Our Staff

Dr. Noreen Simmons started in her current role as Executive Director (ED) in January 2010. As ED she has broadened the Society’s provincial early intervention services, increased government funding and raised the profile of the agency as a clinical teaching and research unit.  Her experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist in India, the Middle-East and Canada has helped advocate for, improve and expand programs and services so that families have opportunities to make optimal communication choices.  Dr. Simmons’ research  in linguistic and cultural diversity has enabled access to a global-range of expertise in the delivery of family-centred services.  She provides lectures, workshops and presentations nationally and internationally and is also a member of the teaching faculty at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, UBC. She is a lover of dogs and in her leisure time likes traveling with her family, reading and entertaining her twins.

Cathy Cruickshank has worked with the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre since 1990.  She started out as a part-time administrative assistant, and her current role is Finance and Accounting Administrator. This position includes maintaining financial records, HR Files, payroll, assisting with budget preparation, and taking part in the annual audit process and working closely with the Executive Director on all financial matters.  Cathy was part of the building committee when the new Surrey Centre building was constructed many years ago.  In her spare time, Cathy enjoys spending time with her family.  She’s the number one fan for her grandchildren who are very active in hockey, lacrosse, and dance.  Cathy’s family connection to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is through her hard-of-hearing, adult nephew who works as a dog handler for the Federal Government.

Linda Spencer has worked with the Surrey Early Speech and Language Program (SESLP) since 1991 as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and now acts as Supervisor.  Following graduation from Western Washington University with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, she worked in Grande Prairie, Alberta with children from three to fourteen years. Linda then obtained her Master’s degree from University of Western Ontario and returned to BC to help start SESLP and has remained there ever since.  Some of Linda’s highlights have been co-developing and facilitating our parent language and phonology workshops, our songs and rhymes group for toddlers, a language group for 4-5 year olds and our Kindergarten Readiness Info Night.  In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, canoeing/kayaking, camping, snow-shoeing, being involved with the Scouts, reading, painting and spending time with her son.

Teresa Kazemir has worked at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre since 2013 as a Speech-Language Pathologist, but has been involved with the Centre for many years. She first did a practicum here as a student in 1991, then came back to the centre when her son Jesse was born hard-of-hearing. Teresa and her family received services from 1995-2000, after which she served on the Board of Directors for four years.  Teresa loves working with families both individually and as co-facilitator of the Bouncy Babies group.  Outside of work, Teresa enjoys spending time with her family, singing, and volunteering with Hands & Voices, a parent-led organization also focused on supporting families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Charmaine Francis is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at BCFHRC, and has been a member of our team since 2010. She works one-on-one with local families, facilitates our Parents and Language Stimulation (PALS) group, provides outreach services and is the supervisor of our Sign Language Consultants. Charmaine has also run many BCFHRC workshops and programs over the years, including our Partners and Playmates (PNP) group and the Cochlear Implant Workshop.  She is also a member of the BC Early Hearing Program Intervention Advisory group.  Before her graduate studies, Charmaine volunteered at a preschool for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Namibia, and prior to coming on board she completed her final UBC practicum placement here at BCFHRC.  Charmaine lives in Port Moody with her husband and two young children.  In her spare time, she enjoys game nights, crafting and Zumba®.

Jana Barkowsky graduated from the University of Alberta’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program in 2023. She has experience working with children and family with a variety of backgrounds, including neurodiversity, multilingualism, and those with complex needs. Jana knows French and is in the process of achieving a francophone practice certification from the University of Alberta. She is also re-learning ASL part-time. Jana has hearing loss, and attended BCFHRS back when it was called the “BC Elks Auditory Rehabilitation Centre”. She is passionate about helping children and families communicate effectively through the delivery of evidence-based, family-centered intervention. In her free time, Jana enjoys doing puzzles, going for hikes, and both playing and listening to music.

**Currently on Leave**

Catherine Albert-Moore is a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (TDHH), at BCFHRC since 2011.  She completed her undergrad in Minot, North Dakota in Deaf & Elementary Education, and then a Masters of Arts in Early Intervention in Deaf Education at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri.  After graduation Catherine worked at the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf.  A year later she moved west and worked at the Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre of BC, before coming to BCFHRC.  While at the Centre, Catherine has been involved with running the PEER classroom, Partners and Playmates (PNP) group and providing outreach support to rural BC, while seeing local families as well.  Catherine enjoys working with children and loves seeing families develop their confidence in supporting their child.  Catherine is married with 3 children and enjoys  cross stitching, binge watching Netflix and listening to audio books.

