The Coquitlam Foundation has a new board member.
Last month, the philanthropic organization that provides community grants, as well as scholarships and bursaries to post-secondary students, named Matthew Sebastiani to the charity’s board.
Sebastiani, who in June was elected as the board president of the Place des Arts Society, has a background that makes him “an excellent fit for our board and we eagerly welcome his valuable contribution,” said Carol Brodie, executive director of the Coquitlam Foundation, in a news release this week.
Sebastiani has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Simon Fraser University (SFU), as well as a master’s degree in business administration from the UBC Sauder School of Business.
He has been the president of the Vancouver chapter of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada since 2018 and he is currently a member of Coquitlam’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, having formerly served on the city’s Universal Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Following last month’s annual general meeting, the Coquitlam Foundation board is now made up of:
- John Wolff, chair
- Jennifer McKinnon, vice chair
- Jack Trumley, treasurer
- Lois McNary, secretary
- Coun. Steve Kim, Coquitlam representative
- Trustee Jennifer Blatherwick, SD43 representative
- Pulkit Sharma, Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce representative
- Matthew Sebastiani, director
- Trustee Craig Woods, director
- Marko Pokrajac, director
- Sanjay Sharma, director
As of June 30, 2023, the foundation had $7.5 million in assets.
Meanwhile, applications for Neighbourhood Small Grants, which are administered through the foundation, are open until Oct. 19 for Coquitlam projects. Grants of up to $500 are up for grabs for community groups.
