APFA Board Members

Name	Representing	Organization	Address
Phone	Fax	Email
Debbie Abbott Chair (Asst. Jon)	Nlaka'pamux	Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council	Box 430 Lytton, BC V0K 1Z0
250-455-2711	250-455-2565	Email
Kelly Kubik	Métis Nation	Okanagan Métis Children & Family Services	#201-2949 Pandosy St. Kelowna, BC V1Y 1W1
250-868-0351	250-317-0359	Email
Susan James (Asst. Gina)	Sta't'mx	Lillooet Tribal Council	Box 1420 Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0
250-256-7523	250-256-7119	Email
Donna Steeves	Métis Nation	North Cariboo Métis Association	7-345 Laurent Ave Quesnel, BC V2J 2E1
250-992-9160	250-992-9157	Email
Arnold Lampreau	Stwix		5460 Coyote Flats Road Merritt, BC V1K 1R4
250-458-2427		Email
Pauline Terbasket	Okanagan Nation	Okanagan Nation Alliance	3255 CC Shannon Lake Road Westbank, BC V4T 1V4
250-707-0095	250-707-0166	Email
Marg Ahdemar	Urban	Cariboo Friendship Society	99 South 3rd Ave Williams Lake, BC V2G 1J1
250-398-6831	250-398-6115	Email
Shawnee Palmantier	Southern Carrier	Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council	59 South First Ave Williams Lake, BC V2G 1H4
250-389-7033	250-398-6329	Email
Lori Swanson	Métis Nation	Castlegar Community Health Centre	#28-707 10th Street Castlegar, BC V1N 2H7
250-364-6260	250-304-1420	Email or Alternate Email
Edna Terbasket	Urban	Ki-low-na Friendship Society	442 Leon Ave Kelowna, BC V1Y 6J3
250-763-4905	250-861-5514	Email
Leona Rabbit	Urban
250-320-0311	250-378-6676	Email
Robbin Lulua	Tsilhqot'in	Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government	General Delivery Nemaiah Valley, BC V0L 1X0
250-394-7023	250-394-7043	Email
Roy Christopher	North Shuswap	Canim Lake Band	PO Box 1030 100 Mile House, BC VOK 2E0
250-609-1025	250-397-2769	Email
Sandra Seymour	South Shuswap	Kamloops Indian Band	147 - 345 Yellowhead Hwy Kamloops, BC V2H 1H1
250-828-9810 Not participating		Email
Gwen Phillips	Ktunaxa Nation	Ktunaxa Kinbasket Tribal Council	9850 Mission Wycliffe Rd. Cranbrook BC V1K 7E6
250-417-4022 Not participating	250-489-5760	Email

Profiles of APFA Board Members

Debbie Abbott is a member of the Nlaka'pamux nation. She is Executive Director of the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, and has served approximately 20 years with the Council which provides advisory services to its member communities. Debbie is a member of the Lytton Indian Band council where she has held the Social Development and Health portfolio for the past three years. Debbie has participated over the years on various community and regional boards that address Aboriginal social issues. She is currently director of a safe house for women and children in crisis. Debbie Abbott is the recipient of a national award for her work in the community.

 

Gwen Phillips is a citizen of the Ktunaxa First Nation, residing on St. Mary's Indian Reserve near Cranbrook. Gwen is a mother of four and practising visual artist utilizing a variety of mediums both traditional and contemporary. Gwen has been a tribal/community employee for twenty years, working primarily within the social sector, and serving a ten year term as Director of Education for Ktunaxa Nation. She has also been involved in overseeing the successful transition into their self-governing structure both in operation and governance, using a population health framework focussing on family growth plans and integrated service delivery. Gwen is currently a member of the Interior Health Authority's Aboriginal Health and Wellness Planning Committee.

 

Edna Terbasket is a member of the Lower Similkameen Band near Keremeos. She and her late husband Stuart Debrett raised two daughters, Sheridan and Tracey, and she is grandmother of two boys. Edna is a leader, mentor and advocate for the Aboriginal people in the Okanagan region. She has worked in volunteer and paid capacities to create opportunities for her children and other kids to learn about their cultural identity. Edna has a long history of working with Aboriginal community and community partners to break down barriers and build relationships between aboriginal and non-Aboriginal partners such as School district #23. Edna has been involved in the creation and development of many innovative programs and organizations.

 

Donna Steeves is a member of the Métis Nation, hailing from Winnipeg Manitoba. She is a single mom with four children, ages 24, 22, 13, 10, and has two grandchildren. Donna grows herbs, for healing, dances with the North Cariboo Métis Jiggers, and volunteers with local Métis events. Donna has lived in Quesnel since 1971. Donna began volunteering with North Cariboo Aboriginal Family Programs Society in 2000, and is now the Project Assistant/Administration Assistant.

 

Susan James is a member of Bridge River Indian Band. She has served on Council for the Band for 18 years, one year as Chief and sixteen as Councillor. Susan is currently the Director of Operations for the Lillooet Tribal Council a position she has held for six years. Prior to working with the Tribal Council, Susan spent fourteen years as the Executive Director of the Lillooet Friendship Centre. Susan has been active in the Friendship Centre movement not only locally but has served on the Provincial Board and on the National Board as a representative of BC. Susan often represents her Band and the Tribal Council on matters involving education, training and employment. Susan is a single parent with two children and is an avid golfer and curler.

