Board Members Background

Justin Allin
Justin Allin is currently a national Senior Appraisal Consultant for the Federal Government. He has been a member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada since 2011 and holds the Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI) designation. Before joining the Federal Government, he worked in the private fee sector for nine years, where he specialized in commercial real estate appraisals, working with a diverse array of property types throughout BC. He has experience analysing/appraising such properties as low to high density residential, commercial, and industrial development land, single-family and multi-unit residential dwellings, improved office, retail, and industrial properties, self-storage facilities, waterfront properties and associated riparian rights, environmentally sensitive lands, contaminated sites, agricultural land, institutional, cemetery, statutory right-of-way encumbered lands, mobile home parks, and First Nations lands. He was first appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in 2022.

Karen Ameyaw
Karen Ameyaw is a Senior Prevention Advisor at WorkSafeBC. She is a practising lawyer with over 13 years of experience and prior to joining WorkSafeBC in 2017 worked in private practice and government settings. Karen holds a BA (Criminology) from Simon Fraser University and a LL.B from the University of Victoria. As a volunteer she helped to establish the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers in 2010, was a member of the City of Vancouver Renters Advisory Committee, and from 2018 to 2021, she was a council member on the Real Estate Council of British Columbia. In addition to being involved in her community, Karen is an adjudicator for the Law Society of British Columbia Tribunal, sits on the board of the Law Foundation of BC and is a member of the Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board.

Yasin Amlani
Yasin Amlani is a lawyer with over 20 years of practise in a number of areas, including real estate and business law. His previous work experience includes management level positions at a national franchisor as well as a Fortune 500 financial services company. He has also served on a number of boards, committees and hearing panels, including the B.C. Financial Services Authority (together with the Real Estate Council of B.C.), the Aga Khan Conciliation and Arbitration Board for B.C. and various other social services boards. Yasin holds Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of British Columbia and a Master in Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Fiona Anderson
Fiona Anderson is a lawyer with more than 20 years experience, most recently specializing in employment and human rights law but having in the past practised native rights, which brought her to the Supreme Court of Canada, and securities litigation, including working at the BC Securities Commission.

She has a Masters' degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto. Fiona has also worked as a case manager and registrar with the Environmental Appeal Board, the Forest Appeals Commission and five other tribunals.

Fiona is also a former business reporter and editor with the Vancouver Sun and former Editor-in-Chief and Vice-President Content with The Business in Vancouver Media Group.

Christine Arnold
Christine Arnold is a lawyer experienced in leading and advising complex organizations across diverse industries. She is currently the director of clinic services of the Access Pro Bono Society of B.C.’s Everyone Legal Clinic, a first-of-its-kind fully virtual legal services provider and teaching incubator aimed at improving access to justice in British Columbia. She is also the founder and principal of a law firm that provides fractional general counsel services. Christine has represented clients at every level of court including the Supreme Court of Canada. Past senior leadership positions include chief legal officer and general counsel of a tech start-up. 

Christine is heavily engaged in public service, volunteerism, and teaching. Her roles have included serving on the boards and councils of regulatory, tribunal, corporate, and non-profit organizations. She is currently an appointed council member of the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia, the regulator of veterinarians in B.C. Christine is an instructor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and with the British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals.

Christine holds a Master of Laws in taxation from the University of British Columbia; her focus in her studies was the economics of taxation. Prior to studying and practising law, she received a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and conducted research on neurodegenerative diseases at the UBC Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics.  

Allan Beatty
Allan Beatty is an Associate Appraiser with Kent-Macpherson Appraisals based in Kelowna, BC. Previously, he was Manager of the Real Estate Division of Suncorp Valuations. Active in the appraisal community, Allan has served on the Board of Directors of the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC), as both a Director and National President, and he was also a Trustee with The Appraisal Foundation. He continues to serve on the Professional Practice Committee and is an approved lecturer for the Professional Standards seminar.  Allan holds his Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI) designation, and carries the rank of Fellow of the AIC.  He is re-appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in January 2018.

