Dave Richardson
Board Chair — Board Director
Dave Richardson is the Co-Founder and Board Chair of the Stigma-Free Society (also known as the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society), a charity established in 2016 alongside Andrea Paquette.
Richardson, who serves as President and CEO of Octaform Systems Inc. and is a Director of Richardson International Limited, focuses his charity work on destigmatizing mental health issues. He specifically created the Rural Mental Wellness platform to support men, while Paquette manages the society’s youth education initiatives. His personal story, involving experiences with bullying, depression, and anxiety, is featured in the society’s documentary series to promote awareness and acceptance.
Karen Fonseth
Vice-Chair — Board Director
Karen Fonseth is a seasoned executive with 25 years of CEO experience, most recently leading one of Canada’s largest nonprofit organizations supporting people with intellectual disabilities.
Nigel Andison
Board Director
As Managing Director of Pathfinder Asset Management, I am honored to contribute to the Board’s mission of improving mental health outcomes. My own journey through depression and addiction taught me the importance of asking for help and the consequences of waiting too long to do so. Today, I am committed to supporting programs that encourage young people to reach out early and access the resources they need. Having grown up on a small Gulf Island, I have seen the effects of isolation on rural communities, making our Rural Minds Matter initiative particularly close to my heart.
Dr Wei-Yi Song, MD, FRCPC, DFCPA, DLFAPA
Board Director
Dr Song was born and raised in Hunan, China. He obtained his undergraduate medical degree from Xiangya Medical School, SouthCentral University (formerly Hunan Medical University) in China in 1989. He moved to Montreal in that year. He worked as a research associate at clinical psychopharmacology clinic affiliated with Department of Psychiatry, McGill University between 1990-94.
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He completed psychiatry residency at University of Saskatchewan. He obtained his FRCPC (Fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada) in June,1999. Upon completion of residency, he moved to Victoria, BC. He has been working as a consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry, Island Health, South Island since July 1999. He has been instrumental in establishing interventional psychiatry with Island health. He is currently Head of the Department of Psychiatry, and Executive Medical Director, MHSU, Island Health.
Dr Song has always been involved in medical education and research in psychiatry. He is a clinical professor with Department of Psychiatry, UBC, and distinguished professor of psychiatry with South Central University, Xiang Ya Medical School.
In September 2018, he was inaugurated as the President of Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA). He is the first psychiatrist of Chinese descent to be elected as president in CPA’s history. He wass an executive of CPA Board between 2016-2023. He was an Executive member of British Columbia Psychiatric Association (BCPA) 2010-2023. He is a distinguished Life Fellow of American Psychiatric Association. He is a distinguished fellow of Canadian Psychiatric Association.
Jim Devoe
Board Director
Jim Devoe has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples since 2012. The national Indigenous organization represents and advocates for off-reserve Status and Non-Status Indians, Métis and Southern Inuit Indigenous Peoples living in urban, rural, remote and isolated communities across Canada.
DR. GENIEVE BURLEY
Board Director
Dr. Genieve Burley is a chiropractor in Vancouver, BC. She has spent the past 17 years working in the fitness industry and studying movement as it relates to aging and mental health. She is passionate about wellness and has shared her knowledge on television, radio and in numerous publications.
Andrea Paquette
CEO and Co-Founder – Ex-officio Board Director
Andrea Paquette is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Stigma-Free Mental Health Society and serves as an advisory, non-voting member of its Board of Directors. She founded the Bipolar Disorder Society of BC in 2010, which later evolved into today’s Stigma-Free Mental Health Society.
Advisory Group
Dr. Shimi Kang
Advisory Member
Dr. Shimi Kang is a physician, neuroscientist, and leading expert in mental health, motivation, and addiction, with over 20 years of experience. She applies neuroscience-based approaches to help individuals build resilience, well-being, and healthy habits.
Dr. Chris Richardson
Advisory Member
Dr. Chris G Richardson is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. His program of research is focused on examining the relationships between aspects of biopsychosocial development in adolescence (e.g., impulsivity, sensation seeking, resilience) and patterns of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other drug use.
Craig Jangula
Advisory Member
Craig Jangula has a talent for understanding and helping to manage complex public policy issues. He brings more than a decade of experience in government and politics to his work at Jangula & Company.
Akshay Gupta
Advisory Member
Akshay is an entrepreneur and product leader with over 15 years of experience building and managing products across fintech, blockchain startups, process improvement, human health, and neuroscience.