Pacific Blue Cross Board of Directors
CEBS®, CRM, CRSP®, ICD.D
Martin (Marty) R. Gibbons has spent close to two decades working in the field of employee group benefits and pensions, where he has completed multiple designations including Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS®), Group Benefits Associate (GBA) and Retirement Plans Associate (RPA). His passion for risk management and workplace health and safety inspired him to complete his Canadian Risk Manager (CRM) and Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP®) designations.
Marty is the Board Chair of the Pacific Blue Cross Board of Directors. In 2024, Marty was appointed to the Canadian Board of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). Marty completed his Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation through the ICD-Rotman Directors Education program in 2023. The ICD.D designation is a recognized mark of distinction in the field of corporate governance and demonstrates a commitment to professional development and expertise in governance practices.
From 2018 to 2022, Marty was an elected school trustee in School District 83, serving on several committees. In October 2022, he was elected Director for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Area C. Marty also served as co-chair on a large health and welfare trust and is a trustee on a large joint pension trust. He started his career in British Columbia’s forestry industry as a certified tradesperson and served as USW Local 1-417 full-time President and Business Agent for 20 years. He is of Métis and Cree ancestry and received his Métis citizenship in 2022.
Janet Andrews serves as the full-time Secretary-Treasurer of the New Westminster & District Labour Council, representing over 65,000 union members across 14 municipalities, which are located on 10 unceded First Nation territories in British Columbia. With a strong commitment to grassroots advocacy, Janet takes immense pride in her involvement with a community-based organization that upholds a strong tradition of empowering workers to voice their concerns both within their workplaces and across their communities.
Janet is the Vice Chair of the Pacific Blue Cross Board of Directors. A member of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union Local Lodge 764 since 1998, Janet has extensive Board and Finance committee experience in labour and the charitable sectors, including roles at the United Way of BC and the Union Protein Project. She is currently serving on the Executive Council of the BC Federation of Labour and holds a BA in Classical Studies and an MA in Classical Archaeology from the University of British Columbia.Coming soon
After earning his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of British Columbia’s Dental School in 1987, Dr. David Ciriani recognized the need for health care professionals in more remote areas of the province, and immediately went into general practice in Smithers, BC. While there, in addition to his private practice, he provided care in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where he identified disparities in oral health care for First Nations people and communities, sparking a lifelong mission.
After 14 years in Smithers, Dr. Ciriani returned to his hometown, Kamloops where he continued his successful private practice and championed the Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI) for First Nations children. He also collaborated to establish on-reserve dental clinics at Q'wemtsin and Skwlax Health Centres and supported dental therapists in remote regions under the First Nations Health Authority.
Dr. Ciriani has played pivotal roles in numerous organizations, including the BC Dental Association, College of Dental Surgeons of BC, and Northwest BC Dental Society. He has received Distinguished Service Awards from the Kamloops and District Dental Society, and the BC Dental Association. His focus on providing exemplary health care is based on patient-centered care, education, integrity and unwavering compassion.
He holds an Environmental and Occupational Health certificate from the University of Victoria, a certification of Foundation and Advanced Trust Management Systems from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and has attended the Wharton Business School for Investment Portfolio Concepts and Management and is an Alumni of the Canadian Governor General Leadership Conference.
Dr. Patricia Gerber obtained her Pharmacy degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1993. She completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency Program at the Children’s & Women’s Health Centre of BC in 1994, and obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from UBC in 1997.
Between 1994 and 2008 Dr. Gerber served in various roles at the Children’s & Women’s Health Centre of BC: as Clinical Pharmacist, Education Coordinator, and Residency Coordinator. As Clinical Pharmacist, Patricia provided care for pediatric patients presenting to the hospital with a range of medical conditions, cared for hospitalized patients with chronic neurological and psychiatric conditions, and educated families and caregivers of children from across the province.
Since joining the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1994 on a part-time basis and in 2008 full-time, she has been teaching and providing educational leadership in entry-to-practice and graduate programs. Her main areas of teaching have been pediatrics, professionalism, ethics, and leadership. While teaching, she served in several leadership and scholarly roles, including as Clinical Coordinator and Director of the Graduate Doctor of Pharmacy Program. Dr. Gerber is currently the Director of Degree Programs for Pharmacists (which includes the Flexible Doctor of Pharmacy Program for working pharmacists), and is leading the development of the new Professional Master’s degree program for pharmacists. Dr. Gerber has published in several clinical and academic journals, has been an invited speaker in national and international conferences, and continues to serve in several national and international scholarly roles.
Since 1981 Ms. Hartman has served on a variety of boards including the United Way and other charities, union and labour federations, advocacy organizations and labour history associations. Her background includes local, national and international work in both waged and volunteer positions.
Matthew O'Rae is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia (BC), an infrastructure bank for local governments in BC. Matthew is responsible for overseeing all finance functions including financial reporting, cash management, investing and debt issuance in the capital markets. Previously, Matthew held the position of Executive Director, Capital Management and Finance Projects at Vancouver Island Health Authority and worked with his team to provide centralized capital asset management, real estate and treasury services. From 2008 to 2016, Matthew worked for the Province of BC where he held various director roles including Executive Director of the Debt Management Branch where he and his team delivered centralized borrowing and liability management services.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Calgary and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).
Lee has an extensive background as a director on multiple boards and as a fiduciary. Lee has also served on the Board of Concert Properties and Concert Infrastructure Ltd. as a Director. Lee was also a founding director at Castle 1 Investments and served on the Investment Committee at ACM Advisors.
Lee brings pension, benefit, investment, and labour union experience to Pacific Blue Cross. He has a completed his Master of Trust Management from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans as well as the University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business, Responsible Trustee Program.
Dr. Cornelia (Nel) Wieman works for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) in Vancouver, BC in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University.
Nel is Canada’s first female Indigenous psychiatrist (Anishinaabe Nation – Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Manitoba). She completed her medical degree and psychiatry specialty training at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
She provided psychiatric services at a community mental health clinic based on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory for eight years. She was a member of the Advisory Group on Suicide Prevention that developed a national framework document for the Assembly of First Nations and First Nations and Inuit Health Branch addressing the issue of First Nations youth suicide. She was the Co-Director of the Indigenous Health Research Development Program and an Assistant Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She has been a co-investigator on several initiatives funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health including the National Network of Aboriginal Mental Health Research. She has also served on the CIHR Governing Council and the Indspire Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Nel previously worked as a staff psychiatrist at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health. She was the Faculty Advisor to the Indigenous Students Health Sciences Office at McMaster University. She served as President of the Indigenous Physicians Association in Canada for two three-year terms (2016-22).
She is an Indspire Achievement Award Laureate (1998), recognized for career achievement in the category of medicine. She was the inaugural recipient of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Alumni Achievement Award. In 2013, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Nel’s clinical, academic, and advocacy work has always been focused on improving the health and mental health status of Indigenous peoples, especially Indigenous youth, across Canada.