Board of Directors

The VWSAC Board of Directors would like to welcome you to the Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre (VWSAC)!

For 25 years, VWSAC has been a leader and innovator in the field of trauma counselling, and we have the good fortune of working alongside a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Serving on the Board is a great way to get involved in the movement to end sexualized violence as a voice of the community. We are a creative and energetic group, and we are always on the lookout for new members.

Jill Ainsley - Co-chair
Jill is the mother of two young children and an M.A. student in history at the University of Victoria. Formerly a manager at the Legislative Assembly of B.C., she brings to the board experience in strategic planning, human resource management, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, team development and leadership.

  Kimberly Brown – Treasurer
  A graduate of the UVic Bachelor of Commerce Program, Kimberly has been in the financial services 

  business for nine  years and  is  as an Investment Advisor  at  Canaccord Capital. Kimberly is

  committed to contributing to the community in which she lives and passionate about women’s

  issues.  She aims  to put her financial skills to use at the Centre by assisting with the development of

  finance initiatives and fundraising.

  Originally from Vernon, Kimberly has now lived in Victoria for 14 years. She enjoys skiing,

  snowboarding, golfing, and squash.

Natasha deKlerk
Natasha joined the Board in January 2008. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Justice Studies and a Business Management diploma in Finance, she brings policy development and accounting experience to the Board. Natasha's interest in social issues has led to previous volunteer support roles with the Greater Victoria Police Victim Services and the Vancouver Island Crisis Centre.

   Emily Ellingsen – Co-Chair

   Emily has been an active volunteer at VWSAC as a crisis line support worker and a SART volunteer.

   She is excited to maintain a continuing involvement with the centre bringing her interest and

   experience in sexual medicine and mental health. 

Yvonne Haist
Yvonne teaches in the School of Social Work at the University of Victoria. She also has a private counseling practice which centres on trauma work and is deeply informed by many years of training in somatic integrative work. Her passion is to unify the political, the spiritual and body wisdom in social work practice.

In her ‘spare time’ Yvonne loves to sing, to kayak, to drum and to explore new places.

Shannon Schaus
Shannon is new to Victoria having moved here in August (2007) from Winnipeg.  While in Winnipeg she was heavily involved in Klinic's sexual assault program, as a volunteer for 7yrs., casual intake worker for 2yrs. and a staff member of the crisis program as a crisis counsellor. Shannon brings to the Board a wide range of experience working and advocating with women who have experienced sexualized violence and domestic violence.  She is extremely passionate about social justice, anti-oppressive work and helping to bring and end to violence against women.
 
Presently working as the Coordinator of Volunteers for Meals on Wheels, Shannon does hope to eventually return to school to do her Masters in Social Work.
 
Shannon enjoys camping, singing, laughing, reading and most of all biking - which is made that much better by how bike friendly this city is.

Shelley Spring
Shelley is a relatively new Board member who returned to Victoria after completing her undergraduate degree in Commerce and Psychology in Quebec.  She is a graduate of the UVIC Law co-op Program, and is currently an associate with Dwyer Tax Lawyers.  She has been an active volunteer in her community for most of her life and enjoys a wide variety of activities such as skating, skiing and hikes with her dog.

Andrea Titterness
Andrea has recently moved to Victoria to complete a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Victoria. During her undergraduate degree at Western Washington University she volunteered with an organization called Lifestyle Advisors. For this organization, she was a member of a women's group called Women's Empowerment and Violence Education (WEAVE), with whom she helped raise awareness of social issues on campus and in the community.

Andrea is an avid photographer, cartoonist and pianist and loves playing sports.