Lisa Ethans, Chair
Lisa is the Founder, President and Chair of the Chief Joe Mathias British Columbia Aboriginal Scholarship Fund. Prior to retiring from a 30 year career at Deloitte as a Financial Advisory Partner, she held a variety of leadership roles including founding and leading the firm’s National Aboriginal Client Services practice and the wealth management practice. She was awarded a Fellowship from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA), previously the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA); she is a qualified Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) and she holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. In addition to the Chief Joe Mathias BC Aboriginal Scholarship Board, she currently serves as a Board Director of Artemis Gold, and has served on the boards of First Nations Bank of Canada, FNB Trust, and BC Lottery Corporation.
Shane Coutlee
Shane Coutlee is a member of the Lower Nicola Indian Band and currently serves as Director of Education, where he oversees a comprehensive education sector that includes early childhood, K‑12, post‑secondary, special education, and language and culture programs. He has over two decades of experience working in Indigenous education and community leadership. Throughout his career, Shane has been involved in advancing First Nations education through governance, policy development, and community‑driven program planning. His work has included negotiating Local Education Agreements, supporting Nation‑based education systems, and advising leadership on long‑term education strategy. He has also served on regional and provincial boards and committees related to Indigenous education and post‑secondary development. Shane believes that strong education systems are built when Nations have the authority and capacity to design programs that reflect their language, culture, and community priorities. He remains committed to supporting initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for First Nations learners and future leaders.
Chastity Davis-Alphonse
Chastity Davis-Alphonse is a mixed heritage woman of First Nations and European descent. She is a proud member of the Tla’amin Nation and married into the Tsilhqot’in Nation. Chastity is sole proprietor to her own multi-award-winning consulting business. She has worked with 100+ First Nation communities in British Columbia and several well-known corporations, companies, not-for-profits, and Indigenous organizations. Chastity’s work is completed in the spirit of reconciliation and focuses on building knowledge and capacities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals, organizations, communities, and governments. Chastity’s approach is from an Indigenous women’s lens. She is on the leading edge of Indigenous Gender-Based Analysis Plus (IGBA+) in Canada working with the federal and provincial governments, Tsilhqot’in National Government, British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, and several others to weave the Indigenous women’s lens into their daily practices including Impact Assessment processes, policies, and procedures. Chastity is creator and visionary of “Deyen – An Invitation to Transform” - one of the only online learning platforms in the world that centers the wisdom, knowledge, and lived experiences of the original Matriarchs of the lands often called Canada. She is also Editor of one of the only Indigenous Business Magazines in Canada titled Makook pi Selim(Chinook Jargon/Language) published in partnership with Business In Vancouver (BIV). Makook pi Selim is in its second year of publications and features 100% Indigenous writers and covers a wide and deep variety of topics as they relate to Indigenous Peoples and economic development. Chastity has a Master of Arts in Intercultural and International Communications, a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communication, and a Diploma in Marketing Management & Professional Sales from BCIT. Chastity is also a certified yoga teacher in two modalities: Yin and Kundalini. She weaves the ancient practice and philosophy of yoga into her personal and professional life.
Amanda "Mandy" Mathias-O’Donoghue
My ancestral name is Siyamtnaat and in the business world I’m known as Amanda Mathias-O’Donoghue. I have been a successful entrepreneur of a boat repair and charter business since 1980. As a direct descendant of Chief Joe Capilano and Mary Capilano and the sister of the late Chief Joe Mathias, I am deeply committed to community building and carrying on their dedication to improving the lives of Indigenous peoples. Being a member of the Squamish Nation has given me the opportunity to sit on the Membership as a chairperson, and Land & Claims committees and I advocate for higher education for our people. I enjoy being involved in speaking, performing and being a liaison with members and council. It brings me genuine joy to have been a Sunday School teacher at Cascade Gospel Chapel for over a decade, and to work with organizations such as BC Aboriginal Child Care Society and The Full Circle Talking Stick Festival.
