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RaeAnne became involved in artistic swimming in 2007 when her daughter fell in love with the sport. Although RaeAnne remained on the pool deck and in the boardroom, she too became passionate about the sport, particularly the positive impact it has on girls and women. In 2012, she became Treasurer of the BC Aquasonics, followed by two and a half years serving as the club's President. During her tenure, the Club developed its first strategic plan, overhauled its governance, business and communications practices, launched a dynamic new website, and expanded to a new location.
RaeAnne has been President of BC Artistic Swimming since 2016 and chairs the Executive, Governance, and Human Resources Committees. She also sat on Synchro Canada's Strategic Plan Steering Committee and led the Local Organizing Committee for the 2018 Synchro Canada World Series and Espoir National Championships in Surrey, a highlight in a lifetime of volunteer work.
RaeAnne is also President of RaeAnne Rose Consulting, working with over 80 non-profit organizations in western Canada on capacity building, organizational development, fundraising and communication strategy.
Rhonda has been involved in aquatic sports since she was a child growing up in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, competing in both artistic swimming and water polo. She continued to compete in both sports throughout her university years, later graduating to Vancouver Masters Synchro in 2000, where she continues to compete as a Masters’ athlete today.
Rhonda is also a coach and an active board member with Vancouver Masters. Most notably, she is the proud mom of a former national stream athlete, who was selected to BC’s 2019 Canada Winter Games Team and now competes in the Canadian University Artistic Swimming League for UBC while also giving back as a coach with Pacific Wave Synchro. Rhonda is a family physician in Vancouver, practicing at Bayswater Family Practice. She is also actively involved with the Youth Parliament of BC Alumni Society in numerous board positions.
Rhonda has been a Director on the BC Artistic Swimming Board since 2014 and has served as Vice-President since being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2017. She also sits on the Executive and Governance Committees and was a member of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2018 Synchro Canada World Series and Espoir National Championships.
Roz spent much of her youth living overseas and was immersed in different cultures from a young age. This provided her with a broader world view that she might not have otherwise gained. She’s spent time in countries in which the societal structures that we take for granted, such as the presence of a board to oversee the objectives of a non-profit organization or regulatory bodies such as the CPA, are compromised or biased. This has increased the value she places in these structures and inspires her enthusiasm to uphold and support them.
While attending Kwantlen Polytechnic University for her BBA in Accounting, Roz obtained accounting experience in sectors including energy/technology, construction and recreation. During her studies and since obtaining the CPA designation, she’s worked at the public practice firm DMCL CPA. These combined experiences have given her insight into the benefits and pitfalls of various reporting methods, different accounting systems and communication styles within large organizations. She’s assisted on risk management processes, has created and executed audit procedures, and has ensured that the companies she's worked with are following industry and accounting standards.
Roz has volunteered with the CPA designation program on a panel consisting of 12 students and alumni across western Canada providing feedback to better the program for future students. She has also volunteered as a board member on a mock panel for students completing part of the program. Each of these positions has been rewarding not only for the impact she’s been able to have on future students’ paths, but also in seeing the culmination of students’ efforts in the mock board report.
Elise Fagnan is a Competition Development Certified coach with a diploma in Kinesiology. She recently completed her Bachelor of Nursing Degree at UBC and now works at the BC Children’s Hospital.
Elise has coached at all levels of the sport, including recreational, provincial stream, national stream, and masters’ as well as at the BC Summer Games. She competed with Vancouver Pacific Wave for ten years and currently competes as a competitive Masters athlete for Vancouver Masters Synchro. Elise competed at the 2019 Canadian Masters Championships in Quebec City in the Duet events and won a Gold medal with her team in the Combo event.
Elise has been a member of the on the Synchro BC Board since 2015 and is currently a member of the Governance & Nominations Committee. She has also previously served as Chair of the Sport Development Committee.
Anne-Marie has a passion for our sport that shines through in all the artistic swimming activities in which she participates. She values the important role artistic swimming has in the lives of swimmers of all ages and abilities.
