Board Structure & Function
The Provincial Government of British Columbia, through the Ministry of Health, sets province-wide goals, standards and performance agreements for delivery of health care by health authorities in B.C., including Interior Health. Our board of directors is responsible for setting Interior Health’s Vision, Mission and Values, and the strategic direction of the organization.
Our Board is a fully-functioning governing body made up of 10 members from communities across the region. Their role (established through bylaws) is to make decisions that meet the region’s health needs.
Board members are appointed through the provincial government's Board Resourcing and Development Office.
If you have questions about our board, contact the Board Chair by email.
The Interior Health Board of Directors is made up of members from communities across the southern Interior region. Directors are appointed through the provincial government's Board Resourcing and Development Office. The current Chair of the Board is Dr. Robert Halpenny, who was appointed in February 2024.
Functions of the Board of Directors include:
- Governance and oversight responsibility
- Setting overall strategic direction for the organization
- Approving budget submissions and business plans
- Reviewing and approving capital plans
- Granting privileges for medical staff to practice in Interior Health facilities, on the advice and recommendation of the Health Authority Medical Advisory Committee
- Reviewing and approving overarching strategies to address aspects of the performance agreement Interior Health holds with the Province of British Columbia
The Province of B.C., through the Ministry of Health, sets province-wide goals, standards and performance agreements for the delivery of health care. The Government Mandate Letter identifies the annual priorities and expectations for Interior Health, and is outlined in an agreement between the IH Board of Directors and the Ministry of Health.
Board of Directors meetings
IH’s Board of Directors holds public board meetings throughout the year. You’re welcome to attend and participate. We’ve added virtual board meetings to make it easier for people across the region to join. Stay connected through IH’s social media channels: Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, YouTube.
2026 board meeting schedule
- April 15: 5-6 p.m. PT
- Oct. 21: 5-6 p.m. PT
Addressing the board
If you would like to find out more about presenting at an upcoming meeting or providing written questions to the Board, contact the Board Chair by email.
Board meeting materials
View agendas, meeting packages and approved minutes for upcoming and past board meetings. Minutes will be posted once approved.
Oct. 6
June 23
April 28
Feb. 24
Oct. 1
June 19
April 16
Feb. 12
Dec. 4
Oct. 2
June 19
April 17
Feb. 6
Dec. 5
Oct. 3
Aug. 1
June 6
April 4
Feb. 7
Dec. 6
Oct. 4
July 19
May 31
March 1
Board Committees
There are five Board-created committees that focus on specific issues and provide the Board with recommendations to help with its decisions. Committees are made up of at least three Board directors, plus non-voting membership consisting of members of the Board and executive.
Each committee has terms of reference outlining its authority and responsibility.
This committee is responsible to the Board for all of Interior Health’s financial matters, including:
- Reviewing and examining all financial objectives, policies, programs and practices that are required to provide sound financial management and to safeguard assets
- Reviewing audited financial statements prior to submission to the Board and providing auditors with a means of access to the Board in order to preserve their independence in their relationship with management
This committee provides a focus on both governance and human resources, enhancing Interior Health’s performance by:
- Assessing and making recommendations to the Board regarding Board and committee effectiveness
- Providing direction regarding director development
- Leading the process for recommending director criteria to the government for consideration
- Assisting the Board in fulfilling its obligations relating to human resources and compensation matters
- Establishing a plan of continuity and development for senior management
- Overseeing development and implementation of human resources strategy, policy and practices
This committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to ensure excellent quality of patient, client and resident care throughout the health authority by:
- Ensuring that Interior Health’s leadership team establishes an appropriate patient, client, resident-centred and performance-based quality culture
- Providing support, input and governance as Interior Health’s Leadership Team establishes and monitors performance targets, standards of care and service, and guidelines and policies for patients, clients, and residents, while reducing associated risks
- Advising the Board on Interior Health’s progress and population health performance
This committee assists the Board in supporting management-led external and internal communications responsibilities and supports Board-specific goals and objectives with respect to partner relations.
