BCSTA's Board of Directors

BCSTA’s Board of Directors support and advocate for effective public boards of education in B.C.

BCSTA'S MISSION BCSTA'S HISTORY

Carolyn
Broady

President

More

Carolyn Broady is a third term trustee and current chair of the SD45 (West Vancouver) board of education. She has represented her board as a BCPSEA representative and provincial councillor, and has served on a number of BCSTA committees including the Professional Learning Committee (chair) and Legislative Committee. She is currently the president of BCSTA and vice-president of the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA), and she has been appointed to the British Columbia Teachers Council by the Minister of Education.

A mother of two children, Carolyn is passionate about public education and believes that we need to continue to work to ensure that every student in our K-12 system gets the support and individualized attention they need to reach their full potential

Phone: 604-734-2721
E-mail: cbroady@bcsta.org

Tim
Bennett

Vice-President

More

Tim Bennett is a trustee in SD57 (Prince George). Tim has served his communities as a trustee since 2011 and served as board chair from 2016-2020. Tim has also taken on an active role with the Northern Interior Branch serving as the communications officer, branch president and past-president. He is the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern B.C. and spends each day ensuring British Columbia’s students have the opportunities, both in and out of school, to reach their full potential.

Tim’s passion is driven by a desire to build a stronger community and public education system for his four children.

Phone: 604-734-2721
Cell: 250-649-8316
E-mail: tbennett@bcsta.org

John
Chenoweth

Director

More

John is a UBC Native Indian Teacher Education Program graduate and former elementary school teacher and principal and district principal for First Nations education. His teaching career began in 1994 and he transitioned to the post-secondary level in 2007. He is a member of the Upper Nicola Indian Band in the Nicola Valley. John has been involved in First Nations education at both the K-12 and post-secondary levels for his entire career. His research interests include marginalized people within education and Indigenous education. John has been married for 30 years and is the father to two sons.

Phone: 604-734-2721
E-mail: jchenoweth@bcsta.org

Jane
Fearing

Director

More

Jane’s passion for the success of all children and students is her focus in life.

She has been a trustee for almost 11 years in Rocky Mountain (SD6), vice-chair and provincial council representative for seven years and served on the BCSTA’s Indigenous Education Committee for two years.

Jane believes in the genius of children and advocates for an education system that recognizes and supports every student and their unique interests and passions. She brings her broad background of music, teaching, performing, outdoor adventure and running a successful small business to the board.

She has lived and worked in many beautiful and remote communities in British Columbia and loves this province. Presently, she lives with her life partner, Chris, in the Columbia Valley, just outside of Golden, on the shared territories of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc First Nations and the chosen home of the Columbia River Métis Nation. Together, they have five grown children.

Jane wishes to bring the wonders, distinct aspects and needs of rural communities to BCSTA’s board of directors.

“I’m honoured and excited to be part of this work.”

Phone: 604-734-2721
E-mail: jfearing@bcsta.org

Tracy
Loffler

Director

More

Tracy Loffler has been a trustee in SD75 (Mission) since 2014 and has been chair of the board since 2017. Prior to being board chair, Tracy served as vice-chair from 2014-2017. Committed to Truth and Reconciliation, Tracy served as trustee liaison to Siwal Si’wes, Mission’s Indigenous Education Council, from 2014-2020.

As a parent of a current high school student and a 2020 graduate, Tracy brings the perspective of parent and student insight. Owning and operating a small business for nearly 20 years, Tracy has chosen to now focus on contributing to public education full-time.

Tracy brings a balanced, thoughtful approach and recognizes that collaborative working relationships are key to well-informed decision making and advocacy. Viewing all issues through the lens of improving student achievement and listening to student voice is at the heart of Tracy’s work in public education.

Phone: 604-734-2721
E-mail: tloffler@bcsta.org

Bob
Holmes

Director

More

Bob Holmes is a second term trustee in SD36 (Surrey), having served on the board since 2014. He has served on the BCSTA Professional Learning Committee, Legislative Committee (one year as chair), Finance and Audit Committee, as well as various ad hoc committees and working groups. Bob has also been very involved in Metro Branch, including over two years as branch president.

Bob’s passion for education was rekindled when his daughter entered public school in 2004; the next 10+ years of PAC and DPAC involvement began as a way to be involved in his son & daughter’s school, but grew to a broader involvement in bettering our education system across the district and now the province.

Bob will bring a collaborative and consensus-building approach to the board and looks forward to engaging with trustees around the province as we all work together to improve the learning outcomes of all our very diverse learners.

Phone: 604-734-2721
E-mail: bholmes@bcsta.org

Jen
Mezei

Director

More

Coming soon.

Phone: 604-734-2721
E-mail: jmezei@bcsta.org

Stephanie
Higginson

Past-President

More

Stephanie Higginson is a trustee in SD68 (Nanaimo/Ladysmith). Stephanie is excited to bring her love for public education and advocacy to the BCSTA Board of Directors as past-president.

Stephanie is a former high school teacher and educational researcher with a master’s in educational studies focusing in social justice in education. Her areas of interest in education are vast and broad. They include, but are not limited to, governance structures that strengthen public education, equity in education, collaborative inquiry in teacher professional development and nature based education.

Stephanie and her family live outside of Nanaimo where they operate a small farm and maple syrup production business. Stephanie’s passion for public education is deeply personal as she is mom to two school aged children, one in elementary and one in secondary school in B.C.’s public schools.

Phone: 604-734-2721
Cell: 250-741-6939
E-mail: shigginson@bcsta.org

Suzanne
Hoffman

Chief Executive Officer

More

Before joining BCSTA, Suzanne Hoffman held several positions in public education.

Her career started with Mission Public Schools before moving to the Langley School District, where she spent most of her career as a teacher, administrator, and superintendent. Suzanne was then seconded to the Ministry of Education as part of the curriculum outreach team. While working in the ministry, she also held the positions of chief educator and the superintendent of learning transformation. In January 2018, Suzanne became the first female superintendent at the Vancouver School Board. In 2021, Suzanne joined BCSTA, where she is excited and appreciative of the opportunity to take on the CEO role.

Suzanne is a wife, a mom to two grown children and a cairn terrier, and a passionate lifelong learner currently living on the unceded territory of the Katzie and Kwantlen Nations.

She is honoured and humbled to support BCSTA’s board of directors and boards of education across B.C.

Phone: 778-945-3299
E-mail: shoffman@bcsta.org