John Bridal
John Bridal is the Associate Director in the Real Estate Division, Sauder School of Business at UBC. He is responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of the Division’s distance education real estate courses. He is an Honours graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Commerce in Urban Land Economics. He also holds a Master of Education from UBC. He is a member of the Real Estate Institute of BC and has been awarded an Honorary AACI designation by the Appraisal Institute of Canada. John has been with the Property Assessment Appeal Board since February 2003.

Madisun Browne (Vice Chair)
Madisun is a lawyer and legal educator. Prior to joining the Property Assessment Appeal Board, he worked as a research lawyer in Kamloops, with responsibility for trial and appellate research and writing in relation to civil claims in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Prior to this, Madisun was an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law and the Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law. Before those academic appointments, he practiced law in Vancouver and Saskatoon. He holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Laws, all from the University of Saskatchewan.

Larry Dybvig
Larry Dybvig has held professional designations from the Canadian, US and UK Appraisal Institutes. He holds the rank of Fellow with the Royal Institute of Charter Surveyors and the Appraisal Institute of Canada. He has been in real estate appraisal since 1977 in Saskatchewan and since 1989 in BC, where he worked as a fee appraiser with an international valuation-consulting firm and since 1993 at Grover Elliott & Co. Ltd. where he was president from 2001 to 2018. His work is multifaceted, with an emphasis on appraisal, appraisal review and consulting in matters of dispute or litigation. Since 1996, Larry has worked as a consultant with UBC on the professional appraisal courses it delivers on behalf of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, and since 1992 has been the editor of the Canadian edition of The Appraisal of Real Estate, the standard text. Larry was on the Tangible Assets Board of the International Valuation Standards Council from 2016 to 2019. He was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in November 2012.

Joash Fang
Joash Fang graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria in 2015. He was called to Ontario Bar in September 2016, before joining the Law Society of BC as a practicing member in January 2017. He is also currently legal counsel with WorkSafeBC, where he adjudicates Prohibited Action Complaints. Where a worker believes an employer has retaliated against them because they raised a health and safety issue, or participated in a health and safety activity, a worker may file a Prohibited Action Complaint with WorkSafeBC. Prior to joining WorkSafeBC, Joash practiced insurance law at a downtown Vancouver firm. Joash also previously worked with the BC Public Service, first as an Investigative Analyst with the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner, and subsequently, as Legal Counsel with the BC Ministry of Attorney General.

Erin Frew (Chair)
Erin Frew was appointed Chair to the PAAB in 2023 and was previously appointed as Vice Chair since 2016. She holds her Juris Doctor and her Bachelor of Science (Ecology) from the University of British Columbia. Previously she held positions as an arbitrator for the Residential Tenancy Branch, an associate lawyer in a national tax law firm, an intern assisting judges and legal officers at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and a review officer for WorkSafeBC. Erin has served as a director with the BC Council of Administrative Tribunals and currently sits on the Education Committee and Conference Committee. Erin received an award in 2020 from BCCAT in recognition of her service.

Steven Guthrie
Steven Guthrie has been with the Property Assessment Appeal Board since 2001. Prior to his appointment as a Board Member, Steven was the Board’s Registrar and Executive Director for 18 years.  In this role, he facilitated appeals with the goal to reach agreement without the need for adjudication.  Steven also led the development of innovative online services including Online Dispute Resolution.  Previously, he held senior positions in the public and private sectors concentrating on finance and administration.  This included corporate lending at a major bank, involving extensive financial analysis and asset evaluation.  Steven has an MBA from UBC and was appointed as a Board Member in July 2019.

Mandy Hansen
Mandy Hansen is presently the Principal of Insight Specialty Consulting, a project management and real estate strategy firm. Previously, she was a Senior Associate for Ernst & Young, a Senior Portfolio Analyst for BC Housing and an Appraiser for BC Assessment. Mandy carries her RI designation as a real estate professional from the Real Estate Institute of BC. She has a Master of Science (Public Administration and Development) from the University of Birmingham and a Bachelor of Business (Real Estate) and Diploma in Urban Land Economics from UBC. Mandy was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in December 2014.

Courtnee Helem
Courtnee was born in Vancouver B.C. and proudly embraces her identity as a Thompson Salish First Nation woman from the Nlaka’pamux Nation and member of the Lower Nicola Band. Demonstrating a diligent and outcome-oriented work ethic, she brings over 12 years of professional experience spanning multiple commercial sectors, with extensive experience in property valuation, specializing in commercial real estate appraisal & social purpose real estate development. Other relevant areas of her expertise include the analysis & assessment of residential property valuations, and development land both on and off reserve.

