BOARD MEMBERS

BOARD MEMBER PROFILES

Doug Boyd

Doug was one of the owners of a Calgary-based travel agency with locations across Canada, for over 30 years. Doug retired from that company in 2016 and moved to Victoria in 2011. In Calgary, he was actively involved in two neighbourhood associations as well as a business association. Doug is passionate about advancing sustainability and active transportation in Victoria. He loves the city and also is an avid walker. Doug has been a member of the DRA since 2013. Doug was elected as a Board member and as Treasurer in 2014 and is currently the Chair of the Communications and Membership Committee responsible, amongst other things, for welcoming new members and for our website and social media accounts. In addition, Doug is the DRA’s representative on the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority Community Liaison Committee.

 

Sebastian Calderone

Sebastian is a Strata Property Manager and a resident of Downtown Victoria, having lived in Harris Green since 2020 and in Victoria since 2016. Originally moving to Victoria to complete his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Victoria, he then met his future wife and decided to make Victoria his forever home. Sebastian began a career in Strata Management in 2020 and works with a range of properties throughout the Capital Regional District.

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Sebastian has a passion for local development, community planning, governance, and community development and engagement, and wishes to work with those living in Downtown Victoria to develop and enhance the sense of community within our neighbourhoods. Specifically, he is hoping to find new ways to bring together the many new residents of Downtown Victoria and to envelop the myriad of new developments within the existing and established community. In his spare time, he is an avid soccer fan and spends most of his free time enjoying Downtown Victoria with his wife and their three cats, including walks to Beacon Hill Park and Dallas Road, and trying baked goods at any and every coffee shop downtown.

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Michael Demakiling

Michael is an employee training and development consultant for a national dental lab product and service company based in Calgary, AB. Michael also volunteers as a steering committee member for the Yates Street Community Garden (YSCG). He is passionate about promoting green space in urban areas. He helped to develop educational videos and volunteered to spearhead various community garden projects, such as the garden’s first vertical garden. Michael currently resides in the Harris Green neighbourhood with his partner. Outside of work and volunteering for the YSCG, he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities that Vancouver Island offers. He also enjoys nature photography and is an aspiring plant-based cook and baker. Michael joined the DRA board in February 2021 and is currently Chair of the Urban Livability Committee and Garden Coordinator of the Yates Street Community Garden.

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Furkan Kucukdurmaz

Furkan is a lawyer and has been a resident of the Harris Green neighborhood since 2023. He grew up in Turkey and then graduated from law school at Istanbul University. After graduating, he practiced law for more than 8 years in Istanbul as a registered lawyer at the Istanbul Bar. He specialized in corporate and business law in various aspects. He then moved to Victoria, BC, to change his career path significantly.

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He joins the DRA with a desire to contribute to the community and to be part of the society he lives in. He enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, having coffee, and experiencing new tastes in local food.

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Sherry Lee

Sherry is a senior policy analyst and a resident of Downtown Victoria since 2019. She grew up in the BC Lower Mainland and had worked in various capacities in the healthcare and biotechnology sectors. Sherry brings analytical and project management experiences and worked with the DRA Board and Committees on our 2022 election events and our recent survey of residents.  Sherry is keen to plan and deliver projects that make Downtown Victoria a more cohesive, engaged, and safe neighbourhood for its residents and visitors. Sherry is currently the Board Secretary.

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Mano Majumdar

Mano is a change management consultant at a major professional services firm and the co- founder of an independent espresso café in Ontario. Mano moved to Victoria in 2023 to escape the winter and share life with his girlfriend and their indoor cat in a stunning setting. Mano is an outspoken enthusiast for urbanism and the urban form, and Victoria was their first choice for its combination of its pleasant climate, its walkable downtown, and its arts and culture scene. Mano believes cities are an unmatched engine for economic, social, and creative progress, and that our future as a country and a planet is deeply predicated on the good management of our great cities.

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Neil McKinnon

Previously a frequent visitor, Neil moved to Victoria in January 2023 after retiring from the City of Calgary.  In Calgary, Neil had been actively involved in many community organizations, including some that resulted in City Council adopting such policies as a low-income transit fare and the search for an Indigenous Gathering Place.  Neil has also been very involved in the labour movement, serving on the executives of provincial, municipal and local union bodies.  Neil is passionate about public transit, living car-free in Calgary for 20 years, and continues this choice in Victoria.  He enjoys the wonderful urban walking opportunities of Victoria and looks forward to ensuring Victoria remains a wonderful place to live.
 

