Combining Our Strength™ Council

The Combining Our Strength™ initiative is led by a volunteer Council of well-respected Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women leaders from around the province.

The COS Council provides oversight and guidance to the COS initiative and reports to the Minerva Foundation Board of Directors.

Kim Brooks (co-chair)
Head, Health Department, Squamish Nation
Eva Cheung Robinson (co-chair)
Consultant
Toni Carlton
Peer Counselling Coordinator, UNBC
Marlane Christensen
President, Industry Council for Aboriginal Business
Bev Clifton-Percival
Negotiator, Gitxsan Treaty Office
Chastity Davis
Key Account Manager, Aboriginal Sector, BC Hydro
Lisa Ethans
Partner, Deloitte and Touche LLP
Maria Morellato Q.C.
Partner, Mandell Pinder
Laurie Sterritt
Executive Director, BC Aboriginal Mining Training Assn.
Vickie Thomas
Chief Operating Officer, St. Mary’s Indian Band
Kim van der Woerd
Consultant, Facilitate This!
Laureen Whyte
Consultant, Arbutus Consulting
Kory Wilson
Aboriginal Studies Department Chair, Langara College
Jody Wilson Raybould
BC Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations
Courtney Daws
Director of Operations, Assembly of First Nations

When I moved to Canada in 1998, I was pregnant and all alone. I was scared as to how I would take care of my daughter without a decent standard of education. I realized that without English I would be useless so I focused on improving my English by attending ESL classes at Vancouver Community College. When my English level improved, I was confident enough to go for science courses. And in 2003, the Minerva Foundation offered me the Minerva Foundation Award For BC Women in recognition of my excellent grades at school.
This scholarship changed my life as it offered me the opportunity to take post secondary course. Then when I entered the Licensed Practical Nursing Program in 2006, I faced financial problems. Again, it was Minerva that helped me with funds to solve my financial problems. Now I am working as an LPN and have solid hopes of furthering myself in this field.
Thanks so much to Minerva for giving me a life of hope. Thank you so much Minerva for helping me by believing in my abilities.

Sasiratha Uthayakumar, LPN