Stefany Mathias
Stefany is the daughter of the late Chief Joe Mathias. She carries one of the 16 Squamish hereditary chieftainships passed on to her from her father. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UBC and got her start in theatre, eventually expanding into film and television. For the past 25 years, Stefany has worked in the film industry as an actor, director, and producer, she continues her creative work in film and TV. She has served on the board of the Chief Joe Mathias Scholarship Fund (CJMSF) since its inception in 2002. Stefany looks forward to the work done at CJMSF. Although very challenging, the reward of helping Indigenous students achieve their goals makes it more than worth it.
Nancy Morgan
Nancy Morgan has been practicing law for over 35 years. She works primarily in the field of Indigenous law representing First Nations and regional First Nations organizations in the negotiation and implementation of modern treaties, agreements, and other arrangements. She is also provides advice to clients regarding their internal affairs, including the development of legislation, policy, and governance structures.
Crystal Smith
Crystal Smith is a proud Haisla member, mother, grandmother, and lifelong advocate for Indigenous leadership, education, and community success. She has served the Haisla Nation for 12 years in elected leadership, including eight years as Chief Councillor (2017–2025). Throughout her tenure, she championed Indigenous self-determination by advancing responsible economic development that created long-term opportunities for her Nation while protecting the environment and strengthening community well-being. She is currently a Board Director with Taseko Mines and Snowline Gold and serves on the Indigenous Advisory Councils for TC Energy and the federal Major Projects Office. She previously chaired the First Nations Natural Gas Alliance and served as a Director of the First Nations Climate Initiative. Her leadership has been recognized nationally through honours including BC Business Women of the Year, Energy Person of the Year, the Public Policy Forum Honouree Award, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
John Watson
For two and a half years John Watson was the Head of the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat in the Privy Council Office where he served as the Secretary to the Cabinet Committee on Aboriginal Affairs. He was formerly the Regional Director General of Indian Affairs, in British Columbia, and also directed the management of regional federal organizations responsible for labour market and training programs in both British Columbia and Ontario and the delivery of immigration programs. He was educated in Political Science at Carlton University and is a previous recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Head of the Public Service for his work related to the successful negotiation of the Nisga’a Treaty. He is the former chair of the Pacific Council of Senior Federal Officials. He retired from the federal public service in May of 2006 and is in private consulting practice with an impressive roster of clients.
Angela Wesley
Angela is a citizen of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations (Nuu-chah-nulth). As owner/partner in Wes-Can Advisory Services since 1992 she has spent her career providing advisory and facilitation services to First Nations and other governments and organizations in the areas of strategic planning, community development and engagement, communications, and governance capacity building. She has a strong vision of and passion for realizing an ever-improving quality of life for First Nations and their citizens. Angela was an active participant in negotiations leading to the ratification and implementation of the Maa-nulth Treaty and the Huu-ay-aht Constitution and continues to be one of the champions in her Nation’s self-governance journey. She served for 8 years as Board Chair/President for the Huu-ay-aht Group of Businesses and has served and continues to serve on a number of provincial and First Nations boards, holding the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Angela has served as a Commissioner on the BC Treaty Commission since 2018 and is actively involved in international discussions on indigenous governance and leadership. She is proud to have learned from and been mentored by some of the most brilliant indigenous leaders in British Columbia.
Executive Director
Kamana Bikadi
Kamana has served as Executive Director of the Scholarship Fund since 2015. She is currently a Senior Trust & Client Operations Officer at FNB Trust, the wholly owned trust company of the First Nations Bank of Canada, where she manages a portfolio of clients working toward long‑term generational prosperity and self‑determination. A former Scholarship Fund recipient herself, Kamana is passionate about supporting the next generation of students in accessing the financial resources they need to achieve their educational goals. She proudly hails from the Líl̓wat Nation (St’át’imc Nation).