Our People

Volunteers are a highly valued resource and the Board is actively seeking participants with experience in accounting, fundraising, and marketing.

Please contact Tikva staff at 778-998-4582 or info@tikvahousing.org to learn more about how you can help Tikva Housing.

2016-2017 Board of Directors

2016-2017 Liasions

Sarah Ann Chisholm – Jewish Family Services Agency

Staff

Linda Thomas – Interim Executive Director

Anat Gogo – Administrator

Board and Liaison Bios

Daniel Bar-Dayan

Board Member Since 2011

I have been involved in the Property Management industry since 2004. With my MBA degree, operational know how and strategic mindset, I hope to help Tikva in the growth and expansion of our various programs and offerings. I feel very privileged to give back to the Jewish community that has been so welcoming to me since moving from Toronto in 2010. Affordable Housing is a challenge for many people and I am excited to work towards our mission of accessing opportunities for safe, affordable, housing for the Jewish community.

Eric Fefer

Board Member Since 2012

I am excited about the projects that Tikva is developing to meet the housing needs of the Jewish community and look forward to providing leadership and my project development experience to ensure the continued growth and success of Tikva and the projects it is undertaking. I have 25 years of experience in real estate and for the last 12 years, I have run my own company developing multi-family and mixed-use projects in Vancouver. I hope to make a significant contribution towards helping those in need of affordable housing in our wonderful community.

Dan Granirer

Board Member Since 2012

Originally from Vancouver, Dan spent 25 years living in New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Boston. My background is finance. Before moving back to Canada in 2009, he was a partner at the New York-based mergers and acquisitions firm Sagent Advisors and a director in the Investment Banking Group of Merrill Lynch & Co. My schooling includes a PhD in political economy from Princeton University, a BA in government from Harvard University, and degrees from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and Stanford University’s IUC Institute in Japan. He is a proud graduate of Vancouver’s Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School! Since returning to this beautiful city–unaffordable for so many of its citizens–through dialogue with UBC’s school of architecture and landscape architecture I have developed an interest in urban design and new housing paradigms. He believes we can alleviate the cost of living here and provide renewed hope and optimism for those with very limited means. He is delighted to be a part of Tikva!

Michael Grudman

Board Member Since 2014

Michael was born in Israel and moved to Canada as a young boy. For the past 3 years he has been working as a commercial mortgage broker with Averbach Mortgages. Michael had an electrical company and has worked in film financing. He lives in Vancouver and is a father to twins.

Shelley Karrell

Board Member Since 2015

Shelley is originally from Nova Scotia, and has lived in Vancouver for the past 15 years. She has been involved in the Behavioral Sciences for over 25 years and completed a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the City University of Seattle. Her primary passion is connecting with others through intentional listening, problem solving and spirituality with the goal in mind to be helpful.

Kasimir Kish

Board Member Since 2015

Kasimir is a Vancouver-born Realtor with over 10 years experience in the real estate industry. He has been involved in residential sales, commercial leases as well as property consolidation, subdivision and multifamily construction and marketing. Before real estate, Kasimir worked for 5 years as a Project Manager in the high tech industry specializing in online and multimedia translation and localization projects in both Vancouver and Montreal. When he gets the chance, Kasimir enjoys cycling, tennis and traveling with his wife and daughter. Kasimir looks forward to assisting Tikva with its crucial mission in a region that gets more expensive by the month.

Marcela Manes

Board Member Since 2015

Marcela Manes was born in Chile and moved to Vancouver in 1971. She graduated from UBC with a Masters in Education in Counseling Psychology. After working for twenty years as a clinical therapist at Vancouver Coastal Health, SAFER (Suicide Counselling Service), she has recently retired. Prior to SAFER, Marcela worked as a counsellor at Jewish Family Services, New
Connection Program and did volunteer work at BC Parents in Crisis Society, presently known as Parent Support Services of BC and the Crisis Line. She also served as a Board member of the Jewish Family Services Agency.

Gord Kushner

Board Member Since 2016

Gord was born in Los Angeles.  He grew up in Montreal and later moved to Vancouver with his family as a teenager.  Gord is married with two children, a 13 year old son and a 16 year old daughter.  Gord has vast experience working in non-profit housing organizations and client support. He has been Chair of The Haro Park Centre Board and Treasurer of Yaffa Housing Society.  He worked with his father for over twenty years running The Family Resource Institute for caregivers as well as one of the first home support agencies in Vancouver VanCare.  Presently he is the CEO of the home care & placement agency Simplified HomeCare.  Gord has strong Jewish roots and enjoys giving back to the Jewish community.  In addition, Gord is an avid musician; he plays guitar and has a band.  Gord is looking forward to providing his expertise to Tikva.

Heather Sirlin

Board Member Since 2015

Heather was born in Vancouver. She has two teen aged children. With a background in small business and as a member of the Federation Planning Council, as well as a former JFSA and VTT Board member, Heather is appreciative of the important and growing role Tikva Housing plays in our community.

Lorne Wolinsky

Board Member Since 2016

Lorne was born and raised in Richmond. He and his wife and two kids and they now call the Cedar Cottage Neighborhood of Vancouver their home.  He graduated from McGill University with a BA in Urban Systems and from Queen’s University with a Master’s of Planning degree.  After graduation, Lorne worked for two years as a City Planner in the public sector before making his way to the real estate development industry in 2007.  Lorne currently works for Polygon Homes where he oversees the planning, design and development of new communities throughout the Greater Vancouver area.  Lorne has managed a variety of multi-family residential and mixed-use developments throughout his career and is excited to share his development expertise with Tikva, as they continue to grow their housing portfolio.

Sarah Ann Chisholm

Board Liaison Since 2016