Anne-Marie joined the artistic swimming community 20 years ago, initially as a parent of an athlete and shortly thereafter as a Masters’ athlete in her daughter’s club. She soon got involved as a deck volunteer and Club Board member. Twelve years ago, Anne-Marie extended her participation to include the role of official. In more recent years Anne-Marie has included Educator of Officials in her activities and has facilitated the certification of 30 Officials in the last 6 years. Anne-Marie has served on the BCAS Board since 2015.
When Anne-Marie is not in the pool or on deck, she is enjoying retirement after a lengthy career in a senior leadership role in Supply Chain Management in the consumer products industry. Her skills in this capacity are readily transferable to the role of a Director. As always, Anne-Marie’s passion for our sport continues to shine in her role as Director at Large.
Jordan is currently the Head Coach at Vancouver Masters Synchro and a coach with UBC Synchro. She grew up in Vancouver and fell in love with artistic swimming. Jordan began swimming with Vancouver Pacific Wave, which is where she also began her coaching career. She enjoys the process of developing and nurturing the skills of athletes of all abilities and looks for ways to grow and strengthen the clubs where she coaches. More recently, Jordan served on BCAS's Sport Development and Masters' Committees. She is eager to look at ways to continue to move our sport forward at all levels in British Columbia and to support our athletes, officials and coaches. For the past 14 years, Jordan has worked as an early childhood educator working with children ages 3-5 and their families. She currently works with UBC childcare services.
Mandy became involved with the Kamloops Sunrays over seven years ago when her daughter joined their recreational program. A year later, she volunteered for Club President. She went on to achieve her Level 1 judge’s certification and recently completed her Level 2. During her tenure, the Kamloops Sunrays executive team has worked hard to stabilize the club and create a foundation of programming for recreation, provincial and the newly established national stream program.
Marina became acquainted with the beautiful sport of artistic swimming when her daughter, Alex, became interested in the sport six years ago. When her daughter joined the Burnaby Caprice Artistic Swimming Club, Marina joined the Club Executive, and her learning of the sport and the way it is organized and managed began. Step by step, she learned about rules and regulations, discovered the challenges, and looked for ways to overcome them. She is constantly looking for more ideas and solutions from all over the world to compare the way this sport is developing in different countries.
Marina appreciate the opportunity to volunteer at meets and enjoys watching the judges at work, and the athletes growing and developing. Marina has been an ESL teacher for the last 14 years and has been an instructor at Coquitlam College since moving to British Columbia in 2014.
Click here for the full position descriptions of our DIRECTORS
2018-2019
2017-2018
2016-2017
The Executive & Finance Committee addresses governance and operational issues that arise between board meetings and provides financial direction and guidance to the Board and the Executive Director.
Chair: RaeAnne Rose, President Members: Rhonda Vanderfluit, Vice President | Rosoleen Rutherford, Director of Finance Staff Liaison: Jennifer Keith, Executive Director
The Governance & Nominations Committee is responsible for guiding the Board of Directors to fulfill its legal, ethical, and functional responsibilities to protect the best interests of the Society. It also oversees recruitment and nominations of candidates for the Board as well as periodic Board evaluation.
Chair: RaeAnne Rose, President Members: Rhonda Vanderfluit, Vice President | Elise Fagnan, Director at Large Staff Liaison: Jennifer Keith, Executive Director
Terms of Reference (Dec 4-17)
The Human Resources Committee supports the Executive Director to manage staffing and compensation for BC Artistic Swimming employees and contractors.
Chair: RaeAnne Rose, President Members: Carol Stewart, Director at Large Staff Liaison: Jennifer Keith, Executive Director
Terms of Reference COMING SOON
The High Performance Committee provides expertise that shapes BC Artistic Swimming’s high-performance program which includes talent identification, the Ignite Provincial Programs - Gold, Silver & Prospects, athlete assistance, Team BC, and awards & bursaries.
Chair: Vacant Members: Vacant Staff Liaison: Susan Kemper, High Performance Director
Terms of Reference
The Official Committee oversees the Officials Certification Program and ensures professional development opportunities are available for judges and referees. The committee also creates training materials, tracks statistics, evaluates officials, and trains and oversees deck volunteers.