Shaina Ardell completed her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) at the University of British Columbia in 2021 and has gained experience working with a variety of populations in schools, hospitals, and early intervention. She is excited to be working alongside BCFHR families as she strives to deliver individualized, family-centered, and evidence-based services. Over the years, Shaina has nurtured her passion for language learning through picking up some American Sign Language (ASL), getting involved with the local Deaf community throughout college and earning a minor in Deaf and Hard of Hearing studies from Minot State University. When off the clock, you’ll find Shaina baking, painting, or backpacking with her husband.

Valerie Bedry graduated from the Speech-Language Pathology program at UBC in 2021 and has gained clinical experience in various environments, including in Northern BC, the Surrey School District, and Royal Columbian Hospital. Valerie strives to provide an evidenced based, family centered approach to therapy and is excited to be working closely with children and their families. If you meet Valerie, be sure to ask her about new books she’s been reading, and her favorite hiking spots around British Columbia.

Ashley Chand graduated from the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program at the University of British Columbia in 2022. She has a variety of clinical experience, including child development centres in the Lower Mainland. Before completing her Master’s degree, she volunteered in admin and at Mingle and Play at the Surrey Centre. Ashley is passionate about working with young children and their families and is eager to provide services that are centered on holistic and evidence-driven practices. Her free time is spent doing ministry at Crave Church, going for walks, hiking and in the company of her friends and family.

Mindy Dhillon retired from her position at Fraser Health as the Clinical Practice Leader for the Public Health SLP Program in 2016, at which time she was happy to continue her career at BCFHRC where she has been working as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in the Surrey Early Speech and Language Program (SESLP).  Mindy received her Masters of Arts Degree from the University of Western Washington and has been practicing in the field since 1985.  She has experience working with all ages, but more recently has focused on preschool children. She is certified to provide Lidcombe Stuttering Therapy, the Hanen – It Takes Two to Talk program, More than Words, Learning Language and Loving It, and Target Word workshops for parents.  In her spare time, Mindy enjoys running, Pilates, yoga, reading, going to movies and plays, snowshoeing and spending time with her family and friends.

Rina Dulku has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre since 2015 and has been providing communication therapy to preschool-aged children for 10 years. She has always been fascinated by languages and language acquisition and is currently enjoying learning American Sign Language (ASL) part-time. Outside of work, Rina and her husband are kept busy by their son and daughter. She can be found cooking and baking with her family or out for a walk to the park with her children. Rina enjoys running and has participated in the Vancouver Sun Run multiple times. She also loves literature and art and hopes to create some children’s books herself someday.

Jaime Gardner completed her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) at the University of Toronto in 2022 where she gained experience working in a variety of settings including children’s rehabilitation hospitals, early intervention centres, and acute care hospitals. Jaime has always had a passion for working with children and their families, but she specifically became interested in the Deaf community after taking an American Sign Language course during her undergraduate studies at McMaster University and while completing a placement with this population in her Master’s. She is most looking forward to building connections with families as she supports them through their time with BCFHRS. Jaime recently moved to Vancouver from Ontario to begin her career and to spend her free time hiking, skiing, walking along the seawall, trying new restaurants and workout classes, and exploring as much of beautiful British Columbia as she can.

Zara Gauthier joined the BCFHRC team in April 2008 as a Speech Language Pathologist and Senior Outreach Consultant. Zara enjoys writing and running workshops for professionals and parents. She is the author and co-presenter of the our PEER Parents program and “Working with Infants- a workshop for professionals.” Zara trained and qualified in the U.K., where she worked for a decade, prior to moving to Canada. During her time there she established a specialist service for children who were deaf and hard-of-hearing and worked for a cochlear implant program. She has also worked at the Kelston Deaf Education Centre in New Zealand. Zara currently lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children.

Carolyn Hawrish has worked at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist since 2008.  Carolyn became interested in working with families whose children have hearing level differences while studying Linguistics and Psychology at McGill University.  Her fascination with language and the brain led her to pursue Audiology at Dalhousie University. She spent the first part of her career working as a Cochlear Implant Audiologist at BC’s Children’s Hospital while certifying with the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Carolyn loves learning about the languages and cultures of the families with whom she works.

