2021 Prospective Board Candidates
Marnie Schigas – has lived in the Parkgate area for 25 years and, along with husband Roland, has raised her three children here (all of whom have been involved with Parkgate Society in one way or another over the years). Throughout the years, Marnie has engaged with the community by volunteering with various local organizations including Mt. Seymour Preschool Board of Directors, Girl Guides of Canada, multiple sports organizations and local schools.
Currently focused on IT Program Management, Marnie brings years of experience in project management, policy and procedures development, quality management and auditing, along with critical thinking, problem-solving and organizational skills to the Board.
With her children now grown and on their own, Marnie finds lots of time to enjoy the local environment and, when not engaging in her passion of field hockey, can often be found walking, running or snowshoeing the local trails with friends.
Natalie Wagorn – Growing up in North Vancouver, Natalie was involved in a range of programs and services offered through Parkgate Community Centre. Having recently returned to the North Shore, she is excited to give back to her community, leveraging her professional experience, to support an organization from which she and so many others have greatly benefited.
Natalie holds a CPA and completed her Bachelor of Commerce at Queen’s University. During university, Natalie volunteered with a range of student organizations focusing on workplace equity and supporting entrepreneurial initiatives in Africa.
Today, Natalie works as an advisor on some of British Columbia’s and Canada’s largest infrastructure projects. In her free time, you can find Natalie spending time with family and friends, skiing or hiking on the local mountains, walking the Spirit Trail or planning her next vacation.
Stephen Cheung and his family moved to the neighbourhood near Parkgate Society in January 2020. Stephen graduated with BBA (Economics and Accounting) and MA (Economics) degrees from Simon Fraser University. After graduation, Stephen went back to Hong Kong, where he was born and raised, and spent more than 10 years there before relocating back to Vancouver with his family in 2019.
Stephen is currently the Director of Internal Audit with a multinational real estate investment group headquartered in Vancouver, leading the Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, and Internal Audit Functions. During his time in Hong Kong, Stephen primarily worked at an international accounting firm in both of their audit and advisory practices, focusing on serving clients in the retail and consumer market industries. He also worked at the internal audit department of a multinational corporation for more than two years where he travelled to numerous countries across Asia, Europe and North and South America. Professionally, Stephen is a CPA, and his expertise is in corporate governance and enterprise risk management for large-listed companies, private corporations, family businesses as well as not-for-profit organizations.
Stephen is also a member of the Board of Directors, and Chair of the Finance Committee, at Brockton School.
Zach McKnight is a remote Account Executive for a Silicon Valley software company. Zach’s family moved from Ontario to the Blueridge area in 2004. Zach attended school at Blueridge Elementary and Windsor Secondary. Zach met one of his oldest friends at a Parkgate Community Centre program and got his first job at Mount Seymour Ski Resort during a job fair hosted by Parkgate. Zach wishes to join the Board of Directors to help make sure the community continues to have access to the same programs and facilities that he enjoyed.
Zach currently lives in Vancouver and regularly comes to in the Parkgate area to visit friends & family and enjoy the North Shore. He has a BA in Economics from The University of Victoria. Zach leads fundraising efforts every year at his company, and sits on various panels including career growth and new-hire training. He hopes to encourage the next generation of youth to join the technology industry in Vancouver! In his free time, Zach enjoys golfing, scuba diving and bike riding.
Shaun Wysiecki and his wife live in Woodlands, on the North Shore, with their two children and two dogs. He is passionate about helping communities thrive and has extensive volunteer experience on a number of boards.
Shaun was a City Councillor for his hometown at the age of 23 and spent time as Acting Mayor during his term. He also held the position of chair for a number of committees – including recreation, strategic and financial planning, and the public library.
Shaun believes in authentic leadership, collaboration, and finding opportunities to increase civic engagement. With over 19 years in financial services, Shaun currently holds a national leadership role with a chartered bank.
When he’s not busy with his family or career, Shaun spends time volunteering with Junior Achievement, and exploring the wilderness of the North Shore.
