The Placemaking Network (GVPN) elects our leadership group at our Annual General Meeting each year. That happened all the way ago in November, 2025 and I’m now letting you know all about it. The new leaders are a committed group of humans coming together over our love of Placemaking, public spaces, community-building and creating opportunities for connections. We’ve been having some great conversations and meetings about what we’d like to co-create this year in the community.
Upcoming Projects and ideas the Board is excitedly talking about and working on, stay tuned for more information:
- Placemaking Café on Saturday, March 21st
- Strengthening the Placemaking and Public Library Connection – book club?
- Oaklands Sunset Market
- Community-building activities
- Mural Projects
- Little Free Library Summer Festival
- World Water Day on Sunday, March 22nd
Watch this space and check out our Instagram for more information. If you’re curious about knowing more and being involved please, reach out, we’d love to hear from you – contact us and get in touch!
Our network is entirely volunteer-led. Here are the good people who have taken on leadership of our organization for this year.
2025-2026 Board of Directors
Ciara Chamberlaine, President
Ciara (she/her) lives in the Cook/Quadra area of Saanich. She lives gratefully on W̱SÁNEĆ and Lək̓ʷəŋən lands with her two teenage children, as a single parent. Ciara has a background in Planning and facilitation and works with Talking Circle Consultants. She is proud to be able to support planning for more fair, equitable, and just relationships on the land. Ciara is a member of 1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre and has volunteered with the ‘Mom and Mentor’ program for 5 years. Yoga is an important part of her life, and she is a member of both the Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada and the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Victoria. Ciara has dedicated decades to her meditation, yoga and contemplative writing practices; she values being in and sharing with community and has facilitated numerous workshops and classes with the intention of creating spaces of safety and belonging where people feel seen and heard.
Tessa Saeedi, Vice President
Tessa (she/her) moved to Vancouver Island in 2023 and currently lives in Langford. She works as a Project Engineer, and is deeply passionate about bringing people together, fostering belonging and creating spaces where people feel welcomed, seen, and connected within their community. Tessa is the founder of Gatherly, a community-focused social-club that is rooted in friendship, creativity and genuine connections. Through her work with Gatherly, she has developed a deep appreciation for placemaking as a powerful tool for strengthening social ties and transforming everyday spaces into places of connection. She is inspired by the belief that strong communities are built through small, meaningful moments of togetherness. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, crafting, spending time outdoors, and dreaming up new ways to bring people together.
Jim LaMorte, Treasurer
Jim (he/him) brings to the GVPN an Urban Planning background and 40 years of experience in emergency preparedness. He loves nothing more than working with others shoulder to shoulder to turn public spaces into places where strangers get to know each other, building bridges among social silos. Growing up in Los Angeles exposed Jim to the damage done to communities by worshipping the car. Among many people and texts of inspiration, the book “Happy City” by Charles Montgomery continues to offer guidance. Jim has contributed to several GVPN projects, including boulevard gardens, street paintings, block parties, and building portable street furniture. Jim enjoys living in and connecting the North Jubilee neighbourhood.
Nina Mosallaei, Secretary
Nina (she/her) was born in Surrey, British Columbia and is currently based in Victoria. Although newer to the city, she has made sure to involve herself through working as a Public Librarian, where her interests in community building grows. In addition to public librarianship, Nina is a writer, who was chosen to be one of the Poetry Ambassadors for the 2025-2026 Poet Laureate, allowing her to continue the work in growing connections and community through poetry. Bebakhshid, her debut poetry collection, explores weaving themes of identity, immigration, familial relationships, and the romance of life through everyday observations, historical storytelling, the natural environment of Turtle Island, and connection. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, as well as a Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia. Always curious, Nina enjoys watching films, walking various trails on the island with her dog, swimming in lakes, and reading on beaches.
Isabella Lee, Director
Bella (she/her) has lived in Victoria her entire life, and right now lives in Rockland. With a passion for making her community a better, more vibrant livable place- joining the board of Victoria Placemakers was an easy fit. She brings a decade of experience of community and political organizing. Bella works for the Provincial Government, and volunteers as a leader for the Girls Guides of Canada. In her spare time she enjoys baking, and a good romance book. She is excited to hit the ground running!
Hayley Johnson, Communications
Hayley (she/her) is passionate about the communities, ecologies and infrastructure that come together to define place. She sees placemaking as an opportunity to strengthen community relationships, connect people with nature, and celebrate the unique character of our neighbourhoods. Hayley brings her experience as a registered architect to the GVPN. As a lifelong learner, she’s deepening her relationship to Greater Victoria through learning about the city’s colonial history, the layers of ecology buried under our streets, the responsibilities that come with making this place home, and opportunities for reciprocity in lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territory.
