Dr. Ataman Avdan, a Columbia College faculty member since May 2016, teaches sociology courses that foster critical thinking and global awareness. He earned his PhD in Sociology from Simon Fraser University (2020), an MA in Modern Turkish History from Boğaziçi University (2010), and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Yıldız Technical University (2008).

In addition to his teaching role, Dr. Avdan has contributed to the governance and financial oversight of Columbia College. He served as a member of the Finance Committee in 2022 and its Chair in 2023. Since March 2024, he has been a member of the Board of Governors as Secretary/Treasurer. Beyond CC, Dr. Avdan is active on the broader community; he was appointed Director of Publications on the Board of the Turkish-Canadian Society in 2024 and serves on a local boxing club’s member-advisory board, blending his passion for sport with community development.

Dave has over 40 years of experience managing, teaching, and researching public and private postsecondary education institutions in BC, Ontario, and Yukon, as well as overseas in Kuwait and the UAE. He has 16 years of experience at the executive level, 15+ years in International Education, and 4 years working with Indigenous and rural/remote communities in Yukon. He also has experience as a provincial college accreditation auditor, a college association executive, and a Business Council President. From 2014-2021, he was the inaugural President of Algonquin College – Kuwait and was instrumental in evolving the international public-private partnership institution from a 2-year college into a 4-year “2+2” polytechnic. He has extensive experience starting up new institutions, centres and campuses, pioneering new modes of program and service delivery, generating growth through innovation, entrepreneurship, and partnership, contributing to organizational effectiveness, workforce capacity-building, and community economic and social development, coaching teams, and teaching management and leadership skills.

Dave holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree in Higher Education Management (U of Bath, UK), a Master of Arts degree in Administrative Leadership in Education (SFU), a Graduate Diploma in Community Education (Mohawk College), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (McMaster U). He is currently a Variable Hours Teaching Fellow at the U of Bath, researching and teaching Higher Education Management and providing graduate students with thesis supervision and coaching.

Dave lives in Langley, BC, with his wife and sister-in-law. Across Canada, four people call him “Dad,” and six call him “Grandpa.” He has been a Columbia College Governor since 2022

Kulbir Gillan, Accounting Manager at Columbia College, is a CPA specializing in accounting for the not-for-profit sector.  Since joining the college in 2022, Kulbir has been actively engaged in various committees and working groups, such as the Operations Committee, the Awards Sub-Committee, and the Long-Term Development Working Group.  He has also volunteered with various events such as Limitless and PD days.  In addition to his CPA designation, Kulbir holds Bachelor’s of Technology in Accounting from BCIT.  Outside of Columbia College, Kulbir is a (overly) passionate Vancouver Canucks fan, and is always cheering on the home team.

Mary Carmichael is the Managing Director of Risk Advisory at Momentum Technology, where she specializes in developing comprehensive enterprise risk management strategies that mitigate threats and capitalize on new opportunities. A background in governance, compliance and audit processes augments her professional expertise.

Mary’s experience covers a variety of sectors, including higher education, utilities, government, and energy. She is currently the President of the ISACA Vancouver, a professional association for governance, risk, and compliance professionals.  Furthermore, Mary has authored several ISACA white papers focused on risk tolerance within enterprise strategy and risk management practices in agile environments.

Her academic and professional qualifications include a range of credentials including Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Master of Business Administration (MBA). Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). 

Sasha Langford is an educator, facilitator, and community arts organizer. Since 2018 when she began teaching in the Columbia College Mass Communication department, Sasha has actively been involved in the Columbia College community by serving on the Long-Term Development and Infrastructure Priorities Working Group, co-leading the Columbia College Media Club, and contributing to the Scholarship Committee. She has also participated as a judge and mentor for the Limitless Conference, and has played a key role in developing new courses for the Mass Communication department.  In serving on the Board of Governors, Sasha is excited to leverage her extensive experience at Columbia College with her background in leadership roles in various community arts organizations. She is passionate about applying principles of inclusivity and anti-oppression  to conduct transparent and accountable decision-making processes.

Sophia is a strategic and innovative leader with 18 years of diverse public sector experience spanning higher education, health care, housing, energy, and transportation. She has held leadership roles in large, complex organizations, including the University of British Columbia, a provincial health agency, BC Housing, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and BC Ministry of Energy.

Sophia leads a management consulting team focused on driving large-scale strategic and transformational initiatives at UBC. Before 8 years of Management Consulting experience, she was a Lead Economist for 10 years, delivering economic and financial leadership to inform government policy and decision-making.

 Sophia brings extensive business strategy, governance, transformation, economics, finance, and operational excellence expertise. Her governance experience includes serving as a provincially appointed Board of Directors under the Ministry of Attorney General as well as serving as a Treasurer and Board member for non-profit organizations.  

She holds an MA in Economics and a BSc in Finance, complemented by professional designations including Project Management Professional (PMP), Prosci Change Management, and Lean Six Sigma (LSS).

Victor is a CPA with a not for profit organization. Prior to this role, Victor was a Manager with an international accounting firm serving public companies in the mining industry. Victor holds a Master of Forensics Accounting from University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Sciences with Honours from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario. Outside of work, Victor enjoys running and reading.