Board of Trustees

The Vancouver Maritime Museum is registered non-profit governed by a board of trustees. The executive director implements board policy and manages the operation of the museum.

TOM BEASLEY, PRESIDENT

Tom’s practice includes representation of employers and employees in all aspects of the employment relationship with an emphasis on human rights, employment standards, harassment, judicial reviews and wrongful dismissal matters. His employment law representation also includes workers’ compensation and labour relations (management side) matters. Tom acts for professionals in complaints before their regulatory boards and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in employment matters.

Tom’s practice has included litigation in all levels of courts in British Columbia, the Federal Court at trial and appellate levels, and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as participation in arbitrations and mediations as counsel. Tom regularly appears before the Human Rights Tribunal of B.C., the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Employment Standards Branch of B.C. and the Employment Standards Tribunal of B.C.

Tom has written articles on human rights, judicial review and employment law for the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC for many years and is a regular speaker at other professional continuing education conferences. Tom is also a frequent speaker on underwater archaeology, diving and maritime history in B.C. and beyond.

PETER HELLAND, VICE-PRESIDENT

Peter Helland is a professional engineer, Principal at Midgard Consulting Incorporated, Director of the Residential Consumers Intervener Association, and chair of the Investigative Committee for Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.  Peter holds a Master of Business Administration from the Sauder School of Business and a Master of Applied Science in Systems Engineering.  Throughout his career he has worked in engineering, regulatory, project management and leadership roles across a variety of industries including utility electricity, offshore oil & gas, submarine rescue, telecommunications and social services.

Peter is the father of twin girls, and in what little spare time he has, Peter enjoys underwater archaeology, cycling, hiking, and can occasionally be found canoeing in Canada’s backcountry.

ROBYN P. WOODWARD, PH.D, SECRETARY

As a fourth generation Vancouverite, Robyn Woodward, has a deep sense of community. After studying and working as an underwater archaeologist in Europe and the Caribbean for 15 years, she returned to Vancouver in 1989 and served on the Boards of MOSAIC, the Education Committee of the Vancouver Foundation. She was appointed to the first Vancouver Regional Health Board in 1994 and severed as Vice-Chair of the Vancouver Richmond Health Board (VRHB) from 1996-2000 and as Chair in 2001. The YWCA honored her with the Woman of Distinction Award for Volunteer and Community Service in 2000. In her other life, Robyn is an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University and teaches part-time for the Archaeology Department and Continuing Education. She also directs the ongoing excavations of Sevilla la Nueva, the early 16th century Spanish capital of Jamaica and travels extensively lecturing history and archaeology on cultural cruises. She currently serves on the board of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

PAUL HEBSON

In August 2013, Paul joined Seaspan as Vice President & General Manager of Vancouver Drydock (VDC), bringing with him over 15 years experience in the ship repair and conversion industries.

He spent the majority of his career at A&P Falmouth in the UK, moving up the ranks to Operations Director. During that time and with responsibility for 50+ refits and drydockings annually plus the upkeep of a 50-acre site, Paul developed and implemented strategies and systems to deliver large returns on sales, implement safety cultural shifts, and revive operations.

Paul holds an MBA from Herriot Watt University and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Birmingham. Following A&P Falmouth and prior to working at Seaspan, Paul founded Marine Business Management Services Ltd., a technical and commercial support company for the marine industry.

As VDC Vice President & General Manager, Paul is accountable for the profitable, productive and safe operations of the yard. In addition, he is responsible for customer satisfaction with all ship repair and conversion projects and business development activities.

ALEXANDRA ANAVIAPIK

Alexandra Anaviapik is an artist, researcher and over-thinker from Pond Inlet, Nunavut. She is the great granddaughter of Joe and Letia Panipakuttuk, whom she is named after.

Currently, she is working full-time as the Ilinniarvimmi Inuusiliriji (School Guidance Counsellor) at the Ulaajuk Elementary School where she has a ton of fun interacting, teaching and learning from the students she works for. Working full-time is a big adjustment since she previously operated on a project-by-project bases for various organizations and companies, such as Ikaarvik: Barriers to Bridges as a Youth Research Mentor, Ocean Wise Ocean Bridge, and Expedition Companies as an Inuk Guide though the Northwest Passage. In-between projects and employers, she would take time to create drawings, paintings, and small handicrafts such as traditional hair ties.

