Marie-Noël was called to the Bar in New York State and British Columbia. She started her legal career in Canada at a pro bono organization where she launched and managed programs to represent clients before various tribunals. She was later appointed as an adjudicator for the Mental Health Review Board, then opened her law firm, focusing primarily on Immigration & Refugee Law and Housing Law. She is now honoured to serve older adults in British Columbia along with Seniors First BC’s dedicated team.
Mr. Marshall is the senior counsel at Seniors First BC. A member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association, Mr. Marshall has worked as trial and appellate counsel since being called to the Bar in Manitoba in 1973 and the British Columbia Bar in 1975.
Anders earned his law degree from the University of British Columbia. Throughout law school, Anders volunteered for the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP), gaining experience with civil litigation as well as wills and guardianship matters. In his final year of law school, he worked as Executive Director of LSLAP, managing the program broadly. He is now an Articled Student at Seniors First BC, where he takes on advance planning, estate administration, and civil litigation matters for older adults in British Columbia.
Lauren earned her law degree from Queen's University and was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2026. She gained experience in wills & estates and civil litigation through her work and placements during law school. She is one of the Staff Lawyers at Seniors First, where she is committed to guiding clients through legal matters with clarity and care. Her approach is friendly, thorough, and aimed at making complex issues as simple and manageable as possible for clients.
Preetkamal is a Lawyer with a passion for social justice and equity. She studied Law at the University of Birmingham (UK) and obtained her LLM in American Law from Boston University. After being called to the bar, she worked at a nonprofit law clinic practicing administrative law and provided legal guidance and support to those who are vulnerable and marginalized.
Ryan was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2019. He holds a Juris Doctor and a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of British Columbia. Before joining Seniors First BC, Ryan worked across a range of legal and political environments, including government, non-profit, and private practice settings. A proud member of the Heiltsuk Nation, Ryan brings a client-centered approach to his practice and is committed to supporting inclusive, accessible legal services. Outside of work, he enjoys participating in performing arts and motorcycling.
Ella received a JD from the Allard School of Law (UBC) in 2026, specializing in Law and Social Justice. Ella is building on her experience in local non-profit fund development in the areas of Indigenous health services, environmental law, and women's services and advocacy. Being committed to anti-poverty advocacy, Ella is excited to be on the Seniors First team, supporting older adults with free and accessible advance planning services.
Nighat has a law degree and practised law for 15 years in Pakistan. As a Britannia Chevening Scholar, she completed her Master’s degree in International Law from the University of Hull, UK. She also has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado-Denver. Nighat works in the Legal Advocacy Program, providing information, referral and representation services to older adults.
Natalija has many years of experience in the areas of wills and estates, litigation, real property and corporate commercial. Prior to joining Seniors First BC Natalija worked at various places, both private and public. While working Natalija also attended courses to update her skills and expertise and gained her paralegal certificate. She is a member of the BC Paralegal Association. When it comes to legal communication Natalija values plain and simple language.
Hannah completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Simon Fraser University with a major in psychology and a minor in counselling & human development. Hannah first joined SFBC through SAIL. Over the years she developed an interest in SFBC’s legal services, particularly in the areas of advance planning and estate administration. She values the opportunity to learn from SFBC’s experienced legal team in her new role as a legal assistant.
Nataliya enjoyed studying English language and literature at Lviv State University (Ukraine). She completed a diploma in Tourism from the International Air Transport Association (Geneva, Switzerland). She also successfully completed the Legal Assistant Certificate program at Vancouver Community College. She has worked as a Legal Assistant at various law offices specializing in Corporate, Personal Injury and Aboriginal Law.
With experience in recruitment, human resources, and executive assistance, Kendra supports Seniors First BC’s operations behind the scenes. She is a graduate of BCIT’s Software Systems Development program and brings a background in programming and technical problem‑solving alongside strong administrative skills. Kendra is proud to contribute to work that promotes the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of seniors in the community.
Tina holds a Criminology and Political Science degree and a Legal Studies certificate from Simon Fraser University. Tina began her career by volunteering in the field of intimate partner violence, crisis intervention, and corrections. Her recent experience includes providing critical incident response to victims, their families, and/or witnesses of trauma and/or crime in cases such as sudden deaths, serious accidents, and domestic disputes. Tina’s experience in supporting the vulnerable population has provided her with a belief that individuals are the experts in their own lives and have within them the strength to change and recover.
Queen is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a graduate of the Vancouver Community College Community Counselling Skills Program. She has volunteer and work experience with the Multicultural Family Centre, YWCA, and Battered Women Support Services. Queen also has training in Community and Settlement Services, Crisis Line Intervention, Domestic Violence Intervention, Non-violence Intervention and Mental Health First Aid. She provides support to older adults, victims of a crime and/or elder abuse or neglect.
