Management Staff
Alicia Herbert
Executive DirectorAlicia is honoured to be leading this organization in the vital work of serving those who have been affected by poverty, violence and abuse. She brings to her role a 35 year history of leadership in the nonprofit sector on Salt Spring Island, the unceded territory of the Hul'qumi'num- and SENĆOŦEN-speaking peoples. Alicia cares deeply about people, community and the environment, and this has resulted in a broad relationship network both inside and outside IWAV. Alicia has an educational foundation of a diploma of Marketing Management from British Columbia Institute of Technology, many university courses in English, math and finance and of her current journey studying a Master of Arts in Leadership at Royal Roads University. She has also had careers in corporate marketing and administration, as well as over 13 years in business banking and leadership with Island Savings. However, Alicia’s long history of guiding teams of people working towards, and achieving, common goals is her greatest passion.
Alli Gaines
Thrift Store ManagerAlli was born on Salt Spring and grew up between Salt Spring and Saturna Island. Alli has been shopping at Transitions since she can remember. She’s passionate about clothing and textiles, as well as reducing waste and environmental impact by shopping second hand. She cares deeply about the work that IWAV does on Salt Spring and the outer island communities and is happy to contribute to the organization through her work at the thrift store. Alli's background is in fine arts and art history. When not at work, Alli may be gardening, tending to her animals or working on her artistic practice.
Cynthia Marshall
Finance ManagerCynthia Marshall is responsible for the financial management of the organization. Working for IWAV is her dream job: she loves using her skills and experience in accounting and being part of the IWAV team. Since moving to the island in 2005, she has worked for the School District for 12 years, for GIFTS as a bookkeeper in 2017 and for the Salt Spring Island Foundation as a bookkeeper since 2019. Before moving to the island, she worked in Victoria and Mexico. When she isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her three children, visiting with her friends, dreaming about travelling again and always trying to learn new things.
Heather Picotte
Anti-Violence Program ManagerHeather came to Salt Spring with her family in 2014 and is excited to have moved into the Transition House Manager role in June 2020 after serving for 2 years as a frontline transition house staff member. Heather has been working and studying in the health and social services sector for 15 years and brings expertise in the messy relationship between socio-economic conditions, chronic disease, and wellbeing. She enjoys evaluation and program planning for frontline anti-violence services, in particular those that work to address barriers around housing, food security and mental health.
Charlie Barteaux
Housing Program ManagerCharlie Barteaux studied and worked for many years at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA, where they dove deep into the science and psychology of Yoga and Ayurveda and transpersonal arts. Charlie trained in nonviolent communication and conscious communication, bringing these skills into their teaching of workshops, classes, and mentoring of volunteers and students in Canada, USA, and Costa Rica. In 2006, they left the Kripalu Center with an intention to bring their heart and skills into meaningful work that would support people who are marginalized and forgotten. Charlie came to Vancouver where they completed a 2-year diploma in Community Counselling at VCC. Their vision came into action working in the Downtown East Side as a tenant support worker with Lookout Emergency Society. Charlie also worked with Coast Mental Health, as a case manager and part of team of the first Housing First Program in Canada, At Home/Chez Soi, and worked in other mental health outreach services. Charlie worked as the Housing First Coordinator at SSICS before coming to IWAV in 2014 as the Transition House Manager. They recently took on a new role as Housing Program Manager and brings to their work a deep desire to serve the greatest good and to champion for those who don’t have a voice — especially women, BIPOC and LGBTQS — and to contribute on a systemic level to making true changes. Charlie is known for their deep compassion and a wicked sense of humour, that is most likely attributed to being an East Coaster born and raised in Nova Scotia.
Andrea Metzger
Transition House ManagerAndrea moved to Salt Spring Island in 2004, to grow a garden and a family, after studying Anthropology, Sociology and Women's Studies at university in Montreal. She is a TCK (third culture kid), raised overseas where she witnessed extreme poverty and discrimination and violence against women, instilling in her a desire to champion the underprivileged within our broken social structures. She has been gratefully serving with the IWAV family on the unceded territory of the Hul'qumi'num- and SENĆOŦEN-speaking peoples since 2011, when she was first hired to work frontline. Andrea is proud to now be leading this wonderful team of humans and is passionate about providing safe, comforting and nonjudgmental service to the families who take refuge at the Transition House.