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Leadership


​Cynthia Johansen, Registrar & Chief Executive Officer

As Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Cynthia leads the largest health profession regulator in western Canada, ensuring the college fulfils its mandate to protect the public through the regulation of more than 60,000 nurses and midwives in B.C.—licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, registered midwives, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses. Founded on Sept. 1, 2020, the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) is the first college in Canada to regulate both nurses and midwives.

Cynthia has a passion for regulation and recognizes opportunities to incorporate best practices into health care regulation to better protect the public. She has a track record of bringing people and organizations together – including government, other regulators and the public – to improve professional practice standards and transform health profession regulation.

Cynthia's regulatory career began in 2003, as Registrar of the College of Dental Hygienists of BC. In 2006, she joined the College of Registered Nurses of BC (CRNBC) as Director of Registration, Inquiry and Discipline and was subsequently appointed Registrar/CEO in 2012. Cynthia guided CRNBC through its transition to a college focused solely on public protection and was a catalyst for increased collaboration among health regulators within BC and across the country. She was also instrumental in bringing the province's nursing colleges together as a single regulator for all nursing designations in 2018. Cynthia served as Registrar and CEO of the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP) prior to BCCNP and CMBC amalgamating to become BCCNM.

Cynthia represents BCCNM on the International Nurse Regulators Collaborative, a group of nurse and midwife regulators that includes the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Ireland. She is the President of the Canadian Council of Registered Nurses Regulators and a member of the NCLEX-RN Exam Committee. Cynthia is also the Chair of the BC Health Regulators, a society made up of the health profession regulatory colleges in B.C.

Cynthia holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in Leadership Studies, and an MSc in Information Management.

General inquiries: ceo@bccnm.ca

​Katherine Graham, Chief Officer, Communications & People

As Chief Officer of Communications and People, Katherine is responsible for communications, human resources, labour relations, payroll and benefits, organization development, and learning and development at BCCNM. She also oversees BCCNM's occupational health and safety and culture and engagement initiatives.

Katherine has more than 25 years of experience in human resources, organization development, and communications for government, not-for-profit, healthcare, and regulatory organizations. She previously served as Chief Officer of Communications and People for the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals and as Chief Officer, Communications and Human Resources for the College of Registered Nurses of BC.

Prior to moving into the regulatory world, Katherine worked within the B.C. Health Authorities. Her years working within that complex system, and with the many dedicated professionals directly impacting the lives of British Columbians, solidified her commitment to continue to work in the healthcare system. Katherine is passionate about how the work of health regulators improves health outcomes for all of us.

Katherine actively seeks opportunities to share and align the college's work, provincially and nationally, to ensure the College has the human resources needed to meet our regulatory mandate, and that we communicate that mandate internally and externally. Leadership is a passion of hers, as is work that helps to improve people's lives.

Katherine holds an MA in Leadership Studies and is a Certified Coach through the Coaches Training Institute.

Department inquiries: people@bccnm.ca

Daniel Laflèche, Chief Officer, Operations

As Chief Officer of Operations, Daniel is responsible for overseeing data analytics and information management, facilities, financial services, project management and process improvements, information technology, and corporate risk management for BCCNM.

Daniel brings more than 25 years of experience in providing financial and information system planning and risk management consulting, as well as audit, investigation, and litigation support to a variety of organizations, including several regulatory bodies. He started working in nurse regulation operations in 2011 as Chief Officer, Operations for the College of Registered Nurses of BC, a role he also held with the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals.

Daniel is passionate about making the world a better place. The work BCCNM does gives Daniel the opportunity to make a difference. “Citizens and registrants are more mobile and have access to technologies and information that are further changing our environment," says Daniel. “In collaboration with the health care community, BCCNM can continue to support these changes for healthcare and make a meaningful difference for public protection."

Daniel is a CPA,CA, with a diploma in investigative and forensic accounting, and has practised as a certified fraud examiner, and certified information systems auditor.

Department inquiries: finance@bccnm.ca

Christine Penney, Chief Officer, Regulatory Policy & Programs​

As Chief Officer of Regulatory Policy and Programs, Christine provides leadership and oversight to the college's core regulatory functions. Her portfolio includes education program review, policy, practice, quality assurance, registration, regulatory learning, inquiry, discipline, and monitoring.

After working in a variety of executive roles in service delivery, government, research, and public policy, Christine joined the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia in 2008 as Director of Policy. She led transformational projects to shift the college from a dual mandate to a single mandate focused on regulation for public protection. Most recently, she held the position of Chief Officer of Regulatory Policy and Programs for the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals. 

Having worked from bedside to boardroom, Christine has extensive health system experience across acute, community, and private sectors, and at regional, national, and international levels. She worked with Accreditation Canada, nationally and internationally, to lead health system accreditation and leadership development. Christine completed two terms on the Institute for Regulatory Excellence Committee of the National Council State Boards of Nursing. She serves in the International Nurse Regulator Collaborative and is Chair, board of directors for a national non-profit.

Christine is passionate about the quality and sustainability of Canada's public health system and the regulatory functions that uphold the public's confidence in the health system. She is excited about regulatory modernization and looks forward to leading the development of integrated regulatory programs that support relevant high practice standards for health professionals and improved public protection. 

Christine is a registered nurse who holds an MPA and a PhD in Public Administration.

Department inquiries: policy@bccnm.ca

​Louise Aerts, Chief Officer, Strategy, Governance and Reconciliation

Louise has more than 15 years of executive level experience in the regulatory arena. Her leadership guides the college and our board and committees on strategy and governance matters. Louise balances her governance responsibilities with her other key responsibility: integrating reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of the college's work. 

Her unwavering commitment to governing the practice of health professionals in the public interest focuses on addressing Indigenous-specific racism. She promotes equity and fairness in decision-making through due process and interprofessional collaboration. 

Louise was the registrar and executive director of the College of Midwives of BC (CMBC) from 2014 to 2020. She led the midwifery college through an important period of transformation. At CMBC, she oversaw changes to midwives' regulation and completed revisions to the college's bylaws. She also oversaw the amalgamation with the BC College of Nursing Professionals. 

After the amalgamation, Louise served as BCCNM's Executive Director, Strategy & Integration to support the initial integration of the legacy colleges' regulatory functions. As well, she facilitated the new college's strategic and operational planning processes. She also led the work to create BCCNM's Cultural Safety and Humility Action Plan by working closely with First Nations Elders and Advisors, upon whose territories and lands the college works. 

Louise has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Victoria.

Jennifer Strate, Deputy Registrar and Executive Director, Inquiry, Discipline & Monitoring

Biography coming soon!

​​Sara Telfer, Deputy Registrar and Executive Director, Registration & Quality Assurance

As Deputy Registrar and Executive Director of Registration & Quality Assurance, Sara is responsible for BCCNM's quality assurance program for nurses and midwives and BCCNM's registration policies and processes for employed student nurses, LPNs, NPs, RMs, RNs and RPNs. Anyone wanting to practise as a nurse or midwife in B.C. must hold current practising registration. Staff and/or the Registration Committee review and determine whether to approve or deny applications for initial registration, annual renewal, and reinstatement. The Quality Assurance Committee implements a quality assurance program for all nurses and midwives; by participating, nurses and midwives demonstrate to the public that they are committed to maintaining their competence to practise and that they take their professional obligation seriously.​​​