We are thrilled to welcome the newest members of the Sierra Club BC family!

Bud Napoleon

Bud Napoleon is a Cree Elder, trapper, hunter, traditional food gatherer and steward of Treaty 8 territory. He served as the Elected Chief of the Saulteau First Nation for two terms, and was one of the founders and the first Elected Chief of the Treaty 8 Tribal Association.  He formerly worked for the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. He was one of the founders of “Pemmican Days” for the Saulteau First Nation which continues to this day.

Rob Gillezeau

Rob Gillezeau is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria with expertise in economic history, Indigenous economics and public policy. 

In addition to his academic work, Rob has a decade of experience in Canadian electoral politics. He previously served as the Chief Economist to the Leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa and the senior staffer to the Finance Minister and Deputy Premier of British Columbia.  

Susan Kim

Susan Kim (김수잔) is a Korean-Canadian settler born on the Treaty 13 lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and now currently resides on the Lekwungen territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. Years ago, she fell into Environmental Studies, where she realized that climate change is political and to change the system she had to understand the system. So, she fumbled her way into the political world for both employment and activism. In her spare time, she enjoys kickboxing, open water swimming, petting dogs, volunteer fruit picking and watering her tomato plants. 

Nikki Sanchez

Dakota McGovern

Dakota McGovern is a fundraiser, writer and organizer located on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Songhees peoples (Victoria, B.C.). Dakota has spent the last five years working extensively in grassroots and not-for-profit organizations. He has been a professional fundraiser for two charities, has sat on multiple boards and, most recently, served as the University of Victoria Student Societies Director of Finance and Operations. In each position, Dakota has sought to bring environmental sustainability to the forefront of his work. 

Dakota’s areas of expertise include not-for-profit operations, financial management, organizational governance and human resources. Through the application of these skills, Dakota has effectively contributed to many community-led projects. In 2016, he organized three protests against austerity in British Columbia’s education system. From 2017-2018, he conducted a research project on inaccessible student housing in Victoria, whose recommendations were reviewed by university officials on Vancouver Island. Additionally, throughout the last year, he helped implement a series of sustainable infrastructure upgrades in the Student Union Building at the University of Victoria.  

Dakota hopes to contribute to Sierra Club BC’s mission, vision and values however he can, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with so many inspiring environmental activists. His goal is to learn, live and grow alongside the other board members while making a positive difference in society. 

Jordan Watters

Jordan Watters is a grateful settler on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen peoples where she is raising three young children with her husband Matthew.

Jordan brings over a decade of experience in research, project management, and stakeholder engagement. Her commitment to social justice has driven her professional interests towards research problems involving programs and services for traditionally under-serviced people and communities including First Nations, LGBTQ2S, immigrants and people with disabilities. Jordan is a strong advocate for fully funded public education and robust supports for families including affordable housing, childcare and active transportation networks.

Since 2014, Jordan has been proud to serve as a School Trustee in the Greater Victoria School District and is currently the Board Chair. Jordan holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from Bishop’s University. She has researched, lectured and published in the fields of Gender, Sociology, Disability Studies and Law.

Alix Flavelle

Long interested in forests and people, Alix did an M.Sc. in Forestry focusing on Indigenous agroforestry in Papua New Guinea and went on to work over the next 20 years with forest-based Indigenous communities in Southeast Asia, Africa and B.C, helping to develop tools for community-based mapping and forest planning. Living in a small rural community in the Kootenays, she worked with Silva Forest Foundation and then joined the Board, was a founder of the Slocan Integral Forest Coop and Director of the Winlaw Watershed Committee. She holds a 4th degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido, and expanded her practice with studies in conflict resolution through the Justice Institute of BC. She currently lives on W̱SÁNEĆ territory, where she teaches Aikido and together with her life partner is creating a hub for sustainable technology innovation.

Nadia Nowak

Nadia lives on unceded Lheidli T’enneh territory in Prince George where the Lhtako (Fraser) and Nechako Rivers meet. She grew up on W̱SÁNEĆ territory on S,DÁYES (Pender Island) and is of Chinese, German and Scottish descent. She has been involved in sustainability and climate issues for over ten years and is currently a graduate student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies program at the University of Northern British Columbia.

In the past, Nadia has worked to defend wild salmon with non-profit organizations in the Skeena watershed, served on the Board of her undergraduate student union, and helped lead national and provincial youth climate campaigns. She currently volunteers with a local group, Sea to Sands, that engages residents about the risks of industrial development proposals in Northern B.C., supports Indigenous-led land stewardship and works toward renewable energy solutions.

In her spare time Nadia can be found walking along the river, trying to look graceful on her cross-country skis, or enjoying the incredible arts and culture that Northern B.C. has to offer.