Advisory Board
The BC Citizens for Public Power (BCCPP) Advisory Board is a standing committee of the BCCPP Society, contributing expertise and guidance to BCCPP staff and Board members on matters specific or related to BC's energy sector as well as other issues associated with the business of the organization.
Members of the Advisory Board are selected on the basis of their distinctive experience in areas including: academic, community, or independent research; provincial and federal energy policy and environmental law; conservation and environmental protection; First Nations land claims, treaty rights, and community; campaign organizing; non-profit fundraising; communications, media relations, PR; and other issues.
Advisory Board members support, in principle, the vision, mission, and mandate of the BCCPP Society except in cases where the nature of their work requires them to assume a neutral position on issues related to public vs. private power (e.g.: legal advisors; environmental researchers; media professionals).
Kat Biondi
Marjorie Griffin Cohen
Shannon Daub
Patricia Kalmanovitch
Ed Mankelow
Murray Martin
Jim Quail
Kat Biondi brings fundraising acumen and expertise to BCCPP’s Advisory Board. She has been involved with grassroots community organizations for the past four years, and is currently employed as the director of operations with Out On Screen Film Festival. Previously, she was manager of fundraising appeals with the British Columbia Persons With AIDS Society. Kat’s extensive background in fundraising includes managing donor relations as well as the planning and implementation of direct mail campaigns. She has also managed a number of successful fundraising special events, including the Scotiabank AIDS WALK for LIFE and the AccolAIDS Awards recognition dinner event. Prior to moving to Vancouver in 2006, Kat worked with the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia. Kat has also worked closely with non-profit theatre groups, including Menial Sins, a company she co-founded in 2004.
Marjorie Griffin Cohen is a professor of political science and women’s studies at Simon Fraser University. She has written in the areas of public policy and economics, with an emphasis on issues concerning electricity deregulation, labour, women, international trade agreements, and the Canadian economy. Among her recent energy-related publications are “Impact of International Trade Rules and US Regulations on the Integrated Power System Plan” (Brief to Ontario Energy Board co-authored with John Calvert, 2008), “Imperialist Regulation: US Electricity Market Designs and their Problems for Canada and Mexico” (2006), “A North American Energy Policy Means a US Energy Policy” (2006), “Electricity Restructuring’s Dirty Secret” (2006), and “Gutting a Power House: BC Hydro and the New Energy Plan” (2003). Marjorie has served on numerous provincial boards and commissions including the Boards of BC Hydro and BC Power Exchange. She also helped establish the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in BC and BC Citizens for Public Power, as founding Chair for both groups.
Shannon Daub works as the Communications Director with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' British Columbia office, where she oversees areas such as media strategy, opinion research, and online engagement. She is also involved in environmental justice research, through the CCPA's Climate Justice Project. Shannon sits on the Vancouver Public Library's board of directors, and has worked extensively as a board member and/or communications advisor with a number of local organizations and institutions. Shannon holds an MA in Communications from Royal Roads University.
Patricia (Tisha) Kalmanovitch has lived and worked in Canada, England, and Portugal. Her professional and voluntary experience includes community activism, administration, freelance writing, project coordination and management. More recently, Tisha has combined her employment experience and activism by pursuing work in the area of rural socio-economic development. As manager of a government-initiated socio-economic program, her job entailed mobilizing and working with community groups, government agencies, businesses, and environmental organizations. Since moving to Kelowna in 2007, Tisha has been actively involved with a number of activist groups, including the Kelowna Chapter of the Council of Canadians, Uranium-Free BC Coalition, and the Kelowna Peace Group. After attending BC Citizens for Public Power’s MORE POWER TO YOU conference in October 2008, Tisha established the Kelowna Citizens for Public Power group. Due in part to her concerns about Run-of-River IPPs, Tisha ran as a New Democratic Party candidate in Kelowna-Mission in the May 2009 provincial election.
Ed Mankelow has been a devoted advocate for enviromental and conservation issues for almost 50 years. He has served on numerous BC government councils, committees, and planning teams associated with forestry, fisheries, parks, and mining. He is a past president of the BC Wildlife Federation and a past director of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Currently, he is the chair of the BC Wildlife Federation’s Parks and Wilderness Land Use Committee as well as their Commercial Backcountry Recreation Committee. He also acts as the BC Wildlife Federation’s official representative on public/private power issues. Ed makes his home on Vancouver Island; as a father of four, grandparent of nine, and great-grandparent of one, he’s especially passionate about protecting British Columbia's precious natural resources and wildlife for future generations.
Murray Martin worked in the telecommunications industry as an electronics technologist for over 20 years until deciding to change careers recently. Presently, he is a political science student at Simon Fraser University, concentrating his studies in political economy, international trade , and labour issues. In addition to school, Murray works as a researcher on issues such as international trade and privatization of electricity in Canada. An interest in the environment initially drew Murray to the issue of electricity privatization in British Columbia. His commitment to the environment and the success of BC Hydro drew Murray to the work of BC Citizens for Public Power, and he has been a supporter and a volunteer with the organization since 2005. Murray has also been active with groups such as Amnesty International and the Council of Canadians. He is a long-time resident of Burnaby.