Suna Karamani, a University of British Columbia graduate, has worked as a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) with the Surrey Early Speech and Language Program since January 2015, where she made the gradual transition from the private to public sectors. Prior to then, she worked as an English as a Second Language teacher for Simon Fraser University and Burnaby Continuing Education. In her current role as a SLP, she enjoys providing individualized support to families, leading parent-and-child groups, facilitating parent workshops, collaborating with her colleagues and community members as well as mentoring students and volunteers. In her spare time, Suna enjoys spending time with her growing family. In the near future, she hopes to bring her love for skiing, camping and travelling into her son’s life.

Vanessa Khu completed her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Alberta in 2016. After graduating, she worked as a school-based Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in Calgary and provided support in the areas of language development, social communication, and speech sound production. In 2020, Vanessa moved to Victoria and began working in private practice.  Vanessa has an interest in learning about different types of communication modalities and has taken courses in American Sign Language (ASL) and Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD). While working in private practice, Vanessa learned about neurodiversity affirmative support, which continues to guide her therapy practices. She believes in considering the lived experiences of those with disabilities when supporting families in developing meaningful goals for their child. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys cycling, reading, playing board games, and exploring the beautiful Vancouver Island with her partner and Boston terrier.

**Currently on leave**

Sarah Lau has been working as a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) with the BC Family Hearing Resource Society since 2017.  Sarah received her Masters of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Alberta and has been a practicing in the field since 2014.  She has experience working with clients of all ages, from preschool-aged children with severe speech and/or language delays, as well as adults with articulation or swallowing concerns.  She loves working with kids and their families and takes a play based approach to services.  She is trained in the Hanen Program^® – It Takes Two to Talk^®, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (Level 1), PROMPT^® (Level 1), and the Lidcombe Stuttering Program. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys baking and decorating cakes, kickboxing, and running.

Courtney Lawrence has been working at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre since 2018. She received her Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from UBC in 2017. She previously worked with preschool-age children with developmental delays and supported families to expand their communication skills.  Courtney has always been interested in ASL and is excited to be taking a course this fall. She enjoys working directly with families and building relationships with them. Courtney is originally from the interior of BC and enjoys hiking, exploring the West Coast, as well as watching Netflix and eating donuts with her husband.

Alexandra Lay has worked with the BC Family Hearing Resource Society since 2007, first as a member of the Surrey Early Speech and Language Program, and then joining the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre staff in 2010.  She completed her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Alberta.  Alex is passionate about her work with families and children, and enjoys helping children develop their confidence, listening and communication skills.  Highlights of her time at BCFHRC include attending the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in 2015, and developing the new Rhythm & Moves Music group.  In her free time, Alex enjoys reading, running, going for walks, and spending time with her husband and two young kids.

**Currently on Leave**

Amanda Lemay completed her Master of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) at the University of Alberta. While there she completed practicums at the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research and at an early intervention site for preschool-aged children, as well as becoming certified in the Lidcombe stuttering program.  In 2016, Amanda moved home to Victoria and began working at BCFHRC’s satellite office as an SLP. Here, she is inspired by the families she works with, and is consistently challenged to be more creative in her practice. She has a keen interest in American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture, and has completed her basic ASL certification. She is also passionate about early language and literacy, and has created groups at BCFHRC with that focus.  In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping and exploring Vancouver Island with her family.

Stefanie Macaro has worked at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre since 2016 as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). She has enjoyed leading the Partners and Playmates (PNP) group as well as visiting different areas of BC to co-facilitate the Foundations workshop. Her favourite part of the job is building connections with families as she supports them through their journeys at BCFHRC. Stefanie moved from Ontario after completing her undergraduate at Brock University, where she took her first sign language courses and became interested in the Deaf community. She continued her education at UBC and decided to stay on the beautiful West Coast where she enjoys hiking, cooking, yoga, and traveling.

Valerie Marshall has worked with BC Family Hearing Resource Centre since 2015 as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).  As a UBC student, she completed one of her practicums at the Centre and helped with the evening PEER programs.  Some of Valerie’s highlights have been co-leading the classroom portion of the PEER program, as well as developing and co-facilitating the Foundations workshops around the province.  Valerie first became interested in this field when her younger cousins learned to talk (and even use a few signs!) with the help of speech therapy sessions.  After that, Valerie was keen to learn American Sign Language (ASL) and started to get involved with the Deaf community through volunteering at the Ontario Camp for the Deaf.  In her spare time, Valerie enjoys training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, hiking, camping, and snow-shoeing.