Dawn Moorhead

Dawn is a retired lawyer who transitioned from private practice to the non-profit sector where she co-founded three organizations in three countries - Canada, Dominica, and the USA. She is a resident of Harris Green and is passionate about climate change mitigation. She was personally trained by Nobel Laureate Al Gore and is spearheading the Victoria DRA’s Coolkit program. When not huddled at the computer in her micro-condo, Dawn can be found outdoors hiking, kayaking, or enjoying coffee at a local patio cafe.

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Jordan Royer

Jordan Royer grew up in Calgary and then went to university at the University of Western Ontario for Engineering/Business. After graduating, he spent time at Infrastructure Ontario on the project delivery team, specifically on the Waterloo LRT project. He then moved to BC to work in real estate development. In this capacity he’s worked on residential and industrial projects throughout BC, though mostly focused in the lower mainland and Vancouver Island.
 

In his current position with Omicron, he takes properties from the feasibility stage (which requires interpreting planning documents to understand allowable densities and forms) through entitlements, construction and turnover. As part of an integrated team - with designers and construction professionals in the same office - this gives him a perspective on the current construction trends that is an asset to the Land Use Committee.

 

Sandra Severs

Sandra Severs is a senior management professional with over twenty years experience working in diverse not-for-profit organizations.  Most recently she served as the Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s North and West Vancouver branch where she led the development of the HOpe Cafe, a unique collaboration between CMHA, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and BLENZ Coffee Company creating employment opportunities for those living with serious mental health challenges. With an M.A. in environment ethics, Sandra is interested in the development of inclusive communities in the urban core of cities.  She has five years experience in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside working with municipal and provincial governments on the challenges facing low-income residents. Sandra has been a resident of the Hudson District since 2017 and is currently President of the DRA.

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Ian Sutherland

Ian has worked in the development industry as a Planning and Civil Engineering consultant for over 35 years, as well as a design/builder and developer specializing in custom homes and rehabilitation of designated heritage buildings. Ian has served on the Board of the Victoria Civic Heritage Trust and has received the President's award from the Hallmark Society and the BC Heritage Award for past projects. Victoria born and raised, Ian has enjoyed living Downtown for over 20 years. Ian enjoys travelling around the world seeking and studying famous and inspirational architecture. Ian joined the DRA Board and has acted as Chair of the Land Use Committee since 2011, more recently moving into a co-chair role given the substantial increase in major developments in our neighbourhood.

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Colby Young

Colby Young was born and raised in Victoria and the surrounding neighbourhoods, where he continues to reside and work. He has been a resident of the Harris Green neighbourhood since 2019. He is employed as the Program Lead for the Vancouver Island Construction Association's (VICA) new harm reduction initiative, The Tailgate Toolkit, which seeks to address overdose fatalities within the construction and trades sector. Colby is a recent graduate of the University of Victoria’s Bachelor of Social Work program and holds a diploma in Public Sector Management. Prior to his work with VICA, he was employed for a number of years with the Victoria Cool Aid Society, leading and developing social-recreational programming for adults facing barriers such as homelessness, mental health disorders, and addiction.

Colby is new to the DRA. He joined as a volunteer for the Urban Livability Committee in November 2021. Colby has since been named the lead of the Sub-Committee to Support the Unhoused and has taken on the role of co-chair of the Urban Livability Committee. He comes to the DRA with a desire to build community and equity among Downtown residents and hopes to provide another voice on the Board for his neighbours, both housed and unhoused.

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Jeremy Zhao

Jeremy is a chemical engineer by profession and is active in the various technical groups within his profession. He has been a part of various community groups in Calgary, including being the logistics lead for the citizen engagement grassroots group CivicCamp, advocacy lead for the Engineers Without Borders Calgary Professional Chapter, on the steering committee for Basic Income Calgary and involved with Fair Trade Calgary as part of his EWB role. In addition, Jeremy has experience developing policy. He is also an active podcast host, with the most recent endeavour as a co-host for the Ward Zero podcast discussing local and urban issues about his former hometown of Calgary.  Jeremy was a key resource to the Board in preparing for and presenting our 2022 civic election forums and looks forward to utilizing his civic expertise in Victoria. He is current;y Vice-President of the Association.