member and director of the RNFBC Board in June 2021. One of her particular interests on the Board has been to create an Indigenous Nurse Education Bursary.
Raji Dhaliwal, CPA
Treasurer & Chair, Audit and Finance Committee
Raji is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia. He received his CPA designation in 2018. His education also includes Bachelor of Business Administration with Distinction from Capilano University.
Raji began his career working in public accounting firms before moving to industry and joining a large real estate investment firm.
Raji is involved in the community through his extensive volunteer work. He has held several volunteer roles with the Chartered Professional Accountants of B.C. such as CPA Campus Ambassador and a CPA Mentor. He has also served as a board member and treasurer of the CPABC North Shore/Sunshine Coast Chapter.
Alix Arndt
Director
Alix’s career has been shaped through a diverse work history that includes not for profit and or-profit organizations, professional associations, academia, and independently as a strategic consultant. She earned her bachelor’s (Hons) and master’s degrees in the study of political-science with a focus on studying systems, structures, and the politics of change. She has
worked in complex and challenging environments including technology and health.
In the health sector, she has navigated system changes with hands-on strategic and tactical experience. That depth of experience includes a full operational slate including budgeting, strategic planning, project management, communications, media management, thought leadership and relationship building. Her career diversity speaks to her ambition, innate curiosity, and ability to tackle challenges as they come.
Her current role is the Executive Director for the BC Naturopathic Doctors. Previously she worked in nursing professional associations for over a decade serving and served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Association of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners (NNPBC) for nearly five years. From November 2022 to December 2023, Alix served as the NNPBC Acting CEO. Her past work includes being an independent strategic communications consultant, the Managing Director for the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative, and Vice-President of Business Operations for Atlas Technologies.
Cathy Duerksen
Director
Cathy (she/her) is a Regional Clinical Educator with Professional Practice (Nursing) at Vancouver Coastal Health, located on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. After many years as a ‘float’ nurse at Vancouver General Hospital, Cathy discovered her love for community nursing, and has spent the majority of her career working in multiple capacities within Community Health. In her current role, Cathy works closely with Practice Leads and Clinical Educators across community-based programs to design and lead education for new initiatives, optimize scope at the unit level, and support new educators in their practice. She received a VCH ‘People First’ award for Excellence in Innovation, and approaches new projects and challenges with curiosity and openness to improvement opportunities. She holds a Masters in Education, and is a proud graduate of the VGH School of Nursing. As a grateful recipient of an RNFBC award, Cathy appreciates the opportunity to contribute to RNFBC as a Board member.
Anna Helewka
Director
Anna is currently working with Douglas College Health Sciences; Faculty Emerita, Program Facilitator of Continuing Education Mental Health and Substance Use professional development programs and courses.
Anna is a dually licensed RPN/RN (BCIT) with a BSN and MSN from UBC. She has practiced and taught in various contexts (acute and ongoing inpatient psychiatry, acute medical/surgical, transitional care units, and critical care units).
Anna has taught at UBC and Douglas in both the Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing (BSPN) and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). In addition to her teaching roles, she has taken on several leadership and administrative roles (Curriculum Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Director of Nursing (BSN) and Interim Associate Dean of Health Sciences). As well Anna sits as an appointed Co-chair of -the BCCNM Quality Assurance Committee and is involved with a number of national and international scholarly/professional nursing groups. Anna’s research/scholarly interests and projects are related to cultural diversity, global/humanitarian student nursing experiences and curriculum development.
Tanice Miller
Chair, Fundraising and Communications Committee
Tanice Miller is a Registered Nurse, retired, who brings over 40 years of experience in the middle and senior leadership positions in community health (VCH) and the last 16 years at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
At Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, a non-profit charity, she gained experience in fundraising and building relationships with donors. Knowledge of board governance was gained both as a former board member of a community organization for 6 years called PosAbilities from 2004 to 2010 and as a participating senior leadership member on the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice board.
Tanice is very passionate about the role of nurses in the health care system and in her early years at UBC was fortunate enough to receive several bursaries. During these times of increasing education and living costs and the reality of the nursing shortage, it is even more important to support those who want to become a nurse or advance their nursing education.
Karin Olson
Chair, Bursary Committee
Karin Olson is a registered nurse with over 40 years of broad healthcare experience in clinical operations, nursing education delivery, health informatics and executive leadership. In addition to her various leadership roles and teaching positions at BCIT and UBC, she has held VP positions in Ontario and BC across complex geographical systems. Karin is recognized as an expert in working with government, community, education and business innovation partners. She has a proven record of results-oriented leadership, achievements in improving patient care and business outcomes through strategic thinking, multi-governance collaboration and relationship building.
Karin holds an Executive MBA from the Sauder School of Business along with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of British Columbia. She is also a graduate of the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council Academy, and a certified Canadian College of Health Service Executive.
Ann Syme
Director
Ann has led a number of provincial, national and provincial efforts to improve end of life care for patients and their families.
Ann holds Adjunct positions at UBC, the University of Victoria, University of Alberta, and the University of Northern BC’s Nursing faculties, and is Clinical Faculty for UBC’s Division of Palliative Care.
Ann has participated with a number of research teams focusing on several areas in palliative care. She was the first PhD graduate from the University of Victoria’s PhD Program in Nursing where her studies focused on people’s dying narratives using critical and hermeneutic methods.
Ann’s current work is as Dean for the Faculty of Nursing for Langara College.
