Meet our Board of Directors

BRIANNE BRAUN
​PRESIDENT

About Brianne Braun

Brianne Braun works for Family Network for Deaf Children (Advocacy, Events, and Family Support) and is a Consultant and Parent Liaison in the Surrey School District. She is also a
Registered ASL-English Interpreter.
      Brianne is the proud parent of two children, one hearing and one Deaf. The Brauns came to Deaf Children's Society of BC (DCS) shortly after their youngest child was born and they started participating in DCS' Early Literacy Foundations program. After her daughter's graduation from the DCS Preschool, Brianne was eager to get involved and joined DCS’ Board of Directors.
        Brianne is passionate about language access for all Deaf and hard of hearing children and is
pleased to be able to support DCS and its bilingual programs and services. She looks forward to
continuing to serve families and the community in her position as DCS Board President.

KIRSTEN HAGEMOEN
​secretary

About Kirsten Hagemoen

    Having first encountered the Deaf community while learning ASL as a young adult, Kirsten has worked as a Registered ASL-English interpreter in the Lower Mainland area for over 20 years. Kirsten has a Bachelor of Education – Elementary and she worked for many years as a tutor and literacy instructor with signing Deaf youth. She has been teaching adults in the field of ASL & Deaf studies and Interpreting studies since 2010. Her passionate interest in early language acquisition and language development is what lead Kirsten to join the board of Deaf Children’s Society of BC as a director.
       Currently she works as a freelance ASL-English interpreter and as a contract instructor in the Douglas College Program of Sign Language Interpretation. Privileged to live in East Vancouver, on unceded Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish land, Kirsten is blessed with a tight-knit group of signing friends and two beloved young nieces who are also learning ASL.

Leigh Chan
​​Director

About Leigh Chan

       Upon learning that her child was born hard-of-hearing, Leigh and her family immediately decided to learn ASL. They began a years long relationship with the Deaf Children's Society of BC (DCS), in which their child learned and thrived in an ASL rich environment. 
        Leigh's child now attends the BC School for the Deaf, and Leigh's own personal appreciation for sign language led her to an exciting and fulfilling career change. She now works in the lower mainland as a Registered Sign Language Interpreter. She is happy to return to DCS as a board member, to support language acquisition and Deaf cultural connection for other children like her own.

Matthew Kalenuik
​director 

About Matthew Kalenuik

       Matthew Kalenuik ICADC CADC CAPM CCS-AC CCCS is a charitable non-profit fund developer, an internationally certified project manager with a diploma in Applied Project Management through Simon Fraser University, an internationally certified drug and alcohol counsellor with a diploma in Addiction Medicine through the University of British Columbia, and a Canadian certified clinical supervisor. He became connected to the Deaf community shortly after his daughter was born. His daughter was born premature, and with moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss - thankfully members of the Deaf community extended a warm welcome to both Matthew and his family. Growing up, his daughter participated in programs offered by the Deaf Children’s Society of BC (DCS) which helped grow her foundational understanding of signed and spoken language and prepared her to enter school.
​     An avid artist and photographer, Matthew has hobbies that range from creating visual arts and media, to bike riding and hiking. Matthew is happy to give back where possible, and having experience with visual arts, fundraising, charitable non-profit governance, event planning, and stakeholder engagement, he looks toward a future at DCS where he’s able to use his skills to make a difference in the lives of Deaf children. To see more about his family’s story, and to see the impact DCS has had on them, please watch this short video:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X44axp5yGyE

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Anita LEhman
​Director

About Anita Lehman

     Anita is a passionate advocate for language access and equality. She has over 15 years of experience teaching American Sign Language (ASL) and currently works for Surrey Schools, overseeing the District's language acquisition program. Anita's commitment to accessible language stems from her upbringing as a deaf individual, with her family learning ASL when she was three. Having lived in the UK during her youth, Anita also brings a rich understanding of language diversity to her work. She is also mother to a deaf son, who attended preschool at the Deaf Children's Society of BC and who now attends the British Columbia School for the Deaf, and emphasizes the importance of a strong language foundation for all children.
​      Beyond her professional endeavours, Anita enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and camping, finding natural balance while remaining dedicated to creating inclusive spaces where deaf individuals can thrive.

Jonathan MacDonald
​Vice-President

About Jonathan MacDonald

      Jonathan MacDonald is the new Director of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programs within NL Schools. Over the years, Jonathan has held many educational positions, including as a math, science, and ASL teacher at the British Columbia School for the Deaf (BCSD) and as an ASL teacher at both the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vancouver Community College (VCC). He continues to work with UBC’s Extended Learning Department remotely. Jonathan also serves as the regional representative for Newfoundland and Labrador on the Canadian Association of Educators of the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing (CAEDHH) National Executive Committee.
        Jonathan is passionate about early accessible language acquisition for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
children, which is what drew him to the Deaf Children’s Society of BC (DCS). With the benefit of modern technology, he is thrilled to be able to continue to support DCS, from Newfoundland, in his role as Vice President of the Board.

Rajdeep Nijjar
treasurer

About Rajdeep Nijjar 

 Rajdeep Nijjar is from Vancouver, BC, where she grew up and studied at the University of British Columbia, then later obtained her Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA) in October 2022. She is currently a Senior Corporate Accountant at Northland Properties and has previously worked as an External Auditor with a public accounting firm. 
       Rajdeep believes in volunteerism and helping the community in whatever means possible for the individual. She has volunteered with various charities and foundations in the past, including the Tumour Foundation of BC, Oxfam Canada, Reading Buddies for elementary school children, and various one-day events like the BMO Marathon and Canada Day celebrations. Although she does not have any personal experience with those who are deaf or hard of hearing, she is eager to be supporting the Deaf Children’s Society of BC (DCS) in a way that she can, through her accounting and financial knowledge. She is glad to be part of the DCS team, making a positive impact on the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.
​       Outside of work and volunteering, Rajdeep plays recreational basketball on various teams and enjoys spending time with family and friends while being outdoors.

Ryan De Temple
​director

About Ryan De Temple

Ryan and his wife are hearing parents to a Deaf daughter and a hearing son. His daughter communicates exclusively with ASL and through the Deaf Children's Society
of BC (DCS), their family became involved in the Deaf community. Both of Ryan's children attended the DCS preschool, where their foundation in ASL was formed. Ryan continues to learn about Deaf culture, language acquisition, visual language, and ASL.
   Outside of DCS, Ryan is a Professional Engineer specializing in project management of civil infrastructure construction. He lives in Coquitlam and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

renu sangha
​director 

About Renu Sangha

      Renu Sangha is a Deaf, first-generation Canadian. Her parents acquired sign language as soon as they
found out Renu was Deaf, accessing services from the Deaf Children's Society of BC (DCS) and the BC
Elks Auditory Rehabilitation Centre, now known as BC Family Hearing Resource Society. Upon graduating
from early intervention services, Renu attended schools Uplands Elementary and Mountain Secondary in
Langley.
    Renu Sangha currently serves as the Director of Operations at The Canadian Administrator of Video
Relay Service (CAV). Prior to her role at CAV, Renu worked in the corporate world for more than 15
years, gaining experience in accounting, finance, information technology, and change management. She
holds a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Renu is also AgileBA Foundation certified and a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), continuing to utilize her expertise in process improvement and change management.
      While working, Renu has held positions on the boards of CAV, the Greater Vancouver Association of the
Deaf, and DCS. She is currently a Finance Committee Member for the Canadian Deaf Sports Association
(CDSA). Renu is a proud mom of a child who is a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adult) and a fur baby and enjoys
reading, traveling and watching movies.