Our Team
Jodi Mucha
Executive Director
Lauren Olson
HR/Admin Coordinator
Johanna Henderson
Communications Manager
Jodi Mucha
Executive Director
250-590-8442
Jodi has a Masters in Environment and Management, over 20 years of community development experience working both at the local and international level. She also has a strong background in engagement and leadership, community change and practice-based research. She provides expertise in multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships, systems thinking, the healthy communities approach and practical approaches to understanding the links between the determinants of health.
As a hobby, Jodi runs ultradistance trail races, facilitates leadership courses and maintains her organic garden.
Lauren Olson
HR/Admin Coordinator
lauren@bchealthycommunities.ca
250-590-8442
With a diverse background including training in photography, human resources, counselling, sound production and leadership, Lauren brings a range of skills supporting all aspects of administration and HR. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences in Counselling and a Post-Degree Diploma in Business Administration, with a focus on Human Resource Management and Leadership from Camosun College.
Having lived in multiple countries including Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Guam, Lauren has a deep understanding of community connectedness in different contexts and cultures. In her spare time, Lauren is a textile artist, focusing on hand sewing and other needlework.
Johanna Henderson
Communications Manager
johanna@bchealthycommunities.ca
250-590-2159
Hailing from Charlie Lake in northern British Columbia, Johanna is a seasoned communicator and researcher with a deep curiosity about communities and the people that comprise them. Her background includes work with a variety of community-based organizations across the province, with project areas including social policy, social innovation, sustainability, community-university engagement, and health initiatives for seniors and men.
Johanna recently received the Royal Roads Chancellor’s Award for her graduate studies in Professional Communication, where her graduate research focused on the intersection of communications, organizational theory and urban studies in neighbourhoods. Johanna also holds certifications in Community Economic Development and Volunteer Administration, and has studied Communication Design at Emily Carr and the Alberta College of Art and Design.
Connie Truncik (On Leave)
Research & Evaluation Specialist
Jacob Cramer
Researcher & Planning Assistant
Connie Truncik (On Leave)
Research & Evaluation Specialist
Connie strives to empower communities to take their health and well-being into their own hands. Using a strength-based approach, she provides communities with the tools and resources needed to help them make decisions most beneficial for them. Through continuous learning, reflection and improvement, her aim is to make equitable, community-driven, sustainable contributions to community development programs.
Connie’s background includes work in health research and evaluation, multi-sectoral policy development and social service work. Through her front-line experience, she gained first-hand knowledge of need for equitable public policies that address the complex nature of social challenges faced by vulnerable populations. Using her Masters in Environmental and Occupational Public Health training, she uses her knowledge of the healthy built environment to inform upstream interventions that tackle determinants of health.
Jacob Cramer
Researcher & Planning Assistant
250-590-2159
Jacob’s background includes a Bachelor of Political Science from UBC and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Urban and Rural Planning from Langara. This applied education in community land-use planning, paired with a focus on domestic and social policy, provides him with a wide-ranging set of tools and approaches for working in and with communities. His past experience includes projects focusing on equity and sustainability, and he brings these lenses to his work at BC Healthy Communities.
As our Researcher & Planning Assistant, Jacob informs the development of projects and activities across BC Healthy Communities, with a focus on our evaluation frameworks. In his spare time, you’ll find Jacob biking, surfing, cooking, and spending time with his friends and family.
Emily Johnson
Healthy Community Planner
Sarah Dyer
Community Well-being & Age Friendly Specialist
Ivonne Zhao
Communications Coordinator
Emily Johnson
Healthy Community Planner
250-590-1845
Emily is a community planner who is passionate about the potential for planning and design to promote health and well-being. She believes in community knowledge and expertise as powerful levers to support equitable and sustainable decision-making. Emily’s background includes a Bachelor of Kinesiology and a Masters in Community and Regional Planning. Her past experience includes projects focusing on urban design, active transportation, physical activity, sustainability and social inclusion.
As a community planner at BC Healthy Communities, Emily supports communities as they work towards better health and well-being. She also works together with our partner organizations across the province, facilitating workshops and collaborative planning processes. In her spare time, Emily can be found biking, skiing and surfing.
Sarah Dyer
Community Well-being & Age Friendly Specialist
sarah@bchealthycommunities.ca
250-590-7210
Sarah holds a BSc in Food and Nutrition as well as an MSc in Nutritional Sciences, with a focus on nutrition in older adults. Her background includes more than 15 years of experience in best practice health research and health communications in a number of health areas, including gerontology. Sarah is committed to transforming thinking around aging to focus on health and vitality.
In her role with BC Healthy Communities, Sarah supports communities as they implement plans and projects for healthy aging. She also brings her research and communications skills to her work supporting Healthy Communities initiatives as part of the PlanH program.
Ivonne Zhao
Communications Coordinator
Ivonne is a recent graduate of the University of British Columbia, where she studied International Relations and Creative Writing. She held various Communications and Marketing positions throughout her degree.
In her role with BC Healthy Communities, Ivonne combines her background in policy with media and communications. In her spare time, she enjoys running, exploring the city on bike, and improv and sketch comedy.
