Our Governance
AHMA’s Board of Directors and Nə́c̓aʔmat Leləm̓ Committee members passionately volunteer their time and efforts to strengthen relationships and support Indigenous housing needs as they evolve.
AHMA’s governance model is transparent and focuses on increasing capacity and accountability. Members and partners look to our Board and NLC to develop guiding principles to help meet the needs of their communities through advocacy and good governance. As a Not-for-Profit Society, AHMA’s governance structure operates in accordance with British Columbia’s Society Act.
Board service is one of the toughest volunteer roles of all and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association is grateful for each of our Board of Directors and the Nə́c̓aʔmat Leləm̓ Committee for the expertise they bring to AHMA. Thank you for your contributions and commitment to our vision and mission of providing all Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia with safe, secure and affordable housing.
AHMA Board of Directors
Ǧṇísḷaǧy̓ ḷís / Gary Wilson
Chair | Region 4
Ǧṇísḷaǧy̓ ḷís/Gary Wilson, a proud Haiɫzaqv Nation member, born and raised in Bella Bella, BC. Gary and his family aregrateful for the Snuneymuxw and Snaw-naw-as First Nations for allowing them to live, work and play in their traditional territory on Vancouver Island for the last 28 years.
Gary has 20 + years of Sr. level management experience over a variety of roles across First Nation Economic Development, Banking, Government, and the Not-for-Profit sector. As the CEO and Director of Economic Development of Tiicma Enterprises, a wholly owned company of the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k:tles7et’h’ First Nations, Gary provides strategic and operational oversight, planning, budgeting and technical guidance, advice and support to his Sr. Management team and staff.
Gary is serving a 5th term as President and Chair for the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). Gary also serves as Vice Chair to National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. (NICHI) Board ofDirectors and as a Director for Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) Board.
A strong believer in lifelong learning, Gary had attended post-secondary and received a Bachelor ofCommerce class of 2008 from Royal Roads University, Victoria BC and a Master of Business Administration, class of 2016 from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver BC.
Recognizing our First Nation community’s rich history across this country included Nation-to- Nation Inter-tribal trade from a national and international perspective; Gary believes that by incorporating our Indigenous values and principals along with the best of modern day development practices, First Nations are well positioned to establish successful and sustainable opportunities to support national and international economic development partnership opportunities, creating sustainable socio-economic development for Indigenous citizens and the broader business community.
Maria Martin
Board Secretary |Region 2
Bio to come.
Trevor Morrison
Treasurer | Region 1
Trevor Morrison, CAPA, is a member of the Gitxsan Nation in the Gitxsan Hereditary House group, Wilps Niisto. He has over thirty years’ experience working in a financial management capacity with the Gitxsan Nation, both as the Finance Administrator with the Gitksan Watershed Authorities and Finance Manager for Treaty, Health, Aboriginal Justice and Child & Family Services.
More recently, Trevor worked as a Business Development Officer and Acting CEO with Sqewqel Development Corporation. He brings professional experience as a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator (CAPA) to the board, as well as board governance experience from the BC First Nations Gaming Revenue Sharing GP, Shackan Development Corporation, and the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of BC.
Trevor has completed the Executive Program at the Harvard Business School and continues to pursue his MBA at the Cape Breton University.
Chaslynn Gillanders
Board Member | Region 6
Chaslynn Gillanders has practiced law with Callison & Hanna since 2005 after studying criminology at SFU and receiving her law degree from the Allard School of Law at UBC. Chaslynn’s law practice is focused on comprehensive land claims, employment law, and finance law. She is a member of both the Law Society of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Chaslynn is a member of Nisga’a Nation in northern BC.
Blake Scott
Vice-President | Region 5
Blake Scott has been an independent board member of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) since its transition to an independent board of directors in 2018. Blake currently holds the position of Vice President and is a past Treasurer. Blake enjoys his role supporting AHMA’s management alongside his fellow Board members in the delivery of housing services, and more recently with AHMA delivering the correlated health and complex care support to Indigenous people living in British Columbia.
Blake comes from the for-profit sector and his professional background includes 20-plus years working at a senior-management level in manufacturing, exporting, and corporate finance. Blake has a Master of Business Administration from Royal Roads University and uses his work experience and MBA qualification to add value to AHMA and Indigenous communities. Blake’s volunteer work also includes being Board President of Ntityix, the economic development corporation of the Westbank First Nation.
Blake looks forward to his continued work with his AHMA colleagues in providing governance support to an exceptionally dedicated and highly qualified team of professionals and housing providers who support the housing and health needs of Indigenous people in British Columbia.
Cliff Fregin
Board Member | Region 3
Cliff Fregin was born and raised in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and is Haida from Old Massett, Haida Gwaii. With 35+ years management experience, Cliff has been extensively involved in Indigenous economic & business development throughout Canada. A strategic thinker and strong financial manager he is known nationally for his expertise in leadership development, stakeholder relations, partnership development and development of programs and services.
Through 1995-2002, Cliff had been employed as the Executive Director of the Gwaii Trust – a partnership between the Haida Nation and the settlers on Haida Gwaii. Gwaii Trust manages a perpetual trust fund initially capitalized at $38 million in 1994; market value in early 2003 was $62 million.
In December 2002, Cliff was hired by National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association (NACCA) as the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for finance and programs in Ottawa, ON. NACCA is an association of Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs); these 55 AFIs provide high risk small business development financing and services to aboriginal entrepreneurs throughout Canada.
From October 2006 – July 2019, Cliff Fregin has led the New Relationship Trust (NRT) as Chief Executive Officer. NRT is a trust fund charged with building capacity for British Columbia First Nations by supporting First Nation governance, economic development, education, language revitalization, and youth & Elders initiatives.
Cliff has experience establishing youth mentorship programs with corporations nationally and internationally particularly in the business sector; Cliff is one of the founders of YES – Young Entreprenuers Symposium, which provides entrepreneurship training through an annual conference – for 15+ years
From August 2019 – January 2024, Cliff held the Chief Operating Officer (COO) position with Indspire; a nationally recognized top 10 charity in Canada supporting indigenous students through scholarships, bursaries and mentorship initiatives. Indspire has grown to provide $27+M in scholarships to 6,700 students in the past 2022-23 year.
Recently – January 22, 2024 Cliff has been hired as the first Executive Director of Four Pillars Society – a new $2.8B trust fund serving 325 First Nations supporting the revitalization of languages, culture, heritage and well-being (wellness).
Nə́c̓aʔmat Leləm̓ Committee – Good Governance Committee
Rosanna McGregor
Committee Chair | Cariboo Friendship Society
Bio to come…
Luanne Ruotsalainen
Dakelh & Quesnel Community Housing Society
Steve Arnett
Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre
It is my honor and blessing to be a small part of Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre and AHMA.
Current Board Vice President of the Salish Lelum Youth and Elder Housing Society.
Metis Nation BC citizen, married for 47 years, father of two adult sons, grandfather to Sophie (7 years) and Sebastian (3 years).
Retired professionally trained and Registered Social Worker. Forty-two years of practice in senior roles with government and the Non-Profit Sector leading and volunteering for a variety of Human Service initiatives in Alberta and BC. Final appointment as CEO of Nanaimo Youth Services Association from 2000 to 2017.
2013 Award of Excellence’ Service Provider – BC Representative for Children and Youth
Three term Ladysmith Town Councillor and Deputy Mayor 2008 to 2018.
Hold a BSW MSW RSW (Ret.) and several post graduate certificates and training credentials related to Indigenous Human Services and Social Justice advocacy.Program Design Consultant Associate Metis Geesis.