Jessy Santana
Equity & Inclusion Strategist, Strategic Partnerships & Capacity Building
Campus: UBC Vancouver
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Bio:
Jessy is a passionate and skillful organizational culture strategist, and is dedicated to promoting innovation and inclusion in the workplace. In her previous role as the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Learning Manager and Consultant for the Canadian Center of Diversity and Inclusion, Jessy delivered a high volume of facilitated workshops on a wide range of topics related to diversity and inclusion. Jessy has consulted and guided government, non-profit and corporate clients to transform workplace culture and to build more inclusive organizational practices. As the former National Director of Training and Development for Hospitality Staffing Solutions, she oversaw the learning journey of over 3000 employees, managed a team of facilitators, and led the creation and execution of a number of leadership and employee programs. Jessy spent time living and working in China where she created programming around cultural intelligence and communications for American multinational organizations, designed to enhance communications and engagement with their teams in China and India.
Jessy is actively involved in the community, and has served as a community lead for SoGAL foundation which focuses on breaking down barriers for diverse entrepreneurs and investors. Jessy has also served on several nonprofit boards including Techqueria, Latinas in Tech, Dominicanos Unidos en Nevada, Latinas in Power and the Latin Chamber of Las Vegas.
Jessy was born in Dominican Republic, and has lived in Las Vegas, United States, China and in Montreal, Canada. Some of her hobbies entail traveling, aspiring to do comedy/improv, and writing stories with and for her daughter.
Functional areas of expertise:
- Educational programming and facilitation
- Leadership and strategy development
Email:
jessy.santana@ubc.ca
Address:
Brock Hall 2306
1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z1
Dharshi Lacey
Campus: UBC Okanagan
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Bio
Dharshi comes to this role with 20+ years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She brings a deep commitment to equity work, striving to shift the work from project work to systems work, challenging people and systems to apply a critical equity lens to their policies, practices, language and mindsets. An immigrant from Sri Lanka, Dharshi’s work is influenced by both her personal and professional experiences. Since she immigrated, she lived and worked in London, Ontario and is looking forward to contributing to the meaningful advancement of equity, inclusion and anti-racism work within UBCO and UBCV.
Email:
Address:
Admin 100C
1138 Alumni Avenue
Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7
Vanessa Hogan
Executive Assistant
Campus: UBC Vancouver
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Bio
Vanessa provides executive administrative support for the Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion and the EIO. Vanessa holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and has many years of experience in executive assistance and administrative positions. She also completed a certificate in Fine Arts at Emily Carr University of Arts and Design. Vanessa is fully bilingual in Spanish and English.
Email:
vanessa.hogan@ubc.ca
Address:
Brock Hall 2306
1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z1
Brian Nelson (on leave)
Administrative Coordinator
Campus: UBC Vancouver
Pronouns: he, him, his
Bio
Brian’s journey began in in Belfast, Ireland and he embarked on his Canadian adventure in July 2014. After one year in Toronto, he found his true home in Vancouver, where he has been residing for almost eight years.
His professional path has been as diverse as his travels. Brian has spent significant time in the construction field, primarily in project management and estimating. More recently, he has been working in administrative and HR fields at UBC. Brian holds a first class honors degree in Quantity Surveying from the University of Ulster, along with a Diploma in Industrial Studies.
Email:
brian.nelson@ubc.ca
Address:
Brock Hall 2306
1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z1
Rebekah Chotem
Project Manager, Institutional Initiatives Planning and Evaluation
Campus: UBC Vancouver
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Bio
Rebekah provides project management support to the Institutional Initiatives, Planning and Evaluation team. Her primary area of focus is the Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Framework and Roadmap to Change. Rebekah collaborates on the planning and implementation of the StEAR Strategic Actions, a project that spans both UBC campuses, all faculties, students, staff and teaching staff. Rebekah is excited to support the university in its continued and evolving efforts and commitment to equity and anti-racism. In addition to StEAR, Rebekah provides project management support for the Canada Research Chair Equity & Diversity Action Plan, and other small to large scale projects. Rebekah brings 7 years of experience working at UBC in program management, project management, student experience and leadership.
Email:
rebekah.chotem@ubc.ca
Address:
Brock Hall 2306
1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z1
Mahta Khoshnam Tehrani
Manager, Data, Analytics, Reporting & Evaluation
Campus: UBC Vancouver
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Bio
Mahta completed her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Ontario. She worked for almost a decade on interdisciplinary research projects applying engineering principles to medical, clinical, and health-care applications. Mahta is passionate about using her strong data analysis and critical thinking skills to promote well-being by supporting EDI initiatives.
Email:
mahta.khoshnam@ubc.ca
Address:
Brock Hall 2306
1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z1
Inas Ettayebi
Strategist, Institutional Initiatives
Campus: UBC Vancouver
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Bio
Inas’ academic journey encompasses a BA in Political Science, an MA in International Political Economy, and an MBA with a specialization in strategy development. Inas excels at blending smart planning skills with a strong understanding of how to deliver services effectively. Her professional path showcases her adeptness at transforming overarching objectives into actionable, growth-driven strategies that enhance operational efficiency. Inas has also spearheaded training sessions and workshops aimed at strengthening inclusive workplace cultures, partnering with leadership to introduce educational resources and programs that cultivate an environment of inclusivity among staff.
Email:
inas.ettayebi@ubc.ca
Address:
Brock Hall 2306
1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z1