Governance

Kathy Bright

Chair of the Board

Katherine Bright is a Board Director, executive, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience supporting privately held enterprises, nonprofits, public companies, and Crown Corporations. She is a Senior Consultant at Trella Advisory Services.

Katherine’s career began in social work and education, later evolving into senior leadership roles at UBC’s Sauder School of Business and the Institute of Family Enterprise Advisors. Her work is rooted in community, learning, and strong governance, with a long‑standing commitment to stewardship, public policy, and organizations that serve children and families.

Alongside her consulting practice, Katherine teaches nationally on governance, strategy, and succession planning. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Pacific Pilotage Authority, an Independent Director on a private family enterprise board, and on the CPABC Membership Committee. Katherine is deeply committed to Backpack Buddies and is proud to support an organization whose mission reflects her lifelong belief that communities thrive when children are well cared for.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puget Sound and a Master of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia, as well as the Family Enterprise Advisor designation.  She lives in the beautiful community of North Vancouver, BC with her husband, two children and their unruly dog.

Richard Butterworth

Finance Committee Chair

Richard is COO and CFO at Ventum Financial Corp., a leading Canadian wealth management and capital markets firm, with over 25 years of experience in finance and executive leadership. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and has held senior roles at BlueShore Financial and Wolverton Securities. At Backpack Buddies, Richard supports the mission to close the weekend hunger gap for children across British Columbia, finding it deeply rewarding to help ensure every child has access to nutritious meals.

Chris Gale

Board Member

Chris is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience in internationally focussed, growth-stage companies, mostly in education and educational technology. He comes from the business development and sales side of business, and has spent much of his career helping companies enter new markets, build partnerships, and grow revenue globally.

He has held senior leadership roles in both public and private companies, including running the Americas division of a German-based ed-tech firm. An entrepreneur at heart, he has also built and run his own businesses and continues to explore new ventures.

Working closely with schools in multiple countries gave Chris a firsthand view of how food insecurity affects students’ ability to learn and thrive. It became clear how lack of food severely impedes students’ cognitive, emotional and physical growth. That’s why Backpack Buddies resonates so strongly with him. He believes deeply in its mission to address weekend hunger and looks forward to helping grow its impact.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Administration from Lakehead University and a Diploma in Administrative Management from BCIT. A longtime volunteer with North Vancouver Minor Hockey, he is an active member of his community and lives in North Vancouver with his lovely wife and two boys.

Shari Gale

Board Member

Shari, a seasoned Operations Executive, brings more than two decades of expertise in the telecommunications and fintech sector. Her extensive experience in spearheading transformative initiatives has consistently yielded significant enhancements in customer satisfaction, business performance, and team development. She also demonstrated her leadership as the sub-committee chair on the TELUS Vancouver and Coastal Community Board for four years. Dedicated to community service, Shari has actively engaged in global volunteer efforts, including her recent involvement with Backpack Buddies, where she contributes her time to pack bags in the warehouse.

Kirk Homenick

Board Member

Kirk Homenick is the President of Naturally Homegrown Foods (Hardbite Chips/
Poptastic Popcorn), where he combines his passion for food with a focus on
entrepreneurial drive. Under his leadership, Naturally Homegrown Foods has
transformed from a niche brand into a national/international success. His vision is to
build a strong community by producing high-quality, authentic snacks with a focus on
superior ingredients, Canadian sourcing, and a commitment to ethical practices.
Kirk has introduced new categories like root vegetable chips and products cooked in
avocado oil, keeping Hardbite at the forefront of innovation in an ultra-competitive, fast-
moving snack industry. Recognizing a stagnant popcorn market, Kirk boldly launched a
ready-to-eat popcorn line under the Poptastic brand in 2024. In recognition of his
leadership, Kirk was named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year – Pacific 2025 Award
Winner.

He is active in public and community life. He serves on the boards of The Food &
Beverage Association (Past Chair) and Community First Foundation (operating as
Backpack Buddies).

He previously held roles at Houwelings, Forbes Medi-Tech and BC Hot House and
holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University and a BS from the University of Southern
California.

Natalie Ku

Board Member

Natalie brings more than 20 years of finance, real estate, and operational leadership experience across Canada and the U.S., with prior roles as CFO, COO, VP Finance, and Controller. Before joining Optima Living, she held senior executive positions at publicly listed and private companies, where she led multiple financing and M&A transactions, drove restructuring and growth initiatives, and transformed underperforming teams into high-performing organizations. A Chartered Professional Accountant with a BBA from Simon Fraser University, Natalie is widely recognized as a culture-focused leader who fosters top-performing, values-driven teams. At Optima, she oversees financial strategy and stewardship, aligning fiscal discipline with operational and care priorities, and ensuring financial strength is consistently directed toward growth, innovation, and resident-centred care. Connect Canada CRE honoured Natalie Ku with a 2025 Canadian Women in Real Estate Award.  Optima Living has established a strong reputation as an owner and operator of seniors’ residential communities located in western Canada. 

Heather McKay

Governance and HR Committee Chair

Heather McKay has deep experience in Human Resources, Change Management and Communications. She earned an MBA from UBC and has worked in several industries including food & agriculture, technology, professional services and commercial real estate. Heather is the Chair of the Nomination Committee for CIRA, has been on the Board of the Arts Club Theatre Company for the past 8 years and prior to that did work with other non-profits including the Canadian Cancer Society, the YWCA and the Vancouver Art Gallery. She is delighted to now be helping to improve food security for vulnerable children as part of the Backpack Buddies Board

Sim Mehanger

Board Member

Sim Mehanger is Head of Canadian Deposits & Banking Solutions at BMO Private Wealth, with more than 25 years of experience leading complex teams across the financial services sector. She brings deep expertise in governance, risk, and operational excellence, with a strong track record of translating strategy into disciplined, sustainable outcomes.

A people‑first leader, Sim supports clients and teams through collaboration, curiosity, and thoughtful decision‑making.

Community service is a core part of Sim’s life. She is deeply committed to addressing child food insecurity and believes that consistent access to nutrition is foundational to children’s health, confidence, and long‑term success. Supporting Backpack Buddies is especially meaningful to Sim and her family, as it reflects her belief that early, practical support can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Based in Vancouver, she is proud to support Backpack Buddies, alongside volunteering with Junior Achievement and serving as a Canuck Place Connector, helping strengthen the communities she cares deeply about.

Geoff Pedlow

Past Chair

Geoff is a business lawyer at the Vancouver office of a major international law firm practicing in the areas of corporate and technology law. He advises entrepreneurs, start-ups and venture-backed technology companies, from ideation through business organization, capital raising and exit. In 2015 Geoff started attending Backpack Buddies events and eventually became more involved with the organization’s legal needs and governance. Geoff finds it immeasurably rewarding to play a part in filling the weekend hunger gap for children across the city.