In addition to being appointed as a new Member to the PAAB, Courtnee works full time as a Development Consultant at Lu’ma Development Management (LDM), an Indigenous-led social purpose real estate firm, providing professional services and assistance to Indigenous groups involved in the creation of affordable housing projects and other interconnected socio-economic initiatives throughout the province. Within her role, Courtnee assumes comprehensive responsibility for managing all aspects of developing and overseeing affordable housing projects. This includes leading and coordinating the development team to ensure that projects are completed successfully and align well with budget limits, project schedules, and client goals.

Prior to her current role, Courtnee served the appraisal industry conducting comprehensive market research, and preparing appraisal reports for a wide range of commercial real estate sectors. This involved in-depth detailed analyses of numerous vacant land parcels, future development properties, and a variety of commercial assets within various municipalities throughout BC, with focus in expropriation-related matters requiring significant due diligence, allowing her to develop a deep understanding in a variety of complex forms of land ownership and usage policies. This journey, coupled with exceptional communication abilities and a comprehensive understanding of ethical business values, has empowered Courtnee to skillfully nurture and maintain exceptional client relationships, both internally and externally, while displaying a strong dedication to furthering Indigenous economic advancement and pioneering culturally suitable procurement approaches within the real estate sector.

Outside of the professional realm, Courtnee was selected as one of the 16 individuals recognized as Indigenous leaders from across Canada, establishing the Governing Council for an annual event, widely recognized the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase Conference and was honoured as a prominent speaker for the event. She also was a guest speaker at the 2023 BC Expropriation Association Conference. Her academic foundation encompasses a Certificate in Legal Administrative Studies, a Diploma of Business Administration from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the successful fulfillment of the Mortgage Brokerage in B.C. course / examination through UBC Sauder School of Business, as well as having completed a series of University of British Columbia (Real Estate Division) courses in the Appraisal Institute of Canada - AIC Designation Program.

James Howell (Vice Chair)
James Howell obtained his law degree from UBC. He worked for a public interest organization involved in the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and National Energy Board hearings before he was admitted to the BC Bar in 1979. James practised law and appeared at all levels of court in BC as well as before a variety of administrative tribunals. He was a vice chair at the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal and an arbitrator at the Residential Tenancy Branch for the past 10 years. James was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in February 2017.  

Zahra Jimale

Zahra H. Jimale is a lawyer, senior policy & legal advisor, educator and administrative decision-maker. She has held diverse roles in public, private, and non-profit sectors. Most recently, she was a Vice Chair at the Property Assessment Appeal Board and prior to that she was a policy and legal advisor at WorkSafeBC in the role of Quality Manager in the Policy, Regulation, and Research Division. Zahra holds a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Victoria, and a Restorative Justice Certificate from Simon Fraser University.

Camille Karlicki

Camille Karlicki is Inquiry Counsel at the College of Social Workers of BC. She is a practising lawyer and CPA (CA) with over 25 years of experience and expertise in a number of practice areas including administrative law, professional regulation, strata and property disputes, insurance defence and creditor remedies. Active in the community, Ms. Karlicki is a member of the Administrative Law subsection of the Canadian Bar Association and a former member of the Executive of the Administrative Law section, Legislation and Law Reform Committee, Property Assessment Review Panel and Secretary of the White Rock Amateur swim association. She is a member of the Law Society of BC and Chartered Professional Accountants of BC and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree from the University of Manitoba and Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria. Ms. Karlicki also completed Part 1 of the In-depth Tax Course through the CPABC in 2001.

Howard Kushner
Howard Kushner is a lawyer in Victoria. He is a member of both the Law Society of British Columbia and the Law Society of Alberta. Howard has extensive experience in administrative law, having taught at the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia and the Faculty of Law, University of Alberta and practiced in the area for over 20 years. Howard was the first Chief Legal Officer of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Deputy Executive Director – Regulation with the Law Society of Alberta. Prior to that, Howard was the Ombudsman for the Province of British Columbia (1999-2006). From 2018 to 2023 Howard was the Commissioner For Teacher Regulation for the Province of British Columbia. He was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in February 2014.

