Sydney Black – Treasurer

Sydney, with deep roots in Nelson’s artistic community, has played a significant role in contributing to the local arts scene. In addition to being a mama to two wonderful humans and a terrier, over the past decade, she has been involved in organizing theatrical productions at the Capitol Theatre through Black Productions. Since assuming the role of Executive Director at the Nelson and District Arts Council in 2016, Sydney has developed initiatives like the Dance Educators Showcase and supported programs such as The Narrows Artist Residency. Outside her professional commitments, she co-founded the Nelson International Mural Festival, serves as the Chair of the City of Nelson’s Cultural Development Committee, and is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the arts community in the region.

Franny Byers-Bohigian

Franny Byers-Bohigian is a Grade 12 student at LV Rogers High School in Nelson, BC, where she is completing her capstone project on anti-racism awareness and serving as a teacher’s assistant in Comparative Cultures. A passionate leader and advocate for social justice, Franny attended the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C., where she worked with lawyers and activists defending civil rights. Franny has been invited to speak to younger students about anti-racism and contributes to community initiatives both locally and abroad. Alongside her advocacy, Franny is an experienced soccer coach and player, representing teams at the provincial level and mentoring and coaching young athletes through Nelson Youth Soccer and the Whitecaps Development Program.

Mostafa Frizit

Originally from Casablanca and raised in Agadir, Morocco, Mostafa’s journey in hospitality began with a deep-rooted passion for service and culture. After completing his hospitality studies, he embarked on an international career in 2003, moving to Dubai where he excelled as a corporate trainer with the AccorHotels Académie. His career then took him to Saudi Arabia for a decade, where he specialized in high-stakes hotel openings and served as the Director of Operations for the Marriott Airport Riyadh.

Now settled in Nelson, BC, Mostafa has integrated into the local community through leadership roles at the Prestige Lakeside Resort and his current work with Finley’s Grill & Bar and Sage Tapas & Wine Bar. As a dedicated consultant, he leverages over 25 years of luxury experience to advise on revenue marketing, hotel asset management, L&D and F&B concept development.

Beyond the professional sphere, Mostafa is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who finds balance through his love for sports—specifically boxing and soccer. He is fluent in English, Arabic, and French, bringing a truly global perspective to the Kootenays.

Fhel D. Frizit

 Originally from Pampanga, Philippines widely known as the Culinary and Christmas Capital of the Philippines, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism earned in 1997 from a well-known college in Manila. Her hospitality journey began at the Bayview Park Hotel in Manila, where she worked in the Front Office Department, laying a strong foundation in guest services and operations.

Driven by passion and dedication to customer service, she pursued international opportunities that broadened her professional horizons. She built an extensive global hospitality career with renowned hotel brands including Sofitel (Accor Group), Shangri-La, and Sheraton by Marriott, gaining valuable experience in highly diverse, fast-paced, and service-driven environments. Her career highlights include 15 years in Dubai,
where world-class training and multicultural exposure shaped her into a customer service expert with a deep commitment to excellence—while also balancing her roles as a mother and wife to a hotelier.

 In 2017, her journey continued in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, major cities such as Madinah, Mecca, Ha’il, and Riyadh for 7 years, culturally significant and dynamic hospitality settings. In Spring 2024, she relocated to Nelson, British Columbia, and is currently pursuing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management at Selkirk College, with completion expected in May 2026. She looks forward to contributing her Middle Eastern and international hospitality experience to the Canadian hospitality industry and embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.

Shannan Laktin

With over seven years of experience working in the hospitality industry, primarily in kitchen roles, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for collaboration, creativity, and bringing people together. My journey from hospitality to filmmaking and community work reflects my passion for storytelling and connection.

As a board member at Intercultural Kootenays, I bring a unique perspective shaped by my background in hospitality and media production. I’m dedicated to fostering inclusivity, celebrating diversity, and building bridges between cultures. My goal is to contribute to initiatives that create meaningful dialogue and shared experiences within our community.

Outside of my professional roles, I enjoy exploring new cultures, working on creative projects, and hosting events that bring people together.

Greg is an honour graduate from Sisler High School where he received a Visual and Performing Arts Diploma, for his excellence in both choir and drama. Greg is also a graduate of the University of Winnipeg with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Film studies. Greg has also graduated Magna Cum Laude from Summit Pacific College with a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Leadership in 2017.

I am Mylene Pinho Mercuri Brandao, born on August 25, 1976, in Brazil. I hold a degree in Economics, an MBA in Business Program, and I currently serve in the Justice Federal Government in Brazil. Additionally, I am pursuing studies in Restorative Justice in Canada and volunteer with Nelson Restorative Justice. I am passionate about supporting immigrants in the workplace and addressing issues related to discrimination and harassment.

