Our Board
Help North Okanagan Businesses Reach Their Potential
Are you looking for opportunities to give back to the business community and help others benefit from your experience?
Since 1984, Community Futures North Okanagan volunteers have been helping businesses grow and important economic development projects move forward.
Over the years, many community-minded individuals have shared their time and expertise as members of:
- Board of Directors
- Loans Committee
- Self-employment Panel
We’re fortunate to have representation from across the region and across gender, age and background. Our volunteers bring experience in community engagement, business development, leadership, finance, law and human resources.
Together, we’re building a vibrant business community
Volunteers are the backbone of the Community Futures organization and make a meaningful contribution to the region.
CFNO Committee members and Board Directors are ideally distributed throughout the North Okanagan region and represent the diversity of the area in terms of geographic representation, gender, age and ethnicity. CFNO seeks individuals with skills related but not limited to:
- Community engagement
- Business and workforce development
- Financial/legal expertise
- Human resources
Volunteer With Us
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer on one of our Committees or on the Board of Directors please complete the CFNO Volunteer Application Form. The Board Resource Committee will review applications of all interested candidates in compliance with Personal Information Protection Act, and make recommendations for appointments.
Board of Directors
Community Futures North Okanagan is governed by the Board of Directors operating in accordance with the provisions of the BC Society Act.
The Board’s membership consists of persons who represent our region’s cultural, employment and business community, and are interested in seeing local economic development reach its potential.
MICHELE HILL – Chair
Michele Hill is an Environmental Scientist and Registered Professional Biologist. Michele became involved with Community Futures North Okanagan (CFNO) in 1998 as a member of our Business Exchange Program. She had recently started an environmental services company in Armstrong BC, and was interested in participating with our small business owner’s peer mentoring group.
Over the years, Michele’s connection to CFNO expanded, and she became a member of the CFNO Loans Committee in 2006. Michele initially joined the CFNO Board of Directors in 2014, and has recently retuned in the role of Chair bringing her significant education, experience and environmental values to all aspects of her many roles within our Community Futures organization.
Michele Hill is a highly valued, engaged, and active CFNO Volunteer.
KARA KAZIMER – Vice Chair
A Program Administrator with Okanagan College for the last decade, Kara has an extensive background in curriculum/program development for a myriad of new certificates and micro-credentials. She is also responsible for sourcing and responding to funding calls that bring valuable industry and workforce development training opportunities to the Okanagan Region.
A graduate of the Bachelor of Business Administration from Okanagan University College, Kara previously worked at Community Futures for 13 years in the realm of community economic development, quality management, and entrepreneurship. Kara has also had the wonderful opportunity to travel abroad several times to the Russian Federation and Indonesia where she helped women and youth realize their entrepreneurial potential. She has long been an volunteer as President of the Okanagan College Alumni Association as well as the Secretary for the North Okanagan Youth Soccer Association.
DEBORAH GRAYSTONE – Treasurer
Deborah is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) who has recently retired after a long career as a tax partner with a global accounting firm. She has expertise in advising business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals to help them grow and thrive in a complex business environment. She has worked with businesses in a wide variety of industries, most notably real estate and construction, technology, and automotive, as well as clients with international operations and investments.
As an accomplished senior executive, she has a wealth of experience in dealing with human resources development, board governance, strategic planning and business succession.
Deborah has served on several non-profit boards and is proud to be a board member of Community Futures North Okanagan.
TIM BIEBER
Tim is an accomplished serial entrepreneur who has successfully launched and mentored multiple tech startups to successful exits. He has also held executive C-level positions in both public and private companies within the technology industry launching or working with companies ranging in size from 10 to 1,500 employees.
Tim’s extensive experience in sales includes working with some of the world’s largest companies such as IBM, Google/YouTube, CBS Interactive, and BBTV, selling various products and services including enterprise software solutions, digital media, SaaS, VR/AR entertainment and green-tech solutions across a wide range of industries. Tim’s entrepreneurial mindset, creative thinking, strategic planning, and execution skills are integral to his success, and he applies these skills to any organization he assists.
MICHELE BLAIS
Michele worked in the community services/health sector in Vernon since 1989. This has included coordination and leadership roles with Ministry of Advanced Education and Apprenticeship; Human Rights Committee; Boys and Girls Club; Family Resource Centre; Interior Health and the Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Collaborative. She also worked as a Realtor in Vernon for six years supporting families in a different capacity and learning more about the housing business in the process.
During her time at the Boys and Girls Club, they were partners with Community Futures with the Bridges Program and Michele was actively involved in the program, interviewing and supporting participants as well as presenting workshops.
Another passion was writing a local community column from 1997 to 2017 with the Sun and Vernon Morning Star newspapers’.
