2024 Board of Directors & Administration

Meet our Team!

Our Board is entirely volunteer based. They generously donate their time in order to keep Autism Okanagan running. From general administration and accounting to creating and organizing events and programs, this Board of wonderful people is the backbone of our organization.   We have one paid administrator, and we pay some of the leaders of our programs.

Tammy was born and raised on Vancouver Island, and moved to Kelowna during her teen years. She attended the University of Victoria for both her Undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Care and her Master’s of Education Degree in Counselling Psychology. Tammy’s 20 year career has always included working with vulnerable populations, including being employed as a child protection and special needs social worker, mental health clinician and team leader of an assessment team. Tammy is currently working in private practice in the Okanagan, providing therapeutic support to children, youth and their families. She believes strongly in interdisciplinary partnerships and feels very blessed to have many strong relationships with her colleagues.

Tammy’s contribution to community has included volunteering with many sports organizations as a coach and manager, and with our local school district. She leads a joyful and active life with her husband and teen son. Tammy is a former board member of the Elizabeth Fry Society, and for the past 8 years, has held various positions on a Microboard that supports an amazing woman who is significantly impacted by Autism. In the fall of 2014, she was thrilled to become a Director, and then the Secretary for Autism Okanagan until 2017.

Sytel has been volunteering as Autism Okanagan’s Secretary for all of our Board meetings since 2014, and we are so happy she has decided to join our Board as our official Secretary.  Sytel’s attention to detail has been very valuable to our organization and we really appreciate her dedication.

Sytel also volunteers for other local community groups in Kelowna.

Lynne Tereposky was born in Saskatchewan but raised in Kelowna from the age of 3.  After attending South Rutland Elementary, Rutland Junior, then Kelowna Secondary school, she spent one year at Okanagan College before pursuing Medicine.  She became a family physician and enjoys the privilege of caring for people of all ages, through various cycles of life.  Her work has included office practice, maternity care, palliative care, hospital care, emergency care, counseling and teaching amongst other things.  She worked in Halifax Nova Scotia for a number of years before returning to Kelowna with her family which includes 2 sons.

Her eldest carries the Fragile X gene which has challenged his development and placed him on the Autism Spectrum.  Surrounded by incredible support in his schools, Okanagan College and the community, Ben has become a wonderful young man who continues to reach his full potential.   (Shout out to Smack Dab restaurant, which has helped him become a skilled and valuable employee in a great atmosphere over the past 5 years.)  She feels truly blessed by all the help he received, and continues to receive as a young adult.  In 2016 she changed her focus of practice to allow for time to pursue other goals.  By volunteering on the AOK board she is hoping to use her experience as a physician and parent to help expand support and programs in the Okanagan so that all people living with Autism can enjoy fulfilling and happy lives.

Lesley is originally from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.  She attended the University of Alberta where she obtained her Bachelor of Commerce Degree. After living in the Okanagan for 10 years, she returned to school in Vancouver where she obtained her Law Degree from the University of British Columbia in 2003. While practicing in Vancouver, she specialized in corporate and securities law and obtained her Master of Laws Degree in 2009. After 10 years in Vancouver, she returned to Kelowna with her husband and twin children, one of whom was diagnosed with autism at age eight.

Lesley is actively involved in our community. She has worked with the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation as a leader for the Giving Giggles campaign to raise funds for the perinatal and neonatal intensive care unit. She was previously a board director and Co-Chair of Opera Kelowna Society. 

Richard is a corporate and business development specialist with a background in law, manufacturing, and international business development, and has worked extensively in Canada, the USA, and Japan. For the past decade he has been actively working with organizations helping them understand and articulate their value, and working with them to develop a plan to grow and achieve their goals. Richard helps businesses with strategic and tactical planning, including business development, operations, financing, and exit strategies.

Rhonda Wynsouw
Director / Treasurer

Christy Phillips
Our amazing paid administrator who goes above and beyond what is expected!

Christy has lived in Kelowna for 25 years. She is a former lawyer raising two kids on the autism spectrum. She has been an active volunteer with the rebuilding of the Kettle Valley playground after the 2003 wildfires, with her kids’ schools, and with Girl Guides of Canada. She partners with her husband in their engineering consulting company and has joined Autism Okanagan to help with administration and fundraising. 

