who we are
Meet our Board of Directors
Click photos to read bios and get to know what phenomenal experience, knowledge and care our board of directors bring to RAVEN.
Jeffrey Nicholls
Board President
Cliff Atleo
Board Member
Ron Lameman
Board Vice-President
Susan Gee
Board Member
Rachelle Loos
Board Member
who we are
Our Board of Directors
Click photos to read bios and get to know what phenomenal experience, knowledge and care our board of directors bring to RAVEN.
Jeffrey Nicholls
Board President
Ron Lameman
Board Vice-President
Cliff Atleo
Board Member
Susan Gee
Board Member
Rachelle Loos
Board Member
RAVEN STAFF
Danielle Wilson
Executive Director
Ms. Wilson is a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, located in the Nuu-chah-nulth territory of Vancouver Island and is from the Masso and Frank families. She enters the role of Executive Director for Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs (RAVEN) with over 10 years in Indigenous leadership roles and a dedication to working to advocate for Indigenous rights. Working for RAVEN now gives Ms. Wilson the opportunity to be close to her home territory, where she is proud to be working with a focused and dedicated RAVEN team. Danielle has a B.Sc. from the University of Victoria and Master’s Degree in Public Health from University of Waterloo.
Leslie Anne St. Amour
Campaigns Director
Leslie Anne St. Amour (she/her) is a member of the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation, located in Eastern Ontario and of mixed Algonquin and settler heritage. Leslie Anne completed her BA at McGill University in Political Science and a minor in Indigenous Studies, before spending a year as an Pathy Foundation Fellow working in her home community. A lawyer by training, Leslie Anne completed her JD at the University of Toronto and worked in private practice for two years before moving to Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ Territories join RAVEN as Campaigns Director. When not working Leslie Anne can be found diving, camping, canoeing, or beading and scheming up her next trip.
Karissa Chandrakate
Digital Content Specialist
Karissa is a first generation Indo-Trinidadian immigrant of Indian and Portuguese ancestry. She was born in Trinidad and Tobago and currently resides on the stolen lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nation where she enjoys spending time by the ocean. She is a photographer, videographer and illustrator passionate about amplifying stories that reconnects us to the Earth and to each other, and challenges social and cultural narratives. When she is not content creating for RAVEN she enjoys spending time in community and with friends, fostering relationships that allow her to grow and connect to people with shared values of Indigenous sovereignty and care for the land.
Caitlyn Kerr
Development Manager
Caitlyn is of Heiltsuk, Scottish and Finnish ancestry and lives on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nation. Currently, a student at BCIT studying Sustainable Event Management, Caitlyn's goals are to support and plan events that provide opportunities to highlight and amplify Indigenous creators while also focusing on reducing the event's environmental impact and focusing on sustainable practices.
Caitlyn is excited to be on the RAVEN team to support businesses and organizers in finding ways to raise funds to support Indigenous communities in protecting their land, history, and culture. She is very creative with too many hobbies to enjoy during her free time and is always learning more about her Heiltsuk heritage, culture, and language.
Emma Roy
Operations Manager
Emma is of English, French, Scottish, and Metis decent raised on the north shores of Gichigami (Lake Superior), in the traditional territory of the Anishnaabe; the ancestral nesting place of the Thunder Bird. Now known as Thunder Bay or Robinson-Superior Treaty Territory. She is excited and grateful to be invited to explore the traditional territory of lək̓ʷəŋən as her new home.
Emma currently holds a BSC in Biology and minor in Psychology. Emma enters this role after recently working with the two Tsilhqot’in communities: Xeni Gwet’in and Yunesit'in to support the continued work of Dasiqox-Nexwagwez?an, an Indigenous Protected Area in the Caribou region of BC. This experience has provided her with a deep understanding of the importance of Indigenous sovereignty and the long term positive impacts of litigation efforts. Armed with years of non-profit administrative experience, she has spent her early career supporting capacity building efforts for small environmental non-profits across Canada in various roles from communications to program management. When she’s not working or singing to herself incessantly, Emma enjoys spending time with her pets, laying on the beach, and attending concerts and festivals.
Carly Eldstrom
Director of Development
Carly (she/her) is a settler with Swedish, Irish, Scottish, and English ancestry. She currently splits her time between Coast Salish territory and Lenapehoking, specifically what is now known as New York.
Carly previously worked as a Grant Writer at RAVEN after time spent volunteering on RAVEN’s Development Committee. Other professional experiences include freelancing as a writer, editor, and researcher, primary and higher education administration, and positions in development and communications. Carly holds a BA in Sociology from Vancouver Island University and an MS in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University.
Levin Chamberlain
Grants and Campaigns Coordinator
Levin draws upon years of non-profit experience to contribute to RAVEN. His work with Indigenous Quechua and Amazonian communities in Peru showed him how conservation and Indigenous relationships to their environments are deeply intertwined. This importance continues with Indigenous Nations across Canada, and Levin is grateful to be behind an organization that supports those Nations in their pursuit for justice.
Now a guest on the unceded Quw'utsun territory, Levin spends most of his leisure time rock climbing, travelling on contested Sinixt territory, and being a dog parent with his partner.
Jamie Leigh Gonzales
Communication Manager
Jamie-Leigh is a Portuguese/Sḵwx̱wú7mesh writer, filmmaker, podcast creator, photographer, poet, and artist living on stolen land of W̱SÁNEĆ First Nation. She is a cofounder, codirector, and technical lead at Grounded Futures: a media and mentorship collaborative.
At RAVEN, Jamie-Leigh is the Communications Manager where she uses her technical skills to amplify Indigenous voices and movements.
With a passion for technology and storytelling, Jamie-Leigh has become dedicated to her multimedia practices; through the creation of engaging content, she hopes to stimulate meaningful dialogue that challenges the status quo and encourages systemic change.
Tara Preissl
Development Coordinator
Tara Preissl (She/Her) is Scottish, Austrian, Hungarian, Stó:lō, and has ancestral roots in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation. She is a member of Leq’á:mel First Nation but was raised in a suburban environment on the stolen lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəjˀəm, and səlilwətaɬ Nations. Since 2022, she has resided on Wet’suwet’en Yintah, specifically that of Gitdumden Clan.
Guided by her values as an Indigenous and Settler woman, Tara has a background in writing and editing and experience as a board member and community organizer with Indigenous and BIPOC-led Collectives. Through both her volunteer and professional work, she is motivated by the inspiring work of grassroots community movements and remains on a continual journey of learning what it means to create an equitable and just society for all.
Joining the RAVEN team as Development Coordinator in July 2024, Tara will support the Development Director, Development Manager, and wider RAVEN team with grants, fundraising, and donor relations efforts.
Sarah Danks
Administrative Assistant
