Governance
Governance
Providence Living is a faith-based, non-profit organization, providing services in partnership with Island Health and Vancouver Coastal Health.
Our organization operates under an agreement between the Province of British Columbia and the Denominational Health Association. The agreement recognizes the rights of owners of denominational care facilities to own, manage and operate their respective facilities and carry out their respective religious missions. It obligates the owners to meet provincial standards and national accreditation for health care, meet the conditions of any agreements with teaching facilities and plan and deliver health care services in collaboration with other health bodies.
Providence Living Society
Providence Living Society members are appointed by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. The Providence Living Society appoints the Board of Directors for Providence Living.
Michael Crean is passionate about seniors’ care and the importance of encouraging advance care planning.
He is the past president and CEO of Columbia-Bowell Funeral Chapel, Kearney Funeral Services Ltd., and Crean Holdings Ltd.
For 6 years Michael was also a former board member of the Providence Health Care Society, past president of the Catholic Health Association of BC, past president of the Denominational Health Association and former Chair of the Saint Mary’s Hospital Board from 1992 – 1995.
Archbishop Richard W. Smith has been the shepherd of Vancouver’s 435,000 Catholics since May 2025, following his appointment by Pope Francis as the 12th Archbishop of Vancouver on the 38th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
He has held a remarkable number of positions in the 38 years since his ordination, from university professor to Archbishop of Edmonton and past president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition to teaching theology at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario, he has served as Bishop of Pembroke and on the boards of educational institutions and professional organizations.
Within the Archdiocese of Halifax, where he was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1987, he served in numerous positions including vicar general and chaplain to the deaf community, demonstrating his commitment to serving diverse communities within the Church.
In addition to his degrees from Saint Mary’s University and the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, he pursued advanced theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a doctorate in 1998. Archbishop Smith served as General Co-ordinator of Pope Francis’ historic visit to Canada in July 2022, which focused on Indigenous healing and reconciliation. He currently serves as chair of the Ad hoc committee on Indigenous Issues and on the boards of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute.
In 2014, Gary Gordon was installed as the 17th Bishop of the Diocese of Victoria. Prior to that, he served as Bishop of Whitehorse for eight years. In 2006, in honour of his connection with the people, especially the First Nations communities in the Fraser Valley, Bishop Gordon received the name Xyolhmetoxw, which means ‘taking care of the people’ in Halq’eméylem, the language of the Stó:lō Nation.
Leading by example, Bishop Gordon continues to weave a tapestry of faith in the fabric and lives of all those entrusted to our care now and in the future. Bishop Gordon has been a member of the Providence Health Care Society since 2014.
Bishop Stephen Jensen was born May 30, 1954 in North Vancouver, BC. He attended St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario where he received his BA in Philosophy in 1976 and a Master of Divinity in 1979.
He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Vancouver on May 24, 1980. From 1984 to 1998 he was a pastor in three parishes: Immaculate Conception and Corpus Christi in Vancouver and St. Ann’s in Abbotsford.
Since 1984 he has served on the Catholic School Board, overseeing a total of 46 elementary and secondary schools in the Vancouver Archdiocese. He was named a Prelate of Honor in 1996 and Vicar for Education in 1997, assisting with elementary and secondary Catholic schools, as well as adult catechesis.
In 2001 he earned a doctorate in Education, specializing in educational leadership, at the Jesuit University of San Francisco. In 2009, the Most Rev. J. Michael Miller, CSB, Archbishop of Vancouver, named him Vicar General of the Archdiocese.
He was Moderator of the Curia and Vicar for Evangelization and Education, a member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council, Chair of the Steering Committee of the archdiocesan annual appeal, and a member of archdiocesan advisory boards for Catholic cemeteries, evangelization, stewardship and vocations.
On January 3, 2013 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Prince George. His episcopal ordination and installation was conferred by the Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, Archbishop of Vancouver – assisted by Bishops David Monroe of Kamloops and Brian Dunn of Antigonish – at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Prince George on April 2, 2013.
Bishop Jensen has chosen the motto, Parare Vias Eius, which means “To prepare his ways”. It is from the song of Zechariah in Luke 1:76, a reference to the mission of St. John the Baptist as prophesied by Isaiah.
Barbara Kubik joined the Providence Health Care Society in June 2023.
Barbara is a registered nurse. Prior to her retirement in 2017, she was an employee of Providence Health Care for 40 years.