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Previous Board Members & Directors

Rob was born and raised in Montreal. In 1998 he moved to Calgary and then to the beautiful Okanagan in 2009. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Concordia University. He also holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Calgary.

Rob is fortunate to experience student diversity in schools as a Certified Educational Assistant, Special Education Classroom Teacher, District Resiliency Specialist, Learning Assistance Teacher, Resource Teacher, Principal, and as a parent of a child with autism.

His passion is to advocate for effective programming and strategies to support student exceptionalities in public educations settings. Rob utilizes his Therapeutic Recreation background and love of travel with his wife and two children, to develop supported family vacations. Rob was part of the team that brought the I CAN FLY preparation program to the Kelowna International Airport in 2017. His passion, “Autism Adventures”, provides families with autism a supportive cruise experience to desired destinations.

 

Erin was raised in the community of Sicamous and has called Kelowna home for the past 12 years. She was fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom while her 3 boys were younger as it allowed her to work closely with and advocate for her boys, 2 who are on the autism spectrum. Erin and her husband have raised their boys to never be held back by their disabilities or let others hold them back. From travelling to new places, playing community sports or learning to ride a bike there are few things that bring Erin more joy than seeing her boys learn and grow.

Recently Erin went back to school to complete her studies as a Certified Education Assistant. She is excited to be able to use her education as well as her personal experience & knowledge to help other families living with autism and other disabilities. Erin is honored to be on the board for Autism Okanagan and looks forward to meeting new families .

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Adam Breitkreuz, Executive Director (2019-2021)

 

Adam joined AOK as our Interim Executive Director, while also holding the position of Senior Manager of Business & Finance for WayBase. Adam had spent the last 10 years in the music and entertainment industry, based in Ontario, where he held the titles of Director of Festival Operations for Canada’s largest country music festival and VP of Operations for a management company. His time in Ontario also included consulting and contract work for World Vision Canada. Most recently, Adam completed his MBA from Trinity Western University. Adam grew up in Sicamous, BC, but his professional career has included stints in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Germany, and Ontario. Adam and his wife have recently moved to Kelowna, along with their two kids.

Adam brought along the personal experience of seeing how living with autism affects extended family members. Additionally, while completing a marketing project for his education program he developed an interest in the work Autism Okanagan was doing. Adam was instrumental in helping us maintain and expand our vision of serving the Okanagan with innovative programs and support.

Tracey Vrecko, Director, Past President

Tracey was born and raised in Winnipeg where she attended the University of Manitoba Commerce program. She discovered her passion for sales and customer service when working in the retail industry while she also pursued and went on to complete the Entrepreneurship Business program with Red River College in 1999.

Her education and sales experience opened new doors for her in real estate and brought her to Calgary where she lived for 12 years where she met her husband Quincy. They moved to the Okanagan in 2009 after the birth of their 2 sons.

Tracey and her husband have established a successful real estate career in the Okanagan and they continue to grow in the business community. Tracey got involved in the autism community when her second son was diagnosed with non-verbal autism at the age of 2. She continues to be an advocate and the voice for her son, and is driven to help other families who have a need for resources and connections in the community.

Phil Von Unruh, Past Director

Phil is the owner of an automotive repair business and has lived in the Okanagan Valley for most of his life. Phil has two sons, Jad and Kalen. Kalen, his oldest son, was diagnosed with ASD at age 2 ½.
Phil has always been active in sports, particularly hockey and for the past 7 years has been a Special Olympics Coach for track and field, bowling and soccer. When Kalen was 6 years old, Phil discovered that special needs minor hockey teams were virtually non-existent. Phil and his wife Dianne, started the Wildcats Special Hockey Team with a handful of players. Ten years later, the Wildcats have more than 24 players! For people who want to play hockey after age 16, an adult team ,called the Wild, has been created.
Through tremendous hard work and successes, there are currently 5 teams in the Okanagan Super Hockey League including the Central Okanagan Wildcats, Central Okanagan Wild adult team, the Vernon Scorehawks, the Kamloops Junior Blazers and the Penticton Upper Deck V’s! All teams are open to girls and boys, women and men with special needs, who enjoy and want to play hockey. Each team has a dedicated group of coaches and assistants and every year there is a wrap up tournament.