Board of Directors - Profiles
Dr. Robert Halpenny - Board Chair
Dr. Robert Halpenny is a health care consultant with extensive experience in his field.
Previously, he was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with the Interior Health Authority. He completed his Family Practice Residency in 1982 after spending numerous clinical rotations in Kelowna and then setting up a practice in Vancouver.
As the Vice President of Medicine at St. Vincent's, he completed his Masters Degree in Health Administration from the University of Colorado and then spent six years in Grand Junction Colorado as the Vice President of Medicine at St. Mary's Hospital. He returned to B.C. in 2002 as the Vice President of Medicine for the Fraser Health Authority and then accepted the position of Provincial Executive Director Cardiac Services at Provincial Health Services Authority.
He started with the Interior Health Authority in January 2007 as the Senior Medical Director with a background in clinical care and Medical Administration. He presently serves on the Medical Services Commission.
Joyce Adjei
Joyce is a lawyer in Kamloops and a Registered Nurse (RN) with over 10 years of experience working in various positions as an RN in British Columbia. She is also a Board Director for BC CRN - an organization that raises awareness to keep vulnerable adults safe and free from neglect and abuse. As a lawyer, her practice involves child protection services, family law and general litigation.
Joyce works closely with her clients to unite them with their child(ren). In addition, she helps the clients access social, housing, health and wellness support. During her articles at DLA Piper LLP (Vancouver office), Joyce's practice focused on consumer protection, intellectual property and other areas of health law.
Joyce is also active in her community, serving, for example, as a frontline nurse and a research coordinator for Interior Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joyce holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree from York University, Toronto, and a Bachelor of Nursing degree and Juris Doctor (Law) from Thompson Rivers University. Joyce was appointed to the Board on September 20, 2023.
Ernest Armann
Ernest Armann has been the program manager for Lillooet Tribal Council since 2021. He has 34 years of senior management experience, also including:
- Fifteen years as band manager for N’Quatqua
- Five years in a governance advisory role for the Lower Stl'atl'imx Tribal Council
- Four-plus years as the implementation manager for St'at'imc Government Services
- Four years as chief operating officer for Lil’wat Nation
Ernest has received formal training in administration through UBC/Sauder School of Business and has a diploma in public administration/administering aboriginal governance from the University of Victoria.
He has served on a range of boards and committees and was selected to sit as a member of the First Nations Health Council during its reformation in 2010. In this role, he was part of the leadership that guided and developed the reform of health governance and the transfer of Health Canada resources to the First Nations Health Authority.
Ernest is currently the St’at’imc IRNE representative and chair of the 7 Nations Interior Caucus, a member of the advisory board for First Nations Public Service Secretariat and a board director for St’at’imc Government Services.
Ernest a member of N’Quatqua of the St’at’imc and has lived in Lillooet for over 14 years His wife and he celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary with their three children in February 2026.
Deborah Austin
Deborah Austin has worked as a Registered Nurse since 1974, with experience in Ontario, British Columbia and California.
Her areas of interest include critical care, education, management, policy development and quality improvement. As a legal nurse consultant, Deborah commonly reviews cases of concern from rural and remote areas across Canada.
Deborah lives in a small community in the Kootenays where she is involved with the local library board and health-care auxiliary.
Jared Basil
Jared Basil is a member of the Ktunaxa Nation and a councillor for the Lower Kootenay Chief and Council.
Jared is also the community wellness champion for Ktunaxa Nation Council. He is chair of the education and employment sector for the Ktunaxa Nation Council.
Previously, Jared was the economic business development trainee for Ktunaxa Nation Council and office supervisor for Best Heating Inc.
Thomas (Tom) Friedman
Thomas (Tom) Friedman was born in Vancouver, and attended Prince of Wales Secondary School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and UBC, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1979, and a Master of Arts in 19th and 20th Century British literature in 1985. In 1993, Tom completed a PhD in literature at the University of Toronto and began teaching English literature at the University College of the Cariboo (UCC), now Thompson Rivers University (TRU).
Beginning in 1995, he became involved in the UCC Faculty Association. After serving as Bargaining Chair, he was elected president of the Faculty Association in 2000 and served in that position until 2007. He was re-elected TRU Faculty Association president in 2014, serving for another five years.
