Advisory Board

Debbie Catherwood

Debbie Catherwood was born and raised in the oldest Romanian community in North America - Boian, Alberta - and is always thankful for the richness her heritage brought and continues to bring to her life. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelor of education and moved to B.C. in 1976, taking her first job with the Langley School District. She brings extensive experience from both the non-profit and business sectors, with two areas of interest: small business start up, organization and development, and personal development.

Frank Cumming

Frank started his career at Southams with Edmonton Journal as the National Advertising Manager. In 1969, he moved to Vancouver and worked for Southam Publishing for another nine years. In 1995, he moved into publishing for the travel industry with GSA Travel Magazine, which has since become the industry leader in Western Canada. GSA now publishes several products for the travel industry as well as in-flight magazines.

Hunter Dickson

Hunter Dickson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Quebec. She moved to B.C. in 1980 and has lived in Vancouver since 1997. Her career in administration has encompassed many industries including shipping, hospitality, retail and construction where she worked as the senior project secretary on the Diavik Diamond Mine Construction project. She is a freelance writer, editor and biographer, and an active volunteer for the arts in Vancouver.

John Halani

John is Chairman of the Ethno business council, Honorary Consul General of Uganda, Vice Chair of the Vancouver Multicultural Society and Chair of the Greater Vancouver Citizenship Council.

Massood Joomratty

Massood Joomratty was born in Mauritius and educated in England. Massood is a member of the Bar Council of England and Wales and a member of the Canadian Bar Association. He is also a member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. His practice consists of immigration law and business law. He specializes in immigration appeals, independent (skilled worker category), investor and entrepreneur immigration. Massood is also fluent in several languages, including French. Massood is a regular speaker at Delta Immigrant Services. He is on the board of directors of the Family Services of Greater Vancouver, a non-profit organization.

Meghan McCreary

Meghan McCreary is a lawyer with Harris & Company in Vancouver, the largest law firm in Western Canada focused on employment and labour law. Harris & Company provides comprehensive legal services in the areas of labour, employment, education, health law and privacy law as well as in other aspects of administrative law, including human rights. Meghan grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, and is a fourth-generation Canadian. Both her mother's and father's great-grandparents immigrated to Canada from Ireland and her family remains very proud of their Irish heritage.

Dave Quackenbusch Msc, BEd, APMR, CIMS

Dave is the owner and CEO of Starblade Industries. He has travelled extensively, conducting business in other countries and has worked in every region of Canada. Starblade is a business support company that offers a wide range of consulting services for small and medium-sized businesses. A founding member and current president of the Canadian Home & Micro Business Federation, he is committed to ensuring that the entrepreneurs of Canada get every opportunity to grow and thrive.

Amandeep Singh

Amandeep Singh was born in India, raised in Hong Kong and educated in United States and Canada. Amandeep is a lawyer who practises primarily in the areas of immigration and business law. His practice also includes general, commercial and corporate litigation and human rights law. He is a dedicated human and civil rights activist. Amandeep is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and director of the People's Legal Education Society, which has been running the People's Law school for 30 years. He speaks Punjabi, Hindi and Cantonese. Amandeep runs a pro-bono (free) clinic with the Surrey Aboriginal Cultural Services Centre and provides free seminars at the Delta Immigrant Services.

Arthur Sit

Arthur was born in Vancouver, and grew up in Chinatown. His parents migrated from China. In 1985, he graduated from SFU with a bachelor degree in Business Administration, obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1993 and is currently a Partner at SG & Associates, a firm of Chartered Accountants.

Praveen Varshney

Praveen is a Chartered Accountant and a principal of Varshney Capital Corporation, a Vancouver-based private family investment firm specializing in the public venture capital markets. He has been a member of the Vancouver chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (YEO) since 1996 and is the current chapter President. He is also a founding member of the Vancouver chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) and served on the chapter board from 1999 to 2002. Praveen is also a director of the Varshney Family Charitable Foundation, a member of the Sauder School of Business Faculty Advisory Board and a past recipient of Business in Vancouver's 40 Under 40 Awards.

Karim Virani

Whether living in Africa, London or West Vancouver, skiing or playing golf, Karim always makes the most of his opportunities. It is the same passion that has helped him make the most out of life and his career as a leading real estate professional. With the help of his team of professionals, Karim has become one of RE/MAX's top producers. Karim Virani has been a realtor since 1988.

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