Kat Mumford joined the BCFHRC team in September 2019 as a Speech Language Pathologist in the Victoria office. Kat trained and qualified in the U.K., where she worked as a school based SLP, before moving to Canada. Prior to training as a SLP, Kat completed her Ph.D in psychology investigating the relationship between gesture and language development. During her Ph.D Kat also took courses in British Sign Language, and is now excited at the chance to learn American Sign Language too. Kat is passionate about working with families and children, and supporting them to develop their communication skills. Outside of work, Kat enjoys SCUBA diving, hiking, camping and exploring the beautiful scenery that Vancouver Island offers!

Eileen Edinger, who is Deaf from birth,  grew up near San Francisco, California; graduated from Gallaudet University and moved to Canada in 1991. She has raised two daughters who are both now grown.  One of her daughters is also Deaf and graduated from Gallaudet as well.  Eileen has three cats that keep her great company, and a deep appreciation for flowers, plants and books. She is also passionate about advocacy for better  accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community.

Karen Jackson has worked with BC Family Hearing Resource Center since 2004 as an Early Childhood Educator.  Later, she also became a Deaf Mentor and Sign Language Consultant.  Karen graduated from the Special Education, ECE program at Douglas College.  Over a period of twelve years, she worked at Deaf Children’s Society in a variety of roles in their preschool program.  Karen became interested in working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children, while volunteering at the Vancouver Oral Centre and being a part of panels, alongside her parents, talking about her experiences growing up.  In her spare time, Karen enjoys spending weekends and summer vacation in Birch Bay, going to the beach with her kids and her dog, heading to the gym, DIY classes and watching her kids’ soccer games.

Annie Kudjerski was born in Serbia and raised in Toronto, Ontario her entire life. She studied at and graduated from National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. Over the past 20 years, she has worked as an educational assistant, a residential counsellor, a community living adult support worker, a literacy instructor, and an ASL instructor in deaf communities in Ontario and British Columbia. When she is not working, she enjoys photographing, hiking, reading books, and keeping in touch with family and friends.

Julia Szefer is deaf and bilingual, using ASL as her primary language. Back in her early years, she attended Deaf Children’s Society of BC and BC Family Hearing Resource Society (when it used to be called “The Elks”). After that, she attended BC School for the Deaf, followed by Gallaudet University.  Julia graduated from Gallaudet with a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is the only deaf person in her family and is now a wife to her deaf husband and a mother to her CODA toddler. Prior to joining BCFHRS, she volunteered & worked with deaf, hard of hearing, hearing, CODA/SODA children and their families in various of roles with Deaf Youth Today, BCFHRS, and most recently, Deaf Children’s Society of BC. In her spare time, Julia enjoys doing arts and crafts, playing games, cooking, baking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

Karen Jackson has worked with BC Family Hearing Resource Center since 2004 as an Early Childhood Educator.  Later, she also became a Deaf Mentor and Sign Language Consultant.  Karen graduated from the Special Education, ECE program at Douglas College.  Over a period of twelve years, she worked at Deaf Children’s Society in a variety of roles in their preschool program.  Karen became interested in working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children, while volunteering at the Vancouver Oral Centre and being a part of panels, alongside her parents, talking about her experiences growing up.  In her spare time, Karen enjoys spending weekends and summer vacation in Birch Bay, going to the beach with her kids and her dog, heading to the gym, DIY classes and watching her kids’ soccer games.

**Currently on Leave**

Janelle Milne has a long history here at BC Family Hearing Resource Society.  She first came here for preschool, volunteered here in 2017-2018 and now has joined the team.  Janelle wears a cochlear implant on her right ear and grew up in a hearing family as the only deaf person.  Over the course of her life, sh became curious about the deaf community and chose to volunteer at BCFHRS.  This grew into a passion for working with children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and their families.  In 2018, Janelle attended Douglas College to study Early Childhood Education (ECE) and recently graduated.  She is currently studying American Sign Language at Vancouver Community College. In her spare time, Janelle enjoys photography, hiking, playing volleyball with her friends and visiting local cafes for a good cup of coffee.

