Meet our Board

Take a seat at our virtual table. When you serve on the Board of the Belonging Network, you’ll be helping to ensure adoptive and permanency families, waiting children, and youth from care get the support they need to thrive.

If you’re interested in board service, please reach out to our Board chair Adrienne Murphy (boardchair@belongingnetwork.com) with a letter of interest along with either a resume or a LinkedIn profile.

Adrienne worked as Crown Counsel for the Attorney-General of B.C. in Kamloops and surrounding communities. She lives in Kamloops and has worked on boards of non-profit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of  Kamloops, Kamloops Bar Association, Kamloops YMCA and B.C. Crown Counsel Associations, as well as being on the Board of the Belonging Network since 2016. She is a member of the adoption community and Chair of our board.

Chris Roy is the Senior Director of Technology at Enkel Backoffice Solutions. He has over 20 years experience in technology leadership with a focus on software as a service. He is passionate about utilizing technology to increase efficiency and accessibility of information and solutions. Chris joined the board in 2020 with a desire to help bring a sense of belonging to every child and enable them to achieve their full potential.

Merel Veldhuis is an experienced collaborative lawyer and mediator specializing in family law.  She has experience in risk management, business management and strategic planning.  Merel has three children – her eldest by adoption. Her family received a lot of guidance and support from the Belonging Network through their parenting journey. She also grew up in a community that included friends who found permanency through adoption and fostering. She joined the board to support the continued great work of the organization. Merel is currently the past Chair and has sat on a number of committees during her seven years with the organization, including the Executive Finance Committee, the Development Committee, and the Nominations Committee.

Stephanie is a former youth-in-care with 15 years of experience working in human services in multiple capacities including residential care, probation, disability services and child welfare with Indigenous agencies. She has lived on Vancouver Island for most of her life and enjoys spending time outdoors and with family. Stephanie believes working to strengthen communities and families allows all children to thrive and have a sense of belonging. Stephanie is honoured to be able to use her knowledge and experience to make a meaningful impact as a board member for the Belonging Network.

Beatriz is a manager in RSM’s Technical Accounting Consulting (TAC) practice. She delivers complex accounting technical solutions to a variety of clients and industries. Beatriz has over 10 years of experience in accounting and assurance, which includes audit of non-profit organizations. Beatriz is enthusiastic about being involved with the community and has volunteered since an early age, including bookkeeping of four charities in Brazil. Beatriz believes that no child should be or feel they are lonely. She joined the board of Belonging Network in 2024 so she can help the organization to fulfill its goal to have every child and youth feel that they belong.

Jennifer is the Principal of Bloom Communications, a strategic communications consulting firm, which she has operated for the past 24 years. Her clients include the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, BC Cancer, the YMCA, the City of Vancouver, BC Dental Association, Partnerships BC, UBC, and Vancity, among numerous others. Her passion for her community, however, led to her creating a non-profit organization, BabyGoRound, which is dedicated to providing families in need with equipment, clothing, and products for their infants and young children, assisting close to 900 families per year. Jennifer was nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction Award as the Founder of BabyGoRound. During her career, Jennifer has volunteered her time to many worthwhile causes and events in her community. Jennifer is adopted and is passionate about supporting others’ journeys. Jennifer is committed to giving back to her community and supporting those in need.

Kathleen is a global marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience in strategic marketing, brand, product, digital, partner marketing and corporate communications best practices.  She has proven experience marketing an array of hardware, software, and connectivity technology and services in the areas of artificial intelligence, wireless telecommunications, and quantum. She has served on boards for profit and non-profit organizations for more than 7 years and continues to support technology start ups and teams as a mentor and advisor.  Kathleen was adopted at birth and is married with two children. Connect with her on LinkedIn.