Our Team

Ricky Kwan
Leader of Culture, People, and Services

Ricky is very excited becoming a member of CONNECT Communities. He joined CONNECT Partners in November 2023 and brought a successful track record in operation review and transformation, strategic planning and deployment, and evidence-based management, not to mention hands-on experience includes operating long-term care homes, supportive housing, community health centers, and service hubs.

Ricky is an authentic, courageous, and caring servant leader and an enticing, engaging team player in healthcare and community services with a clinical background in Occupational Therapy. He is quality-determined and results-oriented with a passion for promoting health and wellness for everyone and making a difference in the life of vulnerable individuals.

Ricky aspires to do better; to learn and apply new knowledge, to empower and facilitate team members to thrive in their roles enhancing the services we offer to the people we support at Cambie Gardens, and to advance Life Redesign Model.

Owen Muckle
Service Access and Transitions Leader 

Owen got his undergrad in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Before working at CONNECT, he worked a variety of odd-jobs, from the service industry to COVID testing at the YVR airport during the early stages of the pandemic. Starting as Life Redesign Coach here at CONNECT Partners, Owen was fortunate enough to work his way up to the Service Resource Coach position before eventually working up to the now Service Access and Transitions Leader role. He is excited to bring a fresh perspective to this new role, while tapping into the experience gained in his previous two roles.

In his free time, Owen enjoys spending time with his partner & their two cats, biking around the beautiful city of Vancouver, and taking advantages of all the great hikes in the area with his friends.

Owen hopes to do well in his new role and is appreciative of all the heartfelt support he has garnered throughout the process. He is eager to bring this project to fruition and do his best to show up each day and try to make a positive impact.

Amanda Harvey
People Resource Coach

Amanda Harvey received their Hons. B.A. in Political Science in 2020 in London, Ontario before moving to Vancouver later that same year. Before working for CONNECT Partners, they worked in the non-governmental sector as an advocate for environmental and Indigenous rights, providing research and developing municipal policies. Having always gravitated towards community-based work, they are passionate about creating change through direct action.

In their free time Amanda likes to write and listen to music, spend time with their loved ones, and be in the great outdoors.

With a passion for helping others find their own happiness, Amanda is excited to be a part of a growing team that puts people and community first!

Karen Tims
Director of Leading Practice and Life Redesign

Originally from the UK, Karen, an Occupational Therapist, worked for ten years in private industry before deciding to change careers and become an Occupational Therapist (1987). A passion for people and a desire to challenge the status quo – especially within health care – have been personal drivers for Karen since, at the age of three, she contracted polio. Karen immigrated to Canada with her family in 1998.

She joined CONNECT in October 2008 as Leader of Rehabilitation and Clinical Programs with responsibility for developing a different model of service delivery for those living with brain injury. As Director of Leading Practice and Life Redesign, Karen’s focus is on evolving our model through innovation and discovery, teaching and learning, competency and practice leader support, service excellent and continuous quality improvement. Karen continues to challenge our teams to think creatively, imagine possibilities, and support change so that the Life Redesign Model™ can continue to evolve as best practice in the field of brain injury.

Karen likes to indulge her creative spirit either outdoors in the flower garden or in her “studio” creating art.

Jamie Curran
Director of Culture, People, and Services

Jamie Curran is responsible for supporting our people and making sure CONNECT is a safe, healthy, inclusive place to live and work. He is focused on mirroring, consistency and efficiency between our locations, quality enhancement initiatives, strategic and operational planning, leadership coaching, mentoring and support, and financial stewardship and accountability.

Like Patti, Jamie is a founding member of the Interdependence Network. He is a values-based leader, which definitely shows in the way he interacts within the teams.
Jamie keeps himself busy with two sons, his wife and an adorable German Shepherd named North. He is a huge hockey and sports fan.

Patti Flaherty
Chief Executive Officer

Patti Flaherty has worked in the field of brain injury and rehabilitation for more than 30 years. Before joining CONNECT as Executive Leader in 2007, she was a Senior Operating Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health responsible for the site operations of the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Patti has a degree in physical education, a Master’s of Education and completed the Executive Health Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Management. She helped develop and promote CONNECT Partners’ Life Redesign Model, which emphasizes social capital and person-centred coaching with a creative and flexible approach.

Patti is a founding member of the Interdependence Network, a past chair for the British Columbia Brain Injury Association (BCBIA) and past chair for the Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference Society. Patti is an active member of the Canadian College of Health Services Executive since 2005 and has been a mentor for the Executive Mentoring Program for the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. In her downtime, Patti enjoys time with her family and friends. She enjoys yoga, the outdoors, great music and traveling.

John Sherwood
Owner

John Sherwood has more than 30 years of experience working in health care and holds a BA in Economics. He joined family home care business Classic LifeCare in 1993 and has since helped expand the reach of services to include brain injury and stroke, mental health and addictions and transportation assistance. John relates to CONNECT Partners’ approach because he believes that the individual being is in control of their goals, choices and life. John enjoys travel, fishing, skiing, and time with family and friends.