Lenora holds the Interior Salish Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls staff on May 27, 2021, at the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc gathering after they confirmed the discovery of the unmarked graves of 215 children who were students at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Name: Lenora Anne Starr, “Cílcelnak” Job Title: Indigenous Cultural Safety Practice LeadYears of Service: Five monthsWorksite: MerrittCommunity: Interior Health regionAncestral Territory: Home: St’át’imc Nation; Current residence: Nlaka’pamux NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by:  “Cw7áozas lhápenem ta nt’ákmenlhkalha múta7 ta nqwaluttenlhkálha” (We will not forget our way of life and our language) “Ci wa lh kalth ti tmicwa” (The land is ours) “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and ever stop fighting.” - E.E. Cummings St’át’imc is Lenora’s home Nation and where her heart will always reside, and she still frequents regularly. Nlaka’pamux is Lenora’s husband’s Nation and where they currently reside.  Lenora has been with Interior Health (IH) for less than a year as the Indigenous Cultural Safety Practice Lead. Lenora has two sons, a loving husband, a daughter-in-law, one granddaughter, horses, cats and one very entertaining French Bulldog. Lenora spends most of the working day in a home office elbows deep in policy work, taking the smudging guidelines into a more formal policy for IH.  Lenora and her husband, Arnie Lampreau, have been on evacuation from their community of Shackan since 2021 due to the atmospheric river that left their ranch below the new flood plain. Lenora says that negotiations with Indigenous Services Canada for safer new reserve lands is painfully slow and being forced to live in a rental in town is extremely frustrating. Lenora looks forward to eventually getting re-established in a new home, with a renewed sense of permanency and stability, having horses in the back yard again, and seeing the family enjoy the ranching lifestyle once again.  This spring, Lenora looks forward to getting into IH hospitals to research existing and needed culturally safe spaces and assisting in bringing improvements to fruition.

Name: Jarred Kelly (he/him)Job Title: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Trauma and Critical CareYears of Service: 7 Worksite: Kelowna General HospitalCommunity: Okanagan Ancestral Territory: syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Treat others as you wish to be treated and you'll never go wrong!” Work plans can change at a moment’s notice for clinical pharmacy specialist Jarred Kelly, who provides clinical pharmacy services for trauma, critical care and emergency patients at Kelowna General Hospital.  “That’s what inspires me—no two days are the same. There is always something different and exciting happening,” he says. Depending on the number of patients and emergencies, such as helping to resuscitate a trauma patient, Jarred’s morning routine varies. Generally, he completes bedside rounds with the health-care team which involves reviewing patients’ medication lists for efficacy and safety, developing pharmaceutical care plans, resolving drug therapy problems and educating patients. 

Name: Carnation Nonhlanhla Zhuwaki (she/her/hers)Job Title: Knowledge FacilitatorYears of Service: 4Worksite: Vernon Health UnitCommunity: VernonAncestral Territory: syilx/OkanaganFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: My favourite quote is from my mother, "Approach life with a humble and teachable spirit, because life is a wheel: sometimes you're at the top, sometimes you’re at the bottom." Carnation Zhuwaki works for Interior Health (IH) as a knowledge coordinator based at the Vernon Health Unit. She started working at IH four years ago as an Emergency Department registered nurse and transitioned to her current role in 2021. Carnation believes everyone has a gift and a purpose—something they are good at. “Some people are aware of it, and some need a little encouragement to own their gift,” she says. “I enjoy identifying and encouraging others to explore their gifts.” She envisions a world where every person can show up as their authentic self, be seen and feel accepted.

Name: Amelie Darblade (she/her/hers)Job Title: Project Manager, Digital HealthYears of Service: 2.5Worksite: RemoteCommunity: KimberleyAncestral Territory: Ktunaxa Amelie Darblade immigrated to Canada from France in 2015. With a one-year visa in hand, she had plans to explore a new country but didn’t know what would come next. She fell in love with B.C, the great outdoors and its ancestral lands. She discovered backcountry skiing and mountain biking, met amazing people, made great friends, and in 2022, had a daughter. She has built a family and fulfilling career.

