About our Governance

The Radio Malaspina Society is a non-profit organization (NPO), incorporated under the Societies Act of BC, formed specifically to acquire and hold a radio license from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CRTC and Innovation Canada (ISED) license the Radio Malaspina Society to operate CHLY-FM as a campus subtype (campus-community) radio station operating at 101.7 MHz. with 3000 Watts ERP from a tower site located on Cottle Hill in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

As a campus subtype station, the society’s board of directors includes representation from its Student Membership and Community Membership, alongside faculty and administrative representation from Vancouver Island University.

Important: While The Radio Malaspina Society is registered as an NPO with the CRA and can accept donations, the society is not a Registered Charity or Qualified Donee and cannot offer tax receipts. In Canada, unlike in the United States, campus-community radio is not considered a charitable activity. While exceptions to this rule like CKUA do exist, these stations are legacied in their charitable status by the CRA.

Constitution & Bylaws

These documents outline the governance of the Radio Malaspina Society, the organization that operates CHLY 101.7FM.

Policies

Per the Society’s bylaws, The Board of Directors may, by directorsʼ resolution, create policies that govern the conduct of the Societyʼs members and the day-to-day operation of the Society. This includes the radio station it operates.

Current Policies

Policies in effect, ratified by the Board of Directors.

Interim Policies

Policies in effect, but not yet ratified by the Board of Directors.

Past Policies

Policies no longer in effect.

Contact the Board of Directors

As of 2022, the Board of Directors generally meets every two months, with committee meetings in the months between. If you are a member and wish to present in-person to the board as a guest, please submit a request two weeks prior to the meeting date. Requests to present as a guest may be refused if the guest does not give a clear reason why they wish to present before the board. Due to limited volunteer time for our board, guests will be given a limited amount of time to present, so please be prepared.

Board of Directors

Section last updated: 2025-11-14.

The board of directors is elected every fall at our AGM in staggered elections. Per bylaw 5.7.1, directors choose among themselves who shall serve in officer roles IE: president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary.

Frankie Spear-Beauchamp (Secretary)

Frankie is a first-year student at VIU looking to get involved in all of the behind-the-scenes action! She has sat on over five different non-profit committees and has experience in the production and planning of events.

Elected 2024. Appointed Secretary November 2024. Student Member.

Bryan Gibbons (Treasurer)

Bryan Gibbons graduated in 2015 from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in Accounting. Since graduating, the beginning of his career has been spent working at Welch LLP, a public accounting firm based in Ottawa, Ontario. Bryan fell in love with Vancouver Island after visiting it several times for both pleasure and work from 2017–2020. Relocating there quickly became the only option and he moved to Nanaimo in September 2020 working out an arrangement to work full-time remotely. He has a lot of experience in accounting and audit, specifically being involved in a variety of engagements for both non-profit and charitable organizations. He plans to bring this background knowledge to CHLY and help ensure it is successful and can meet its goals.

Elected in 2022, and appointed as Treasurer in 2022. Re-elected in October 2024. Community Member.

Craig Taylor (VIU Representative)

Craig Taylor is a creative writing professor at Vancouver Island University.

Appointed to the board in 2025. Elected fall 2025. Community Member and later VIU Member.

Robert Thompson (Director at Large)

Robert "Robbie" F. Thompson has been a student in VIU's Digital Media Studies program for the past four years. Having dealt with numerous medical issues, including two heart transplants, muscular disease, and brain damage, he has fought hard to get to where he is today. A strong advocate for organ donation, he was a speaker at the International Pediatric Critical Care Conference in Toronto for 500 medical professionals. They have previously volunteered with CHLY, and have done video and audio production work for the Comox Valley Head Injury Society, VIU's Student Services department, Kiwanis Village Nanaimo, and two podcasts; “Successful U” and “Adventuring 101.” Thompson will happily bring the same level of devotion to CHLY as they do to all their endeavours.

Elected in 2021 as a student member and re-elected as a Student Member in 2023. Resigned in the Spring of 2024 due to health concerns. Elected to the board as a Community Member in 2024.

Maggie MacLachlan (Director at Large)

Bio incoming. Elected at AGM 2025 as a Student Member.

Benjamin Ataie (Director at Large)

Bio incoming. Elected at AGM 2025 as a Student Member.

Jack Corfield (Director at Large)

Bio incoming. Elected at AGM 2025 as a Community Member.

Laura Schramm (Director at Large)

Bio incoming. Elected at AGM 2025 as a Community Member.

Seats Empty

There is one empty VIU Representative seat and one empty Student Member seat to be filled via appointment by the board of directors. Per bylaw §5.8.1. and §5.8.2., the board may appoint directors to fill this seat until the next Annual General Meeting.

Past Board Members

The following is not a complete list, and is updated from time to time. Many Community Members and Student Members have served on our board over the years.

  • Daniela Guevara Sotomayor—Director at Large (Student Member), elected 2024.

    Janel Jezierski—President (Community Member), elected 2021 and 2023.

    Jay McDonnel—Vice President (Student Member), elected 2023.

    Robin Davies—VIU Representative, elected 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.

    Savanna Lawless—Director at Large (Student Member).

    Jesse Scott Bradley—Director at Large (Student Member).

    Camille James—Director at Large and Secretary (Student Member and Community Member).

    Lauren Mayes—Vice President and Director at Large (Community Member).

    Sandeep Chauhan—President and Director at Large (Student Member and Community Member).

    Paula Zerpa—Director at Large (Student Member).

    Hannah Sprague—Treasurer (Student Member).

    Mick Sweetman—Director at Large (Student Member).

    Andie Tomlinson—VIU Staff Representative (Community Member).

    Kevin Midbo—Director at Large (Community Member).

    Erin Coole—Director at Large (Student Member).

    Marie “Constanza” Crucil—Treasurer (Student Member).

    Nolan Duke—President, Secretary, Director at Large (Student Member).

    Tanis Dagert—VIU Representative (Staff) (Community Member).

    Nadine Wiepning—Secretary (Community Member).

    Gord Bibby—President, Secretary, Director at Large (Community Member).

    Sarah Cameron—Vice President (Community Member).

    Jaime Booker—Director at Large (Community Member).

    Natalie Drope—Secretary (Student Member).

    Donald Sheddon— Director at Large (Student Member).

    Megan Barr—Director at Large (Student Member).

    Megan Valdmanis—Treasurer (Community Member).

    Greg Bodnarchuck—Vice President (Community Member).

    Simon Schachner—Vice President (Student Member).