Fierté Canada Pride Announces New Board Members
APRIL 18 2023 | VANCOUVER, BC - Fierté Canada Pride (FCP) announced today the nomination and election of four new members to the Board of Directors. This brings the number of Board Members to eleven.
Nominated by Kelowna Pride Society, Davina Kula (they/she) was elected to the Secretary position, and brings with them over 10 years experience in non-profit, provincial, and national mental health education and advocacy. Davina is Métis, descended from Red River, and resides in Ki-low-na on the unceded and occupied traditional lands of the Syilx, Secwépemc, and Sqilx Okanagan First Nations people. Davina is a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights and decolonization, and is excited to continue working with existing and new Board Members to bring education and awareness to our communities, as well as continue activism on a national and international scale.
Dr. Percy Lezard, PhD. (they/them) was appointed to the Board as an interim Director at Large in the fall of 2022, and was officially nominated and elected to maintain their position on the Board during the 2023 AGM held in Kelowna, BC. Dr. Lezard is a status First Nations registered with Penticton Indian Band in unceded BC, and under their Sqilx nations custom code, is claimed by them. Dr. Lezard is an assistant professor in a post secondary institution, and their work centers Indigenous knowledge, teaching and research methodologies; along with two spirit pedagogies, community Indigenous health, missing and murdered women and 2SLGBTQ+, as well as gender-based violence in 2SLGBTQ+.
Nominated by Pride Toronto, Sherwin Modeste (no pronouns) was elected to the Board as Director at Large. Sherwin has a passion for advocacy and the promotion of human rights and equity issues at the local, regional, national, and international levels in support of removing systemic barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. This is illustrated by Sherwin’s leadership roles, including National Diversity Vice-President and member of the National Pink Triangle Committee for the Canadian Union of Public Employees; and member of the Canadian Labour Congress Human Rights Committee. In those roles, Sherwin advocated tirelessly for workers’ rights, including workers from racialized and marginalized communities, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
Toby Whitfield (he/him) is currently the Executive Director of Capital Pride and was nominated and elected as a Director at Large of the FCP Board. Toby brings over a decade of experience in managing and working in progressive non-profit organizations of various sizes, in both Toronto and Ottawa; and has extensive experience leading teams, providing representation and advocacy, as well as managing events, programs and services.
“Although Fierté Canada Pride has made significant strides towards decolonization and adopting a governance board model, it’s important to remember that this is an ongoing process with no clear end date. Nonetheless, the organization continues to prioritize maintaining and building upon the progress made thus far.” says Julie Nobert-DeMarchi, President of FCP. “Effective leadership today is not about exerting authority but rather influence, and FCP recognizes that their actions can have a profound impact. The organization is grateful to have four new Board Members who bring valuable insights and expertise to the team, helping to advocate and advance FCP’s mission and objectives collectively.”
These full bios and more can be read on our website at fiertecanadapride.org/our-team .