Jim Quail is the Executive Director of the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Vancouver, a non-profit law office, specializing in the field of social justice law. BCPIAC represents low-income consumer groups in regulatory proceedings, and represents disadvantaged groups and individuals in test case litigation and poverty law.
Members of the Advisory Board are selected on the basis of their distinctive experience in areas including: academic, community, or independent research; provincial and federal energy policy and environmental law; conservation and environmental protection; First Nations land claims, treaty rights, and community; campaign organizing; non-profit fundraising; communications, media relations, PR; and other issues.
Advisory Board members support, in principle, the vision, mission, and mandate of the BCCPP Society except in cases where the nature of their work requires them to assume a neutral position on issues related to public vs. private power (e.g.: legal advisors; environmental researchers; media professionals).
2009 – 2010 Advisory Board Members
Kat BiondiMarjorie Griffin Cohen
Shannon Daub
Patricia Kalmanovitch
Ed Mankelow
Murray Martin
Jim Quail
Kat Biondi brings fundraising acumen and expertise to BCCPP’s Advisory Board. She has been involved with grassroots community organizations for the past four years, and is currently employed as the director of operations with Out On Screen Film Festival. Previously, she was manager of fundraising appeals with the British Columbia Persons With AIDS Society. Kat’s extensive background in fundraising includes managing donor relations as well as the planning and implementation of direct mail campaigns. She has also managed a number of successful fundraising special events, including the Scotiabank AIDS WALK for LIFE and the AccolAIDS Awards recognition dinner event. Prior to moving to Vancouver in 2006, Kat worked with the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia. Kat has also worked closely with non-profit theatre groups, including Menial Sins, a company she co-founded in 2004.Marjorie Griffin Cohen is a professor of political science and women’s studies at Simon Fraser University. She has written in the areas of public policy and economics, with an emphasis on issues concerning electricity deregulation, labour, women, international trade agreements, and the Canadian economy. Among her recent energy-related publications are “Impact of International Trade Rules and US Regulations on the Integrated Power System Plan” (Brief to Ontario Energy Board co-authored with Shannon Daub works as the Communications Director with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' British Columbia office, where she oversees areas such as media strategy, opinion research, and online engagement. She is also involved in environmental justice research, through the CCPA's Climate Justice Project. Shannon sits on the Vancouver Public Library's board of directors, and has worked extensively as a board member and/or communications advisor with a number of local organizations and institutions. Shannon holds an MA in Communications from Royal Roads University.Patricia (Tisha) Kalmanovitch has lived and worked in Canada, England, and Portugal. Her professional and voluntary experience includes community activism, administration, freelance writing, project coordination and management. More recently, Tisha has combined her employment experience and activism by pursuing work in the area of rural socio-economic development. As manager of a government-initiated socio-economic program, her job entailed mobilizing and working with community groups, government agencies, businesses, and environmental organizations. Since moving to Kelowna in 2007, Tisha has been actively involved with a number of activist groups, including the Kelowna Chapter of the Council of Canadians, Uranium-Free BC Coalition, and the Kelowna Peace Group. After attending BC Citizens for Public Power’s MORE POWER TO YOU conference in October 2008, Tisha established the Kelowna Citizens for Public Power group. Due in part to her concerns about Run-of-River IPPs, Tisha ran as a New Democratic Party candidate in Kelowna-Mission in the May 2009 provincial election. Ed Mankelow has been a devoted advocate for enviromental and conservation issues for almost 50 years. He has served on numerous BC government councils, committees, and planning teams associated with forestry, fisheries, parks, and mining. He is a past president of the BC Wildlife Federation and a past director of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Currently, he is the chair of the BC Wildlife Federation’s Parks and Wilderness Land Use Committee as well as their Commercial Backcountry Recreation Committee. He also acts as the BC Wildlife Federation’s official representative on public/private power issues. Ed makes his home on Vancouver Island; as a father of four, grandparent of nine, and great-grandparent of one, he’s especially passionate about protecting British Columbia's precious natural resources and wildlife for future generations.Murray Martin worked in the telecommunications industry as an electronics technologist for over 20 years until deciding to change careers recently. Presently, he is a political science student at Simon Fraser University, concentrating his studies in political economy, international trade , and labour issues. In addition to school, Murray works as a researcher on issues such as international trade and privatization of electricity in Canada. An interest in the environment initially drew Murray to the issue of electricity privatization in British Columbia. His commitment to the environment and the success of BC Hydro drew Murray to the work of BC Citizens for Public Power, and he has been a supporter and a volunteer with the organization since 2005. Murray has also been active with groups such as Amnesty International and the Council of Canadians. He is a long-time resident of Burnaby.Jim Quail is the Executive Director of the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Vancouver, a non-profit law office, specializing in the field of social justice law. BCPIAC represents low-income consumer groups in regulatory proceedings, and represents disadvantaged groups and individuals in test case litigation and poverty law.