Our People

Andrew Charney, Chair

Board Member Since 2022

Andrew is the Director of Asset Management at Nch'kay Development Corporation, with over a decade of experience in the multi-residential rental industry, including roles in property management, asset management, and development at Peterson Group and CAPREIT. Originally from Toronto, he has lived and worked across Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain, and has called Vancouver home since 2018. He holds a BA in International Business and Spanish from the University of Guelph and an MSc in Cities and Urban Planning from the London School of Economics.  

Outside of work, Andrew enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, trying new restaurants, and volunteering in his local Jewish community.

Jeremy Berger, Vice Chair

Board Member Since 2019

Jeremy has worked in various roles in the real estate industry since 2012 and is currently a project manager.  

Born in France and raised in Vancouver, he completed a Bachelor of Commerce and a diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia, along with the RI designation from the Real Estate Institute of BC.  

Jeremy applies his professional expertise and previous board experience to support Tikva Housing’s mission of providing affordable housing and strengthening community. He is passionate about providing all those in need with a safe, accessible, and permanent place to call home.

Oriana Gertsman, Treasurer

Board Member Since 2023

Oriana is a lifelong Vancouverite with a passion for commercial real estate. She uses her finance expertise as part of the investment team at Grosvenor, an international property company.   

She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a Real Estate specialization from the University of British Columbia and is also active with CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Vancouver. She enjoys walking her city’s beautiful seawall and exploring Vancouver’s diverse food scene.

Penny Gurstein

Board Member Since 2022

Penny is Professor Emeritus and past Director of the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia, where she now co-leads the Housing Research Collaborative. Her work focuses on the socio-cultural dimensions of community planning, with an emphasis on marginalized populations. She holds degrees in Sociology from York University, Architecture (UBC), and a Master’s and PhD in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley.  

Penny has served on numerous boards and advisory committees, including BC Housing and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, where she was board liaison to Tikva Housing. She is frequently consulted by all levels of government and the media on housing and planning issues. 

Rory Richards

Board Member Since 2019

Rory Richards has dedicated more than twenty years to founding and leading numerous successful, cross-sector Canadian businesses. Rory’s work at NUQO blends her community-first, values-led mindset with modular construction methods to tackle one of society’s biggest challenges: affordable and Indigenous housing.  

Honoured with the Medal of Good Citizenship by the Province of British Columbia, as well as the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, Rory’s history of heart-led work is long. The outstanding, female-led construction team she’s built at NUQO reflects Rory’s integrity, passion for social justice, and fierce advocacy for quality, culturally appropriate housing. Rory is also a vocal supporter of quality childcare and has worked alongside respected advocates for many years to increase access.  

Sheila Sontz

Board Member Since 2020

Sheila is a seasoned real estate professional with expertise in both residential and commercial sectors. Based in Vancouver since 2008, she holds a BBA from York University, Realtor designation, in addition to the RI(BC) and Candidate Appraiser designations from the Real Estate Institute of B.C. and the Appraisal Institute of Canada.

Sheila further honed her skills through studies in commercial real estate appraisal at UBC Sauder School of Business and human resource management at BCIT. Passionate about addressing housing challenges within the Jewish community, she contributes her deep market knowledge and commitment to the mission of Tikva Housing. 

Haley Crooks

Board Member Since 2021

Haley is passionate about housing equity and ensuring everyone has access to safe, stable shelter. With an M.Ed in School Psychology from UBC and a BA in Psychology, she spent years working in inner city schools, supporting students and families facing economic hardship. 

She values bringing this background into her work with Tikva Housing, especially in the conversations she has with rent relief applicants. Haley appreciates the chance to connect with people one-on-one and see firsthand how access to safe, affordable housing can create meaningful change in their lives.

Barbara Gordon

Board Member Since 2024

Barbara is a retired architect with over 35 years experience in design, construction, capital planning and project management.  

After earning a bachelor’s degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and studying architecture at UBC, she launched her career in Toronto, working on non-profit housing projects, theatres, and commercial renovations. This was followed by 20 years with UBC Infrastructure Development—first as a facilities planner and project manager, later as Director of Capital Planning—where she led the development, coordination and implementation of multi‑year capital plans, facilities and system upgrades, and securing of government and UBC Board funding and approvals.

Jeff Witten

Board member since 2024

Jeff Witten is a native of Edmonton who moved to Vancouver in 1987 to attend UBC law school and never left. For 30 years, he practiced personal injury law, prior to retiring in the summer of 2023.

Jeff and his wife Jane Stoller are fortunate enough to have two wonderful children. In his free time, he travels, skis, golfs, road bikes, walks his dog, hangs out with friends and volunteers for a variety of causes.

Within Vancouver’s Jewish community, Jeff is actively involved in several different organizations, with a particularly keen interest in assisting those experiencing housing challenges.

Marcos Mogyoros

Board member since 2025

Marcos is Vice President, Investment at Anthem Properties Group Ltd., where he leads acquisitions and dispositions across Western North America and supports asset management and equity procurement efforts. With over a decade of real estate experience, he brings disciplined investment insight and extensive transaction experience.

Born and raised in North Vancouver, Marcos attended the University of British Columbia and completed the Real Estate Program at BCIT. Marcos spent time living in Israel, volunteering with Magen David Adom. Outside of work, Marcos enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and spending time outdoors with his wife and dog Loki.

