Graduated from Ottawa University with a BScN.

Executive Director and Founder of the PHS Community Services Society, formed in 1993.

After graduating she worked at the Portland Hotel, in 1991. Formed the Portland Hotel Society, in 1993, an organization aimed at providing housing, advocacy and support to people in Vancouver’s downtown eastside community; counts with an emergency shelter, and a range of programs and services including a low-income community bank, a dental clinic, a community café and Laundromat, a drug-users resource Centre, a needle exchange and North America’s first supervised injection site, in addition to a detox and residential treatment program.

Has been honored by the RNABC as the Health Advocate of the year; in 2000 was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40; received the Denise LeBlanc Memorial Award by the BC Non Profit Housing Association in 2002, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Community Service also 2002.