Board of Directors

Cheryl Ashlie

Cheryl has been a resident of Maple Ridge since 1995. She worked at Vancouver General Hospital as a Food Service Supervisor for 14 years, but left the profession to stay home with her kids while they were young. Her involvement in her children’s school’s Parent Advisory Committee drew her towards the role of a school trustee. This interest launched her into a 15 year commitment to civic politics: 9 as a school trustee and 6 as a municipal councilor.
She has had a deep involvement in the community that has included: volunteering with her children’s sports; Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services Board of Directors for 8 years; assisting with various charity walks and runs; assisting in the organization of the 2009 Disability Games; chair of the Community Network’s sub-committee: Substance Misuse Prevention Committee; Secretary Treasurer of the Ridge Meadows Educational Foundation. She also loves to spend her time hiking, painting and spending time with her family and friends.

Matt Kennedy

Matt Kennedy is an aquatic biologist with nearly 30 years working around western and northern Canadian rivers. Since 2010, he’s worked as VP Environment at Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. which operates renewable hydro, wind and solar electricity projects in Canada (including BC), USA, Chile and France. Matt holds an MSc in Zoology from Western University (Ontario) that he received in 1995. In 2013, Matt spearheaded a partnership between ARMS and Innergex to develop two new fish habitat channels parallel to the Alouette River at ARMS’ grounds. Both channels are now productive, both for fish and for educational opportunities for the many school groups that visit ARMS each year. Matt believes passionately in the importance of environmental education, with the idea that an understanding of nature will lead to also valuing it and always considering the effects of our actions. Matt joined the ARMS Board of Directors in 2023.

Ken Stewart

Ken is third generation in Maple Ridge. Ken and his wife Sherry, own Coniagas Ranches a farm that has been in the family since 1905 and where they raised their four children. Ken has a degree in Business and Leadership from SFU. Ken has been active in the community since high school, including; coaching sports, local rescue team, ‘Field for Kids’, Chamber of Commerce, and Ducks Unlimited. Ken also represented Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows as the MLA in Victoria and was two terms on Maple Ridge Council. Ken worked for the Attorney’s General Department for ten years and was the General Manager for large national company before taking up farming. Ken has also been active in agriculture as the BC President of the Game Growers Association and a Director of the BC Blueberry Co-op.

Geoff Clayton

Geoff was a founding member of the Alouette River Management Society (1993) and shortly after became President in 1995. He has served as President or Co-Chair since that time.
He has been apart of many committees that have helped steward the protection of Pacific Salmon habitat, including the Alouette Monitoring Committee (AMC), Stave Monitoring Committee (SMC) and is a member of the UBC Research Forest Community Advisory Board. He is an active member in the community advocating thoughtful stewardship of the environment for over 46 years and was presented with the BC Minister’s award in the category of Individual Citizen 2001.

John Kelly

Recently retired from BC Hydro where he held a number of senior environmental management positions. These include leading the Water Licence Requirements Program to deliver on the over 300 projects and studies BC Hydro committed to in the Water Use Planning process. He also managed the Water Use Planning projects on the Peace, Campbell and Clowhom watersheds. John also managed the environmental portfolio for the Coastal, Vancouver Island and Bridge River generation fleet. He was the project manager for developing and implementing the Canadian Electricity Associations Environmental Commitment and Responsibility Program that established an industry-wide environmental monitoring and reporting program.

Craig Speirs

Craig lives on a tributary of the Alouette and is a past five term councilor with the city of Maple Ridge. Craig is a long term environmental, political and social activist. He also serves on the Historical Society board and the Tourism Committee from the Maple Ridge Economic Development office. He believes service is an investment in democracy.

Victoria Farahbakhchian

Born and raised in Maple Ridge, Victoria Farahbakhchian has her Master of Science in Ecological Restoration and Bachelor of Science in Biology. Victoria’s background in science, restoration, and children’s programming has led her to become the Education Coordinator at the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in Maple Ridge. At the forest, Victoria has created outdoor educational programs that allow guests the opportunity to learn about their local environment in a unique and interactive way. Victoria feels that protection of the environment starts with a basic understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Victoria is interested in old-growth forest ecology, protection of endangered species and ecosystems, and riparian restoration.

Mark Caros

Born, raised and continue to reside in Maple Ridge, nearby the Alouette River. A thirty five year career with the provincial government was spent in adult and youth justice, largely in and around the Alouette River watershed, including the Allco Fish Hatchery in its early days. In retirement, time is spent traveling, doing contract work and volunteering with various non-profit organizations focused on protecting BC’s coastline, inland waterways and their respective ecosystems.

Gordy Robson

BC Corrections