P. Amil Reddy

P. Amil Reddy

Program Director

Pronouns: They/Them

Amil first collaborated with QMUNITY, or ‘The Centre’ – as it was called then –when they were the Diversity Coordinator for the City of Surrey, and has been a fan ever since.

Coming from a Community Development background, Amil has worked with communities across Turtle Island with the goal of bringing people together to create positive and meaningful change. The positions they have held have been rooted by the intersectional experience of an intersex mixed race queer, social justice activist, survivor, and daughter.

Regardless of where their work has taken them, getting lost in the forest, sipping a good Americano, and East Van breweries bring them home every time. That and their cat Chicken; she hates flying.

Jeffrey Preiss

Jeffrey Preiss

Manager of Community Engagement

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Jeffrey Preiss is no stranger to QMUNITY. He first learned about QMUNITY at a breakfast meeting for fundraising professionals in 2009 and in 2010 became a Board member and long-term supporter.

Jeffrey can often be found in the back row of his favourite Thursday evening spin class. He also enjoys reading books on topics such as deconstruction, queer theory, and theology, playing darts on a Friday night, or listening to jazz while drinking a glass of red wine and cooking. He lives on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

With a passion for human wellbeing, social justice, and community, Jeffrey values a non-judgmental and inclusive workplace where a diversity of perspectives and ideas can flourish.

Jeffrey has worked in communications and engagement for over 8 years and holds a BA in history, a MA in theology, and a MA in cultural studies. He also holds a number of professional certificates in public relations, leadership and facilitation, fundraising, and public participation.

Heather Wong-Mitchell

Heather Wong-Mitchell

Operations Coordinator

Pronouns: She/Her

Heather Wong-Mitchell could best be described as a word nerd, a wine geek, an outdoor enthusiast, and a dog lover, in no particular order. She joins Qmunity after an extensive career in hospitality and wine retail, with forays into academia and accounting, that took her to locations as disparate as Toronto (traditional Mississaugan, Wendat, and Iroquoian lands) and Tofino (the unceded territories of the Tla-O- Qui-Aht / Nuu-Chah- Nulth First Nations).

She holds a BA in English and Ethnic Studies from Mills College (Oakland, CA – the traditional territories of the Ohlone and Yokuts peoples) and an MA in English and Queer Studies from Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC – the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations) and is an accredited Sommelier. Her connection to QMUNITY goes back to the mid 1990s, when she met her first “real” girlfriend at a QMUNITY (then The Centre) youth group. She lives in East Van with her wife and two large, lazy dogs.

Justin Barath

Justin Barath

Development Coordinator

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Justin is an enthusiastic and optimistic individual with a passion for wellness research, civic engagement, youth development and advocacy. He has a diverse background in community outreach and education with an emphasis on (dis)ability and queer issues. Prior to moving to Vancouver, Justin completed dual degrees in Life Sciences and Psychology at Queen’s University, Kingston.

He previously volunteered as a board member with Reelout Arts Project Inc., where he spent three years working on the Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival, Reelout In Schools, and various outreach projects with HIV/AIDS Regional Services Kingston and LGBT Youth Line in Toronto. He is passionate about LGBTQ/2S research and volunteered as a research assistant with the Sexual Health Research Lab at Queen’s University, in addition to completing certifications in Mental Health First Aid and safeTALK from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Justin is excited to join the amazing staff at QMUNITY and champion the QMUNITY values of diversity, community, advocacy, and respect, while assisting with programming to support all of B.C.’s queer, trans, and Two-Spirit communities. In addition to his extensive interests in technology and music, Justin is enjoying the opportunity to reactivate his interest in cycling and outdoor activities with his move to Vancouver.

David J. Nyffeler

David J. Nyffeler

Engagement Coordinator

Pronouns: He/Him/His

David is a queer, mixed race Filipino who would describe himself as an artist, an activist, and an enthusiast. While attending the University of Alberta, he completed a degree in Art & Design; with a particular focus in LGBTQ/2S visibility and representation.

Prior to his move to Vancouver, he volunteered with queer youth and students at The Landing and at Camp fYrefly. There he helped to facilitate a weekly peer discussion group, and provided students with workshops about queer and trans health. He believes in giving individuals the tools to create spaces where they can share and celebrate their experiences.

