Board of Directors

Shayla Sallis

PRESIDENT

I graduated from the TRU Respiratory Therapy program in 2014, and I began my career at Royal Columbian Hospital before transferring to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. I have worked in many aspects of the respiratory therapy field, mainly in acute care, but also in Pulmonary Function and Community Therapist roles in both Kamloops and Revelstoke. I am passionate about promoting best patient care within my practice, as well as promoting our profession to our colleagues and to the public! I enjoy travelling and seeing new places, my trips including Iceland, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In my downtime you can find me hiking or camping with my people and my dog, or enjoying a warm afternoon on a patio somewhere.

Tejbir Chahal

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Karla (KJ) Kuzmich

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

KJ is an instructor at Thompson Rivers University. Prior to joining TRU, she worked in both hospital and home-based respiratory care, where she gained a deep appreciation for the unique challenges and rewards of each setting. This diverse clinical experience informs her teaching and allows her to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical application.

Outside of her professional role, KJ happily embraces her homebody nature. She enjoys spending time in her garden, working on jigsaw puzzles, and indulging in the simple pleasure of an extra-long nap. At home, she shares her space (and her blankets) with three sphynx cats and one delightfully scruffy dog.

Nisha Jaswal

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT RELATIONS

I currently work and play in Kamloops, BC. I love yoga, crafting and spending time with friends & family. Before graduating from the RT program at TRU, I completed a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemical Biology. Healthcare was always on my radar for a profession and choosing Respiratory Therapy as my career has been so rewarding. Best patient care, promotion of our profession and continually growing as a therapist are all incredibly important to me. I love getting involved and I want to be part of building a strong connection in the RT community in BC. I truly believe I can make a difference as the Director of Student Relations by engaging our future team members graduating from TRU!

Cassie Robertson

DIRECTOR OF MEMBER RELATIONS

Hi! My name is Cassie. I graduated in 2016 from Thompson Rivers University and started my career in the NICU at BC Women’s Hospital where I have been ever since. I have a passion for working with babies and really love the NICU. Currently, I am the Clinical Site Coordinator for the SRTs that come through BCWH for their Neonatal and Pediatric rotation, which I really enjoy doing! Through out the years, I have been an active member in the BCSRT.

Joanne Terry

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY

Joanne is a Respiratory Therapist with many years experience working in almost every environment an RT can work.  Joanne has enjoyed her various roles in acute care working in ICU and Emergency department to pediatric asthma clinics and newborn education clinics for parents. Her role as an educator ignited her passion to teach and help patients and loved ones self manage their diseases so it was a natural shift to community care. She has worked the last 15 years in the community for Fraser Health and now Island Health where she is currently implementing RT’s in the community. She is excited to be working on the Board of Directors of the BCSRT for the Community. She is hoping to improve the depth of this role across the province and provide increase exposure for this growing area of RT practice.

Sharon Kular

1st year Rep

Hi, I am Sharon Kular, and I am thrilled to be the first-year student representative for BCSRT.
My experiences at BC Children’s Hospital, Fraser Health, and on the Board of a non-profit have ignited my passion for leadership, collaboration, and making positive change in my community. Beyond my studies, I love working out, spending quality time with friends and family, and always looking for ways to grow and challenge myself. I’m passionate about helping others and can’t wait to contribute to the respiratory therapy community—fueled by good coffee and a little shopping.

Harneet Jawanda

2nd year / pre-clinical year Rep