Janette is the Team Lead for the Seniors Abuse & Information Line (SAIL) at Seniors First BC. With over 20 years in frontline social services, she has supported individuals and families through crisis, trauma, and life transitions with empathy, dignity, and practical care. Before joining Seniors First BC, she spent more than a decade at United Way BC, most recently leading provincial helpline services. Janette is known for her calm presence, compassionate leadership, and commitment to trauma-informed, culturally responsive support. She holds a diploma in Counselling from George Brown College and is deeply dedicated to ensuring older adults feel heard, safe, and respected.
Sarah works for the Seniors Abuse and Information Line. She has completed training in Emergency Medical Call taking with the British Columbia Ambulance Service and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of British Columbia. Sarah has experience providing support and advocacy for older adults, in community and emergency settings.
Maggie served as the Seniors First BC office manager for six years and is thrilled to be back as part of the SAIL Team, doing meaningful work and supporting older adults across the province. Prior to this, Maggie worked for the federal government at the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for 29 years as a Citizenship and Immigration Officer and served as the citizenship judge coordinator for the BC-Yukon region. Maggie is fluently trilingual and has a BA from Concordia University in Montreal.
Angela completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of British Columbia with a major in French and a minor in Psychology. She worked for the federal government as a Citizenship and Immigration officer for 30 years and enjoyed helping people from around the world to navigate government resources and processes. She is proud to be serving seniors through the Seniors Abuse and Information Line.
Aneet has successfully graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Minor in Counselling. With hands-on experience in crisis line work, she has provided emotional support to individuals in distress, while also mentoring and coaching new volunteers to ensure their success. Aneet takes great pride in her role within the Seniors First BC community, where she is committed to helping seniors access essential resources and support, enhancing their quality of life and well-being. Her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact and empowering others drives her professional endeavors.
Claire holds a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, as well as a BA- Major in Psychology- minor in counselling, from UBC. Claire is passionate about engaging with and supporting people from all walks of life, and has always been dedicated to giving back to her (various) communities in Toronto, Halifax, and Vancouver. They have lead and trained; creative programs and art class delivery, support group facilitation, and crisis intervention. They have also enjoyed working with community meal initiatives and community garden planning to support vulnerable families. Claire brings with her to Seniors First BC, three years of distress line support work at a crisis centre, 4 years of chronic pain support group facilitation, and an unmatched enthusiasm for organizations that provide low-barrier to support. Claire feels grateful to join the SAIL team, and to have an opportunity to empower and connect with seniors across BC.
Wendy worked for 35 years as a Critical Care RN with Diplomas in Critical Incident Debriefing and Crisis Intervention. For the past several years she has taught Care Aid courses and done volunteer work with Seniors in the Community as well as working as a Health Care Advocate. She has been with Seniors First BC as an Advance Planning Clinic Assistant for over a year and is excited to have recently joined the SAIL Team.
Brianna recently completed her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of British Columbia. She brings experience volunteering with seniors in long-term care and adult day programs, as well as completing practicum placements with a neighbourhood house and the Public Guardian and Trustee of BC. Through these experiences, Brianna has developed a strong passion for supporting older adults and promoting their well-being, dignity, and autonomy. She is grateful for the opportunity to continue this work with SAIL, and looks forward to supporting older adults and the community through this role.
Brendan (he/him) has a degree in psychology from UBC, and is pursuing a masters in counselling at CityU. He has spent several years working at a local crisis line, listening to people of all ages and backgrounds, on a variety of lines, especially 988. He has a passion for understanding the system we live in and helping folks through hard times – everyone needs some help from time to time.
Lari is a Brazilian-born Buddhist trans man who occupies these stolen lands as a queer refugee. He is a graduate from Simon Fraser University who has been serving his community for the last 8 years as a youth leader, peer navigator and support worker. Lari is currently studying to become an end-of-life doula to better serve his communities.
Linda brings a background in education, social work, and gerontology to the SFBC team. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and an Inter-professional Diploma in Gerontology. Her wide range of experience includes teaching English as a Second Language to adults in Vancouver and Latin America, volunteering with community organizations, and supporting residents with dementia and complex care needs as a Recreation Therapy Assistant in a long-term care facility. Linda believes in sharing information to build awareness of issues, options and resources, and after starting as a volunteer with SFBC, Linda is excited to be contributing to the Public Education and Outreach Program.
Kepler began volunteering his legal expertise when he was a law student at the University of British Columbia, where he served as a clinic head for the Law Students Legal Advice Program and as a clinician for the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic. Since being called to the bar, Kepler has practiced in a variety of areas but now primarily focuses on estate planning and estate administration. He is proud to be a partner at Cedar Coast Law Group, a firm with a long history in East Vancouver where Kepler was born and raised.
In addition to volunteering as the educational outreach worker for Seniors First, Kepler also volunteers his time as a director for the Renfrew Community Park Association and with the Level Justice Indigenous Youth Outreach Program.
When not working or spending time with his two daughters and wife, Kepler enjoys reading and playing piano.
Seniors First BC is a charitable, non-profit society that provides information, advocacy, and support to seniors across BC who are dealing with issues affecting their well-being.
