Board of Directors - 2023-2024 Operating Year
Katie Stobbart, President (they/them)
Katie is a demisexual lesbian who lives in Uptown New West with their cat She-ra and their many houseplants. They are a poet, a painter, and an avid Dungeons & Dragons player. Katie’s professional background includes working for community service and arts organizations, as well as founding and publishing a regional arts and culture magazine in the Fraser Valley for five years before relocating to New West. They have been a writer, an entrepreneur, and an executive director, and brings a sense of creativity and innovation to their work in the community.
Kevin Lee, Vice President (he/she/they)
Kevin is a firm believer that the arts must be interwoven with social needs. After graduating from UBC and UWO, in opera and voice performance, Kevin’s been involved with productions focused on bringing attention to IBPOC stories. This includes performances with the Arts Club Theatre Company, Surrey ReEnactors and EAJC, directing a multicultural choir, exhibited at the National Museum for Human Rights and a decade on the Powell Street Festival’s programming committee. Their past experiences will be applied to help New West Pride Society take the next step to establish itself as a permanent facet in our neighbourhood.
Madeleine Gwynne, Secretary (she/her)
Madeleine is a resident of New Westminster via Australia, with a background in community arts projects, corporate record keeping and compliance as a license holder under the Cannabis Regulations. Working in start-up companies in industries with high barrier-to-entry and regulatory control has given Madeleine a broad tool-kit as a project, information and communications manager.
Stephanie Hallett, Treasurer (she/they)
Stephanie lives with her partner (Beck), daughter (Gwen), and cat (Opal) in downtown New Westminster, and loves the sense of community and connection that our city has to offer. A long-time attendee of New West Pride, she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to be a part of bringing this festival to life! An HR practitioner by day, Stephanie has long advocated for inclusion and equity in the workplace, and she is grateful to be a part of a like-minded, service-oriented non-profit organization, also based in New West. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the rest of BC, as well as photography, painting, gardening, yoga, coaching, enjoying a good patio, and having deep discussions.
Steven Best, Sponsorship Director (he/him/they/them)
Steven Best (he/they) identifies as a gay man and 2nd generation settler on the traditional unceded territories of the Qayqayt first nation. Born to European settler parents on the West Coast, Steven moved to New Westminster with his partner in 2016. They loved New West for its warmth and close-knit culture and knew at once it was the place they would call home. Steven joined the board of New West Pride in 2017 and spends most of his time engaging with sponsors and partner organizations within our community. Steven has worked with not-for-profit organizations for his entire adult life, supporting causes that range from animal welfare to the arts, from the environment to cancer research. Steven brings a passion for building relationships with community partners, and a fascination with using data to learn more about ourselves and our impact. Steven is so grateful to be a part of the society as it strives to serve its community in new and much-needed ways. In 2019, Steven became a father and since then, can frequently be found down at the playground or on the quay with his family. Whenever he can, Steven enjoys camping, hitting the beach, singing in the local choir and reading anything scary, funny or fantastic.
Carolyn Richard, Member at Large (she/her)
Carolyn joins the New West Pride board as a lifelong Sapperton kid (located on the unceded land of the Halkomelem speaking peoples). She holds humanities and language/literature degrees and worked/works in educational and environmental nonprofits. Her community volunteering serves urban Indigenous youth and equity-deserving groups. She is a softball, poetry, and condiment-loving bisexual. She devotes most of her spare time to maintaining her reputation as “the fun” aunt and sister.
Rustie, Member at Large (she/her)
Rustie is an artist and tattooer that been an on and off resident of New Westminster for her entire life. In addition, she is also the proud owner of a New West business which has been open since 2021. Tattooing started as a fun way for her to make money while being creative, but over the years it has evolved into so much more than that. Being able to help people express who they are, and help them to feel comfortable in their own skin is something she takes a lot of pride in, and hopes joining the board will be a great chance to help extend that beyond the tattoo studio. She is very excited about the future of the festival and her chance to give back to the community. Rustie can be spotted around town walking her Pomeranian, Leroy Jenkins. She loves Japanese food, Hiking, Lord of the Rings, Pokémon, and Mario Kart.
Jessi Gillis, Member at Large (she/her)
Jessi was born in New Westminster and raised all over the lower mainland. She currently lives in New West with her partner and teenaged son. Jessi has a keen interest in business, finance and community relationship building. In addition to her full time job, Jessi and her partner volunteer with with many other organizations in New Westminster. Jessi loves to get out and get to know the people in her community, so if you see her around, do not hesitate to introduce yourself
Rapha Ferreira, Member at Large (he/him)
Rapha is a gay Brazilian man that has been living in Canada for 5 years. Passionate in making a difference in people's lives and community, he believes that a genuine smile is always the right answer no matter what. Rapha is part of two Diversity, Equity and Inclusion research groups HBC Pride (2SLGBTQIA+ focused) and Kanata Post (First Nations and Truth & Reconciliation focused). He has over 16 years of experience working with Logistics & Supply Chain, Project Management and Training & Development and can't wait to be all hands on deck to bring the New West Pride to its next level.