Thabi Pratt – President and Co-Chair

Thabi was raised in Nelson BC and is of mixed race “black and white” originating from South Africa and England. Her personal experience and interest in the phenomena of social inequality and untold stories stimulated her to study the subject at UBC and Concordia, where she graduated with an undergraduate degree in sociology that focused on identifying and exploring the complex intersectionality of experiences with unequal power dynamics, especially those based on gender and race. She delved into the groundbreaking works of African American female scholars and authors like Bell Hooks “Ain’t I a Woman?”, Patricia Hill Collins’s “The Sexual Politics of Black Womanhood”, the crucial and constructive application of Critical Race theory by Angel Davis and Maya Angelo’s raw and powerful poetry and storytelling about black female experiences too painful to look at alone or even say out loud. Stories that were her own. Her journey through self determination and healing was guided and strengthened by these instrumental giants and inspired her work and mission to help others feel seen, heard and supported.
In the years that followed, Thabi worked in paid and volunteer positions across the country in shelters, at-risk youth programs and women’s centers to support people facing oppression, abuse, and discrimination within interpersonal relationships and society at large.

Thabi then went on to earn a masters degree in International and Intercultural Communication from Royal Roads University, where she gained the opportunity to delve further into topics like cultural competency, identity and the construction of safer local and global multicultural communities. She received the highly competitive SCHRRC Canada Award for her research thesis with marginalized youth in Brazil that explored the impact of participation in their cultural arts on their sense of self, esteem and community. From there, she went on to collaborate with local women in leadership roles to found and implement a grass roots empowerment project for underprivileged youth in rural and urban communities in Bahia, Brazil to strengthen self determination and provide education and support around human rights, interpersonal and institutional abuse, sexual and relationship health and boundary setting for participants as well as a safe space to discuss literally anything and be met with compassion and validation.

In 2013, she began connecting youth from her project in Brazil with youth back here in Nelson to discover and discuss some of issues they were facing in relation to these topics as expressed through visual art and dance. She then received an invitation to present her research and international work at the United Nations in New York, where she went in 2015. Today, Thabi is primarily focused on continuing to work with youth in Nelson through empowerment and resilience coaching and supporting the community at large to be one of inclusion, respect and harmonious diversity.

Kristen is a Filipina woman proudly born and raised in Scarborough, Tkaronto on Dish With One Spoon Wampum Treaty Territory; a treaty that asks us to peaceably share the gifts of the land in a spirit of mutual co-operation. A community archivist in the community arts and climate justice realms, she rests into a spirit-led approach in all extensions of her work. Kristen is Co-Director of Rooted and Rising Lab, an intergenerational network devoted to creating adaptive climate education programs for this polycrisis moment. She created Womxn and It’s Bigger Than All Of Us; archives of poetry, photography, and journal scans from 2016-2021 interweaving the work of 50+ BIPOC creators from her community in Toronto.

In 2023 she collaborated with Kaitlin Rizarri to create the zine Filipinx/a/o Farmers and Earthworkers in Tkaronto: dreaming of food sovereignty; an extension of Kaitlin’s masters thesis looking at food sovereignty in Tkaronto and what it means to be farming and earth working on Indigenous lands. Kristen also co-founded grassroots groups Kapwa Collective + Conscious Minds Co-operative. Kapwa Collective is a group of Filipinx-Canadian artists, critical thinkers, and healers bridging narratives between the Indigenous and the Diasporic, and the Filipinx and the Canadian through arts-based playshops grounded in kapwa: the interconnectedness between all living beings.

She currently lives on the Unceded territories of the Sinixt, the Ktunaxa, and Secwepemc Peoples in Nelson, BC – land of eagles, cougars, kokanee salmon & bears. She is Associate Producer for Outsiderness, a documentary by Carlo Alcos wrestling with questions of identity and belonging. For fun, Kristen co-hosts Future/Now Radio with her partner on Kootenay Co-op Radio, and is guardian to Cleo, their grey mountain cat. www.bonesthrown.com

Eleanor Stacey – Vice-President and Co-Chair

Eleanor Stacey is the Executive Director of NCTS (Nelson Civic Theatre Society), which manages The Civic Theatre, The Shoebox Theatre, Reo’s Video, and the Kootenay Screen-Based Industry Initiative, and is a founding partner of the Kootenay Regional Film Commission. She has worked in leadership, fundraising, creation, and youth arts education roles in Canada, the US, and Anguilla, BWI. She is a Rotarian, past board president of The Only Animal Theatre Society (Vancouver), a member of the City of Nelson’s Cultural Development Committee, and a founding (past) board member of the Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors (NICE). She is a founding board member of Intercultural Kootenays Society and currently sits on the EDIA Committee for the Nelson Police Department and the Partnership Council for the West Kootenay Local Immigration Partnership (WKLIP). Eleanor is a graduate of Mount Allison University, and holds an MFA in Arts Administration from Brooklyn College (CUNY). She grew up in Nelson and returned in 2013 with her family.

