Team

Andrea Thomas Hill

Founder and Chair

Andrea Thomas Hill moved to Vancouver from Toronto in 1999. She has 20 years of experience in marketing communications, both in advertising agencies and for corporate clients. In 1992, Andrea organized the first Run For The Cure for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. After expanding the Run For The Cure across the country, Andrea later sat on the Board of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC Chapter for several years before shifting her attention to single mothers and children living in poverty in Vancouver. Andrea is married and a mother of two children.

Vandana Varshney Lecky

Director

Vandana was born, raised and educated in Vancouver. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and was a Senior Investment Advisor at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management for 19 years. She has served on the Board of Governors at York House School, a leading independent school for girls. She has been a 3 year member of the Alumni UBC Achievement Awards committee honouring inspiring individuals from the UBC community. Vandana is a founding Board Member of Cause We Care Foundation and has been providing her fundraising expertise since its inception. She enjoys spending time with her family and is committed to service and giving back to the community in which she lives.

Annabel Hawksworth

Director

Annabel Hawksworth founded Vancouver-based Hawksworth Communications in 2006. Launching her career in London, UK, Annabel moved to Vancouver in 2000, where she completed a six-year tenure as Communications Director with BC’s leading Top Table Restaurant Group. Annabel now heads up one of the most respected PR firms in the city. Annabel is honoured to join the board of Cause We Care and to support such a valid and meaningful cause that resonates with so many mothers from all walks of life. There’s a lot to be said for the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” and Cause We Care helps improve the lives of many living in our community.

Jennifer Archer

Secretary

Jennifer Archer is a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, a national law firm. Jennifer moved to Vancouver from Saskatchewan in 2001 and has been practicing corporate/commercial law for over 15 years. Her practice focuses on private companies, mergers and acquisitions and public procurement. As the mother of two school-aged children, Jennifer highly values the work of Cause We Care and is dedicated to its goals.

Anita Ghatak

Director

Anita is a lawyer and former Crown prosector for the provincial Ministry of Justice. Her 26 years of experience working at all levels of the criminal justice system have given her a deep appreciation of the particularly harmful impact that cycles of poverty, physical and sexual abuse, and addiction have on women. Anita has a long standing respect for the work that Cause We Care does to break these cycles and empower women. Having left B.C.‘s Prosecution Service in 2016, Anita continues to be active in legal work related to womens’ equality rights and advocacy training.

Nancy Hill

Director

Nancy Hill is an established retailer with extensive community outreach experience. Born and raised in Vancouver, Nancy earned a Bachelor's degree from Queen's University and returned to Vancouver to join the family run business, Hill's of Kerrisdale. Since this time, Nancy has expanded the family business with three additional companies; Blue Ruby Jewellery, Hill's Dry Goods and Ray Rickburn. In 2013, Nancy partnered with Cause We Care by designing the signature Cause We Care bracelets with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the Foundation. Nancy lives in Vancouver with her two children.

Michelle Jankovich

Director

Michelle first joined Cause We Care’s board of directors in 2015 serving as a Member at Large and Director of Outreach. After stepping off for a year Michelle rejoined our board in 2022. Michelle is passionate about connecting with the frontline organizations we serve and is a vital member of our Outreach Committee. Michelle lives in North Vancouver and loves exploring the outdoors.

Nicole Comey

Treasurer

Nicole Comey is an Executive Director with KPMG in Vancouver. She has been with the firm for over 15 years, spending 4 years in the Auckland, New Zealand office. Nicole is passionate about giving back to the community, with a large portion of her client portfolio being in the non-profit sector. During her spare time you can probably find her on top of a mountain somewhere.

Emily Davies

Director

Emily Davies is President of Linde Equity and co-manager of the Linde Equity Fund. Emily also invests in B2B software-as-a-service startups and she serves on the board of one of such investments, Cortico Health Technologies as an Independent Director. Emily is a board member of the YACG (Association for Corporate Growth) BC, a member of the Vancouver Steering Committee for Women in Capital Markets, and an advisory board member of SFU’s Beedie School of Business and the Beedie Endowment Asset Management Fund. Emily previously worked in equity research and investment banking at RBC Capital Markets. Emily is grateful to contribute to Cause We Care’s important efforts to break poverty cycles and empower women.

Shannon Newman-Bennett

Executive Director

Shannon has been a leader for two decades in empowering the lives of women and children in our community. Formerly the Director, Family Services for the YWCA in Metro Vancouver, Shannon is versed in the challenges and struggles faced by single mothers living in poverty. She currently serves on several boards including BabyGoRound and Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland’s Honourary Advisory Board. Her degree in Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology from UBC underscores her dedication to understanding complex issues and leading non-profit organizations in the execution of programs and deliverables. With a notably passionate track record and robust tenure within organizations she brings strategic direction and leadership to Cause We Care Foundation. Shannon lives in Vancouver with her husband and three children.

Caroline Woodcock

General Manager

Born and raised in Vancouver, Caroline has been our General Manager since 2015, overseeing daily operations and implementing growth and development strategies. Under Caroline’s management, Cause We Care has made a positive impact on the lives of single mothers and children by promoting the delivery of funds and activities within the Foundation. Caroline is a graduate of UBC and has a background in philanthropy having worked with the Rick Hansen Foundation along with the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation for many years. As a true West Coast local, she can be found pursuing her passions such as running, skiing and Pilates. She lives in Vancouver with her husband, two children and their dog.

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