David Lee
David Lee is a retired Deputy Assessor for the City of Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, various Indian Bands, and other jurisdictions for BC Assessment. Previously, he was the Deputy Assessor for Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Port Coquitlam. Dave has taught courses over the years on the topics of advocacy, expert witness, golf course valuation, and office building valuation. Mr. Lee is a retired accredited Professional Appraiser. He was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in June 2010.

Howard Mak
Howard Mak is the Vice President of Investment Sales and Marketing at Gammon International Real Estate Corporation, where he oversees the valuation and sale of commercial investment properties, redevelopment sites and land assemblies. He is a licensed realtor with the Real Estate Council of British Columbia and a member of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.  Howard holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Victoria and a Master of Business Administration from the Segal Graduate School of Business at Simon Fraser University.

Robert Metcalf
Bob Metcalf currently works in the Metro Vancouver area as an independent appraiser and consultant. He was previously a Senior Appraiser and Area Assessor at BC Assessment for over 30 years. Bob holds a diploma in Urban Land Economics from UBC. He is a professional member of the Real Institute of BC, and past member the Appraisal Institute of Canada, the International Association of Assessing Officers and the Canadian Property Tax Association. Bob is also an author of numerous publications in his field.

Edwina Nearhood
Edwina Nearhood is the Principal of Nearhood Appraisal Services and has been involved in the appraisal industry since 1989.  She holds the AACI, P.App designation with the Appraisal Institute of Canada, is an active Board Member of AIC-BC and holds the RI designation as a real estate professional from the Real Estate Institute of BC.  Edwina is an active community champion.  She is involved with numerous steering committees with Northern Health, a member of the UNBC-CDI-Fort St. John Advisory Committee and is a certified KYY teacher. 

Michael Polomark
Michael Polomark is a recently retired member of the Real Estate Institute of Canada and has worked in the assessment field since 1998. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of General Studies and a Professional Teaching Certificate. He also completed the Realty Appraisal Certificate Program at Langara College. He was involved in the valuation of a wide range of property types throughout the province of British Columbia. Property types included residential (such as remote recreational cabins, detached houses and apartment complexes), industrial, redevelopment lands and commercial (including regional shopping centers).

Dale Pope
Dale Pope KC is an experienced Counsel having practised before Courts and Administrative Tribunals for over 45 years. His expertise involves regulatory and administrative board proceedings, civil litigation and public affairs advice. Dale has been appointed Standing Agent of the Attorney General of Canada and has been the Presiding Officer to many Competition Act administrative proceedings. Active in the community, he served as Chair for the Vancouver Public Library Trust, as a member of the Molson Indy Vancouver Advisory Group, as a board member of the Touchstone Theatre Society, and as a member of the Board of Odd Squad Productions an organization educating youth about the dangers of drug use. He is currently a member of the Cedar's Society Board.  Dale holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor. He was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in June 2010.

Janice Thomas
Janice Thomas, a recently retired accredited professional appraiser (AACI), has worked in the assessment/appraisal field since 1991. Having held a variety of appraisal and management positions, including Deputy Assessor, and Manager of Assessment Legal, Janice has extensive valuation experience for a variety of property types – from residential to major industrial properties. In addition, her detailed experience extends to assessment related legislation. Janice has developed and delivered training for assessment legislation, Marshall and Swift costing, highest and best use and appeal case law.

Audrey Suttorp (Vice Chair)
Audrey is an accredited appraiser (AACI) who has worked in the appraisal field since 1995.  She graduated from UBC with a Commerce degree, specializing in Urban Land Economics. She worked as a commercial real estate appraiser in Vancouver, covering a wide range of appraisal assignments throughout British Columbia.  For the past 25 years, Audrey has worked with the UBC Sauder School of Business Real Estate Division as a consultant and course educator for various Appraisal Institute of Canada courses.  Audrey was a member and chair of the Advisory Planning Commission in the City of New Westminster and, more recently, she worked with the Applied Experience examination committee with the Appraisal Institute of Canada.  She was appointed as a part-time member of the Property Assessment Appeal Board in 2006 and appointed as a Vice Chair in December 2019.     

