Our Staff

Cheryl Johnson - Executive Director

Cheryl is deeply rooted in BC’s agricultural community, having grown up in a multi-generational farming family. She brings over 20 years of Non-Profit executive leadership experience with mission-driven organizations to her role as BCAITC's Executive Director, including work in agri-tourism, conservation, rural economic development, and sustainable food systems.  Her collaborative leadership style and passion for local food systems align closely with BCAITC’s mission to connect BC food, farms, and local food literacy with students throughout the province. Cheryl has a proven track record in building strong partnerships, guiding strategic organizational growth, and empowering diverse teams to achieve lasting impact. As BCAITC’s Executive Director, Cheryl is committed to growing strong partnerships and collaborations, advancing local food literacy, and ensuring students across BC gain meaningful connections to BC food and the people, places and processes behind it.

Beyond her professional work, Cheryl enjoys puttering in her veggie and flower gardens, exploring BC's backcountry and enjoying the vast culinary bounty that our province has to offer.

Balreet Mandair - Program Director

As Program Director, Balreet is committed to providing educators with the tools they need to introduce BC’s agriculture to students in meaningful and engaging ways. Growing up on a farm gave her a deep, first-hand appreciation for agriculture, which she has carried into my career. Her experience includes serving as Business Manager at Dasmesh Punjabi School, where she strengthened operational management and program delivery, as well as working in food safety with the BC Blueberry Council, which deepened her understanding of industry standards and sustainability.

Balreet brings strong leadership in program execution, team support, and process improvement, with a focus on inclusivity, innovation, and efficiency. With a clear understanding of the needs of both students and teachers, her goal is to enrich the learning experience and inspire a deeper connection to agriculture’s role in our communities. Outside of work, she's a food enthusiast who enjoys relaxing on the patio with her family and their dog Kobe, savouring and appreciating the rich flavours of BC’s local delicacies.

Amy Bawtinheimer - Education Specialist

Amy is our Education Specialist at BCAITC. She grew up on a working cattle ranch outside Williams Lake, BC and was involved in agriculture from an early age, which included participating in the BC 4-H program for over eleven years. She holds a BA and BEd from The University of the Fraser Valley, as well as a diploma in Home Economics from UBC. Amy has taught home economics courses at middle and high schools in both Chilliwack and Kelowna, most recently at Ecole Glenrosa Middle School teaching grades 6-9 and serving as a BCAITC Teacher Ambassador for the Okanagan region. Passionate about hands-on learning, Amy loves connecting teachers and students to agriculture and hopes to spark a lifelong curiosity about BC food systems and the agriculture industry. 

Outside of the classroom, Amy enjoys exploring the Okanagan with her husband, experimenting with her garden produce, sewing, reading, and playing with her kittens Poppy and Daisy.

Paul Boudreau - Lead Program Coordinator

As the FRESH for KIDS Lead Program Coordinator, Paul coordinates the deliveries from the farms to the classrooms by connecting with the farmers, drivers, stores and school staff to ensure that students receive their fresh deliveries on time. Paul also runs the Take a Bite of BC Program, liaising with chefs and suppliers to get fresh product into secondary school teaching kitchens.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys the outdoors; gardening, walking, hiking, and kayaking. He also enjoys playing music (particularly stringed instruments) and hobby building — creating new out of the old.

Tina Evans - Program and Events Coordinator

Tina is a multi-talented Program and Events Coordinator, taking care of Spuds in Tubs, Summer Institute, events, and volunteers. She also assists with the FRESH for KIDS. Tina has a variety of experience in many different industries from the private and public sector and holds a Marketing Management Diploma. She has a passion for helping people and brings over 20 years of administrative and volunteer experience, to the role. She is proud of her British Columbia farming roots and is eager to share all that BC agriculture has to offer to students and educators.

In her spare time, Tina enjoys spending time with her family including 2 small children and showing her kids all that this beautiful province has to offer. She enjoys gardening, nature photography, and getting outside and doing anything on the water, especially paddle boarding.

Simrit Chahal - Garden Program Coordinator

Simrit is the Program Coordinator behind the Ag Adventures experiences, the Harvest Bin Project and all new Gardening Camps. She works closely with teachers to coordinate Harvest Bin distribution, schedule tours, and lead engaging camps at the Pencil Patch in Abbotsford. With experience in both gardening and childcare, Simrit brings a thoughtful and nurturing approach to her work. Her passion lies in connecting children with agriculture and helping them understand where their food comes from in a fun, hands-on environment. She believes that the Pencil Patch is more than a garden, it’s a space for curiosity, connection, and discovery.

Outside of work, Simrit enjoys reading, gardening, drawing, and taking long walks with her dog… who often has his own ideas like unearthing garden beds for bonus adventures!

Alison Speirs - Gardener 

Alison maintains the Abbotsford Pencil Patch – garden for learning. She recognizes that developing awareness through experiential learning, to understand why things happen, or why they are important is very rewarding.  Alison has 30 years of experience with the provincial government (Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health/BCCDC) in the areas of the Environmental Farm Plan, Beneficial Management Plans, the FOODSAFE program, and developing educational resources.  Alison’s teaching experience started within public health, then went on to BCIT’s Environmental Health Program, government programming and youth development. As a 4-H club leader, Alison sees firsthand how education impacts youth in such positive ways.

Alison enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to agricultural fairs with 4-H, community events, hiking, backpacking, swimming/biking/running (the odd triathlon), and experimenting in gardening.

Smriti (Sam) Jindal - Program Coordinator Administration

Sam is the Program Coordinator for Common Ground,  Fresh to You Fundraiser, Planting a Promise and assists in FRESH for KIDS. Since joining BCAITC, she has developed a deep appreciation for BC’s farming and agricultural landscape. Learning firsthand how much care and effort goes into growing even a single fruit has strengthened her passion for promoting local food and sharing that knowledge with others. Sam is especially driven by opportunities to bring youth together to learn, volunteer, and connect with BC’s agricultural roots. She is passionate about education, wellness and believes in the power of community-based learning to inspire the next generation of food leaders.

Outside of work, you’ll often find Smriti cuddled up with her cat Leo or exploring BC’s stunning trails and hikes to stay active and recharged.

Rishu Sachdeva - Communications Coordinator

Rishu is our highly organized communications coordinator and throughout her professional journey, she has actively volunteered her time and expertise within the sector to bring people together toward the common goal of excellence. She is a passionate communicator who loves to work with people and bring creative and innovative strategies to communicate with audiences and incite meaningful dialogue through crafted content. She has 8 years of marketing experience and holds an MBA in marketing and leadership. As a communication coordinator, she is responsible for communicating with BCAITC’s target audiences, so they are informed about the organization and specific initiatives. Outside of work, she likes to spend her spare time gardening and enjoying BC’s beautiful nature with her dog.