BCSTA's Board of Directors

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 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 boys who are just beginning their educational journey in BC’s public schools.

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

Anatwoqwees (Valerie Adrian) is a Xwisten (Bridge River Band) member from the St’at’imc Nation, in the southern interior. Her father is the late Victor Adrian from the Tsalalh Band. She also has ties to the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation on Vancouver Island through her mother, Fidelia Haipyupis (nee Smith) of the Ahousaht First Nation (formerly from the Ehattesaht First Nation. Valerie is co-parent to seven adult children and grandparent to six children. She works in her community as the education coordinator and her responsibilities include: managing the early learning and education centre that houses a licenced daycare and an Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve program; administrative and counseling services for all students in both K-12 education and post-secondary education for community and band members. She also sits as a director on a St’at’imc Government Services Board and as a member of the Interior Savings Credit Union Community Investment & Member Relations Committee.

Valerie is in her twentieth year as a trustee for school district 74 (Gold Trail) whose Indigenous student enrollment is close to 60%. She currently sits as co-chair of the board. In the past, Valerie enjoyed sitting as a BCSTA director, a member of, and board liaison to, the BCSTA Indigenous Education Committee and board liaison to the BCSTA Finance & Audit Committee.

Education is a passion for Valerie and she believes that all students, given the proper education and high expectations, have the potential to graduate and succeed. She is a firm believer in public education and would not have wanted any of her children to graduate from any other system.

Phone: 604-734-2721
Cell: 250-256-8608
E-mail: vadrian@bcsta.org

Mike Murray is a two-term trustee with School District 42 (Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows) and has served as board chair since first being elected in 2011. He is a great believer in the significant benefits to be achieved for all of BC’s students through the networking, collaboration and collective advocacy facilitated by the BCSTA.

Mike retired from his previous career as general manager of community development, parks and recreation for Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows in 2010 and has served as the president / director of numerous local, regional and provincial nonprofit boards since 1974.

Mike and his wife Nancy enjoy their four grandchildren who are just entering the public school system, are active participants as hosts and counsellors in the Rotary International Youth Exchange program and enjoy spending time at Timothy Lake in the Caribou region of BC.

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

Gordon Swan is the past-president of the BCSTA and a school trustee with the SD58 (Nicola-Similkameen) Board of Education. Prior to joining the BCSTA Board of Directors, Gordon served as a BCSTA provincial councillor for over a decade and also provided many years of dedicated service to the BC Public School Employers’ Association board. During his term as BCPSEA’s vice-chair, the board achieved its first negotiated collective agreement with the BC Teachers’ Federation. The moment stands as a testament to Gordon’s results-focused leadership style.

In response to being elected President of the BCSTA in 2017, he made the following statement. “I’d like to thank my colleagues for the trust they’ve placed in me and the board of directors. BCSTA is bigger than the sum of our parts – our strength is in our diversity, and we look forward to representing our local communities and addressing the particular needs of students across the province.”

Phone: 604-734-2721
Cell: 250-378-7937
E-mail: gswan@bcsta.org