GVAT’s Board of Directors

Brigitte McKenzie

Chair

Brigitte McKenzie has been actively involved with GVAT almost from its beginnings. She currently serves as chair of the GVAT board of directors, and is a member of the Indigenous Relationships Learning Circle, (a subcommittee of the Committee of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, COEDI, within GVAT).

Brigitte is an ordained diaconal minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada with a call to serve in specialized ministry focused on community engagement. Her previous career involved being a senior manager of volunteer resources in several not-for-profit organizations, including AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI) and Victoria Hospice.

Brigitte seeks to find balance between the diverse and gratifying work involving people and groups and spending personal time expressing her creativity in her love of gardening, being in nature, fibre arts, relearning watercolor painting, and avidly reading for her book club. Spending time with family, friends and neighbours is also an important pastime. She shares her home with her adult daughter and future son- in- law and feels very blessed to be able to call Victoria home for over 30 years.

Stephen Tyler

Interim Treasurer

Stephen is a father and grandfather who has lived in Victoria for 25 years. He is an active member of GVAT’s member organization Broad View United Church, and has worked as a planning professional and researcher on sustainability and climate change issues in Canada and South East Asia for more than 30 years. He enjoys cycling, hiking and reading aloud to his grandkids.

Yvonne Hsieh

Vice-Chair

An immigrant from Hong Kong, Yvonne Hsieh is a retired UVic professor of French. She chaired the Social & Eco Justice Committee at Holy Cross Parish for six years, and has represented Holy Cross at GVAT since 2018. She served as Co-Lead of the Affordable Housing ART from 2021-2023, working primarily to prevent homelessness among former youth in foster care, and helping to organize the GVAT Homes for All Assembly in October 2022. Yvonne is also a member of the GVAT Climate Justice ART. Her main interests lie in music, architecture, the visual arts, literature and languages.

Tracey Scott

Board Secretary

Tracey is a mother and grandmother who has lived on the island for 3 years. She is an active member of GVAT’s member organization Sierra Club BC, and has worked as a specialist in management systems, strategy, planning and governance for over 20 years.  Tracey lives in North Saanich with her husband Rob and enjoys forest walks with their dogs, cycling the Peninsula, swimming, jogging, exploring Vancouver Island, and learning how to tell awesome climate stories.

Lane O’Hara Cooke

Hi folks! My name is Lane O’Hara Cooke. I am a student organizer by trade and have planted my roots in the University of Victoria Students' Society. I am coming off my second term on the UVSS Board of Directors. Most recently serving as the UVSS Chairperson and Director of Outreach and University Relations. Before that, I served as the UVSS Director of Finance and Operations and the Advocacy Representative for the Gender Empowerment Centre (GEM).

My worldview has been shaped by the lesson I learned from student union advocacy, primarily, we are stronger always together and we have more in common than not. If we understand this, we can strive towards common goals and build sustainable, vibrant, progressive communities in Victoria. I hope to work with GVAT to persist in tackling issues like the housing crisis and food insecurity while strengthening the collective power of student voice and building solidarity amongst other disenfranchised groups.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my cat, chatting about local politics, drinking coconut milk lattes from the Munchie Bar, and learning about lesbianism’s rich histories and cultures. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, I look forward to the work we can accomplish together.