Tara Flynn
Festival Director
My festival production career began in 2015 with DOXA Documentary Film Festival, followed by Vancouver International Jazz Festival. I worked in Development for both. I am grateful that my role at SFU, in SFU’s Office of Community Engagement, affords me the time and space to meet and work with some truly remarkable people in the City of Burnaby and beyond. Bringing this festival to life amongst some seriously good people is a real joy.
My passions include documentary filmmaking, photography, art, creative writing, and most recently, dance. My first degree is in Sociology with a concentration in First Nation Studies, and I have just concluded the required coursework for a Master’s degree in Ecological Psychology and Environmental Humanities, which I will fully complete in August 2023.
Shelley Levis
Communications Assistant
As a green industry veteran, I love to inspire growth and bring a fresh perspective to marketing and communications for community projects. My passion for sustainability and biodiversity led me to start a blog (back when blogs were cool) and now I’m an author, speaker, and communication specialist who champions all things green. I’m thrilled to be a part of the Burnaby Festival of Learning, where we can come together and share knowledge to build healthier, sustainable communities in a rapidly changing world. Let’s go green!
Janet Yan
Graphic & Web designer
Burnaby Festival of learning is a platform for bringing people together from different backgrounds and communities. Working for this year’s festival, I am extremely excited that I could help build community connections and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion. Can’t wait for it to start, see y’all then!
Producing a festival is a team effort. We could not do this without the support and commitment of the following community members. Thank you!
Advisory Committee
Chair: Heidi Schiller (Burnaby Public Library)
Abdul Zahir (Civic Innovation Lab)
Ana Maria Bustamante (Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table)
Angela Boal (City of Burnaby Marketing)
Asmita Lawrence (Culture Chats)
Carol-Ann Flanagan (Society to End Homelessness)
Cynthia Henson (SFU Faculty of Science)
Deirdre Grace (BCIT Library)
Janet Yan (SFU Communications)
Lois Dawson (City of Burnaby Special Events)
Melody Monro (Fraser Health)
Rebekah Mahaffey (Civic Innovation Lab)
Sheri Brattston (Burnaby School District)
Simone Brandl (Burnaby Neighbourhood House)
Tara Flynn (SFU Office of Community Engagement)
Special Advisors to the Program:
Heather McCain (Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods, QMUNITY & Chronically Queer)
Programming Adjudication
Abdul Zahir, Simone Brandl, Tara Flynn
Marketing Sub-committee
Angela Boal, Janet Yan, Sheri Brattston
If you’d like to get involved in committee work, get in touch here.