Through her journey, learning and growing as a person, much of her ambitions and objectives have evolved, though her core values such as cooperation, communication and flexibility, have largely been realized. She hopes to continue to grow, learn and experience as much as she can from everyone she meets while serving as an Inuk intermediary between Inuit and Western experiences.

DELANI HULME-LAWRENCE

Delani was born and raised in St.Paul, Alberta. It was there that her love for sailing began at just four years old. She sailed on the northern lakes with her father. Delani’s mother being in the Navy drove her passion for sea exploration. At the age of 12 she joined her local sea cadet corps to compete in regattas around the country. At 14 she travelled to Victoria, BC and started training in a 2.4mR with Stephen McBride as her coach at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

In 2013 Delani moved to the west coast to maximize her time on the water and begin her coaching career at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. Delani’s most recent success and personal best was at the 2019 Para World Championship in Puerto Sherry, Spain where she finished in 13th overall and 2nd female.

Delani works as the Program & Communications Manager for the BC Sailing Association and continues to compete on the Canada Sailing Development Squad.

SARAH THOMAS

Sarah is from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and is paving the way for her people by connecting traditional teachings with the tools gained from her educational journey to advance priorities for the betterment of the future generations. Sarah worked for her own Nation for over a decade where she created a Communications department from the ground up while earning her Bachelor of Communications Degree from Capilano University. Her most recent educational accomplishment was earning her MBA with a special focus on Indigenous Business and Leadership from Simon Fraser University. This is not the end of her educational goals; she knows she is going to be a life-long learner and hopes to share her knowledge with her community. Sarah holds a number of leadership roles in the community where she volunteers her time with various board and committees, including her most recent appointment on the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Vancouver chapter as the Director of Communications.  She has an impressive CV spanning multiple organizations, including most recently with the Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping, where she is connecting Indigenous and western knowledge into her learning and work.

PAUL KARIYA

The son of a commercial fishermen, Kariya grew up in Ucluelet, BC. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and holds a PhD in Geography from Clark University in Worcester Massachusetts.

Paul has been a federal and provincial public servant, held academic appointments and also led not-for-profit and business organizations. Currently he is Senior Policy Advisor, Great Bear Initiative Society (Coastal First Nations).  Previous to this he was Executive Director, Clean Energy Association of BC, Executive Director Pacific Salmon Foundation, Executive Director BC Treaty Commission, CEO Fisheries Renewal BC, Professor Leadership Trinity Western University and Adjunct Professor at SFU and UNBC. Paul is on the board of Nikkei Place Foundation.  He has also served on the boards of A Rocha International and QUEST (Quality Urban Energy Systems), National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre, and Big House Theatre Company.

Paul’s interests span matters to do with salmon survival, human and environmental systems, societal reconciliation, natural history and more.

PAUL SCHMIDT, TREASURER 

Paul is a CPA, CA and is Group Vice President of Finance and Administration at Cloverdale Paint Inc., North America’s largest family-owned and operated coatings manufacturer and seller.  Paul also has and continues to serve on several for-profit and not-for-profit boards. Paul is passionate about Vancouver Maritime Museum’s role in facilitating and communicating our shared heritage of the Pacific and Arctic oceans and how this maritime heritage continues as we together value, understand, work in, and preserve these important “lands.” 

COLL THRUSH

Coll Thrush is professor of history and Killam teaching laureate at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place (2007), Indigenous London: Native Travellers at the Heart of Empire (2016), and numerous articles on Indigenous-settler relations and place-based history, especially on the Northwest Coast. Coll’s current research is a cultural history of the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” using shipwrecks to think critically about colonialism in the region. Raised in the treaty territory of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe in Washington State and holding a PhD from the University of Washington, he has lived in Vancouver since 2005.

SHALEENA MEGHJI