Our Staff - Volunteer Victoria

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-> Lisa Mort-Putland
-> Bonnie Van Volkenburg
-> Louise Keith
-> Liz Belsten
-> Lori Elder
-> Leanna Hill
-> Lornna Olson
-> Ebony Logins
-> Vik Dhindsa

Lisa Mort-Putland
Executive Director

Lisa joined the Volunteer Victoria team as Executive Director in June 2011. Lisa holds a B.A. in Drama and a Masters in Public Administration with a focus on non-profit management. Prior to working with VV Lisa was the Development Manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria and spent more than 25 years working and volunteering in the museum and heritage sector. Lisa served on the 2011 Cabinet of the United Way of Greater Victoria and currently sits as a Board Member for Point Ellice House Preservation Society.

Lisa can be reached at lisa@volunteervictoria.bc.ca.

Bonnie Van Volkenburg
Office Support and Agency Relations Assistant

Bonnie first joined VV in 1997 as a volunteer doing our agency phone survey. With her strong client relations and administration skills, Bonnie was asked to fill the Office Support position when it came vacant in July 1998. Since then she has taken on the additional role of Agency Relations Assistant, doing the intake for all new agencies seeking membership with VV, handling requests for volunteers and answering myriad questions from member agencies. In addition to agency support Bonnie also provides administrative assistance to other VV staff and coordinates in-house clerical volunteers.

Bonnie can be reached at bonnie@volunteervictoria.bc.ca.

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Louise Keith
Receptionist / Resource Centre Support

Louise has been a staff member since August 2000 and currently job shares with Liz Belsten. Prior to assuming this role she was a member of VV's volunteer reception team. Given Louise's first hand experience with our fast paced office and her friendly outgoing personality, Louise was an ideal choice for VV's frontline staff person. Her main duties are to assist our diverse clientele in finding volunteer opportunities, to develop the Resource Centre and to facilitate access to our library. Louise has Human Service Worker and Computerized Office certificates as well as volunteer experience at a Crisis Centre and, of course, with Volunteer Victoria.

Louise can be reached at volvic@volunteervictoria.bc.ca.

Liz Belsten
Receptionist / Resource Centre Support

Liz, who became the newest member of VV's team in June 2010, is the other half of the reception job share position with Louise. With a background in social services agency administrative work, as well as over 12 years as a volunteer in the community, she supports our clients and staff. Liz has a BA in history and political science and is a life-long learner.

Liz can be reached at volvic@volunteervictoria.bc.ca.

Lori Elder
Manager, Communications & Community Relations

Lori handles all areas of our public relations and marketing. She earned a Certificate in Public Relations from the University of Victoria, and a BA in Communications from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She has over 20 years of combined experience in project management, communications, public relations and event planning. Lori joins us from a former crown corporation where she filled a variety of communications and PR roles during her 17 years there, including outreach with the business sector. As a volunteer, she participates in a variety of special events in support of our community.

Lori can be reached at lori@volunteervictoria.bc.ca.

Leanna Hill
Youth Volunteer Connections Program Coordinator

Leanna joined Volunteer Victoria in December 2010 as our Youth Program Coordinator. She has many years experience working in community serving organizations, and much of that time has been spent supporting youth volunteers around community engagement and leadership development. She holds a Master of Arts in Leadership through Royal Roads University with a Major Project on youth engagement, and has a BA in French. Most recently she was the Host Youth Services Facilitator for the Inter Cultural Association (ICA) and the Queen Alexandra Foundation Youth Advisory Council co-facilitator. Prior to this, she worked in Vancouver with the Windermere Community Schools Team and the False Creek Community Centre developing and running various youth programs. Leanna volunteers as a Youth Advisory Group member to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and can be found paddling in the Gorge, digging in the garden or chatting over coffee!

Leanna can be reached at leanna@volunteervictoria.bc.ca.

Lornna Olson
Volunteer Access Program Coordinator

Lornna started at VV in June 2008. She is the Volunteer Access Program Coordinator. Lornna completed a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of British Columbia in 1983 followed by a Mental Health Worker’s Certification in 1993. For the past eighteen years she has supported people who are differently abled in residential, community and educational settings. In her spare time Lornna loves to write and act in plays and films as well as perform Improvisational Comedy.

Lornna can be reached at lornna@volunteervictoria.bc.ca

Ebony Logins
Youth Support Worker

Ebony is part of the Youth Volunteer Connections team at Volunteer Victoria. She has always been involved in volunteerism, especially in the fields of special events and recreation. She has a Bachelor of Tourism Management with a Major in Recreation, as well as an Event Management Certificate from Vancouver Island University. She is also the Coordinator of the Sooke Youth Council. Through her work and studies, she has discovered that a sense of community is key in any environment. Ebony is passionate about martial arts, photography, and coaching basketball.

Ebony can be reached at ebony@volunteervictoria.bc.ca

Vik Dhindsa
Youth Support Worker

Vik is brand new to the Volunteer Victoria team, having joined the Youth Volunteer Connections Program in February 2012. He has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Victoria, as well as many years experience working with youth of all ages. For the last four years Vik has also served as vice-president of a volunteer club at the University of Victoria that he helped to establish as a student there, and consequently has a rich and diverse volunteer background. His passion for working with youth is what drew him to the position of Youth Placement Support Worker with the Youth Program at Volunteer Victoria, and he couldn’t be more excited. In his free time Vik enjoys spending time on the golf course, rain or shine!

Vik can be reached at vik@volunteervictoria.bc.ca

Volunteer Victoria / Suite 306 - 620 View Street, / Victoria, B.C. V8W 1J6, Canada / Tel: (250) 386-2269 / Fax: (250) 386-2279 / Email: volvic@volunteervictoria.bc.ca