SHCS Leadership Team

Improving people’s lives through service has been a theme in Andrew’s career since those first days as a paperboy. Straight out of high school he worked in hotels, loving both the energy and the work. That experience led him to pursue hospitality as a career path and complete a diploma in Hotel and Hospitality Management at BCIT. In 1988, he joined UBC as a catering coordinator, a CUPE 116 position. Since then he has held seven management roles within UBC’s ancillary business/student service division, including his current role as Associate Vice-President of Student Housing and Community Services. Andrew also enjoyed an eight month secondment to the position of Interim Vice President of Students in 2019.

Married and a father of three, Andrew enjoys watching his children grow into the bright, happy, and healthy young adults they are becoming. He has spent most of his life on the North Shore and enjoys the outdoors, including motorcycle touring, camping, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and skiing, along with his hobby of crafting reclaimed wood art. In keeping with his love of the outdoors, Andrew and his wife Robin own a recreational property in the BC interior, which provides a welcome retreat from the city, but also plenty of renovation projects! Beyond his outdoor pursuits and home repair projects, Andrew reads avidly, with a particular favourite being history books about the lands we now call Canada.

“Working in an environment dedicated to the development of the next generation is so meaningful and rewarding.” – Andrew Parr

Shannon began her career in the hotel industry and joined the Okanagan campus when it was still part of Okanagan University College. She has stayed throughout all the growth and change that followed, including a six-fold expansion of residence beds. Her work for the university includes six years on the UBC Board of Governors, nine as Chair of the President’s Committee on Non-Academic Misconduct, and she currently sits on the Staff Pension Plan Board. Her many contributions were recognized with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Award at UBC Okanagan. Shannon earned her BCom at Ryerson University and holds a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from UBC.

It is said that like salmon returning to spawn, people who grow up in the Okanagan return to raise their own children. That adage applies to Shannon, who was raised in Kelowna, and returned after stints in Toronto and the Canadian Rockies. She loves being active outdoors, kayaking, and playing golf. Recently, Shannon took up learning to play ice hockey – a humbling experience despite her background as a figure skater. She also loves to travel, having visited South East Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean, with a future trip to Central America on her wish list.

“I am proud of being part of the growth of UBC Okanagan. We have built something very special here.” – Shannon Dunn

Joining UBC in 2003, Erin has worked in multiple units within SHCS since, giving her a breadth of understanding of our operations. Her roles have included Food Service Administration, Clerical Liaison, Resident Attendant, and Housekeeper. She holds a Diploma in Hospitality Management from Vancouver Community College and a Certificate in Professional Project Management from the Sauder School of Business, UBC.

Erin grew up in Vancouver with her two brothers and two sisters. Although she didn’t become a vet, she still loves animals, volunteering for two non-profit organizations that help street dogs in Mexico and India, and caring for her own rescue dog, Negrita. She also enjoys running, hiking, spinning, yoga, and climbing the wreck beach stairs.

Brian’s connections to UBC run deep. Studying here, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance, and after 10 years in the corporate world returned to UBC, serving in several progressive financial positions over the past 20 plus years. In his current role, he provides strategic financial leadership to operational units within the VP, Students portfolio, including serving as the CFO for SHCS. In addition to his BCom degree, he holds a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant designation.

Living in Vancouver with his family and a black cat named Jackie, Brian enjoys travel, soccer, hockey, skiing, hiking, and water sports. He is also an avid reader of thriller, crime, and mystery novels. On occasion, you can find Brian with friends and family at one of Vancouver’s craft breweries or touring wineries in the Okanagan valley.

Chris came to UBC as an international student – and he never left. Growing up in Singapore, a country with compulsory service in the uniformed services, Chris’ first real job was as a Battery Commander in the Singapore Armed Forces. After his service, he came to Canada, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering at UBC.

Having worked at UBC for over 25 years, Chris has held roles in UBC Financial Services, Student Housing, and now SHCS. Some of the projects he has worked on during those years include the pay for print program, the introduction of electronic mailboxes, the transition from paper-based payments and records to online systems, and supporting the transition from Okanagan University College to UBC Okanagan, among many others.

In his spare time Chris loves to scuba dive, and is a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certified scuba instructor. In 2010, he received a Governor General’s Commendation for rescuing a missing diver at Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, a popular local diving spot. In addition to diving locally, Chris also enjoys travelling to diving destinations in South East Asia.

