Staff

Maria Angerilli

Associate Executive Director

Maria (she/her/hers) joined the FSA in October 2011 as the Executive Assistant and has advanced over the years into her current role as the Associate Executive Director. Her role is critical in leading the business and personnel operations of the FSA office. Maria served as an Interim Co-Executive Director from June 2019 - Aug 2020.

Maria works closely with the FSA Board of Directors, the President, and Executive Director assisting them with the overall operations of the FSA office and providing resources and support to ensure effective and efficient governance. Over her career, Maria has experience supporting senior level executive teams in commercial real estate and retail industries and has contributed to the improvement of the FSA’s internal systems and administrative practices. Maria draws upon her professional photography and design experience and knowledge to support the FSA’s brand identity and communications work. As a long-standing employee at the FSA, Maria brings extensive organization history to her work.

Anna Chau

Information Officer

Anna brings a wealth of skills to our team, with a background in data analytics and inventory management—among other areas! Anna also maintains a side business in gourmet popcorn-making and volunteers at a flower shop. Anna joined the FSA after a successful, decade-long career at a local Vancouver jewelry retail chain. where she worked as a Senior Inventory Manager/Administrative Assistant. While there, Anna was responsible for records management systems, supported the accounting department, and created training manuals for procedures and objectives to maximize workflow and ensure accuracy of records, reports, and presentations.

Sahar Eskandari

Operations Assistant

Matt Greaves

Member Engagement Officer

Matt Greaves (he/him/his) has been teaching and organizing in the Canadian post-secondary sector for more than a decade. Matt joined the FSA from the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) at Simon Fraser University, where he held positions in organizing, communications, and research; helped lead successful strike action during the 2015 round of bargaining as a member of TSSU's strike committee; and represented the union at local and national events. Matt has also been researching, publishing, and teaching in the fields of Communication and Labour Studies since 2009. He holds a PhD from the School of Communication at SFU (2018).

Baba Oguntoye

Labour Relations Assistant

First and foremost, I’m an ambitious and enthusiastic person who is passionate about improving myself and helping others achieve their goals. My biggest passions are travelling, fitness, and going for adventures in nature – so much so that I am also a fully qualified Personal Trainer! In addition, I appreciate people who treat others with respect and kindness, and would say that this is a key trait that I love to see in others.

As for my career and education, I have a strong background in law, having graduated with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the University of Leicester, with a year of study abroad at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. I have worked as a Paralegal in various areas of law, most recently in healthcare and public law at Hill Dickinson LLP and London Ambulance Service NHS Trust. I have gained valuable experience in debt recovery, legal research and drafting, inquest law, Court of Protection matters, compliance, and have handled complex and sensitive cases with professionalism and diligence. I enjoy the way that I am able to use the law to help people find solutions.

In my spare time, I was also a Director of Artist Management. My role involved me overseeing the talent acquisition and development of emerging and established artists for Elusive Festival, an ongoing event that I co-created in March 2020 in Kent, England. I collaborated with a diverse and dynamic team of festival organizers, promoters, and performers, and leveraged my interpersonal and organizational skills to ensure the smooth and successful execution of the festival. I still support the team from Canada when I can.

Kristie Starr

Labour Relations Representative

Kristie (she/her/hers) was born and raised in southern Colorado and graduated with a B.A. in history and russian studies from Colorado College. She spent the next ten years at Yale University, pursuing a graduate education in history and learning valuable lessons in social justice. While enrolled in a Ph.D. program, she joined the intense effort to organize the teaching and research assistants to form a union and collectively bargain with the university, organizing direct actions in partnership with the other unions on campus and community members in the city of New Haven. This experience inspired her to become a union representative and organizer in cities across Connecticut, California, Florida, Colorado, and, finally, brought her to work with a local in B.C. With decades of experience in the labour movement, and now a proud CUPE member herself, Kristie has developed expertise in servicing union contracts, member engagement, and grassroots organizing. In her spare time, you can find her delving into a good historical fiction novel, knitting yet another toque, or marveling at the beauty of this province on its many woodland and seaside trails.

George Talbott

Senior Labour Relations Representative

George (he/him/his) earned a law degree from the University of Alberta, receiving the Alberta Labour Relations Board prize, and was called to the bar of Ontario. Previously, he earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in physics from the same university.

While articling for a boutique labour and employment law firm, George was an activist with the Council of Canadian’s Ottawa chapter, and later became the Council’s head of human resources. In the past, George has written freelance articles, mostly in the area of labour law and labour relations, for publishers such as Canada Law Book, Lancaster House, and Workforce magazine. As a result of his experiences, he became a founding member of the C.E.P.’s Canadian Freelance Union, now part of Unifor.

Prior to joining the FSA, George spent more than a decade with the national non-profit that owns and operates Canada’s air navigation system, where he was responsible for developing harmonious labour relations with B.C.’s air traffic controllers, and five other federal public-sector unions. While there he served on two national bargaining teams.

Advising organizations in the non-profit, private, and public sectors, George’s repertoire includes collective agreement interpretation, investigations, conflict resolution, training, collective bargaining, legal drafting and research. He is a member of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources, BC & Yukon and of the Law Society of Ontario.

Michael Thompson

Labour Relations Representative

Michael's (he/him/his) interest in labour activism began at the age of seven when he joined his dad on the picket line. That early experience of his father’s union taking a stand for workers’ rights forged his passion for social justice. He went on to study Economics and Business at SFU, rounding out his skillset to service the membership. His formal work with unions began in the early nineties where he served at the local level, holding various elected and appointed committee positions. During this time Michael also volunteered for several years with the Vancouver Police department. There, he received training in conflict resolution and gained other valuable experiences that greatly enhanced his ability to help members in need. In 2006 he was elected as a full-time Business Agent and went on to become the National Secretary-Treasurer of his union, responsible for staff and seven offices from Burnaby to Montreal. Michael most recently worked as a representative for an interprovincial construction union prior to arriving at the FSA. His experience includes collective agreement interpretation, membership training, legal research and pension plans.

Doug Thorpe-Dorward

Executive Director

Doug Thorpe-Dorward has a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a Juris Doctorate from the University of British Columbia. Doug has worked in labour relations since finishing law school, with previous experience at four Canadian universities over the last 20 years. Having worked on both the union and employer side of faculty relations gives Doug a unique perspective on this work. He continues to be a practicing lawyer and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia. In his personal life, Doug resides in Burnaby and has a 19-year-old son who studies at Simon Fraser University, and an equally studious French bulldog named Winston.