Lennard Joe, (Traditional name of Sux^wsx^wwels, meaning Grizzly Man) brings over 30 years of natural resources and business experience into his current roles. He is a Registered Professional Forester and a member of the Nlaka’pamux First Nation. Lennard is actively involved in developing new businesses and opportunities in the resource sector within his territory as well as throughout Canada and the world. Living in balance Lennard carries the corporate knowledge of his nation and continues to practice its protocols and traditions. His role as an Indigenous Professional Forester has opened doors in Indigenous Governance, Provincial and Federal government, Industry, Academia, and Forest Certification.

Sandy Atkinson is from the Snuneymuxw First Nation, on the east coast of Vancouver Island, and is the Director of Operations and Finance for the First Nations Forestry Council. Sandy oversees the day-to-day operations of the Forestry Council, including financial management and compliance, and ensuring the administrative and governance functions are current and progressive. 

Sandy has over 25 years of experience in operational forestry, as well as the administrative and financial management of forestry businesses and joint ventures.

She is passionate about the BC forest sector and utilizing the forests to provide jobs and economic benefits that are sustainable, and not at the expense of protecting our forests for the cultural and spiritual values they possess.

Effective April 1, 2024, Karen Sorensen will be transitioning into a new role as Director of Engagement and Communications of the First Nations Forestry Council. 

Karen has been an invaluable member of our team for four years in the role of Workforce Development Program Manager whereby she consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, expertise, and a deep commitment to the Forestry Council.

In her capacity as Director of Engagement and Communications, Karen will lead initiatives aimed at developing and executing strategies to effectively engage constituents and communicate the organization's mission, programs, and impact. This position works collaboratively with the CEO, staff, and community partners to advance the Forestry Council’s goals and objectives, building meaningful relationships with diverse stakeholders, leveraging various communication channels to drive engagement and support for the Forestry Council, ensuring that our efforts are aligned with the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Karen’s wealth of experience as a creative director working in public engagement, coupled with her passion for communications and marketing, makes her ideally suited to drive our organization forward in this critical area.

Christiana Jones joined the Forestry Council in June 2022 as the Communications Manager. They bring to the role 10 years of experience in communications, with a focus on government communications and stakeholder engagement. Most recently, Christiana worked for the Regional Parks system, engaging First Nations on strategic planning for land management on Southern Vancouver Island.

As the Communications Manager for the BC First Nations Forestry Council, Christiana oversees all communications initiatives such as campaigns, engagement, and event planning. They also support other program areas in communications needs.

Christiana moved to Vancouver Island in 2019 and has enjoyed spending as much time outdoors as possible.

Tiffany joined the Forestry Council in 2023 as the Policy Program Manager. She brings over 12 years of experience in public policy development and engagement and has worked on a range of provincial government initiatives and strategies in the areas of international relations, immigration, employment and tourism. In her most recent role prior to FNFC, Tiffany led key initiatives supporting Indigenous tourism throughout the province including the development and delivery of the Capacity Building and Resilience Fund and the Indigenous Tourism Training Initiative.

As Policy Programs Manager for the BC First Nations Forestry Council, Tiffany leads the policy, research and legislative analysis work and liaises with government, First Nations, First Nations partner organizations, and industry, on key issues related to forest policy and legislation.  

Tiffany grew up on Vancouver Island and after spending years away for study, travel and work, she was happy to return in 2019 to raise her family.  In her spare time, she can be found at the soccer field, in the forest on a mountain bike, or at the beach.

Denise was born and raised on Vancouver Island. Her career started out working in veterinary nursing, health care, and as a community support worker but eventually diverged into forestry. Denise worked as a heavy equipment operator in logging and then turned to teaching heavy equipment operation. Her career path includes working with a diverse number of organizations and programs, as well as instructional work in remote BC First Nations communities.