Staff Leadership

Members of the Leadership Team at UNITI are dedicated to the mission of each organization under the partnership and support the development of inclusive communities.  They understand that being Person-Centered is a philosophy that extends to all their interactions with the people we support and our employees.

Doug Tennant

Chief Executive Officer

Doug Tennant has been actively involved in the Community Living movement for the past 23 years as a parent, a worker, and a volunteer, including 10 years as a Board member of Semiahmoo House Society. He recently completed his Master of Education with a focus on creativity and innovation in the arts. Doug spent 17 years in the field of education and has expertise in educational technology and conflict resolution. When not at work, he enjoys spending time on the water or in the wilderness with his wife, children, and dogs.

Lise Boughen

Director of Inclusive Housing

Lise Boughen was hired as a casual staff for Semiahmoo House Society in her senior year of University. Lise graduated from Trinity Western University in 1989 with Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Human Services.  An employee of SHS ever since Lise is passionate about assisting people to live  the lives they want and deserve.  Creating a positive, encouraging, “think outside the box” work environment  is also a  passion of hers.   When not at work Lise enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, most likely at some sporting event.

Stephanie Green

Director of Human Resources

Stephanie has provided leadership and oversight to the human resources department since 1998 when she began the development of the Society’s HR department. Prior to this, she held human resources roles with several large organizations including Purolator Courier and Fraser Health. She holds a bachelor of Business Administration in Organizational behavior from  Simon Fraser University. Stephanie is a proud mom of two teenage daughters who keep her very busy with their extracurricular activities which include daily equestrian training sessions and seasonal competitions, music, and art.

Lindsay Mercado

Director of Quality Improvement and Technology Solutions

Lindsay started as a practicum student with us in 2011 and quickly became invested in our organization. She worked as a CSW for, and then managed, Recreation & Leisure Services, then moved to Accreditation Project Management and Performance and Quality Improvement, where she led SHS’s successful accreditation in 2019. Lindsay is extremely excited and grateful for this new opportunity as Director of Quality Improvement and Technology Solutions. She recently completed her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Criminology and also has a Community Support and Outreach Worker Diploma. Lindsay is passionate about mental health, equity and inclusion and has a talent for organization, efficiency and technology. She enjoys problem solving and collaborating with others to find solutions that work for everyone that ultimately helps us to achieve our Ends. Lindsay lives in Fleetwood with her son, husband and English bulldog, and enjoys gardening, yoga and macramé weaving. 

Ellen Powell

Director of Finance

Ellen is proud to have been part of Semiahmoo House Society’s as the Director of Finance since 1994.  Her interest in community organizations was sparked when she worked at the former Surrey Community Services for two years before joining SHS.  Prior to this she was an articling student in various accounting firms and worked in retail sales and management for a number of years. Ellen has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Business and is a Chartered Accountant.   She maintains that accounting is not about math but is just another ‘language,’ and she focuses on using finances to achieve the Society’s ends.  Ellen is a busy mother of two girls who are competitive dancers, budding musicians, and hard-working students.

Seema Tripathi

Director of Employment and Innovative Services

‘Diversity is being invited to the party, Inclusion is being asked to dance!’

I recently heard this quote by Verna Myers and thought to myself, wow! Isn’t that what my job is all about?  Empowering people with diverse abilities to be economically included in their communities by having meaningful real jobs!

I always wanted to work with people in a way that would empower them and that lead me to do my masters in social work, work as an employment specialist, managing an employment service and now work as a “Director of Employment and Innovative Services”. In this role, I will continue to work passionately towards empowering people to have control and choice in their lives, helping them to have a spectrum of experiences which would help them to have a richer and fuller life.

Whenever my team supports anyone to obtain meaningful employment it gets me excited! More excited than when I got my first job! All I want is employment to be a natural conversation for the people whom we support! When I am not pursuing this dream, you will find me busy trying out something fancy in the kitchen or enjoying a cup of coffee reading a book!

Jillian Glennie

Associate Director of Development

Jillian begun her career with Semiahmoo House Society in 2011 and has held roles in community services for over 15 years. As a highly engaged employee, her work has helped shift the disability movement forward and highlighted to the wider community that all people are capable of being leaders.

Some of the projects that Jillian has been involved with include supporting people to work on accessible legislation; bringing accessible beach wheelchairs to White Rock beach; supporting SAS candidate meetings; as well as the Equally Empowered program where SAS members present to students from kindergarten to university.

In 2019, Jillian became UNITI’s Community Development Advisor and in 2020, Jillian moved to the position of Associate Director of Development for The Semiahmoo Foundation. As a local resident and UNITI representative, Jillian is passionate about fostering relationships and supporting a thriving community.

Brianna Hopaluk

Associate Director of Community Services

Brianna began her career with Semiahmoo House Society in 2001 as a Child Care Worker at Peninsula Childcare Center.  After leaving that position in 2004, she joined the department now known as Community Services where she currently holds the position of Associate Director. Over the past several years, Brianna has had the privilege of experiencing various roles within the department where she gained vast knowledge and valuable experience in many areas, including leadership skills and community inclusion practices. Brianna strives to ensure that the people receiving Community Services are experiencing new opportunities and living a full life of purpose.  Brianna is currently pursuing a degree in Human Resources at BCIT. When not at work, Brianna loves to travel and experience new countries and different cultures. She also enjoys road trips with family and friends and has a special affinity for the Oregon Coast.

Jasper Macabulos

Director of Inclusive Living

Jasper Macabulos graduated from the University of Santo Tomas, in the Philippines, in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and finished his Canadian nursing credentials from Thompson Rivers University. He started working for UNITI in 2013 with SHS’s Inclusive Living Services and has worked in a variety of services and programs during his time here. Jasper is a certified Person-Centred Thinking Trainer and applies these concepts creatively in his work.

One of the projects that Jasper was involved in was designing the mosaic public art piece called “Pieced Together”. This is set in the front-facing wall of White Rock Library to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Canada. This project encouraged different members of the community to create pieces that contributed to the completion of the artwork. His design focused on promoting the mosaic as a mirror of society – diverse elements, with different stories that make up a bigger picture. In his free time, he enjoys drawing, trail biking and playing the guitar. He has experience in photography, graphic arts and database management platforms.

Jasper and his wife Kristina are at their happiest spending time together with their daughter Elisha and son Ezekiel.