Julia Szefer is deaf and bilingual, using ASL as her primary language. Back in her early years, she attended Deaf Children’s Society of BC and BC Family Hearing Resource Society (when it used to be called “The Elks”). After that, she attended BC School for the Deaf, followed by Gallaudet University.  Julia graduated from Gallaudet with a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is the only deaf person in her family and is now a wife to her deaf husband and a mother to her CODA toddler. Prior to joining BCFHRS, she volunteered & worked with deaf, hard of hearing, hearing, CODA/SODA children and their families in various of roles with Deaf Youth Today, BCFHRS, and most recently, Deaf Children’s Society of BC. In her spare time, Julia enjoys doing arts and crafts, playing games, cooking, baking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

Jen Gow joined BC Family Hearing Resource Centre as a Family Support Parent in 2016. It was 2011, however, when Jen first walked through the doors; her family received early intervention services here for five years. From that time, Jen has become a strong parent advocate who loves to empower and connect families who have deaf and hard-of-hearing children. You can meet her at the Centre when you come in for your first visit, or at our groups and family events. She travels across the province as well, and looks forward to meeting you in your community.  When she’s not working, you might bump into Jen out and about; her favourite places to be are in the mountains and on the water.

Cathy Luther has been working as a Family Support Parent at BCFHRC since 1995. Prior to working for the agency, Cathy and her family attended the Centre as clients, receiving early intervention services for nine years. She has raised three deaf children who are now adults. Cathy says that meeting, talking with and supporting families is absolutely the best part of her job.  If she has not yet had this opportunity, she looks forward to connecting with you. Cathy also co-facilitates the Bouncy Babies group for our 0 to 18 month olds.  Over the years, Cathy has been involved with the Boards of various parent organizations, as well as sitting on the Parent Advisory Committee when BC was setting up the Early Hearing Program and universal newborn screening.

Cindy Adams is a part-time program assistant who started working at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre when her sons were young. Cindy enjoys the team atmosphere at the Centre and the variety of opportunities presented by her role.  She is always learning something new and is inspired by the amazing families she’s met throughout the years.  Cindy is a married mom of two now-grown sons. In her spare time, she enjoys playing all kinds of games for fun, and the challenge of word games and puzzles. She and her husband love to travel the world and are always looking for a new adventure.

Darren Bellamy is the latest of a family of volunteers that has been with BCFHRC since 2007. Darren himself started as a volunteer in 2008 while studying at Simon Fraser University.  After graduating with a double-major in English and Communications, he joined BCFHRS as a part-time Program Assistant in July 2014. He has made it his mission to gradually modernize BCFHRS’s technological tools to help bring more families together and make life a bit easier for all of our staff. Whether he’s connecting BCFHRS to all of our families and service providers online through platforms like Zoom or Teams, setting up an informational slide-show or putting together the latest mail-out for our various events, it’s clear that there’s nowhere he’d rather be than here. Darren likes to watch movies and play video games in his free time.

Anna Corbett joined the BCFHRS team in September 2018 at the Vancouver Satellite Centre. An advocate for taking an active role in helping others, she volunteered for many years with other non-profit organizations as well as Burnaby South Secondary School and the B.C. School for the Deaf. She is a Montrealer and a graduate of Concordia University in Computer Science. Anna worked as a Certified Travel Consultant for over 15 years. This afforded her an opportunity to visit five of the seven continents. She is now working on learning American Sign Language, in addition to the four languages she already speaks which include French and Spanish. She enjoys living in beautiful B.C. with her filmmaker husband, her daughter and their Instagram famous cat, Trigger. Anna enjoys reading, playing the piano, hiking and spending time with her family.

Shayal Kumar joined the team at SESLP in 2022.  She is trained as a Paralegal, is very passionate about languages and aspires to be fluent in Greek, Mandarin & Arabic.  She is always looking for something new to learn and for ways to be involved in the community.  In her free time she loves adventuring with her four dogs, reading and taking photos.

Agnes Lal joined us recently at our main Surrey Centre as a program assistant. She enjoys a variety of tasks, and challenges, that this role brings. She loves the opportunity to learn ASL, and be a part of a team, that makes a change in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. Agnes is a graduate of the Hotel Management School and Administrative Assistant Program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two small children, cooking, and daily walks. She likes to learn new computer skills and is happy to be part of BCFHRC family.

Patty Young joined the Victoria Satellite Centre team as Program Assistant in September of 2017. Prior to joining BCFHRC, Patty had a long career in Maternity and Mental Health nursing. After a short retirement spent travelling in Europe with her family, Patty decided it was time to give back again and joined us at BCFHRC. In her spare time Patty enjoys her two precious grandchildren, attending her local YMCA and enjoying her beautiful city of Victoria with her husband.