Chair: Christina Demiris Members: Anne-Marie North | Debbie Provencher | Lisa Balcombe | Madeleine Ramsay | Nicola Iten | Sharon Devana | Carol Stewart Staff Liaison: Jennifer Keith, Executive Director
The Sport Development Committee supports the growth of artistic swimming in British Columbia and fosters inclusion by creating opportunities for entry-level, recreational, and sport for life level participation. Members: Brenda Scott, Victoria Synchro | Disa Fladmark, Kamloops Sunrays | Jordan Wuest, Vancouver Masters | Katie Hopp, Vernon Silhouettes | Anne-Marie North, Caprice Artistic Swimming Staff Liaison: Tanya Magee, Sport Development Director
The Awards Committee oversees BC Artistic Swimming’s member recognition awards and bursary programs. Chair: Vacant Member: Alina Aref’yeva, Caprice Artistic Swimming | Morrie Baillie, Victoria Synchro | Anne-Marie North, Burnaby Caprice Staff Liaison: Jennifer Keith, Executive Director
The Adaptive AS Committee is an expert advisory committee that is helping to build adaptive artistic swimming opportunities in BC. The Committee is also participating in a research project by viaSport and UBC: "Level the Playing Field: Organizational experiences in and readiness for inclusive programming.” Chair: Vacant Members: Leah Papillo, BC Aquasonics | Melinda Markser, Caprice Artistic Swimming | Mackenzy Higgins | Tina Naveri, Kamloops Sunrays | Disa Fladmark, Kamloops Sunrays | Carol Stewart, BCAS Staff Liaison: Tanya Magee, Sport Development Director
The Master Committee is an advisory committee that helps develop Masters level artistic swimming programs in BC and ensures Masters athletes have a voice in the development of programming, policies and issues that impact them and their clubs. Chair: Jordan Wuest, Vancouver Masters Synchro Members: Katie Hopp, Vernon Silhouettes | Carly Schmitt, Kelowna Dolphins | Jessica Nemlander, Ravensong Waterdancers | Melinda Markser, Caprice Artistic Swimming | Loretta Pederson, West Coach Masters | Disa Fladmark, Kamloops Sunrays Staff Liaison: Tanya Magee, Sport Development Director
The BCAS community is represented on numerous Canada Artistic Swimming Committees and its Board of Directors. Athlete Council Olivia Zawadiuk, Chair
Board of Directors, Governance Committee, Finance & Audit Committee, Policy Working Group Shannon Higgins
External Relations Committee Louise Kennedy
National Officials Committee Lisa Balcombe
LTAD Task Force Susan Kemper
Plan 42 Task Force: Tanya Magee, Lisa Balcombe, Sharon Devana
BC Artistic Swimming makes every effort to respond to emails within 48hours.
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604-333-3642
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“I believe that values-based sport makes a difference.”
ATHLETE: Speed skating was my first passion – my father believed that every Canadian kid needs to be able to skate and he thought speed skating was cool so that is where my love of sport began. I competed for many years and was a top ranked athlete in my province but the pressure at a young age to compete and train at a high-performance level was too much pressure for me by the age of 11. Being in a position to make big life decisions turned me off the sport I loved. I played ringette and basketball for many years until I found soccer when I was 16. It seemed to come naturally to me and quickly became my everything. Unfortunately, I blew out my knee just before the start of my first season in university and due to complications with the ensuing surgeries was unable to keep playing at more than a rec level. It was at that point that I discovered that if I was no longer able to play at a high level, I could focus my career in sport.
CAREER: After earning my degree in business and a post-graduate diploma in sports administration, I started working in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators. Glamorous as it sounds, I found I had little interest because it was just big business. I was happy to learn that early and quickly redirected my focus to community sport. My first job in community sport was as a Discipline Administrator in soccer – handing out suspensions and fines was about 95% of my job! Fortunately, my career took off and I have had some incredible experience with Soccer New Brunswick, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and the True Sport Foundation.