Michele is now retired and continues to volunteer within the community and has been a board member since 2014.
BRYNNA HAMBLY
Brynna is an employment lawyer who practices in Vernon, BC and across the province. Brynna has always had a keen interest in employment issues and has enjoyed practising in employment law since the beginning of her law career. Brynna currently practices at an employment law firm with a primary focus on employee-side employment law advising on a variety of issues. She has represented clients in various levels of court in Alberta and British Columbia.
Brynna is proud to be on the board of CF North Okanagan (since 2022). She was previously a member at large for the Turning Points Collaborative Society in Vernon from 2018 to 2022. Brynna was recognized in 2018 by the Vernon Chamber of Commerce as one of the “Top 20 Under 40” for promising young business people in the community, is a former member of the Junior Chambers International (Vernon chapter), and Vernon Women in Business and is a current member of the Canadian Bar Association. When she lived in Calgary, she actively volunteered with organizations who provide legal advice and services for low-income and marginalized people.
ALISON LUDDITT
Alison has been an entrepreneur and business owner in Vernon since 2010. Prior to buying The Room Collection, Vernon’s premier furniture and home decor store, Alison spent 15 years in London, UK as a Management and Leadership skills trainer in corporate, professional services and non-profit environments.
Since moving to Vernon, she has been a member of the Community Futures Business Exchange program and has mentored participants in their Enterprize Challenge. She has served on the board of directors for Vernon Women in Business as well as the Vernon Literacy Society / Boys and Girls Club when they were united.
Throughout her various careers, Alison has extensive experience in customer service, HR, strategy and been highly engaged in community. Her goal is to to utilize her skills to further the vibrancy of Vernon and area!
AMIR GOLBAZI
Amir is a Senior Product Marketing leader with a strong data-driven approach, with more than a decade of experience in the technology sector. He has assister global organizations in achieving successful product launches, market strategies, and processes to enhance business impact. Amir’s background spans both enterprise and B2C SaaS environments. He has held key roles in mission-driven organizations, excelling in automation, legal, and most recently, healthcare software.
Amir is committed to community engagement having served on the board of the Commerce Society at Toronto Metropolitan University. Having recently relocated to the Okanagan region, he proudly calls Vernon his new home and he is enthusiastic about contributing to and supporting his local community.
ASA LISHMAN
Asa has worked in the construction industry for over 20 years with his current employer, BC Hydro. He is responsible for overseeing civil aspects of large and small construction projects for public utilities across all of BC. With challenging scenarios, always having to adjust to fluctuating site conditions and requests, he is very adaptable to change and problem solving. Being self-employed prior to working at BCH, Asa recognizes the importance of having a resource like Community Futures to assist employees and employers.
Asa recognizes the value of giving back and enjoys volunteering to support the community by coaching and mentoring in his personal life. He enjoys all the Okanagan has to offer and takes in as much of it as he can. He brings his expertise and skills to the Board of Directors to better enhance where we live and play.
Asa joined the Community Futures North Okanagan Board as a Director in September 2023.
ALEX ANEROUSSOS
With over 17 years of experience as a Sales Leader, Entrepreneurial IT Consultant and Global Solutions Expert, Alex is a proven leader known for driving innovation and exceeding client expectations. As the Manager of Customer Success at TELUS, he leads a high-performing team focused on strategic growth for commercial enterprise business.
Alex also serves on the Board of Directors for Ziinkle, guiding the company’s strategic direction in the social networking space.
His career includes international experience managing large-scale IT deployments in Australia, as well as IT Consulting work in Ontario, where he is supported major municipalities and public libraries. Alex’s entrepreneurial approach and global expertise enable him to deliver tailored, high-impact solutions across industries.
JOHN MACNUTT
John joined the Community Futures as a Director in September 2024. John is recently retired after 20 years as a CEO of the Sawridge Group of Companies, an Alberta based Indigenous owned enterprise. Under his leadership, the Sawridge Group of Companies was transformed through several acquisitions, divestitures and the creation of long-term strategic partnerships resulting in long-term financial security for the shareholder Nation.
Prior to Sawridge, John was a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers where he was the Alberta Director of PwC Securities, leading assignments in corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures in a wide variety of industries. He is a lifetime member of CAIRP, the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals.
John holds a CPA, CA and earned his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors of Canada. He served on many private company Boards in a variety of industries including senior home care facilities, land development, construction, aviation and hospitality.
About Community Futures
From our office in downtown Vernon, Community Futures North Okanagan offers employment, business and economic development services to help residents build their future and the community. We service Armstrong, Coldstream, Enderby, Grindrod, Lavington, Lumby, Mara, Okanagan Indian Band, Spallumcheen, Splatsin and Vernon.