 

Marg Ahdemar moved from Saskatchewan to the Cariboo Chilcotin in 1966. Since then she has been involved in working with the Aboriginal communities. She worked with families and individuals in health and wellness at Nenqayni Treatment Centre. She has also worked with community leaders to deliver quality programs designed to meet the needs of the First Nations communities. One program success was working to develop mobile treatment programs for onreserve and remote communities. As the Executive Director of Cariboo Friendship Society, Marg has worked with the community of Williams Lake and the Aboriginal community to develop program and services that met the needs of the Aboriginal community. Marg has always had a special interest in social issues and working towards health and wellness for Aboriginal families in a holistic manner. Marg believes this approach will build stronger, healthier communities.

 

Carrier - [To be Determined]

 

Robbin Lulua is a member of Xeni Gwetin First Nation, representing the Tsilhqot'in National Government on the Interim Board. He has been involved in almost all aspects of work with the Xeni Gwetin First Nation from social work to accounting. He worked on the health transfer process for the band, and is pleased to see the results of his efforts; the health building is now under construction. He is strengthened by the revival of traditional health practices and healings of the Tsilhqot'in. Robbin has spent most of his life in the Nemiah Valley. He grew up assisting his father with the family ranch, learning heavy-duty mechanics and carpentry along the way. Robin is a father of three, with one grandchild.

Lori Swanson, an Interior Health Team Leader,brings her passion for child welfare issues to the APFA boardroom table.

The member of the Métis Nation has a history of child welfare with 12 years of social work with the Ministry of Children and Family Development. She always offers a thoughtful perspective to the variety of issues facing board members during the regionalization process. Her resume includes Community Living, Foster Home Resources and child protection. As team leader for the Kootenay Boundary Mental Health & Addictions Services, Swanson is working on a National Depression Screening which she hopes will soon be available at the high school level.

Pauline Terbasket is an interim APFA board member representing the Okanagan Nation. The Lower Similkameen Band Member is the Executive Director of the Okanagan Nation Alliance.

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Profiles of former Board Members who played key roles in the development of the Regional Service Plan

Terrence Paul is Southern Carrier, raised on Nazko Reserve. He went to residential school in Williams Lake for four years, and University of Northern British Columbia. He has served as the Chief Negotiator for Nazko Band, and as Chief of Nazko. Terrence has lived in the Cariboo all his life. He is married, with three children. He sings and plays the guitar and made his television debut as a musician on the Beachcomber series. Terrence attended a residential school and is featured on this website's Grandmother page.

Deborah Canada is Métis and hails from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She is married to Marcel, and has a 21-year-old son, Aaron. She has lived in BC for 11 years. Deborah has a Bachelor degree in Social work and a Master's degree in Education and Aboriginal Leadership. She is a Manager/Researcher at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology's Aboriginal Health and Wellness Degree Program. Deborah Canada believes that working together collaboratively builds stronger relationships, families and communities.

John (Jack) Spotted Eagle is a member of the Okanagan Indian Band. He has an Associate of Arts and a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Utah. Jack has over 25 years f social work experience in clinical child welfare, and administration. He has sat on various boards and committees in both Canada and the United States. Presently Jack is a member of the Okanagan Band Council, and he continues to provide consultation and clinical services. John is the father of six children, all of whom are high school graduates.

Donna Wright is a member of the Métis Nation, originally from Alberta. Her father was from Duck Lake Saskatchewan and a strong Métis leader. Through his example and teachings, Donna's first commitment and passion is her family. She is the proud mother of two children and four grandchildren. Donna has been involved in the human service field for the past thirty years. For the past eleven years she has been a Family Support Worker with the Nelson Community Services Centre. She is also a Commissioner with the Métis Commission for Children and Family Services, and an Aboriginal Student Advisor for the Kootenai Art Therapy Institute.

Ruby Adams was raised on the Shackan Reserve in the Nicola Valley and has lived there most of her life. She attended St. George's Residential School in Lytton. Ruby served as a board member of Nicola Valley Institute of Technology since it first opened its doors. Ruby has always believed that children should be able to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. Ruby is currently a Child Care Worker with Scw'exmx Child and Family Services Society which provides services to the Coldwater, Nooaitch, Shackan, Lower Nicola and Upper Nicola Bands.

Faye Ahdemar is a member of the Cree Nation, growing up in BC and Saskatchewan. She has five daughters and seven grand daughters. Faye has worked with many elders across Canada who have taught Faye that the world is full of diverse people and views that need to be valued, even when they are not in agreement with our own.

Faye obtained a Bachelor of Human Justice degree is from the University of Regina. She has worked with Corrections Canada as a Project Officer, and is currently a Personal Advisor at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

Faye's life passion is to help create safe and healthy communities for all families across Canada.

 

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• About APFA
• Political Committee
• Staff Profiles

More information is available at www.mcf.gov.bc.ca

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