Staff and Association Board

Richmond Art Gallery staff

Rachel Rosenfield Lafo – Director

Nan Capogna – Curator

Paula Hickey – Exhibition and Gallery Coordinator

Kathy Tycholis – Education and Public Programs Coordinator

Melanie Devoy – School Art Programs Coordinator

Lynn Chen – Community Outreach Coordinator

Lillian Tom – Graphic Designer

Karmjit Sidhu – Administrative Assistant

Mona Lochan – Family Sunday Facilitator

Matthew Brown, Dylan McHugh – Preparatory

Vaughn Bakker, Tony Chu, Ilsoo MacLaurin, Michelle Miyai, Renate Xanthopoulos, Raine Yu Xue – Gallery Attendants

Richmond Art Gallery Association Board

Marko Pajalic – President
Marko Pajalic joined the Board in 2011 in order to give back to the community while supporting the arts. He has worked for non-profit organizations and public service both locally and internationally and has a BA and an MA from the University of British Columbia. To the Richmond Art Gallery he offers experience in outreach and communications and an understanding of international and intercultural affairs gained through studies and growing up and working abroad. He has been exposed to performing and musical arts since a young age but is interested in all forms of art, and the role art plays in education, social change and communicating social issues in innovative and creative ways.

Lisa Skippen, CGA – Treasurer
Lisa Skippen joined the Board in September of 2012. Lisa is a long time resident of Richmond and participation on the Board gives her the opportunity to give back to the community. Lisa brings over 12 years of professional accounting experience and has worked in organizations in both the private and public sectors.

Moon Chan
Moon, a Certified General Accountant, joined the Board in Oct 2012 to contribute to the community where she lives. She is a registered volunteer in the City of Richmond, and works with different community and non-profit organizations. She is also a registered volunteer of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2010 she served on the Board of 3H Craftworks Society to help with fundraising at craft fairs and special events, and was also a member of the Vancouver Chinatown Lions Club in 2009 – 2010, where she helped with fundraising and performed various volunteer jobs.

Alice Honiqin – Youth Now Member
Alice is a graduate of Queen's University with a degree in Political Studies. She joined the gallery board through the Richmond Youth Now program and is passionate about community building through local arts organizations and events in Richmond and Vancouver. Alice has growing experience in event coordination and publishing and she hopes to engage young people's interest in art and the gallery.

John Johansen – Marketing and Membership Chair
John became a proud member of RAGA in 2012, joining the Board in June. Believing in the institution of the Art Gallery as one of the last truly free public spaces for freedom of expression, he joined the Board to contribute to the community, lending his marketing and communications strategy experience. In this capacity, John has been consulting with premier creative designers and design industries over the past 18 years. He worked with some of the leading architectural practices in Canada, spearheading marketing and Business Development strategy. Prior to that, while studying Communications at SFU, John worked at various established public and private art galleries including the Burnaby Art Gallery, the original Contemporary Art Gallery, and the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver. Recently, John was appointed as Director of Business Development and Marketing for DGBK Architects in Vancouver.

Su Jin Lim – Emerging Artists Committee Chair
Su Jin started volunteering for the School Program at the Richmond Art Gallery in 2011 and joined the Board in 2012. She finds it a pleasure to be an active member of art communities, sharing her expertise in event development and art education. She has a BFA from Emily Carr University and is an emerging artist with local and international exhibitions. As a Board member, she recognizes the significance of the Gallery as a space, full of potential for positive changes towards higher social and cultural awareness, and as a space for flourishing creativity and fun.

Patrick Liu
Inspired by the innovative projects that he encounters when building sponsorship networks in IT industry and arts & cultural organizations for UBC's career programs, Patrick wants to play a part in supporting these creative talents in their pure, artistic form in the local community. Patrick extends his interest to exploring the competitive advantages of BC's creative sector as an MBA researcher. Patrick also works at a print centre in Richmond where he sees how students, artists and professionals express themselves on paper using digital technology.

Annette Loeschmann
Annette has lived in Richmond since 1997 and has been involved with the performing arts and music from a young age, with specific experience in piano and voice. She has given her support to the performing arts and music programs at RC Palmer, Richmond High and Gateway Theatre, as well as UBC by supporting her daughters in their endeavours at these institutes. Annette was also instrumental in starting a charitable, non-profit foundation aimed at helping people who needed funding for healthcare costs that weren't covered by MSP. It is her strong belief that all forms of art and music play a large role in providing our children with a well-rounded education.

Stephanie Shack
A 12 year resident of Richmond, Stephanie wants to contribute to the community as a passionate fundraiser and lover of the arts. Since 2008, Stephanie has worked in fund development in Vancouver for healthcare, education, foundation and arts charities. When not helping philanthropic people put their money to good use in her day job, Stephanie can be found immersed in the arts watching films, visiting art galleries, or listening to music. Stephanie is also a long time volunteer with a number of worthy causes including the BC SPCA, VOKRA, Volunteer Richmond and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Doug Shearer
Doug is senior associate with Hapa Collaborative, and has twenty years of landscape architectural design, planning and construction management experience in both the private and public sectors. While with the City of Richmond, he played a key role in the planning, procurement and installation of public art throughout the City Centre. One of his main interests in private practice is collaborating with artists in urban design. Doug has served on advisory design panels for the City of New Westminster and Saskatoon's Meewasin Valley Authority, and has been an active member of the landscape architectural associations of BC and Saskatchewan.

Evelina Halsey-Brandt – City Council Representative
(ex-officio)
Evelina Halsey-Brandt's first two terms on Council were from 1990 through 1996. Evelina decided to return to local politics after a 5 year break and was re-elected to Council in a by-election in 2001. She has been successfully re-elected in the Local General elections in 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011. Evelina is a member of several Standing Committees of Council including General Purposes, Parks Recreation and Cultural Services, and is Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee. She is Council Liaison to the City Centre Community Association, the Child Care Advisory Committee, the Public Art Advisory Committee, the Richmond Art Gallery Association and the Richmond Family and Youth Court Committee.