Kenneth Wm. Thornicroft
Kenneth Wm. Thornicroft is Professor of Law and Employment Relations with the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria. He holds a law degree from UBC and a doctorate in Labour and Human Resource Policy/Employment Law from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Ken's professional practice is restricted to arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. He has been a member of the Property Assessment Appeal Board since February 2003.

Bruce Turner
Bruce Turner is President of Heuristic Consulting Associates, providing property assessment, policy and technical advisory services. Previously, he was a vice president with BC Assessment responsible for assessment policy, valuation & legislative services. Bruce works with UBC in developing senior level course materials for their Bachelor of Business in Real Estate program. He received his Master of Business Administration from Royal Roads University. He is a fully accredited member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada and serves as a director on the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. Bruce was appointed to the Property Assessment Appeal Board in December 2014.

Candace Watson
Candace Watson has a BA in History from SFU. She entered the real estate appraisal field in 1972 working initially for Macaulay, Nicolls, Maitland (now Colliers) and moved to Cumberland Realty Group as a senior appraiser in 1978 becoming the first female ICI appraiser in Vancouver. Candace set up her own company in 1983 appraising a wide range of ICI property types with a particular focus on the valuation of development land. In 2005, she incorporated a separate company specializing in the valuation of self storage. She took retired status with the Appraisal Institute of Canada in December 2015 and took retired status with the Real Estate Institute of B.C. in December 2017. Candace is a former governor of the Real Estate Institute of B.C. and a former member of the National Appeal Board of the Appraisal Institute of Canada. Candace was appointed to the Board in February 2016.

Robert Wickett
Robert ("Bob") Wickett was called to the BC bar in 1984 following his graduation from UBC law school in 1983. Since 1993, Bob's litigation practice has been primarily in the field of commercial litigation with an emphasis on environmental, administrative, commercial leasing and commercial real estate matters. He has conducted numerous trials and appeals, not only in his preferred practice areas but also in personal injury, criminal, employment, First Nations and corporate matters.

Bob has substantial experience as an adjudicator having served as a member of the Environmental Appeal Board and Forest Appeals Commission of British Columbia from November 2003 and a member of the Oil and Gas Appeals Tribunal of British Columbia since its inception in October of 2010. Bob was a vice chair of the Environmental Appeal Board and of the Forest Appeals Commission. His appointment as a member of these tribunals ended December 31, 2022. In his capacity as a member and vice chair of the Environmental Appeal Board, Forest Appeals Commission and the Oil and Gas Appeals Tribunal he chaired numerous panels and issued written reasons for judgment on a wide variety of matters.

In February 2021 Bob was appointed as a member of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, a federal tribunal that hears appeals arising in the field of amateur sports. Bob also acts as a private arbitrator in the area of commercial law. He has heard and decided numerous commercial arbitrations dealing with a wide variety of subjects. Bob is a roster panelist with the Vancouver International Arbitration Centre and a member of the ADR Institute of British Columbia.

Bob was an original author of the waste management chapter of the Due Diligence Deskbook first published in 1994 and he has edited that chapter each year since then. Bob has also authored several papers and spoken at a number of CLE seminars on the subjects of environmental law and commercial leasing. Bob is a long term member of the B.C. Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT) and has attended numerous courses and meetings put on by BCCAT in the field of administrative law and practice. He is a recent member of the education committee of BCCAT and has hosted education roundtables on various subjects related to administrative law adjudication and practice.

In 2013 Bob was appointed Queen's Counsel. (now King's Counsel)

Philip Yang
Philip Yang is a development manager at Terra Housing responsible for managing the development and implementation of social purpose projects in consultation with Terra principals and staff. Prior to joining Terra Housing, Philip worked a commercial real estate appraiser in the Lower Mainland conducting a wide range of consulting assignments for residential and commercial properties which included development sites, office buildings, multi-family, retail and industrial properties. Philip was awarded the use of the profession designation AACI, P.App (Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute) by the Appraisal Institute of Canada in 2018. He holds a Diploma in Urban Land and Economics (DULE) from the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business and a Bachelor or Technology from Toronto Metropolitan University.