Staff Welcomes and Changes

The beginning of a new fiscal year often brings shifts in staffing as some projects are completed or move into different phases — while other new programs and projects begin. We are happy to announce changes to our team, welcoming some new faces while others turn their talents and energies to different challenges. We also want to take the opportunity to say goodbye to some team members who are now moving on, and to thank them for all their dedication and work.
 

Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI) Manager – Jaydee Cossar

Jaydee has been working with PAN since May 2015 as the PLDI and Stigma Index Project Manager. Jaydee’s primary responsibilities were to serve as the principal liaison for each project, dividing his time equally across the PLDI and the Stigma Index. His work on the Stigma Index was focused on the initial development and planning for the project, working closely with the research team and Peer Research Associates. Now that data collection is finished, over the next few months Jaydee will be transitioning out of his role as Stigma Index Manager and into a full-time role as the PLDI Manager. PAN is working in partnership with the Ontario AIDS Network and COCQ-SIDA (Quebec) to develop PLDI as a national project. Jaydee will contribute to national coordination, developing training curriculum for Quebec, and scaling up of training events in BC and Ontario. Janice and the Evaluation team will be supporting evaluation of the National PLDI project.

You may contact Jaydee via email at [email protected] or 604.569.1998.

 

Evaluation Coordinator – Mona Lee

We are very pleased to announce that effective April 1st, Mona Lee was hired/promoted into the role of Evaluation Coordinator at PAN. Mona will be a familiar name and face to you, as she has been working at PAN in several capacities over the past few years: as Vancouver Site Coordinator for Positive Living, Positive Homes (PLPH) study; as Administrative support; and most recently, she has been actively supporting Janice within the CBR and Evaluation program, developing evaluation resources and planning for shared measurement work with both PHSA and Northern Health. Now that data collection for PLPH has concluded, Mona will continue to support PLPH one day a week in the role of Knowledge Translation Coordinator. As with Jaydee and his Stigma Index work, Mona will be working over the month of April to ensure smooth transition of her administrative duties to the new Executive Assistant position, or other staff person as appropriate.

You may contact Mona via email at [email protected] or 778.984.1023.
 

Capacity Building & Knowledge Translation Coordinator – Janet Madsen

Janet Madsen has joined the PAN team as the Capacity Building and Knowledge Translation Coordinator, bringing with her years of experience in the community-based HIV/AIDS sector in British Columbia. Janet will be managing a number of program and project areas, including: supporting and developing capacity building and training events (webinars, regional trainings and an annual Educators’ Forum for people who work with Indigenous populations); managing the PAN Weekly News (e-news), social and other digital media; providing knowledge translation service and support to the Stigma Index and other research projects; and providing administrative support services for other PAN initiatives. You may know Janet from her years at Positive Women’s Network, where she was responsible for all traditional communications and digital media initiatives. Janet has worked on contract with PAN several times, most recently joining us in November 2016 as the Collective Impact Network and Special Projects Coordinator.
Please note that the management of the PAN Weekly News is now returning “in house” and will be Janet’s responsibility. Please email Janet with items. 

You may contact Janet via email at [email protected] or at 604.725.5897.
 

Executive Assistant & Collective Impact Coordinator – Simon Goff

We are also pleased to welcome Simon Goff as Executive Assistant and Collective Impact Coordinator. Simon will be providing key administrative, logistical, and communications support to myself as Executive Director (ED) and the organization as a whole; as well as acting as Coordinator for the newly created Provincial Collective Impact Network that has been formed as a partnership between PAN and the PHSA. Simon comes to this dynamic new position at PAN with a strong background spanning over two decades in not-for profit administration. He holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Nottingham, UK. During his studies he volunteered as a homeless outreach team leader on the streets of Nottingham. Soon after graduating that program he felt called to the field of social justice work and began to work on a project with at-risk teens in Southampton, UK. When he moved to Victoria, Simon quickly found a spiritual home at Lambrick Park Church and over the past 17 years has been very involved in a number of paid and volunteer initiatives including leading a long-term partnership in Ethiopia with the organization Food for the Hungry, and helping to manage the weekly Street Café and Agape Meal at the Mustard Seed in Victoria. Simon is very keen to bring his passion for positive change to PAN and is eager to start making a real contribution to our organization and to HIV/HCV/ harm reduction and related sectors.

You may contact Simon via email at [email protected], or at 250.891.5249.
 

Making It Work Research Coordinator – Tabitha Steager

Tabitha is joining the PAN team on a part-time basis to help coordinate the Making It Work project, a CIHR CBR Catalyst grant funded through the Aboriginal Stream that was developed by members of what was the Provincial HIV, HCV, Mental Health and Substance Use Working Group. This grant is working to develop a Realist Evaluation Framework to try and understand how frontline providers make case management and community development projects work for people living with HIV, HCV, ill mental health and problematic substance use, with a particular eye to cultural safety. Tabitha comes to us with a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from UBC and has worked as a communications consultant and notable as a Senior Researcher with the Firelight Group a consulting group that works with Indigenous and local communities in Canada to provide high quality research, policy, planning, negotiation, and advisory services.

You may contact Tabitha via email at [email protected].

 

Thank You and Good-Byes

We bid a fond farewell to some folks who have made a significant contribution to PAN in their respective roles. We appreciate and thank them for all that they did!
 

Michael Smith – E-news Manager

Mike has been managing the PAN Weekly e-news on a contract basis since May 2015 and has been a diligent and reliable overseer of the e-news. Thank you Mike for all of your efforts.
Items for the PAN Weekly e-news should now be sent directly to Janet
 

Devyn Flesher – Site Coordinator, PLPH, Prince George

Devyn’s last day on PLPH was March 31st, and we bid her a fond farewell to her formal duties working out of the research site office at Positive Living North. Devyn’s hard work, creative input, reliability, and creation of connections in Prince George has helped the study and the community.
 

Vicki Nygaard – Site Coordinator, PLPH, Kamloops

In a similar way, Vicki’s role as Site Coordinator for PLPH in Kamloops has come to an end. Like Devyn, Vicki brought a ton of passion and enthusiasm to the study, and worked through a number of significant challenges for us in that community.
 
 
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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
Jennifer Evin (Evin) Jones, Executive Director,
[email protected]