Tom has also served as an elected Member-at-Large on the Executive of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE). He was appointed a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee in 2008 and re-appointed in 2010.
Active in his community, Tom has been involved with the Kamloops Film Society Board of Directors and has served as its chair since 2010. He has also served as President of the Jewish Community Centre of Kamloops from 2006 to 2013.
Mike Gerrand
Mike Gerrand is a principal with the accounting firm Doane Grant Thornton, LLP, working in Trail and Castlegar. His role at Doane Grant Thornton includes advising small businesses, charities and non-profit organizations on various financial issues. Mike is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University as well as a diploma of Arts and Science from Selkirk College.
He has been active with various youth sports organizations for the past twenty years including Castlegar Minor Baseball and Castlegar Minor Hockey in roles varying from coaching to treasurer. He was born and raised in the West Kootenays and currently resides in Castlegar.
Dr. Michael Murray
Dr. Michael Murray is a certified health-care executive who has served in multiple health-care leadership positions throughout his career.
His most recent position prior to retirement was deputy registrar of the College of Physician and Surgeons of BC, in which he was responsible for the accreditation and quality assurance programs. He was a council member for the accreditation council of the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQUA).
Dr. Murray completed his residency in family medicine and emergency medicine at the University of Ottawa in 1986. During the latter part of his career in emergency medicine and medical administration in Ontario, he obtained a Masters in health administration from the University of Toronto (MHSc,HPME) in 2008.
He moved to British Columbia in 2009 and started in theposition of executive medical director for Interior Health, serving in that role until moving to Vancouver and working for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC in 2015.
Bonnie Pearson
Bonnie Pearson is a labour leader with experience in the health-care sector, retiring from the Hospital Employees Union in 2015. Prior to this, Ms. Pearson worked for the Compensation Employees Union where she represented staff at the Workers Compensation Board. Most recently, Pearson was appointed by the Municipal Employees Pension Committee to serve as the inaugural Chair of the Municipal Retiree Benefit Trust.
Active within her profession, Ms. Pearson served as an elected vice president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour and was a member of the Finance Committee. She has also been serving on the ICBC board for six years and will remain there until the end of 2024.
Willie Sellars
Willie Sellars was born and raised in Williams Lake, B.C. and is a member of the Williams Lake First Nation (“WLFN” or “T’exelc”) of the Secwépemc Nation. Elected to WLFN Council at the age of 24 in 2008, Mr. Sellars was one of the youngest elected Councillors in WLFN history. After serving 10 years on Council, he was elected as the Chief of the Williams Lake First Nation in 2018 and is currently in his first term.
In his previous work experience, Mr. Sellars worked as a Wildland Firefighter for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations before returning to his community to assume the position of Special Project Coordinator in the WLFN Economic Development Department. During this time, he was responsible for new business initiatives flowing from Impact Benefit Agreements, engagement with proponents in the traditional territory and community consultation for major WLFN projects.
While Chief in 2020, Mr. Sellars oversaw the negotiation of British Columbia’s first government-to-government agreement under section 119 of the BC Cannabis Control and Licensing Act. This watershed agreement gave Williams Lake First Nation specific authority in relation to cannabis retail, and facilitated the development of Sugar Cane Cannabis: B.C.’s first farm-gate cannabis facility. Mr. Sellars is a Director and President of WLFN’s two cannabis entities, Sugar Cane Cannabis and Unity Cannabis. Unity Cannabis, which is the retail arm of WLFN’s cannabis operations, has operational stores in Williams Lake, Merritt and Penticton, with another outlet in Lac La Hache currently in the licensing phase.
Mr. Sellars is also a published author of “Dipnetting with Dad,” which won a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Chocolate Lily, Shining Willow, and Ontario Library Association awards. His second book, “Hockey with Dad,” released in the Fall of 2021. Willie enjoys his family time with his three kids, playing hockey with the Williams Lake Stampeders, attending community events at WLFN, dipnetting, and playing fastball.
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