Volunteer Prince George is currently recruiting board members. Please see links for information on our board and the application to become a member of our team.
Our Board of Directors
Wendy Okoye
Nigerian born Wendy has always enjoyed giving back to any community she finds herself. She enjoys volunteering and helping others. She believes in treating everyone with kindness as you do not know what they may be going through. She holds a BSc and MPH in public health. She enjoys cooking and hosting and living in beautiful B.C.
Alex Winkel
Alex was born and raised in Prince George, where she received a bachelor’s in science and is now currently studying medicine. She has many hobbies and loves to be active within the community. Alex loves getting to know people, and to share positivity and kindness with all of those within Prince George’s beautiful city. She is excited to be a part of Volunteer Prince George in hopes of sharing her love for the community.
Lisa Traicoff
Lisa Traicoff is still new to Prince George having moved here well over a year ago. She is excited to be part of a vibrant and energic city surrounded by abundant forests and wonderful wildlife. Born and raised in Hamilton Ontario (still an avid Ticat fan, Go Cats Go!), Lisa has also lived in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Along the way she met some great people and experienced the diversity of Canada. Her passion is drawing and painting having studied fine art at Dundas Valley School of Art and Ontario College Art and Design. Lisa began volunteering as a teen to gain valuable work experience and continued for shear fun and excitement. Now Lisa looks for volunteer opportunities where she can help create stronger communities. Volunteer PG is a great place to start and she looks forward to being part of this amazing team!
Houman Ganjali
Houman was born in Iran where he completed a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, and a M.Sc. in Structural Engineering. Houman used to play basketball while working as a research assistant and as a research associate in Iran. Once he graduated, Houman came to Canada to complete a Ph.D. in Timber Engineering at UNBC. Right now, while working on his PH.D., he is performing research with an interdisciplinary team in PG while working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for UNBC’s engineering program. Houman likes to keep physically active with mostly indoor activities. Since moving to Canada, Prince George specifically has been kind to him. Here Houman is given the space to work towards his goals which means a lot to him. Houman would like to return this favor and give back to society by volunteering at Volunteer Prince George.
Fedor Butochnikow
Treasurer
Originally from Ukraine, Fedor has been a globe-trotter since the early 2000s. He traveled extensively, met independent artists, explored many places and life paths, and worked a wide variety of jobs and gigs, including volunteering at family-run farms, hermitages, and spiritual and intentional communities. Adventure influenced how he relates to people. He continues to collaborate with policy teams and indie writers, exploring how pan-Canadian issues intersect with local challenges across provinces. His overall goal is to contribute meaningfully to communities, encourage people to read, write, and interact in person in an age of digital isolation.
Ricki Hadley
Ricki has lived in Prince George for over 15 years. She came here for school and stayed because she absolutely loves Prince George. Ricki is currently a real estate agent but before that she was in health care for 10 years. Ricki enjoys working with people and hopes that by being part of Volunteer Prince George she is able to make a difference in our community.
Hanna Posselt
Hanna came to Prince George in 2005 for University and stayed growing her career in industrial sales and real estate. Never one to sit still, she enjoys many hobbies and community work. In lieu of a traditional family, Hanna has a house full of plants, dogs and cats.
Ehsan Taghizadeh
Director
Ehsan Taghizadeh is a PhD student in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES) at the University of Northern British Columbia. He holds a BSc in Physics and advanced degrees in Meteorology from universities in Iran. Ehsan has been actively engaged in volunteer work at UNBC, in Prince George, and across Canada, contributing to a variety of events and community initiatives. At UNBC, he served as a mentor for the Global Buddy Program, supporting international students in their transition and fostering cross‑cultural connections. He has also played a role in organizing several national and international conferences in both Iran and Canada, gaining valuable experience in coordination and outreach. Passionate about community development, Ehsan believes strongly in the power of volunteerism to create lasting impact.
Our Staff
Dakota Chang
Dakota is the Program Manager for Volunteer Prince George. He has a background in Finance and Information Systems while also holding a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) designation from the Project Management Institute. Dakota has previously worked in the higher education, financial services and medical field. He believes strongly in the impact and power that a strong community presence can have on the most vulnerable. In his spare time Dakota can be found training grappling and
MMA or snowboarding.
Contact Dakota via email at info@volunteerpg.com or phone at 672-983-1004.