A BIT ABOUT US

Treska is the Director of Food Security for The Mustard Seed. Treska over sees both the Food Security Distribution Centre and The Food Bank operations on Queens Avenue. Her role is to develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, donors, and the many non profit agencies the centre serves through the Food Share Network. She is actively involved in managing operations of the Food Rescue Programming for the Greater Victoria Region. Treska started at the Seed in a Community Engagement role with a focus on building out The Mustard Seed Coffee Company. The Coffee Company, a growing social enterprise, is now also a part of the centre with all profits going towards the Food Rescue Project.

Chris is the Chef and Food Rescue Coordinator for the Mustard Seed Street Church & Food Bank. He is responsible for culinary program development and furthering reduction of our carbon footprint by rescuing more food through processing. Chris is passionate about food and has been working with food for decades. Chris makes 150 meals per day for The Mustard Seed’s daily hot lunch program at Queens as well as rescuing food to support school lunch and culinary programs. Recently, Chris has partnered with Camosun College for a much-anticipated pilot project training immigrant and refugee women to develop a product to debut at famers markets this spring. It is with this passion to further the conversation around food and how it can be used, rescued, and preserved.

Areli Hermanson is a white settler of Spanish, English and Welsh descent.  She was born and raised in Victoria and is grateful to the Coast Salish Peoples of the W̱SÁNEĆ, lək̓ʷəŋən, T’Sou-ke and Sc'ianew First Nations and the Nuuchahnulth Peoples of Pacheedaht First Nation upon whose lands she now lives, works and plays.  She has been married for 18 years and has a 20-month-old bullmastiff named Clover as well as two boys, aged 10 and 14.  Areli is a registered dietitian who has worked within Island Health since 2001; first as a Community Nutritionist and then more recently as a Leader in Public Health.  Areli’s interest in food security began many years ago and she holds gratitude and esteem for the passionate, amazing people who have been working to support this work for so long.

Paul is the Head Chef of the Victoria Cool Aid Society whose culinary career was inspired by his late Mother Anita, who was a cookbook author, culinary activist, and recipient of the Order of Canada. Armed with over twenty years of culinary experience and his Red Seal certification, Paul and his staff team prepare and deliver nearly 1000 meals a day to members of Victoria’s most vulnerable populations. Paul is grateful to live on Vancouver Island with his family and friends and to be part of the diverse and bountiful food, beverage, and farming environment that this area has to offer, along with its growth and preservation.

Rowan graduated high school unsure of what to do with his life. After a couple years of wandering the world, he decided to attend culinary school, after all he liked to eat! After culinary school Rowan was still unsure of what to do with his life, but now he could cook! After wandering the world for a couple more years, he decided to go back to school, eventually completing a Bachelor of Arts in sociology…where you guessed it, he was still unsure! After one more degree in education, Rowan remains unsure of what to do with his life but has decided to teach culinary arts at Royal Bay Secondary while he tries to figure things out.

Lindalee Brougham loves to spend time in the kitchen and believes in local food and our community. She knows she is fortunate that she can go to the grocery store and buy what she wants and is happy to be part of an organization that is improving the food security on the Island. Lindalee is looking forward to deepening her understanding of this area and helping to build connections.

Before retiring Lindalee provided business and tax advice as an accountant for 33 years. Lindalee donates her time to the community through various boards and is currently involved with Eldercare and Children’s Health Foundation. Prior boards included the Victoria Airport, Victoria Police and RunSport.

She was born in Victoria and raised in Mackenzie. Lindalee returned to Victoria in 1994 and cannot think of a better place to live and do business—and indulge her love of motorcycles.

Svetlana is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) with senior management and leadership experience in complex non-for-profit organizations and privately-held corporations. She is Director of Finance with Commissionaires - Victoria, the Islands and Yukon and, before making Victoria her home, lived and worked in Vancouver and, more recently, in Nunavut, where she has held positions of Director of Finance and CFO with Inuit-owned and Inuit-led organizations.

Svetlana’s Board and volunteer experience includes roles of Treasurer with Vancouver Laughter Mission Society, Mentor at Immigrant Services Society of BC and Canada InfoNet, and the former CGA-BC Richmond/South Delta Chapter, where she served consecutively as Volunteer, Professional Development Committee Chair, Vice Chair, and Chair.