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Our board of directors
The Legal Services Society (LSS) is governed by a nine-member board of directors. Five of the directors are appointed by the province’s Lieutenant-Governor in Council, and four are appointed by the Law Society of BC.
As a whole, the board must reflect a range of skills and experience in areas such as business management, law and the operation of courts, BC's cultural diversity, and the social and economic circumstances of people with low incomes. As individuals, each has demonstrated a commitment to helping the disadvantaged with their legal issues.
The board creates LSS policies and bylaws that reflect established best practices for governance. See Board governance practices.
The LSS board of directors is introduced below.
D. Mayland McKimm, QC
Chair, LSS Board of Directors
Chair, Executive Committee
D. Mayland McKimm has practised family and criminal law in most areas of British Columbia from his offices in Victoria since he was called to the BC Bar in 1984. Now a partner at McKimm & Wishart in Victoria, he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2001. Mayland has litigated family and criminal cases at every level of Court in BC, as well as in the Provincial and Superior Court of Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also been active in the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBABC), for almost 20 years, most recently as its president (1999 to 2000).
Over the years, he has contributed his time and expertise to LSS, including as a member of the Criminal Tariff Committee (1992 to 1994) and as the CBABC's representative on the society's Policy and Planning Committee (1996 to 1999). He has been a guest lecturer at annual Crown counsel conferences (1999 and 2000), a guest instructor on defending child sexual abuse family cases for the Continuing Legal Education Society, and a guest lecturer on criminal procedure and lawyer counselling for the Professional Legal Training Course. His previous board experience includes sitting on the board of directors of Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria (1995 to 1996) and of the Union Club of British Columbia (2000 to 2003).
Deanna Ludowicz
Vice-chair, LSS Board of Directors
Member, Executive Committee
Deanna Ludowicz has spent her legal career serving the legal needs of people in smaller communities in British Columbia. She began her professional career as an articled student in Hazelton and has been a sole practitioner in Grand Forks since 1996, first with Ludowicz Law Office and now at Ludowicz Mellett Law Corporation, both general practices. From 1994–2002, she worked with the Legal Services Society as a family law lawyer and then as an Area Director. Deanna is actively involved with organizations in her community and sits on the Provincial Council of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch. She is an instructor at Selkirk College on law courses. Her anthropology background has provided her the opportunity to travel throughout BC on archaeological projects, including work with the Gitxsan.
Sheryl N. Lee, CA
Chair, Finance Committee
Sheryl Lee is chief financial officer and corporate secretary for 2010 Legacies Now Society and Legacies in Action Society. In that position, Sheryl is responsible for the financial stewardship of a large not-for-profit organization focused on strengthening physical activity, sport and recreation, arts, literacy, accessibility, and volunteerism in communities throughout BC. She is a key liaison with the board of directors and was responsible for the development and implementation of a committee structure.
Sheryl is a chartered accountant with over 20 years experience in public accounting, private industry, and the not-for-profit sector. She has a strong history of volunteering, including 14 years as a director on the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society and was appointed as a Lifetime Honorary Director in 2003. She is currently on a three-year term as treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee. She is a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Women’s Fraternity and was the finance advisor on the Executive Council. She is a director of the YWCA, from June 2009 to the present, and is a member of the Finance Committee. Sheryl is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC (ICABC) and is a past member of the Board of Examiners and past chair of the Audit Examination Sub-Committee. Other volunteer activities have included special fundraising events for Canuck Place and the Canuck Foundation.
She brings to the LSS board a substantial background in board managerial, analytical, organizational, and administrative skills, as well as extensive experience in accounting, budgeting, financial analysis and reporting, and board management.
Tom Christensen
Chair, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
Member, Executive Committee
Tom Christensen, from Vernon, has a broad range of experience as a lawyer, including appearances for family law and child protection clients funded by the Legal Services Society and acting for the federal Crown. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Okanagan–Vernon from 2001 to 2009, and in that time served as the Minister of Education, the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and as the Minister of Children and Family Development. Tom has a strong history of community involvement serving on numerous local boards. He is currently a director with the Junction Literacy Centre in Vernon and a director of the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust.
He brings to the board extensive experience both in public policy development and in working with leaders from First Nations and government to resolve problems collaboratively.
Barbara Brink, CM, OBC
Member, Executive Committee
Member, Finance Committee
Barbara Brink is vice-president of Applied Strategies Ltd, a management-consulting firm.
Barbara has extensive board and business experience. She was a driving force behind the creation of British Columbia's Science World, and served as chair of the Board of Governors and as chief executive officer. She is the immediate past chair of the University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital Foundation. Other recent community work includes serving on a number of boards, including the Provincial Capital Commission, the Salvation Army of Greater Vancouver Advisory Board, Junior Achievement of BC, and the West Vancouver Community Centre. She was a founder and chair of Leadership Vancouver and was the first Canadian to serve on the Community Leadership Association's board of directors. She has also served as vice-chair of the Laurier Institution.
Barbara is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, and is a recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal and the YWCA Women of Distinction award. She holds her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from the University of British Columbia.
Barbara brings a substantial background in board governance and organizational leadership to the LSS board.
David Crossin, QC
Member, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
One of BC's most prominent trial lawyers, Vancouver’s David Crossin, QC, has a broad range of litigation experience in all levels of court. Named one of Canada’s best criminal defence lawyers by the Financial Post in 2006, he has also represented a diverse clientele in the field of commercial litigation. He regularly represents police officers in disciplinary matters. He has also been counsel for a number of legal aid or pro bono cases. He often instructs on a variety of legal issues for the Continuing Legal Education Society. He previously sat on the LSS board from 1995 to 1998, and in 2001 received one of the six inaugural LSS tariff recognition awards.
Todd Ormiston
Member, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
A Tutchone/Tlingit, Todd Ormiston is an instructor in the First Nations Community Studies program at Camosun College and in the Social Work department of the University of Victoria. He has more than 15 years of experience working with young people in conflict with the law, and has been a consultant to government agencies on youth and Aboriginal issues. A frequent speaker, Todd has also coordinated/ facilitated conferences around the world. Todd holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Victoria, and is currently working on his Doctorate at UBC.
Darrell Wickstrom
Member, Finance Committee
Darrell J. Wickstrom is a partner in the Vancouver office of Fasken Martineau and specializes in personal tax and estate planning, with a particular emphasis on Canada–US matters. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of British Columbia. Professionally, he is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He holds his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Simon Fraser University, his Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia, and his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Washington. His community involvement includes Junior Achievement BC.
Darrell brings a sound understanding of the justice system and different approaches to dispute resolution to the board’s work.
Marion Wright
Member, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
Lead board member on governance
Marion Wright is a former elected chief councillor and councillor of the Kwakiutl Indian Band in Port Hardy. She and her team were instrumental in developing an open, transparent land and resource model as the standard for economic development with businesses in Kwakiutl traditional areas. Her record as chief councillor was one of collaboration and partnerships with neighbouring communities and the private sector. She recently served as the chair of the Vancouver Island Aboriginal Transition Authority, a Crown corporation dedicated to protecting at-risk children by helping participating communities design and develop their own child and family service system framework. She has instructed courses for North Island College, University of Victoria, George Manual Institute, University of Regina, and the Native Education Centre. She holds both her Bachelor of Education and her Master of Education Administration from the University of British Columbia. She is also a published children’s author.
Marion brings to the board a keen appreciation of how the justice system affects the everyday lives of people in Aboriginal communities.