Board & Sponsors

Your Board of Trustees

The Board is jointly trusteed with members appointed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) on behalf of its local unions and the British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) on behalf of employers.

Each Trustee serves a three-year term with staggered expiry dates to ensure continuity. The Board consists of:

  • Six Trustees appointed by CUPE

  • Six Trustees appointed by BCPSEA

The Board oversees the operation of the PEBT, including:

  • Overseeing the Trust’s financial operations.

  • Managing the Trust’s assets.

  • Selecting and overseeing third-party providers.

  • Communicating to members, union local and employers.

  • Monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the JEIS and LTD programs.

  • Conducting all other aspects of Trust management and governance.

In addition, the Board has established several committees to meet its responsibilities effectively. The committees meet regularly and provide updates and recommendations to the full Board for discussion and formal adoption. The Board of Trustees must also hold at least four meetings each year.

Your Trustees

Irene Schoemaker

Member Trustee

Irene has worked for School District #43 (Coquitlam) for 29 years and is currently working in a clerical position in high school. Irene has also worked with the union as a representative in various positions and on various committees for over 15 years.

Alan Chell

Employer Trustee

Alan has been a School Trustee in Revelstoke for the past 39 years. He was previously the Chair of the BC Public School Employers Association and is currently Chair of the Revelstoke Credit Union. He is retired from his career as the Director of Parks, Recreation and Personnel for the City of Revelstoke.

Bruce L. Anderson

Employer Trustee

Bruce is the Chief Executive Officer for British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA). Bruce has more than 25 years of executive human resources and labour relations leadership experience.

Prior positions Bruce has held are: Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer for the Corix Group of Companies, Executive Director of Human Resources for City of Toronto, and Executive Director of Human Resources for Simon Fraser University.

Bruce holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, and a Master of Arts in Labor and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds his professional designation as a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE).

Debbie Mohabir

Member Trustee

Debbie has been the Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Local 15 since 2020. She has been employed at the Vancouver School Board as an EA since 2006, an activist in the K-12 Sector since 2007 and sits on many joint committees as well as the bargaining committee since 2014. Debbie is also a Trustee for CUPE BC, Vancouver District and Labour Council, CUPE National Member Facilitator and a CUPE National Ombudsperson.

Harpinder Sandhu

Member Trustee

Harpinder is currently a Research Representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and is also a Board member for the Shareholder Association for Research and Education and founding member of the Canadian Capital Stewardship Network.

His proactive approach to responsible investment is demonstrated as a committee chair of the UN sponsored Principles of Responsible Investment (Western North America Chapter), and since 2015, Harpinder has served as Board Trustee for the BC Public Service Pension Plan, and is also the Investment Chair for the BC Municipal Pension Plan.

With over a decade of real estate valuation experience for the provincial government, he has also co-authored two major policy papers on housing affordability, key in producing provincial housing legislation.

An alumnus of Simon Fraser University, Harpinder holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Geography and Economics; focused on international trade, finance, sustainable urban development, and public policy. He earned an ICD.D designation after completing the Rotman Directors Education Program from the University of Toronto.

Kirsten Daub

Member Trustee

Kirsten is a CUPE National Servicing Representative and K-12 Sector Coordinator for the B.C. Region. She’s been assigned to the K-12 Sector for several years. She was previously a business agent with CUPE 1004, representing members from the City of Vancouver and PHS Community Services Society. Before working for the union, Kirsten worked with CoDevelopment Canada, a non-profit dedicated to building international solidarity between unions in Canada and unions and human rights organizations in Latin America. Kirsten is a graduate of Concordia University with a bachelor’s in Spanish, and Simon Fraser University with a masters in Latin American Studies. Kirsten considers it a privilege to be a trustee with the Public Education Benefits Trust, as she values equity and not-for-profit, needs-driven services.

Kyle Clark

Member Trustee

Kyle has worked in the Information Technology Department at School District #83 (North Okanagan – Shuswap) since 2010. He had held several positions in CUPE Local 523 including shop steward and financial trustee, evolving into his current role of Secretary-Treasurer. His range of Union experience has involved him in many aspects of labour relations including benefits, bargaining and grievances.

Kyle Uno

Employer Trustee

Kyle has been the Manager, Human Resources for the Surrey School District for the past 25 years.  His team looks after all aspects of human resources and labour relations for the 5,500 support staff in Surrey.  His portfolio also includes benefits administration liaising with the District’s benefits providers and consultants. He serves on a number of provincial committees including the Support Staff Education Committee, Provincial Job Evaluation Steering Committee, and has served as a management representative in provincial bargaining for the last two rounds.  Kyle holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Certificate in Workplace Mental Health Leadership from Queen’s University.

Lorelei Russell

Employer Trustee

Lorelei is the Director, Employee Services at the Vancouver School District and has held a number of positions at the VSB since 2008, all of which included benefits administration which is her passion. She has served as an employer representative on the district’s JEIS committee and communicated the value of the Long Term Disability benefit to the union locals and employees who are part of the JEIS program. Lorelei has a Human Resources Management certificate from BCIT and a General Studies Degree from Thompson Rivers University. She holds her Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) and Chartered Professional Human Resource (CPHR) designations. Prior to joining the K-12 sector, Lorelei worked for twenty years in construction and manufacturing industries.

Rachael Green

Employer Trustee

Rachael is the Assistant Director of Human Resources for School District No. 33 (Chilliwack). During the ten years she has been with the District, Rachael has had considerable involvement and oversight of the employee health and wellness programs including supporting employees during medical and long-term disability leaves of absence, navigating workplace accommodations, and ensuring positive outcomes for employees. Rachael holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Fraser Valley, a post-graduate diploma in Disability Management & Rehabilitation from Simon Fraser University, and the professional designation as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR). Rachael is honored to serve on the board of the Public Education Benefits Trust.

Ryan Hung

Employer Trustee

Ryan has held the position of Assistant Secretary Treasurer at School District No. 69 (Qualicum) located on Vancouver Island for the past 8 years. He has also held a Manager of Finance position at School District No. 43 (Coquitlam). Prior to this, he held a number of management positions in various industries, and worked as a senior auditor in public practice accounting firms. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Tracey Dahlin

Member Trustee

Tracey is the Secretary Treasurer of CUPE Local 703 and is proud to be an activist in her local, sitting on many joint committees and representing members since 1996. She has been employed in School District No. 42 since 1993 and currently works as a District Custodian at Thomas Haney Secondary school. Tracey holds the Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification and a Computer Accounting Certificate; she is also a CUPE National Member Facilitator, is currently appointed to the CUPE BC Pension Committee and has served on the CUPE BC Education Committee for 3 terms.