During that time Barbara worked at St Paul’s Hospital as a perioperative nurse and then manager of what is now the Medical Device Reprocessing Department. After the birth of her two children, she took time out to raise her two children, both of whom were born at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Once her children were school age, Barbara began teaching part-time in the BCIT perioperative program and the Vancouver Community College Medical Device Reprocessing Technician program. Later, she returned to full-time work in education and management of the Medical Device Reprocessing Department at Mt. St. Joseph Hospital. In this capacity, she assisted in the review of CSA standards and the development of a B.C. audit tool for Medical Device Reprocessing.
Her professional involvement has included membership in the Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician Group and executive positions in the B.C. Operating Room Nurses Group.
Barbara has served on the Parent Education Committee of Immaculate Conception School and as treasurer of Regional Education Committee of St. Patrick Regional Secondary School.
As a member of the Catholic Women’s League for many years, Barbara has held various positions, including treasurer. Since retirement, Barbara’s volunteer activities have increased, including neighbourhood Block Watch Captain, book club leader, and lead volunteer gardener for the courtyard of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.
Personal interests include gardening, cycling, and reading.
Joyce Hackett-Kennedy joined Providence Living Society in the summer of 2024. Joyce is a graduate of Memorial University. She taught elementary school then moved to a career in human resources in a major oil company followed by another in the high tech industry.
Now retired she continues to be dedicated to advocating for seniors and vulnerable people within her community. She is living her faith and trying to live its tenets of prayer, protecting human dignity and sharing God‘s love.
Giving back to her community is witnessed by being Past Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, and Executive Committee Member SFX; Diocese of Victoria Finance Committee Member; One of the Facilitators for the Diocese of Victoria Pastoral Care Training Program; Leader of Sunday Celebration of the Word; Coordinator of Lectors at SFX; Pastoral Care Volunteer; Advocate for two seniors currently living in long term care; and Involved in a local Choir.
Joyce is married and lives on Vancouver Island with her husband.
Providence Living Board of Directors
Appointed by the Providence Living Society, Providence Living Directors are accountable for supervision/management of all Providence Living property and affairs with a view to the best interest of the Providence Living Society.
Tony Baena joined the Providence Living Board in August 2018. He has more than 30 years of experience in finance, accounting, human resources and operations in both the public and private sector. Most recently, Tony has spent that last 13 years working in private pay and funded seniors housing and care.
Tony chose to work in the seniors’ industry because he has a deep respect for what seniors have contributed to the country and to society. He believes that seniors deserve to live in a safe, caring, active and fun place as they age. Outside of work, you can find Tony learning, reading, exercising and traveling.
Craig Crawford has worked in BC’s affordable housing sector for more than 25 years, including his roles as Vice President Development and Vice President Operations with BC Housing. In partnership with non-profit societies, all levels of government and the private sector, Craig has been instrumental in the delivery of more than 20,000 affordable housing units across the Province. In recognition of his contributions to the non-profit sector, Craig has received the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from BCIT.
While currently active as a Consultant advising a range of clients in the affordable housing sector, Craig also serves on the Board of Providence Living and the Vancouver Chapter of Lambda Alpha International.
Romayne is a retired palliative care physician whose past experience spans more than 25 years and includes patient care, teaching and research. Prior to becoming a full-time palliative care physician, she worked as a family physician for 12 years and, later, served as Clinical Professor, Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family Medicine, University of British Columbia. Throughout her career, Romayne has been involved in collaborative work to improve access to palliative care at both provincial and national levels. She remains passionate about improving end-of-life care across the health care system and integrating palliative care and pain management into chronic disease management, including adults with cognitive impairment or dementia.
Maria joined the Providence Living Board in 2019. Maria trained first at UBC and then in England as an economist. She worked as a consultant, primarily in the area of benefit-cost analysis with a special interest in balancing social, environmental and economic issues.
Maria’s roots are firmly planted in Vancouver where she has lived, studied and worked all her life save the years spent in Britain. Maria is the Board Chair for a foundation that funds a supported housing facility for formerly homeless people with mental health and addiction challenges, and has served on the Boards of Directors for St. Mark’s and Corpus Christi Colleges on the UBC campus. She is also an active member and volunteer for St. Mark’s Parish.
Sandra Heath joined the Providence Living Board in January 2017 after a career spent in senior management positions within the Alberta public service and in BC with a professional services firm. She continues to consult on human resources services for a variety of organizations locally, nationally and internationally.
