Board of Directors

Stuart Parker is a researcher, writer and broadcaster based in Prince George, BC, where he works as an assistant professor of History at the University of Northern BC. In the past he has been a lecturer at Simon Fraser University, an instructor at the University of Toronto, University of BC, University of the Fraser Valley and Thompson Rivers University. A former postdoctoral fellow of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, his academic work has been published by the Journal of Mormon of Mormon History, University of New Mexico Press and Sport and Society. As an opinion leader in BC, his work has appeared in the Georgia Straight, Ricochet, Rabble.ca. He currently hosts a weekly public affairs radio show on Prince George’s 88.7 CFUR. He is the former leader of the BC Ecosocialist Party; in the 1990s, he served as the leader of the BC Green Party.

Ash received a degree in economics from Simon Fraser University in 2018 and has worked extensively in the non-profit sector in both volunteer and paid positions. This has included two extended trips to East Africa with Praxis Malawi. She has served as Executive Director of this institute in the past, as well as the BC Ecosocialist Party. She is currently a campaigner for Acorn, the multi-issue social justice organization.

Jonathan Sheps is a part-time writer and researcher at BC Cancer in Vancouver, but also works a union job as a laboratory animal technician and is a co-founder of Qing Bile Therapeutics, a biotech startup company. In the past he has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University and the University of Glasgow, and is a UBC certified bioinformatician. He was an NSERC-funded graduate student in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, where he also served on the Academic Board, was a member of the local chapter of Science for Peace, and participated in anti-fascist action. Politically an anarcho-monarchist, he was a member of the Quebec Equality Party, and ​was the 2020 BC Ecosocialist Party candidate for Vancouver-False Creek before the party’s sudden collapse.

Avneet is a past champion of the Vancouver Story Slam with several award-winning stories featuring on podcasts such as The Short Story Show and The Story Collider. In his professional life, he has worked in national security with the Canada Border Services Agency; managed housing programs for the Canadian Mental Health Association; and currently supervises a team of talented undergraduate students at UBC. He has held several elected positions at the university including serving on the Senate. His interest and research in International Space Law has led to working on UN policy recommendations to improve international cooperation in outer space. In addition, he has worked on several successful political campaigns in British Columbia and he is currently Vice President of the BC NDP. A former Radio DJ and forever a sports fan, Avneet enjoys (good) rap music and continues to play in adult recreational hockey leagues.

Jacob’s graduate education consists of studies in philosophy, religion, and theology, and has both an experiential and academic education in Mormon thought and culture. He has taught courses in Ethics for several years at Utah Valley University, and is currently an instructor in social ethics through Salt Lake Community College at Utah State Prison. He also works as a travel trainer and instructor in public transit, helping primarily folks who are members of disabled, low-income, immigrant, and refugee communities to become more independently mobile.

Tom Ewasiuk is a long-time socialist organizer on BC’s Semiahmoo Peninsula. He has served as a member of the BC NDP’s provincial council and head of the party’s South Surrey organization for the past several years. He is an active member for the BC Four by Four Association, professional photographer and White Caps soccer enthusiast. He returns to the board after a two-year hiatus to help the Institute better connect with communities with which we find ourselves aligned in today’s rapidly shifting politics. 

Dan Jenneson is a North Vancouver-based father, activist, chef and restaurant worker. Known for his work organizing against Bill C-51, Dan also played an instrumental role in organizing the first victory over the BC Liberals on Vancouver’s North Shore since 1991 in defeating Naomi Yamamoto in North Vancouver-Lonsdale. Dan is currently pursuing a degree in philosophy part-time at Simon Fraser University.

Nathan Giede is a media personality who resides in Prince George, BC. A staunch Roman Catholic of Assiniboine descent (Treaty 4), Giede offers a unique perspective to questions of distributionism, sovereignty, social contract theory, and religion in the public square. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity Western University in Political Studies, and he is married to Michelle nee Barnes – their first child is due in Spring of 2023.