Name: Shawna Glassel (any)Job Title: Nurse Practitioner Lead - Primary Care South & VirtualYears of Service: 1.5Worksite: RemoteCommunity: ClearwaterAncestral Territory: Simpcw territory of the Secwépemc NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” – Charles Schaefer Shawna Glassel has lived in the Simpcw territory of the Secwépemc Nation for five months, where she truly appreciates the picturesque beauty of the land. As a grateful uninvited guest here, reconciliation is important to Shawna. “To me, reconciliation means learning and listening with humility to the experiences of First Nations Peoples who live on the ancestral territories across what is currently known as Canada,” she says. “It is hearing individuals’ and communities’ stories of experiences throughout their history. It is acknowledging injustices that have been and still are present within a colonial system. I commit my personal efforts to collaborating and taking steps toward the goals of healing and growth.”

Name: Kecia Ward (she/her/hers)Job Title: Nursing Unit Assistant Years of Service: 19.5Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital (RIH)Community: KamloopsAncestral Territory: Secwépemc (Shuswap / Interior Salish) NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: From my always knowing mother: "Be careful the toes you step on today as they might be attached to the butt you have to kiss tomorrow!" Kecia Ward’s life and career have been shaped by her roots, her passion for health care, and her commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Born in the vast prairies of Saskatchewan, Kecia brings a grounded, humble perspective to her work at Interior Health (IH), where she has become an invaluable part of the team at the Royal Inland Hospital's (RIH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Name: Magalie Knopf (she/her/hers)Job Title: Social WorkerYears of Service: 1.5 Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital and Home & Community CareCommunity: KamloopsAncestral Territory: Secwepemc Nation Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "What’s meant for you will never miss you, and what misses you was never meant for you." - Imam Al-Shafii For Interior Health (IH) social worker Magalie Knopf, her destination is the product of her journey. Born in Haiti, she was adopted and moved to Canada at the age of four. She grew up in Alberta as the youngest of eight children. She graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work and has been a registered social worker in Alberta and B.C. “What inspired me to pursue a career in social work was initially rooted in my own experiences: I experienced significant loss at an early age. I became passionate about maternal health and advocating for education and support systems that could prevent maternal death, especially for those in developing countries,” Magalie says. “I have always been drawn to being part of systems impacting change. Working in health care allows me to support change both at a macro level and micro level by addressing not only immediate health needs, but also social determinants of health.”

Name: Jonathan Saah (he/him/his)Job Title: Data Governance SpecialistYears of Service:  7Worksite: Vernon Jubilee HospitalCommunity: ColdstreamAncestral Territory: syilx NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela For Jonathan, Nelson Mandela’s quote highlights the importance of our actions and how they shape the value of our lives. To him, it also suggests the true meaning of life comes from living with purpose, kindness and a commitment to improving the well-being of others. Jonathan’s career in health care began with a strong foundation in business. He graduated from the co-op business program at Toronto Metropolitan University, gaining practical experience in business and computer sciences through roles at Johnson & Johnson Medical Products, Imperial Oil and Kraft Canada. He also worked as a marketing information analyst for World Vision Canada, a humanitarian aid and advocacy organization.  After completing his master’s in business development at the University of Waterloo, Jonathan spent 12 years in municipal government and consulting as an economic development specialist. He later transitioned to health care, leveraging his business expertise, research and analytical skills in his current role with Digital and Analytics Services at Interior Health (IH).

Name: Sherry-Lynn Picheniuk (she/her/hers)Job Title: Patient Care Coordinator/Registered NurseYears of Service: 25 yearsWorksite:  Penticton Regional HospitalCommunity:  PentictonAncestral Territory: syilx/OkanaganFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Let’s fix the problem. What are our options?” A true team player who has “no countdown to retirement,” Sherry-Lynn Picheniuk is fuelled by the energy and trust of her colleagues at Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH). The patient care coordinator and registered nurse (RN), who has been with Interior Health (IH) for 25 years, says she hopes to continue supporting her team as long as possible while bringing joy to patients and clients.