LVI Board & Coaching Team

Jilly, the heartrageous coach, is a life, death and leadership coach, facilitator, author and parent with 20+ years’ experience creating playful and tender spaces for personal and professional exploration. With a background in journalism, marketing, project and change management, Jilly loves helping people wake up to their true dreams, purpose and power and so they can live according to the unique rage of their hearts. 

Along with 1:1 coaching clients, including coaches working toward their CPCC, ACC and PCC designations, Jilly designs and leads in-person and virtual workshops and programs, and consults in the corporate world on change management, leadership and other people-y topics. 

She provides pro bono coaching to humanitarian staff around the world through the Humanitarian Coaching Network, to women creating sustainable pathways out of poverty through Up With Women, and to folks facing barriers to coaching through Coaching For Everyone. She’s thrilled to be contributing locally and is excited about supporting the cohort at Leadership Vancouver Island again this year.

With a background in internal leadership, professional coaching, and management consulting, Emma brings a deep understanding of what leaders face and what actually makes a difference. She has worked locally, nationally and internationally with leaders and teams across public, private, and non-profit sectors to enhance leadership capacity, strengthen collaboration, and foster healthier, more effective workplaces where people and performance thrive.

As an ICF certified coach, Emma creates a safe and supportive space where people can explore new perspectives, stretch beyond comfort zones, and turn insights and intentions into actions. Known for her curiosity, empathy, and clarity, she helps leaders navigate complexity with confidence and discover pathways to meaningful and sustainable growth. Emma is delighted to join Leadership Vancouver Island as a Program Coach and looks forward to supporting participants on their leadership journeys.

Kate is a valued thought-partner and coach with a passion for supporting clients, particularly during times of change and transition. Kate is passionate about co-creating trustworthy space for people to engage their own inner teacher.  Most recently, she has held leadership roles in workforce strategy and change management, working closely with teams in health care administration.

Kate has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) and over 15 years of leadership experience in the BC Public Service, primarily in the justice and public safety sector.  She is a credentialed Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and earned her Certified Executive Coach (CEC) designation through Royal Roads University.  

Kate is enrolled in a practicum program with the Center for Courage and Renewal, apprenticing to lead Circle of Trust® retreats, where the practice of asking open, honest questions creates the capacity for deep understanding and wisdom, in a community of shared exploration. 

Kate resides in Brentwood Bay, on the traditional lands of the WSÁNEĆ peoples. She is an avid gardener (and user of the metaphor), enjoying the seasonal richness that soil, seeds, roots, mulch and the sun miraculously produce in the form of vegetables, berries, and flowers.

Maria works with people, teams and organizations to help build capacity, create value and amplify their positive impact.

She is a certified coach (PCC, CPCC) with over 16 years of coaching experience and a career focused on personal and professional leadership, individual, team and organizational development, culture change management, people services (recruitment, performance management and coaching) and organizational administration, project and event coordination. 

She has experience and familiarity with working at all levels of an organization – front line, manager, director, board member (operational and governance) and consultant. She has come to understand that leadership is a choice, not a title and a journey, not a destination. 

Professionally, she has worked in a variety of contexts – hospitality, banking, accounting, local government, administration, education, an Indigenous-led organization, local Chamber and as a small business owner ~ and with a variety of for profit and for benefit organizations. 

She holds a joint BA in psychology and business, a diploma in accounting and a certificate in municipal governance. In addition to her International Coaching Federation (ICF) PCC accreditation, she is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and a Systemic Team Coach. Maria is also certified in delivering DISC and Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team assessments and has just completed her Guide Certification with Xchange, which developed her skills in facilitation, community building, and unlocking group potential.

Personally, she was born in Hawaii, spent her early years in Europe and moved to Canada at the age of eight. She understands the gifts and challenges of a number of roles and labels: female, immigrant, trauma survivor, working single parent, blended family and elder caregiver. Maria has come to appreciate the immense gifts of re-imagining and re-defining, as required by one’s personal growth and/or professional wellbeing.

Maria is an explorer and lover of people, places, ideas and spirit. She is an optimist, loves beauty and fun, translating learning to wisdom and creating warm spaces that allow for deep conversation and leave us feeling lighter of heart and richer for the connection.

She and her husband Jeff live, work and travel between beautiful Gabriola Island and Vancouver, so they can love and support their four wonderful adult kids and their families, parents and extended family, and enjoy friends and the fun, magic and beauty of both places. 

Personally, and professionally, Maria tries to live her life by following her core values and finding joy in embracing our collective imperfect perfection.