Phil’s dedication and hard work has been tremendous motivating factor for the community and Autism Okanagan continues to be grateful to have him as a member of the board.

Dana Patterson, Past Director

Originally from Prince George, BC, Dana attended the University of Victoria, where she obtained her Bachelor of Education. After teaching in the Central Okanagan school district for ten years, she decided to study evenings and weekends and obtain her Masters of Counselling through Gonzaga University, Spokane Washington. Juggling work, school and toddlers as a single mom was a challenge, but it equipped her with the skills to navigate the road ahead.

Dana’s oldest son was diagnosed with autism at age six and her youngest son was diagnosed with autism at age eight. In her role as a counsellor and behaviour intervention teacher, Dana has helped many families through the process of seeking initial assessments, diagnosis and accessing support and services. She is passionate about supporting families living with autism.

Allison Goreas, Past Director

Allison was born and raised in Kelowna. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from Brigham Young University, a degree in Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Special Education focusing on Autism from Flinders University. Allison started teaching in Edmonton and had the opportunity to teach students with diverse-abilities. In 2003, Allison and her family moved back to Kelowna. She has worked with the Central Okanagan School District for the past 13 years, first as a Special Education teacher and now as the District Consultant for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Allison also teaches courses for Education Assistants at OUC, has taught courses in autism to teachers in training at UBCO, and provided autism awareness workshops for community groups.

Allison’s passion for supporting individuals with autism began when her nephew was diagnosed with autism 20+ years ago. She regards collaboration and bridging the programs between school and community as an important aspect of supporting individuals with autism and their families and she feels privileged to be a part of Autism Okanagan.

Vicki Cairns, Past President

Vicki was born and raised in North Vancouver. She attended Simon Fraser University to get a teaching degree and then obtained a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University. She was a teacher for more than 25 years, mostly special education, and was a consultant with the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD). She also taught courses for educational assistants (CEAs) through Okanagan College and was an adjunct professor at UBCO teaching courses in Special Education to practising teachers and teachers-in-training.
Vicki now has a private consulting and counselling practice in Kelowna where she specializes in working with children and youth with diagnosed disabilities, anxiety, and behavioural difficulties.

As well as being the founding president of Autism Okanagan she also sits as a board member for the Central Okanagan Charitable Gaming Association.

Riki-Lynn Boettcher, Past Treasurer

Riki-Lynn was born and raised in Kamloops British Columbia. She competed for Canada in the sport of Ice Dancing and traveled extensively for most of her teenage years. She settled in the Okanagan in her early twenties and retired from the sport. She instantly fell in love with the Okanagan wine industry and began her journey which soon after became her passion. Riki-Lynn is a certified Sommelier completed with Distinction, Awarded to her by the prestigious Fine Vintage Ltd. She holds a Level 3 Certification by WSET an internationally recognized wine and spirits certification authority and is a Canadian Wine Scholar.

Riki-Lynn and her husband Ed now own Urban Liquor Store in Kelowna where Riki can share her passion for the wine industry with others.
Riki-Lynn became involved in the autism community when her youngest child was diagnosed at the age of 3 years old with PDDNOS, Non verbal autism and a severe cognitive disability. She has worked hard to advocate for her daughter and to be her voice. Riki-Lynn is committed to helping other families in the community navigate their way through the diagnosis process and to direct them towards various autism programs that will support them in their daily lives.

Sheila Tansey,  Staff –  Past Administrative Director

Sheila grew up on a farm in West Central Saskatchewan and after high school obtained a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The mountains called after graduation and she began her career in Calgary and eventually settled in the Lower Mainland of BC. Sheila had a very successful computing career consulting and supporting clients from all over Canada and the US in the field of Geographic Information Systems and computer graphics.

Sheila is a mom to two wonderful young men on the autism spectrum, her oldest now attending UBCO and the youngest in high school. Sheila has been a huge advocate for supporting her boys learning styles and special abilities through homeschooling, part-time school during 3 years in Austin, Texas and in public school after moving to Lake Country in 2009.
Sheila is also a practicing artist with a studio in Lake Country where she paints and teaches art workshops.