Electoral District	Representative	Term
District 1 (Lower Mainland)	Raheem Savja	2012 to 2014
District 1 (Lower Mainland)	Aly Jamal	2012 to 2014
District 2 (Vancouver Island)	Ronald Yardley	2011 to 2013
District 3 (Okanagan and the Kootenays)	Gary Corner	2012 to 2012
District 4 (Cariboo)	Megan Wingham	2011 to 2013
District 5 (Contact Lens Registrant)	Lutz Sprecher	2010 to 2012
Public Appointee Location	Appointee	Term
Trail	Elizabeth Cytra	May 6, 2012
Richmond	Lesley Wood Bernbaum	Jan 31, 2013
Vacant	Vacant

As a professional body, the COBC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of elected and appointed members. Of the ten Board members, six are elected from the profession and four are appointed by government as specified in the Health Professions Act.

Elected Board members are registered Opticians of the College in good standing. Appointed public members are appointed by the provincial government. The Health Profession Act requires that appointed public members make up at least one-third of Board members.

Biography of the Board of Directors

The Board takes on its work in the public interest and not in the interest of individual registrants or member groups within the profession of Opticianry. They must be guided by the public interest and avoid positions that could be deemed as a conflict of interest.

Chair - Raheem Savja, District 1 (Elected)
Contact Lens Fitter & Refracting Optician
Raheem Savja graduated with a BSc degree in Cell and Developmental Biologyfrom UBC in 1994 and went on to pursue an MSc degree in cancer cellresearch.  In 1996, Mr. Savja became a licensed optician/contact lensfitter and was promoted to manager.  He is currently a manager atPearle Vision.  Mr. Savja has been an examiner for the COBC since 2000,the vice chair of the College of Opticians Inquiry Committee since 2003and is presently serving as treasurer for the Opticians of BritishColumbia (OBC). 

Vice Chair - Lutz Sprecher, District 5 (Elected)
Contact Lens Fitter
Mr. Sprecher has been an independent full service Optician working in Surrey for almost 30 years. He has served as a volunteer Board member for the DOABC, various charitable, strata, networking organizations and has worked as an education coordinator for the OAC/NAIT program.

Aly Jamal, District 1(Elected)
Contact Lens Fitter
Mr. Jamal graduated from the Douglas College Optician Program. He has practiced as an Optician & Contact Lens Fitter for over 12 years. He has had experience in different settings from being a manager, working for large companies and clinics. He has had the privilege to participate on an eyeglass mission and had the opportunity to be a practicum supervisor for Douglas Colleges’ Dispensing Optician students. He delivers presentations for Bausch & Lomb. He served on the COBC Board from January - December 2010. He is currently a member of the COBC Quality Assurance Committee, PLAR assessment interviewer and serves as an examiner for NACOR.

Ronald Yardley, District 2 (Elected)
Contact Lens Fitter
Mr. Yardley has 44 years of experience as an Optician and Contact Lens Fitter in Victoria. He is a member of the Iris National Contact Lens Committee. He also has 9 years experience as a franchise owner.

Gary Corner, District 3 (Appointed)
Contact Lens Fitter

Mr. Corner started working in the optical profession in March of 1969. He spent 24 years working for Fort Optical in Vernon and Victoria. In February of 1993 he established Corner Optical and have worked as an independent ever since.  He sat as a D.O.A.B.C. board member for 15 years.  From 1999 to 2005 he was elected as a councilor for the District of Coldstream. From 2005 to 2008 he was elected as Mayor for the District of Coldstream.

Megan Wingham, District 4 (Elected)
Contact Lens Fitter
Ms. Wingham is a Dispensing Optician and Contact Lens Fitter. She graduated from the Douglas College dispensing program. She is an active volunteer in my community and have a history of volunteerism which includes volunteering for the Third World Eye Care Society (TWECS).

Elizabeth A. Cytra, Public Member (Appointed)
Ms.Cytra is a retired legal administrator and since retiring has devotedherself to serving her community. She has a Professional Manager’sdesignation from the Canadian Institute of Management as well asdiploma in Financial Management from BCIT and a Paralegal diploma fromGonzaga University.  Ms. Cytra is a former City of Trail Councilor anda past president of the Chamber of Commerce. She serves the citizens ofBritish Columbia on a number of other professional boards andquasi-judicial appeal panels and is a Marriage Commissioner for theProvince of British Columbia; she has held that position for the past 5years. Ms. Cytra is a member of Rotary International - giving her timeand energies to raising funds for various humanitarian projects, bothin the local and global community. She was a District Governor ofRotary International in 2007-2008.

Lesley Wood Bernbaum, Public Member (Appointed)
Lesley Wood Bernbaum is an Independent Consultant specializing in project management, client consultations, strategies, and research.Previously, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Career Edge Organization, a not-for-profit social enterprise serving employers and community organizations across Canada, addressing staff recruitment,talent management needs, and diversity mandates. Active in her community, Ms. Wood Bernbaum is a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade, the BC Chamber of Commerce, the BC Human Resources Management Association, and the Canadian Public Relations Society. She also volunteers her time in fund development with S.U.C.C.E.S.S., with the Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education, and as a Facilitator with the Richmond Civic Engagement Network Study Circles. Ms. Wood Bernbaum was a recipient of the Governor General of Canada's 125th Commemorative Medal for Community Service (1992), and the Silver Leaf and Blue Wave Awards of Merit (2005) with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). She holds her Bachelor of Arts from Ryerson University in Radio, Television, and Film Studies; her Master of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University; and has participated in Executive Education Seminars with the University of British Columbia's (UBC) Sauder School of Business as well as the Multimedia Studies Program at UBC.