SPORT PHILOSOPHY: As a young person, sport gave me so much. It was my outlet. It’s where I didn’t have to think about anything else that was going on in my life. I was lucky to have some great coaches who were excellent role models and a positive influence on me. I believe that every kid needs role models and the opportunity to do things they love – a place where they feel confident in their abilities and proud of their accomplishments. Community sport can be that for many kids. It is why I believe in values-based sport. I want to help make a difference in kids’ lives through sport because it was an important part of my life and helped shape who I am today.
PRIORITIES: Bringing Club Excellence to BCAS and to our clubs is a key priority for me to help us manage our organizations better. If we have the proper foundation in place at all levels of the sport, we will be able to spend more time focusing on the athletes in the pool, which is what we all hope to accomplish. I’m pretty certain that none of us got into this for the paper work but know that we end up buried in it because of gaps in our operations and governance structures. I hope to help BCAS and its member clubs to bridge these gaps.
ARTISTIC SWIMMING IN BC: There is so much passion in the BC artistic swimming community and a real desire to work collaboratively to make things better, which is fantastic. That does not happen very often in competitive sport. The board is committed to operating as a governance board and have created a wonderful framework for the staff to ensure that we have the resources and support to do our jobs. This is so important at the PSO level.
FUN FACTS: When I was 9 years old, I presented flowers to the amazing Gaetan Boucher and other world class skaters during the 1982 World Speed Skating Championships. Also, outside of BCAS, people call me Niff or JK. That seems not to have stuck here.
604-333-3640
“Artistic swimming hooks you!”
ATHLETE: I started artistic swimming with the Coquitlam Coralinas when I was 6 years old. I was first selected to Team Canada when I was 15 which was a complete surprise! When I called my mom to tell her, she wanted to speak to my coach because she didn’t believe me! I competed on the National team for 7 years, living in Montreal and training at the Centre of Excellence for three of those years.
COACH: I have been coaching since I was 14 years old. I am a Coach for the BC Aquasonics and I coordinate the recreation programs for the Club. I have also coached for Dollard Synchro in Montreal and was an Apprentice Coach for the National Team in 2008, as well as a Team BC Assistant Coach for the 2011 Canada Winter Games Team.
QUALIFICATIONS: I am a Chartered Professional Coach and have recently obtained my Advanced Coaching Diploma. Additionally, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Coaching. It was while I was working on my degree that I decided to pursue coaching as a profession. It was a chance to combine my two passions in one career: teaching and artistic swimming.
SPORT PHILOSOPHY: I believe that everyone I coach is a person first and foremost. They are not just an athlete that walks onto the pool deck, trains and then does not exist when they leave the building. They are a human being who deserves my respect, honesty, and personal best. Sport has helped shape me to be the person I am today and, for that reason, I strive to do that for my athletes. Sport can teach life skills and, as a coach, my goal for every athlete is for them to grow into confident, successful human beings long after their athletic careers are finished. This philosophy will carry over in to my new role as I work with all the members of this organization.
ARTISTIC SWIMMING IN BC: We have so many successes in BC: our officials at the Olympics, our coaches who make artistic swimming a career, our first athlete with a disability going to national championships, our Masters athletes representing us on the world stage. We have incredible, long-term loyalty from so many passionate people who are willing and wanting to help. Artistic swimming hooks you! We need to tap into that passion to grow our sport.
OUTSIDE ARTISTIC SWIMMING: I am mom to two daughters, Rya and Addisyn. When I am not coaching, you may still find me at the pool taking my kids to their swimming lessons (yes, they love the water!). I am also a T-ball mom, soccer mom, ringette mom and gymnastics mom! I guess you can call me a foodie since I love to cook and sometimes post pictures of my food on social media! My favorite place to unwind is Shuswap Lake where I love to waterski, spend time with family, and enjoy the scenery.
FUN FACTS: You could say that water is in my blood. My mom was an artistic swimmer and won medals at National Championships, my sister is a double bronze medalist at the 2003 Canada Winter Games, and Brent Hayden, Canadian Olympic medalist in swimming, is my cousin (2nd cousin but who is keeping track!).
