Board of Directors

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Canadian Mental Health Association, Kamloops Branch Board of Directors

Shari Finlay – President
Shari Finlay was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, and moved to Kamloops just over 16 years ago to be closer to family. She works for BC Lottery Corporation as a Leader, and is the Chair of their Mental Health Ambassador team. Shari has 2 grown girls, one who lives in Kamloops and the other who lives in Victoria. Family is Shari’s number 1 priority, and she can be found walking her 2 dogs with her husband, or riding her e-bike through the town. Shari has been giving back to the communities she’s lived in for many years, and has a strong passion for Mental Well-being of everyone. Shari is a new member of the CMHA Board, and is just getting settled in, she looks forward to bringing her allyship more into the community. Her personal purpose is to provide a platform where everyone feels they can be heard, feel safe, and know they belong.

Alec Hermansson – Treasurer
Alec was born and raised in Vancouver, and is a graduate of the University of Victoria with a degree in Economics. He has been in the financial services industry in Kamloops since 2016 and is a Portfolio Manager with CIBC Private Wealth. Alec has been part of the CMHA Kamloops board for more than 5 years and brings both financial experiences, as well as experience from past boards to the CMHA board. Alec is a member of Rotary, volunteering for numerous causes in Kamloops. Outside of work, Alec enjoys traveling, camping, golf, and skiing when the snow starts falling.

Samantha Hoogstins – Secretary
Samantha Hoogstins is a Commercial Account Manager with TD Bank in Kamloops, BC. Sam lives with Bipolar Type 2 disorder and is extremely thankful for everything CMHA does for the community. Through the Mental Health First Aid training class, Sam recognized her disorder and later went through the steps of receiving a formal diagnosis. To thank CMHA for their part in her journey, she donates her time to being on the Board. When Sam isn’t working or volunteering, she can typically be found outdoors with her pet Sheepadoodle Switch.

Amisha Patel
Amisha Patel is a practicing registered nurse who graduated from the University of Alberta BScN Collaborative program. She has various experience providing care for those suffering from mental illness, disabilities, dementia and neurodegenerative disorders. She is currently completing her Master of Nursing degree with a specialization in education and research. An interest in system improvement has fed into her Master of Nursing research topic exploring women’s experiences of breastfeeding support. Amisha is a proud intersectional feminist and is proud to serve on various boards and committees within the community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature, travelling, and trying new food.

Brandon Hayashi
Brandon Hayashi is a 2nd year medical student at UBC currently residing in Kelowna, BC. Having worked in multiple roles pertaining to mental health, homelessness, and housing, Brandon joined the CMHA Board to provide his perspectives and support those living within his community. He also wants to be a psychiatrist and hopes to return to Kamloops to provide community-focused psychiatric care upon
completion of his studies.

Shari Caputo
Shari worked at RIH as a RN for 15 years on medical and maternity units and is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor for the BScN program at TRU. Shari enjoys teaching in clinical practice, psychomotor skills and simulation, and has a passion for nursing history. She joined the CMHA Board with the hope to positively effect change for people with mental health issues because of her own family history of mental health illness, in addition to witnessing the negative impact of the pandemic on the public’s mental health.

Maureen Anderson
Maureen Anderson retired as a psychiatric nurse in Manitoba in 2020, and moved to Kamloops to enjoy the milder climate and being closer to her grandchildren. Being on the board of CMHA Kamloops is an opportunity to contribute to and support mental health services here.