In his spare time, David can be found playing amateur seamstress, impersonating Tony Stark, or working on queer storytelling.

Joel Harnest

Joel Harnest

Education and Training Coordinator

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Joel joins QMUNITY with over 7 years of experience in outreach, group facilitation and adult education.  After studying international development at the University of Guelph, he worked in student recruitment followed by some years spent at an international charity where he managed program implementation within Washington State.

Joel believes in the power of stories, and loves to share his own while creating space for others to feel confident and safe enough to share theirs. Joel believes in finding work in which he can create space for people from all walks of life to feel fully human: respected, dignified and valued.  For this reason, and many more, he’s excited to be part of QMUNITY!

Outside of work, Joel fancies himself a decent, if not clumsy, sportsperson, playing tennis, soccer and ultimate frisbee.  An avid board game player,Joel will gladly take on any challengers for a game of Settlers of Catan or Bananagrams.  When he’s looking to unwind, yoga, photography or a trip into nature calms the mind, body and heart.  If you ask him about his cats, be sure you have 90 minutes to spare.

Cass Elliott

Cass Elliott

Seniors' Coordinator

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Having studied relationships and community development extensively at the University of Ottawa and Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Cass has partnered with a multitude of charitable, academic, and nonprofit institutions to: build capacity, learn collectively, improve practice-readiness, and forge connected relationships.

This practice has taken him across Ontario and British Columbia and at times has given way to severe caffeine induced bouts of existential woe and narcissistically questionable self-reflection.

Alannah James

Alannah James

Volunteer Coordinator

Pronouns: She/Her

Alannah’s journey at Q began as a volunteer Information and Referral Specialist, and she is so excited to bring that perspective to working with Q’s many amazing volunteers.

Alannah received her Bachelor’s (Honours) of Political Science from the University of Victoria, located on the unceded and unsurrended territory of the Coast and Straits Salish peoples, and a Master’s of Political Science from Carleton, home of the Algonquin peoples. During her academic journey, Alannah specialized in feminist and reproductive justice issues. She is most grateful to that one methods textbook that said that to queer something is to make it weird, and embodies that every day.

 

Her work with students’ unions took her all over the country to connect with inspiring folks in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and BC. This experience provided her with the skills necessary to strengthen her community through practical change. She is forever indebted to a student movement that taught her how to raise her voice.

In her down time, Alannah consumes way too much late-night political comedy, podcasts, and potatoes in any form.

Her door is always open… except when she’s checking another place off her coffee bucket list.

Molly Billows

Molly Billows

Youth Worker

Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

Molly is a queer, two-spirit, trans non-binary, mixed, urban, Indigenous feminist, a spoken word poet and facilitator. Northern Coast Salish from the Homalco Nation, they grew up in Victoria and have been living as a visitor in Vancouver on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations since 2011. Molly has since worked with many programs for youth and adults including at Urban Native Youth Association, Culturally Relevant Urban Wellness, CampOUT and IndigenEYEZ.

As an artist Molly hopes to weave together stories in ways that lift up their communities, and contribute to collective healing, rage, resurgence and love. In addition to writing and performing poetry, Molly is planning on writing children’s books with their partner about a genderqueer dinosaur, sometime in the near future. Outside of working and writing, Molly can be found hanging out in parks with their dog, trying to learn the ukulele and drinking too much coffee. 

Esther McPhee

Esther McPhee

Youth Worker

Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

Esther McPhee is a writer, magic-maker and community organizer. They grew up on Stó:lō land and now live on Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh land in Vancouver, where they studied Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. As a facilitator and writing teacher, Esther has worked with youth in high schools and university, and mentored writers of all ages through various online and in-person platforms.

When Esther was fifteen, they started their high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance; they’ve been involved in LGBTQ/2S activism and art ever since. They’re one half of the organizing team behind REVERB: A Queer Reading Series, which has been putting on shows featuring emerging and established queer writers since 2013. All of Esther’s organizing centres anti-oppression and accessibility, with the not-so-secret hope that spaces that affirm, celebrate and support marginalized identities can change the world for the better.

Esther likes a lot of things: poetry, pop music, dismantling the heteropatriarchy, making pancakes, and scavenging for berries, to name a few.