604-333-3640 EMAIL “The big ideas are coming from the trenches.” ATHLETE: I started artistic swimming with the Coquitlam Coralinas when I was nine years old. Some of our current officials still remind me that they judged me then! I was 16 when I was selected to Team Canada and swam with the National Team for seven years. COACH: I have been coaching since I was 16 years old. I coached Canada’s National Team for seven years, including Head Coach of the 2008 Olympic Team. I have also been Head Coach of the BC Aquasonics since 1996 and I work as a high performance consultant in Canada and internationally. QUALIFICATIONS: I am a Chartered Professional Coach and, in 2006, I became a fully certified NCCP Level 5 Coach, the first coach in synchronized swimming and the ninth woman in Canadian Sport to do so. PROVINCIAL PROGRAM: My vision is to develop an Academy style program where we focus on building the technical and tactical strengths of the individuals, which in turn will improve the team. We need to help each athlete master their position. Then, when we come together as a team to build the choreography, we have a really strong foundation on which to build. ARTISTIC SWIMMING IN BC: In Canada, our sport leadership is made up of the top coaches, clubs, and programs in the country. That’s where the best practices are developed – the big ideas are coming from the trenches. We can take the best of that thinking and use it in BC but we can also lead from within the province. OUTSIDE ARTISTIC SWIMMING: I am the mom of a rock star softball pitcher and I spend every moment I can at the ball diamond cheering her on. Sydni was offered a full-ride scholarship to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix - I couldn’t be more proud. FROM THE ARCHIVES: My mom, Maureen Crews, is a past President of BCAS FUN (AND AMAZING!) FACT: When I competed as a senior athlete for BC, judges’ marks included 10s in the team event, three years in a row.
Disa Fladmark joined the BCAS staff in August 2019 to fill the role of Sport Services Coordinator. She is a long-standing member of the association bringing experience as an athlete, coach, official, and administrator.
Disa began her artistic swimming career in the mid 90’s when she joined her first competitive team, working her way up to the senior level where she swam a senior solo with the Coquitlam Coralinas. Having coached her first recreational team in 1999, she has been coaching for more than 20 years working with athletes of all levels and abilities. Disa has led her teams to many podium performances at provincial championships and nurtured athletes to success at national competitions. She has also continued her journey as an athlete competing in Masters’ events since 2001 and became a Level 2 trained judge in 2018.
Disa is a certified Competition Development coach and recently completed her Advanced Coaching Diploma with the Canadian Sport Institute. She completed her Masters in Professional Communication in 2015 receiving recognition for research challenging the current framework of sports in Canada and the limitations it places on the female athlete.
In recent years, Disa has been heavily involved with BC Artistic Swimming serving on the Adaptive Synchro, Sport Development and Masters’ Committees, coaching in the Train to Train and Regional Coach programs, facilitating Annual Summit sessions and membership meetings, and most recently serving on the Board of Directors. In 2018, Disa resigned from her position as the Provincial Office Manager of the BC Summer Swimming Association, where she managed its operations and events such as the annual coaches conference and provincial championships.
BCAS Executive Director noted: “Disa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this new role. We are fortunate to have her join our team and to take on a role that was previously divided among two part-time staff. She is taking on a lot of responsibility, but I have every confidence that she will manage her new responsibilities with tenacity and vigour.”
In her role as Sport Services Coordinator, Disa is responsible for executing all provincial events and competitions as well as supporting the membership with registration, and coordinating coach, official and athlete development initiatives and programs.
Susan Kemper, Tanya Magee and Tina Naveri will lead the 2019-2020 Ignite program with support from technical consultant, Jennifer Koptie. Together the team brings more than one hundred years of experience and will provide an amazing program for our athletes!
Susan Kemper has been active in artistic swimming for over thirty years as an athlete and coach for BC and Canada. She coached Canada Artistic Swimming’s National Team for seven years including Head Coach of the 2008 Olympic Team. Susan has also developed multiple National Team athletes from the province of BC including a 2008 Olympian. Today, she is a highly sought after High Performance Consultant mentoring colleagues across the country, running multiple High Performance Camps for both provinces and clubs each season, and Head Coach of the BC Aquasonics. She also fulfills the role of BCAS's High Performance Director.