Gord Kushner

Board Member Since 2025 

Gord is a British Columbia–based leader with extensive experience in seniors’ housing, home-support services, and community care. His work spans residential care education, home-based care delivery, and seniors’ housing, including founding Simplified HomeCare. Gord has served for six years as treasurer at Yaffa House, on the board of the Haro Park Centre Campus of Care, including as Chair, supporting integrated models that allow elders to age in place with dignity and independence. He previously served eight years on Tikva Housing’s Board of Directors.

Anat Gogo, Executive Director

Since joining Tikva in 2016, Anat has played a central leadership role in the organization’s growth, serving in progressive roles before becoming its inaugural Executive Director in 2022. Anat brings deep experience in operational, mission-driven, innovative and affordable housing solutions across Metro Vancouver.  She strengthens stakeholder partnerships and is a community-minded planner. Guided by Tikva’s strategic direction and vision, she is passionate about helping those facing life’s greatest affordability challenges and developing relationships that facilitate growth and exceptional results. 

Nick Miles, Director of Operations

Nick oversees Tikva’s operations, ensuring effective systems, strong internal processes, and consistent service delivery across the organization. With extensive experience managing complex operations and cross-functional teams, he supports day-to-day performance, risk management, and continuous improvement to ensure Tikva’s housing communities are safe, stable and of high standards. 

Greg Kawahara, Controller

Greg oversees Tikva financial operations and reporting, bringing more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting. He supports strong financial stewardship, effective finance systems, and long-term planning to ensure the organization’s financial health and accountability. 

Joe Anderson, Property Manager

Joe brings over 25 years of experience managing residential, commercial, and non-market housing properties. He is responsible for maintaining safe, sustainable and well-managed buildings, working closely with tenants and service providers to ensure high standards of care and responsiveness across the housing portfolio. 

Wei Liu, Housing Development Manager

Wei leads Tikva Housing’s development and acquisition initiatives, advancing projects from early feasibility through delivery. With experience across the private and non-profit sectors and an international background, she brings strong financial, technical, and strategic expertise to expand Tikva’s housing portfolio in a sustainable and community-responsive manner. 

Damon van der Linde, Manager, Communications, Fundraising and Development

Damon leads Tikva Housing’s communications, fundraising, and donor engagement efforts. With a background in journalism, university advancement, and the non-profit sector, he supports Tikva’s growth by building strong partnerships, securing philanthropic support, and implementing strategies to enhance stakeholder engagement, sharing compelling stories that highlight the organization’s impact and mission.  

May Stefanov, Tenant Relations Coordinator

May manages Tikva’s Rent Relief Program and serves as a key point of contact for tenants across the housing portfolio. She works closely with tenants, landlords, and community partners to support housing stability, address housing concerns, and connect individuals and families with essential resources. 

Ethan Stoppi, Property Services Coordinator

Ethan supports Tikva’s property management and housing operations through tenant engagement, rent subsidy administration, and operational coordination. He brings a strong commitment to community service and works closely with tenants and colleagues to help ensure housing stability and positive day-to-day experiences for Tikva residents. 

Katie Leyvikova, Property Services Assistant

Katie provides administrative and operational support across Tikva programs. She assists staff and tenants, maintains organized systems, and supports internal coordination to help ensure smooth and efficient day-to-day operations. 

Afua Amoyaw, Corporate Secretary & Executive Assistant

Afua supports Tikva’s Board of Directors with proper governance processes and fiduciary responsibilities and the Executive Director with providing high-level strategic and administrative support. Currently a student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia, she brings experience in senior administrative support, stakeholder coordination, and complex document management.

Alice Sundberg, Housing Development Consultant

Alice is a highly respected housing and community development consultant with more than four decades of experience in non-market housing across British Columbia. She previously served as Tikva’s Director of Operations and Housing Development, leading significant organizational and portfolio growth. Alice now provides strategic development and advisory support on select Tikva projects. 

Nicole Young, Communications, Fundraising & Administrative Coordinator

Nicole brings broad experience in integrated campaign planning, fundraising and digital marketing, with a background spanning both agency and nonprofit settings. Through thoughtful storytelling and relationship-focused communications, Nicole helps bring Tikva’s mission to life and supports activities that inspire donor engagement. She also plays a key role in keeping the Tikva office running smoothly through day-to-day administrative and operational support.

Stacy Kissie, Bookkeeper

Stacy helps to maintain accurate financial records and supports the day-to-day bookkeeping operations of the organization. She is committed to ensuring Tikva Housing’s financial information is organized and reliable, contributing to efficient financial management.

Viktoria Bernard, Jewish Family Services

Acquisitions Committee

Marcos Mogyoros, Chair

Jeremy Berger

Dan Granirer

Michael Grudman

Kasimir Kish

Michael Lipton

Jonathan Ames

Asset Management Committee

Barbara Gordon, Chair

Geoffrey Rosen

Hilaire Kalfon

Adam Simkin

Malich Altman

Finance Committee

Oriana Gertsman, Chair

Yahel Jarus-Hakak

Jordan Margulius

Community Relations Committee

Jeff Witten, Chair

Rhonda Sacks

Sheila Sontz

Penny Gurstein

Matthew Porte

Shelley Karrel

Karen James

Gordon Kushner

Governance Committee

Penny Gurstein, Chair

Andrew Charney

Jeff Witten

Rent Relief Committee

Jeff Witten, Chair

Haley Crooks