Our Senior Management
Tim Veresh, Chief Executive Officer (he/him/his)
Tim was previously the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of the Lower Mainland. He started his career in criminal justice, working as a child care worker at Ranch Ehrlo Society and secure custody at the Paul Dojack Centre in Saskatchewan. He then spent 3 years in the private sector while completing his Criminology Diploma at Kwantlen College and then a Bachelor’s Degree from Simon Fraser University. In 1997, he started working for the John Howard Society as a residence worker. During his career with John Howard he held several management positions, leading to his role as Executive Director of the Lower Mainland affiliate and 8 years as the Executive Officer of the Provincial Society. He is also President of the BC Criminal Justice Association and sits as a Board Director with the Canadian Criminal Justice Association, PARCA, Douglas College Youth Justice Worker Program and the Realize Strategies Cooperative.
Jacqueline Caverly, Chief Financial Officer
Prior to joining PLEA in 2022, Jacqueline worked in public practice where her focus was auditing the financials for public sector and not-for-profit clients. She worked collaboratively with these clients to analyze financial reporting issues, identify operational impacts and provide recommendations for best practices. Jacqueline holds a Bachelors in Business Administration, a Masters in Professional Accounting, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Michelle Hawco, Chief Human Resources Officer (she/her)
Michelle provides PLEA with strategic leadership in labour relations, human resources and organizational development. As PLEA’s Privacy Officer, she also guides the agency from a privacy perspective. Michelle’s career with PLEA started in 1995. She became a member of the senior leadership team in 2004. She holds a PhD in Business with a research interest in Management and Organization Systems, an MBA, a CPHR designation and a SHRM-SCP designation. Michelle has a background in organizational research, and is a former Board Chair of the McCreary Centre Society, a non-profit “committed to improving the health of BC youth through research, evaluation and community-based projects.”
Bryan Robinson, Program Director
Prior to joining PLEA, Bryan worked for four years in various health and social services settings, specializing in supporting people to live more independently and to explore self-advocacy. He was a recreation and volunteer manager in long-term care, as well as a coordinator in the community living sector overseeing the development of new independent living programs. Bryan holds a Masters in Recreation and Leisure Studies.
Jen Graham, Communications & Development Director (she/her)
Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics & Sociology from the University of Manchester and a Professional Diploma in Marketing from Cambridge Marketing College. She also has Chartered Marketer status with the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing. Jen has worked in communications in the health and social services sector for more than 15 years. She specifically enjoys developing high performing teams, driving meaningful change, managing relationships, and using her skills to help others.
Tina Tomyk, Program Director (she/her)
Tina first joined PLEA in 2000 as a casual Youth Worker and was promoted to the role of Family Resource Worker soon after. In 2002 she left PLEA, returning in 2004 as a Coordinator of Volunteers for our KidStart program. In 2007, she was appointed to the position of Program Manager, first for our Tri-Cities programs and then for our Vancouver Coastal Youth Justice Programs. In 2014, she became a Program Director. Tina oversees our youth justice, addictions and outreach programs, as well as our counselling services.