Steve has built a successful career in retail management in and outside of higher education. He has held management roles at Chapters, Provigo, National Sports, and SportMart. He then worked for 18 years at Western University in London, Ontario as the Director of Retail Operations. While working at Western and raising his family he earned his Certificate in Management (CIM) and undertook the challenge of completing the MBA program at Royal Roads University, completing it in 2013. He joined UBC in February of 2020 and loves the beauty of our campuses.

Raised in Windsor, Ontario with his two brothers and a sister, Steve played every sport he could as a child, but excelled at soccer in particular. He has continued to play, coach, and referee soccer, and cheer for his favourite team, Stuttgart, throughout his life. He and his wife Vicky love to ski and play golf – a sport that has become a bit of an obsession for Steve. They also have two amazing boys now in their twenties.

Allan considers himself a UBC “lifer”. His first role with the university was as a Residence Advisor while a student. He began his 27+ years with Conferences and Accommodation the summer of Expo 86, and began full time as an Accommodation Manager in 1989. A UBC alumnus, Allan earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance.

Outside of UBC, Allan is a father and has been a soccer coach, hockey dad, and swim parent to his kids. His favourite places to travel include Tofino, Mexico, and Maui. A self-described perpetual renovator, apprentice cook, meat eater, and avid consumer of golf balls, he also mentions that his skiing skills – like his skis – are going downhill.

From the forts he built as a kid to the first class facilities projects he oversees for UBC today, David has always enjoyed building things with his hands and converting a big vision into something physical. He first came to UBC as a student, completing a degree in Canadian Studies, and living and dining in Totem Park throughout while also working as a Residence Advisor (RA). That first job as a RA led to roles as a Residence Life Manager, Facilities Manager, and eventually his current role as Director, Facilities and Building Services, a position he has held since 2009.

David grew up on a farm in Langley, and he now lives in Vancouver with his wife – who also works at UBC, and who he met when they were both students here – and their young family. Even though he calls Vancouver home, there is still some farm boy left in David, given his family’s choice of pets – five chickens. Outside of BC, his favourite places are Cambridge, UK, where he lived and studied for a year, and Kerala, India, where he and his wife spent their honeymoon.

“Like many SHCS employees, I have enjoyed working in a number of different roles within the unit over the years. I have truly enjoyed each one and cherish the many great colleagues I’ve had the chance to work with and learn from.” – David Kiloh

A career marked by innovation and change, Brian started out as a trainee manager for Tesco, the large UK grocery chain. He held numerous roles with Tesco, including one at the head office in London where he managed a $1.3 billion budget. Desiring greater balance between work and life, 20 years ago Brian decided to leave the UK and move to Canada. Since then he has managed distribution for A&W, e-commerce fulfillment for Best Buy Canada, and led modernization projects at LifeLabs.

Joining UBC in 2012, Brian has worked on many unique campus infrastructure and sustainability projects, including gateless parkades, a network of electric vehicle charging stations, and a forthcoming hydrogen fuel cell project. He holds an honours degree in Biology from Sussex University and completed his MBA in 2000.

Brian grew up Wales – in a family of seven children. According to an anonymous source, he is officially the Coolest. Uncle. Ever. He has been fortunate to travel all over the world and is also a huge fan of non-fiction books. Having already accomplished two major items on his bucket list (live in another country and own a rural property), he is currently working on a third – learning to fly.

“Of all the things I’ve learned, you cannot ignore the importance of the people around you. Very few goals (and especially the meaningful ones) are achieved on your own.” – Brian Jones

Lakshmi comes to UBC via the University of Calgary (UCalgary), where she was most recently the Associate Director of Residence Services. Prior to UCalgary, she worked in student housing and residence life at several American universities, including Illinois State University, where she got her start in 2001 as an Assistant Residence Hall Coordinator. In August 2022, she joined UBC as the Director, Student Residence.

During her career, she has spearheaded numerous strategic initiatives, including the opening of several new residence halls, implementing a wellness-in-residence program, and developing a graduate residential college. However, she is most proud of coaching and mentoring her staff over the years and seeing them reach new professional heights at institutions across North America.

The youngest sibling of four, Lakshmi grew up in Madurai, a small temple city in southern India. After acquiring her BSc and MSc in horticulture from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, she took her first flight ever to Chicago to begin her MBA at Illinois State University. As you might expect of someone with two degrees in horticulture, Lakshmi loves to garden (and cook tasty meals from the harvest). She also enjoys reading fiction – with favourite authors including Alka Joshi and Elif Shafaq – walking, cycling and swimming.