Board Members

  Alex McCumber and his family are new to Oaklands, having recently joined us from Vancouver! Alex brings his experience as an architect with extensive training and professional experience with land use and planning, public consultation, mediation, functional programming, as well as building planning and design. Alex is looking forward to making a valuable contribution to the Oaklands community.    

 Melissa was born and raised in Northern Saskatchewan. Drawn to the west coast by the great memories of her childhood camping trips to BC, she has lived in Victoria since 2005. Melissa has resided in the Fernwood, Jubilee, and Hillside-Quadra neighbourhoods, before moving to Oaklands in 2015.  
Melissa is a Landscape Architect and her educational background is Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Architectural Technology.  Professionally, her areas of practice and interest include integrated stormwater landscapes, park planning, natural playgrounds, urban design, and planting design.
Melissa joined the OCA Board in April 2018 and has taken on the role of Parks Committee Chair. She has a great appreciation both for the beauty of the neighbourhood and the excellent programming provided by the Oaklands Community Centre. She considers herself to be equally a plant-person and a people-person, and is passionate about the vital role that quality outdoor spaces play in our communities. Outside of volunteer and work commitments, you can often find Melissa on a soccer pitch, puttering in her garden, shopping at a farmer’s market, or enjoying the outdoors with her young family. 

Dean is an energetic and highly skilled executive with significant senior level experience in championing reform, encouraging innovation and providing strategic leadership. He has a strong record of delivering results and building successful relationships with community leaders, senior executives in the public and private sectors, labour and First Nations. He is comfortable managing emergency, urgent and challenging situations. He is seen as a positive leader, an effective decision maker and an excellent communicator.

Amanda Putman, a French Immersion, Spanish and English teacher currently working in School District 61, has lived in Oaklands for the past seven years.  A Victoria resident since 2004, Amanda is originally from a small town near Ottawa, Ontario.  

She holds a B.A. in International Development Studies and an M.Ed in Community Development and, prior to becoming a teacher, worked for a number of years in the non-profit sector.  

She enjoys spending time in the outdoors, kayaking, hiking and cycling with her partner and two step-children and looks forward to contributing to the Oaklands community with the goal of keeping it a wonderful place for her children to grow up.   

Meribeth Burton is a communications manager in the provincial government and has also worked at Island Health, BC Transit, CHEK News and CTV News Vancouver Island.
Meribeth moved to Oaklands in 2016. She is a mother of two, a frequent beach goer, book club member and on the adventurous side, has recently discovered of love of paddle boarding and archery.

 Brenda Turner has worked in Oaklands for over 25 years. She bought the daycare she operates in the neighbourhood 10 years ago. The daycare is often out and about around the neighbourhood supporting the community. In her spare time, Brenda enjoys traveling, taking photographs, and reading - she does not own a computer or cell phone! She holds a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, a Bachelor of Education as well as Early Childhood Education and Infant Toddler diplomas. 

John Michael (JM) McColl lives in Oaklands with his partner Sara and his  daughter Sophie. Most days you can find him chasing Sophie around the  "purple park" near Oaklands School. He grew up on Salt Spring Island  where he co-founded the Salt Spring Forum, an organization devoted to civic engagement. He works for the provincial  government and likes good coffee, sunny days, and meeting new people.