To contact a member of the UFV Board of Governors, please email ufvboard@ufv.ca or call the Board Office at 604-854-4561.
Board of Governors
Board of Governors
To contact a member of the UFV Board of Governors, please email ufvboard@ufv.ca or call the Board Office at 604-854-4561.
John Pankratz is a UFV alumnus who started his post-secondary journey at the Fraser Valley College. He completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at Simon Fraser University, earned his CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) designation, previously the CGA (Certified General Accountant), and recently retired from a 37-year career in public accounting. Mr. Pankratz served on and chaired numerous CPA and CPA-BC committees and was honoured by the profession with a Fellowship designation in 2009 and granted life-member status in 2013. Mr. Pankratz is in his second term on the UFV Board of Governors and in his sixth year as the Board’s chair.
Mr. Pankratz is actively involved in his community and is chair of the Abbotsford Restorative Justice and Advocacy Association. He previously volunteered with the Royal Life Saving Society, Canadian Red Cross, and Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons.
Cristen Gleeson is a Managing Partner with Baker Newby LLP. Previously Ms. Gleeson was a Project Coordinator for Pivot Legal Society and a Sole Practitioner and Barrister of Cristen Gleeson Law Office. Active in her community, she is Founder and Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Fraser Valley. Ms. Gleeson is also a Director of the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation. Previously she was a Director of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre and Pivot Legal Society. Ms. Gleeson holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Queen’s University.
Bailey Savage is an Associate with Kane Shannon Weiler LLP. She manages the conveyancing department at the Newton Office. Previously Mrs. Savage was an Associate in the Federal Prosecution Department at MTC Law and an Associate with Mani Sandu and Associates Law Corp. Active in her community, she has been a Volunteer Clinician for the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program. Mrs. Savage is a member of the Chippewas of RAMA First Nations. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Criminology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Fran Vanderpol is the Chair of The Oikodome Foundation, a family foundation she and her husband Pieter founded more than 25 years ago and operate together with their children. Active in her community, she presently is a Director for Abbotsford Restorative Justice and Advocacy Association and is involved with the UFV Peace and Conflict Studies Program Community Advisory Committee and the vision of a Peace and Reconciliation Centre. Fran was a founding member of Character Abbotsford. Before selling the business to the next generation, Fran was owner and President of Vanderpol’s Eggs. She graduated from Hamilton Teachers College and has studied at McMaster University and Regent College.
Jinder Sarowa is a retired educator who is currently mentoring and coaching leaders in various professional roles. Mr. Sarowa was Principal in the Abbotsford School District at Yale Secondary, Robert Bateman Secondary, Rick Hansen Secondary, and Abbotsford Middle, as well as Principal at R.E. Mountain Secondary in Langley; his focus is staff development and the student experience. He earned a Masters in Educational Leadership from Western Washington University in Bellingham. Active in his community, he is currently Tournament Director for the BC High School Basketball Association. He started the Canadian Cultural Pride Association, which was a group of community members who empowered youth to engage in positive initiatives. He was on the Board of Directors for the Abbotsford Community Foundation and Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation. He is past President of the Abbotsford Principals' Association. Over the past three years, he has been a part of the Abbotsford District learning team, engaged in educational advancement with Harvard and twelve other North American districts on emergent leadership and fostering equity environments.
Lesa Lacey is Business Manager at Lacey Developments Ltd. Previously, Ms. Lacey was Owner of Page Planning and Manager at Western Association of Broadcasters. Active in her community, she is Chair at BC Construction Safety Alliance, Executive Member and Presidential Appointee at Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) of BC, and Board Member at Skills Canada BC. Ms. Lacey is also Founding Member at Fraser Valley Women in Construction Group and Founding Member at CHBA Fraser Valley Boot Bank. She is the recipient of President’s Award from Mission Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Year Award from CHBA BC, and President’s Award from CHBA Fraser Valley. Ms. Lacey holds an Honours Diploma in Business Administration, Accounting from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Stacey Crawford is Director of Economic Development at City of Mission. Previously, Mr. Crawford was Commercial Account Manager at Business Development Bank of Canada; Manager, Strategic Directives at Community Futures South Fraser; and Business Development Officer at Community Futures North Fraser. Active in his community, he is Past Board Chair at Prospera Credit Union and Director at British Columbia Economic Development Association. Previously, Mr. Crawford was Past President at Mission Chamber of Commerce and Past President at Rotary Club of Mission Mid-day. He holds a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University and a Diploma in General Management from Thompson Rivers University. Mr. Crawford also holds his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and is scheduled to complete an Executive Master of Business Administration from University of Fredericton, Sandermoen School of Business in December 2024.
Dr. Christine Slavik is Department Head and an Associate Professor in the Child, Youth, and Family Studies Department at the University of the Fraser Valley. Previously she was the Director of Child Life at British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital. She has been employed as a Child and Youth Care Counsellor and as a nurse in psychiatry/mental health. Christine teaches the Child Life and Community Health course as the foundation for the Child Life Specialization and is faculty liaison for the Child Life Internship.
Dr. Slavik holds a Certificate in Appreciative Inquiry Facilitation and is a Certified Trainer of the Appreciative Leadership Development Program.
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Dr. Shelley Canning is an Associate Professor in Nursing at the University of the Fraser Valley and a research associate with UFV’s Centre for Education and Research on Ageing (CERA) and the Health and Social Innovation Hub (CHASI). She completed her PhD in nursing at UBC as well as a BSc and secondary school teaching certificate at the University of Victoria. Dr. Canning's nursing practice background includes palliative oncology and community health. She is an applied health researcher with a focus on ageing and dementia. Her research aims at better understanding and supporting the quality of life for older adults especially those living with dementia. She is also an advocate for the creation of "age-friendly" initiatives both within UFV and neighbouring communities. Shelley has been a nursing faculty member at UFV since 2006 where she has participated in a wide variety of faculty and institutional committees.
Pierce Stoeckly has worked at UFV since 2001 as a Program Technician in all trades program areas, and he earned his Automotive Service Technician Red Seal Journeyman designation from UCFV. Prior to that, Pierce worked as a Service Technician for a GM Dealership in Abbotsford.
Pierce has also been an active member of the Kent/Harrison Search and Rescue for the past 25 years.
Carmen Pankratz has attended UFV since 2021 and is currently enrolled in the Social Service Worker Diploma program with a goal to complete a Bachelor of Social Work degree. Carmen is passionate about helping others, and she looks forward to making an impact in her community. She is honoured to serve on the Board of Governors and eager to continue growing on a professional level.
Jim Corkal is in his second year at UFV studying for general interest to qualify for the Computing Science program. As an older adult, much of Jim’s recent learning comes from conversations with students who share with him their hopes, dreams, and the challenges of current student life. At UFV, Jim looks forward to helping create a positive environment of higher learning that further advances UFV’s standing with all its constituents.
Jim Corkal has BA and MD from Queen’s University and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Orthopaedics. As a believer in life-long learning, he supplemented his previous education and leadership with an MBA from Stephens College, a certificate in Healthcare Economics and Outcomes Research from the University of Washington, and many real-life successes and failures in implementing change and strategic planning in healthcare.
Jim has previous board experience with the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders and the Canadian Association of Drugs and Technology in Health.