Our board of directors
The Legal Services Society (LSS) is governed by a nine-member board of directors. Five of the directors are appointed by the province’s Lieutenant-Governor in Council, and four are appointed by the Law Society of BC.
As a whole, the board must reflect a range of skills and experience in areas such as business management, law and the operation of courts, BC's cultural diversity, and the social and economic circumstances of people with low incomes. As individuals, each has demonstrated a commitment to helping the disadvantaged with their legal issues.
The board creates LSS policies and bylaws that reflect established best practices for governance. See Board governance practices. For specific inquiries about the board and its practices, please email the assistant corporate secretary.
The LSS board of directors is introduced below.
E. David Crossin, QC
Chair, LSS Board of Directors
Chair, Executive Committee
Regularly rated as leading counsel in the areas of criminal defence by Best Lawyers in Canada, E. David Crossin, QC, joined the partnership of Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP in 2007.
David’s practice consists primarily of criminal defence, but he is also frequently retained by the Attorney General in criminal matters. He has also acted in numerous commercial, administrative, and securities-related matters and has appeared as counsel in all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Court of Appeal of British Columbia, and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Called to the British Columbia bar in 1977, David is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is currently an elected Bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia. David also teaches a variety of courses for Continuing Legal Education.
Tom Christensen
Vice-Chair, LSS Board of Directors
Member, Executive Committee
Chair, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
Tom Christensen, from Vernon, has a broad range of experience as a lawyer, including appearances for family law and child protection clients funded by the Legal Services Society and acting for the federal Crown. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Okanagan–Vernon from 2001 to 2009, and in that time served as the Minister of Education, the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and as the Minister of Children and Family Development. Tom has a strong history of community involvement serving on numerous local boards. He is currently a director with the Junction Literacy Centre in Vernon and a director of the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust.
He brings to the board extensive experience both in public policy development and in working with leaders from First Nations and government to resolve problems collaboratively.
Sheryl N. Lee, CA
Chair, Finance Committee
Member, Executive Committee
Sheryl Lee is chief financial officer and vice-president for Lift Philanthropy Partners, formerly 2010 Legacies Now Society. In this position, Sheryl is responsible for the financial stewardship of a not-for-profit venture philanthropy organization focused on being a leader in advancing positive and lasting social change. She is a key liaison with the Board of Directors of her organization and was responsible for the development and implementation of a committee structure.
Sheryl attended UBC and started her career with Coopers & Lybrand. She has more than 20 years experience in public accounting, private industry, and the not-for-profit sector. She has a strong history of volunteering including directorships on the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, and the Vancouver Chapter of the YWCA. Sheryl is also a past member of the Board of Examiners and past chair of the Audit Examination Sub-Committee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC.
Deanna Ludowicz
Member, Executive Committee
Lead Board Member, Strategic Planning Session 2012
Deanna Ludowicz has spent her legal career serving the legal needs of people in smaller communities in British Columbia. She began her professional career as an articled student in Hazelton and has been a sole practitioner in Grand Forks since 1996, first with Ludowicz Law Office and now at Ludowicz Mellett Law Corporation, both general practices. From 1994–2002, she worked with the Legal Services Society as a family law lawyer and then as an area director. Deanna is actively involved with organizations in her community and sits on the Provincial Council of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch. She is an instructor at Selkirk College on law courses. Her anthropology background has provided her the opportunity to travel throughout BC on archaeological projects, including work with the Gitxsan.
Barbara Brink, CM, OBC
Member, Finance Committee
Member, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
Lead Board Member on Governance
Barbara Brink is vice-president of Applied Strategies Ltd, a management-consulting firm.
Barbara has extensive board and business experience. She was a driving force behind the creation of British Columbia's Science World and served as both chair of the Board of Governors and as chief executive officer. She is the immediate past chair of the University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital Foundation. Other recent community work includes serving on a number of boards, including the Provincial Capital Commission, West Vancouver Police Board, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, Junior Achievement of BC, and the West Vancouver Community Centre. She was a founder and chair of Leadership Vancouver and was the first Canadian to serve on the Community Leadership Association's Board of Directors. She has also served as vice-chair of the Laurier Institution.
Barbara is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, and is a recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal and the YWCA Women of Distinction award. She holds her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from the University of British Columbia.
Barbara brings a substantial background in board governance and organizational leadership to the LSS board.
Suzette Narbonne
Member, Stakeholder Engagement Committee
Suzette Narbonne is a sole practitioner at Narbonne Law Office and practises between Prince Rupert and Gibsons. Her practice focuses on criminal litigation and human rights representation. Before coming to BC, Suzette was a legal aid staff lawyer in Manitoba for six years after being called to the Manitoba bar in 1989.
Suzette has served as a Bencher for the Law Society of British Columbia and she also does a significant amount of pro bono work, providing phone and in-person assistance at the Prince Rupert courthouse. She created and has taught a number of continuing legal education programs for the Prince Rupert County Bar and human rights training courses for local not-for-profit groups. She was a Governor of the Board of the Law Foundation of BC as well as a member of the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal.
Since graduating with a law degree from the University of Ottawa in 1988, Suzette has been dedicated to legal aid and brings that passion and experience to the LSS board. Suzette is also an avid runner and has organized and taught numerous learn-to-run classes.
Todd Ormiston
Member, LSS Board of Directors
A Tutchone/Tlingit, Todd Ormiston is an instructor in the First Nations Community Studies program at Camosun College and in the Social Work department of the University of Victoria. He has more than 15 years of experience working with young people in conflict with the law, and has been a consultant to government agencies on youth and Aboriginal issues. A frequent speaker, Todd has also coordinated/ facilitated conferences around the world. Todd holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Victoria, and is currently working on his Doctorate at UBC.
Darrell Wickstrom
Member, Finance Committee
Darrell J. Wickstrom is a partner in the Vancouver office of Fasken Martineau and specializes in personal tax and estate planning, with a particular emphasis on Canada–US matters. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of British Columbia. Professionally, he is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He holds his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Simon Fraser University, his Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia, and his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Washington. His community involvement includes Junior Achievement BC.
Darrell brings a sound understanding of the justice system and different approaches to dispute resolution to the board's work.