Susan is a Chartered Professional Coach and in 2006 she became a fully certified NCCP Level 5 Coach, the first coach in artistic swimming with Level 5 Certification and only the ninth woman in Canadian Sport. In 2009, Susan was inducted as a “Builder” for sport into the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame, a huge honour at this early phase in her sporting career. As a member of Canada Artistic Swimming’s Coaching Development Team, a Master Learning Facilitator for their Competition Development Coaching Program, and a coach for BCAS, Susan is influential at all levels of the sport, building strong, well-balanced, successful athletes for the province and the country.
Tanya has been coaching artistic swimming since the age of 14. She is a coach for the BC Aquasonics and coordinates the recreation programs for the Club. She has also coached for Dollard Synchro in Montreal and was an Apprentice Coach for the National Team in 2008, as well as a Team BC Assistant Coach for the 2011 Canada Winter Games Team.
A Chartered Professional Coach, who obtained her Advanced Coaching Diploma in 2018, she also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Coaching. While working on her degree, she decided to pursue coaching as a profession as it provided the chance to combine her two passions: teaching and artistic swimming.
Tanya believes that everyone she coaches is first and foremost a person; not just an athlete that walks onto the pool deck, trains and then does not exist when they leave the building. Rather, her philosophy is that each athlete is a human being who deserves her respect, honesty, and personal best. Sport has helped shape Tanya to be the person she is today and, for that reason, she strives to do the same for her athletes. Sport can teach life skills and, as a coach, Tanya's goal for every athlete is for them to grow into confident, successful human beings long after their athletic careers are finished. This philosophy carries over to her role as BCAS's Sport Development Director, working alongside members throughout the province.
Tanya notes that there are so many successes in artistic swimming in BC: our officials at the Olympics, our coaches making artistic swimming a career, the first athlete with a disability going to national championships, our Masters athletes representing us on the world stage. We have incredible, long-term loyalty from so many passionate people who are willing and wanting to help. Artistic swimming hooks you! We need to tap into that passion to grow our sport.
Tina has been involved with artistic swimming for over 30 years as both an athlete and a coach. She has coached for many clubs in the province, and is currently Head Coach of the Kamloops Sunrays. Tina has also coached at many levels including multiple BC Summer Games, 2017 Talent Identification Program Guest Coach, 2018 Train to Train Head Coach, and 2020 Ignite Gold Team Assistant Coach. Tina has also been the Interior Regional Coach since 2018. Most recently, Canada Artistic Swimming invited Tina to be a Camp Coach at the Junior National Team selection camp.
Tina’s passion for the sport of artistic swimming drives her to support the athletes she coaches, striving for success, and growth as athletes and human beings. Her goal is to provide athletes with not only artistic swimming skills but useful skills that can be used in their every day lives.
Jennifer Koptie has been an artistic swimming coach for over 22 years. As a Physical Education and Special Education Teacher at Ionview Public School in the Toronto area, she strives to develop programming that is “student-athlete” focused. Jennifer was the Head Coach of Synchro Canada’s Regional Training Centre – Ontario from 2015- 2018, which most recently performed at Canadian Championships with notable wins in the Senior Team Free, Combo, and Highlight Routine categories. She has been highly active in the Provincial Team Programs in Ontario and the National Team Programs, with numerous coaching positions over the last 15 years. Jennifer has also served as a Mentor Coach, coming alongside younger coaches to assist in their development. She has placed many athletes on the National Teams including athletes on the Senior and Junior 2018 Canadian teams. In 2017, Jennifer was the Head Coach of Synchro Canada’s NextGen National Team that competed at the America Open in New York. Currently, Jennifer is enrolled and in her final year of the Advanced Coaching Diploma Program. While at Variety Village as the Head Coach, Jennifer combined her educational background in Special Education with her passion for artistic swimming, implementing a program for swimmers with cognitive disabilities and working with other countries including Japan, to support their programs for swimmers with special needs.
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