Amy Stewart – Secretary

My name is Amy Stewart and I am a fourth generation settler of European descent living on the traditional unceded territory of the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, and Sylix peoples. Amongst other things, I identify as a cisgender female, a mother, an aunt, a teacher-counsellor, and a soccer coach. Creating inclusive communities where everyone feels safe and respected is important to me. I am here to listen and to take meaningful action towards the vision and mission of Intercultural Kootenays. One of my favorite activities is spending time by the lake or in a coffee shop with family and friends.

Zen Wang is a multimedia artist who was trained as a Chinese Brush Painter. He comes from four generations of fine artists who challenged traditions and pushed boundaries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering, a master’s degree in Business and a diploma in Film production.

Zen teaches Digital Art at Selkirk College in their school of Art and Technology. Zen is a co-host on Kootenay Mornings on KCR 93.5FM and has his weekly radio show “Asian Roots” on Wednesdays at 1PM. His paintings have been exhibited in establishments around town. His sculpture has been selected by Castlegar Sculpture Walk for three years in a row. Zen’s murals and graphic design have been featured in many popular Film and TV shows.

On his off days he will pursue his many areas of interest such as cooking, snowboarding, motorcycling, martial arts, calligraphy, graphic novel, etc. Zen is passionate about preserving our proud multicultural heritage in the Kootenays.

Elsa Wyllie

Elsa is a lawyer working in criminal defence, human rights, and international law. She brings to the board a deep commitment to justice, equity, and intercultural understanding, informed by years of experience advocating for fairness and inclusion in both domestic and international contexts.

She serves on the Bar Issues Committee Crimes Against Humanity Working Group, contributing to analysis of gaps in international criminal law that would be addressed through the adoption of the proposed Crimes Against Humanity Convention, advanced by the United Nations General Assembly. Elsa has also joined Church Court Chambers in London as an Associate, extending her work into international advocacy and legal reform.

As part of her work with the International Bar Association, Elsa serves on both the War Crimes Committee Executive and the Human Rights Committee, where she works closely with the Co-Chairs of the War Crimes Committee to help set the agenda on the issues international lawyers are grappling with in the wake of serious disruptions to longstanding international law and norms. She also contributes to international capacity-building initiatives in Ukraine focused on adjudicating alleged war crimes in line with international standards.

Elsa defends individuals accused of the most serious criminal offences, including sexual assault, first-degree murder, and dangerous offender designations. She also represents complainants in sexual assault matters and contributes to the Innocence Project at the University of British Columbia. Her practice spans all levels of court, including the Provincial Court and Supreme Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. She practices law on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in Vancouver, British Columbia. Elsa is Kiwi-Canadian.

A graduate of Columbia Law School (LL.M., 2020) and the University of Bradford, UK (M.A. International Law and Security, 2005), Elsa was selected to work with the High-Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, a joint UK/Canada initiative.

Before entering law, Elsa worked with NORAD, NATO, Whitehall, and the United Nations in Rwanda, where she managed a disarmament and reintegration program for militia soldiers from the same office where General Roméo Dallaire once attempted to stop the genocide. That experience shaped her belief in the need for cultural humility and in the law’s power as a tool for healing and justice.

Elsa lives with an acquired disability following a car accident early in her career. She continues to practice and contribute actively in the legal and human rights fields, advocating for inclusion both within and beyond the profession.

Carlo Alcos

Carlo (he/him) is the Executive Director of Intercultural Kootenays. His parents immigrated from the Philippines in 1971 and raised their four sons in BC’s lower mainland. Carlo has called Nelson home since 2010 and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Despite being raised in a predominantly white neighbourhood, Carlo never experienced blatant racism toward him. It wasn’t until he reached his 40s that he understood how systemic racism and microagressions affected his life. He is now passionate about addressing these issues and doing his part to increase representation and diversity across the field.

Carlo is also a freelance videographer and documentary filmmaker. His first feature documentary, Outsiderness, is an exploration of identity and belonging from his perspective. Through the process of making the film he learned about his ancestral history and culture, and shed the shame he carried for so long of being Filipino. Visit carloalcos.com to learn more about his videography work.

Chelsey McRory

Chelsey McRory (she/her) is a Black Canadian woman of Jamaican and Malawian descent, and someone living with a non-visible disability. As an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion + Belonging Consultant and Facilitator, she brings decades of experience across NGOs, private sectors, and the Federal Government. Her workshops are immersive, story-driven, and grounded in compassion, inviting reflection, dialogue, and meaningful change. In her free time, Chelsey enjoys time in nature with her daughter and husband. Her family keeps her grounded and connected to the values that guide her work.