Sandra is passionate about contributing to the community and started providing her volunteer governance work in Calgary, on the board of a credit union. In BC, her board experience has primarily focused on health care, and was a founding board member of Providence Health Care, ending her term there as Board Chair. An appointment to the board of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority followed after that.
Bev Homes joined the Providence Living Board in June 2025. She is a health research system leader with over 20 years of experience in funding, producing, and applying research evidence to improve health outcomes.
As President & CEO of Michael Smith Health Research BC, Bev specializes in knowledge translation—bridging research and practice through stakeholder engagement. She holds a PhD in this field from SFU and serves on research advisory groups across Canada and internationally.
Bev is an associate editor at Implementation Science Communications, adjunct professor at SFU and UBC, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and holds a Chartered Director designation from McMaster University. She advises funders on maximizing research investment benefits and advocates for stronger health research systems.
Previously CEO of Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Bev has extensive non-profit management experience. Her research focuses on knowledge translation, health communication, and public involvement in health research. She and her partner have four children and two grandchildren, and they live and work on the traditional unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) First Nations; the traditional, unceded territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, and the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Jane Murphy joined the Providence Living Board in June 2025. She is a retired healthcare leader with over 25 years of experience in operations and governance across Canada and the US, with particular expertise in Catholic healthcare settings and seniors’ care transformation.
As former President & CEO of Providence Living, Jane led the establishment of the new Catholic long-term care organization, overseeing complex mergers and transitions while developing compelling visions for transforming seniors’ care. She previously served as President & CEO of St. Joseph’s The Views, where she achieved Accreditation Canada’s Exemplary Status and successfully navigated the transfer of acute care services.
Jane holds an MSc in Health Services Planning and Administration from UBC and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (Retired). Her extensive experience includes leadership roles at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Texas, CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital, and the South Fraser Health Region, where she consistently achieved financial goals while improving quality of care and patient safety.
She has served on numerous boards including North Island College (6 years, 2 as Chair), the Catholic Healthcare Alliance of Canada Governing Council, and currently serves on Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North. Jane earned recognition including the American College of Healthcare Executives Regents Award and completed the Wharton School Nurse Executive Fellow Program.
Jim has been involved in Vancouver’s social and community housing sector for more than four decades. As principal of O’Dea Song, and former principal of Terra Housing Consultants, Jim taps into his depth of experience to advise organizations on how to build housing and spaces for community social enterprise. His employment portfolio includes several prominent positions, including the first full-time Chair of the BC Housing Management Commission, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Community Development, President of the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation, founding board member of the Homeowner Protection Office, and Manager of Housing Programs and Operating Agreements at Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Kate Perkins joined the Providence Living Board in June 2019. A strong community advocate, Kate believes that connection to one’s community is the strength of the fabric of our society. She put this belief into practice as President of the Board of Trout Lake Community Centre, where she assisted in the championing of a new Ice Rink and Community Centre and was the recipient of the Diamond Jubilee Award for Outstanding Community Service.
Currently Kate is Operations Manager of the charity, WorkWithUs Foundation, whose mandate is to assist those with barriers into employment find work.
Rod Voth joined the Providence Living Board in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic and the spotlight it placed on seniors living, sparked his interest in seniors’ care after a 45-year career spent in business and the real estate development and marketing sector.
In the early days of his career, Rod was actively involved in the management of construction for a family-run business, working on such projects as the Vancouver Sky Train stations in the 1980s and other large institutional construction projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. More recently, Rod has jointly managed and invested in housing projects in BC and Washington State, including a 130-room lakefront resort in Kelowna and the largest industrial oat processing plant in Canada, located in Portage La Prairie.
A lawyer by profession, Rod has previously served on the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Foundation Board of Directors, as well as provided counsel to several not-for-profit enterprises.
Dan joined the Providence Living Board in 2021. An 11-year veteran of the Providence Health Care Board of Directors, Dan chaired the organization’s Audit and Finance Committee during the financing and approvals process for the new St. Paul’s Hospital redevelopment.
He currently sits as CEO and Director of First Mining Gold Corp. A veteran mining sector executive, Dan has executed or advised on more than $10 billion of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and more than $1 billion of financings. Dan’s previous roles include Partner at Pacific Road Capital Management, a mining focused private equity investment firm and Managing Director and Head of the Global Mining and Metals Group at National Bank Financial Inc.
