The BCVTA is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of a minimum of 8 members of good standing with the association. Directors are elected to the Board at the Annual General Meeting and appointed to positions by the Board based on an assessment of skills and interests.
Board of Director terms of service are based on Bylaw 6.7 Term of Directors and 6.8 Consecutive Terms and Term Limits and in Policy 3.3 Board of Director Terms as follows:
- President and Vice-President may be elected for up to one (1), two (2) year term.
- Secretary and Treasurer will be elected for up to two (2), two (2) year terms.
- RVTTC Representative will be appointed for up to three (3), two(2) year terms, following the Bylaws and Policies of the RVTTC.
- The CVBC Liaison will be elected for up to two (2), two (2) year terms.
Amanda Barker, RVT, CVPP
President/CVBC Liaison
Amanda has spent the last 17 years in the veterinary field. She started out as a kennel assistant, and quickly worked her way through a variety of roles, ultimately becoming a Registered Veterinary Technologist in 2012. She has worked in several areas of veterinary medicine, including general practice, wildlife rehab, emergency & critical care, internal medicine, specialty surgery, and anesthesia. She currently works as the Practice Manager at ORCA Orthopedic & Referral Centre for Animals, a privately owned surgical referral hospital on Vancouver Island.
Amanda holds several certifications, including Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner, RECOVER CPR BLS/ALS Instructor, Fear Free Certified Professional, ASIST Certification, and Mental Health First Aid Certificate. She is committed to creating a safe, fear-free environment for patients and clients, as well as promoting mental health awareness and wellbeing within the veterinary profession.
Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is taking care of spicy cats – being a self proclaimed “cat lady” there aren’t many felines she can’t make friends with!
She is passionate about emergency medicine and CPR, so when she isn’t managing the hospital she is teaching CPR through the company she founded in 2021 with the goal to elevate the standards of veterinary medicine by providing comprehensive education and training in RECOVER CPR.
She shares her home with her husband and two cats – a senior lady named Cougar, and the mischievous Hitch! Outside of the veterinary field, she spends her time in the gym, rock climbing or hiking, or tending to her various houseplants.
Kayla Anglos, RVT, RLAT
Treasurer
Emily Carefoot, RVT
Secretary
Kim Holbrow, RVT
Student Liaison
Kalaya Donchi, RVT, VCC
RVTTC Representative
Gabrielle Beer, RVT
Past President/Director at Large
Gabrielle started working in the veterinary industry as an assistant in 2011 and graduated from Thompson Rivers University as a RVT in 2014. She has worked in specialty veterinary care, small animal and exotics general practice, and with aquatic and marine mammals since joining the Vancouver Aquarium and their Marine Mammal Rescue Centre in 2017. Gabrielle worked previously as a photojournalist and continues to take on select photography projects throughout the year. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their very busy toddler and her furred and gilled family.
Ashley Bourdeau, RVT
Director at Large
Ashley Bourdeau has been a Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT) for the past ten years. Ashley began her career in 2011 as a Veterinary Office Assistant, a role that sparked her passion for veterinary medicine. Over the years, she gained invaluable experience working at a busy small animal hospital, which further honed her skills and deepened her commitment to animal care and education.
Since 2019, Ashley has been an Assistant Teaching Professor at the TRU Veterinary Technology Program, where she has had the privilege of educating and mentoring the next generation of veterinary professionals.
Ashley is excited to be a Director on the BCVTA board to contribute to the growth and advancement of the veterinary technology profession. She is committed to fostering excellence in veterinary technology and believes that her experience and dedication will be valuable assets to the board.
