Vancouver Region

Tammy has been in the flooring and paint industry for many years. First as a co-owner of a flooring store, then as an owner of a Benjamin Moore paint store. In 2016 Tammy moved into the specification world, and is currently the Account Executive for Tarkett Commercial and Tarkett Hospitality. Tammy enjoys hiking, kayaking, cooking and reading when not cheering for her son when he is competing in sports. She is an avid Football and Basketball fan, her son being her favorite player.

Richelle Walkley has worked in the Interior Design industry for over seven years and has been an NEWH Vancouver Committee member since 2020. Before that, she studied Interior Design and Business Entrepreneurship at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her past roles on the board include Scholarship Director as well as Social Media Committee Chair. She has recently taken on the role of Chair-Elect and will also step in as Volunteer Coordinator to ensure volunteers receive the direction they need to create succession for NEWH Vancouver’s future Board of Directors.

Richelle currently works as an Architectural & Design Specifications Representative for Formations, a Westen Canadian owned distributor of architectural millwork products.

Richelle’s original intent for being involved with NEWH was to expand her network and look for educational and career opportunities within her local region. After four years of commitment as a board member, it is apparent through her work as Scholarship Director and involvement with the student community that her true passion comes from helping students and young professionals enter the Interior Design and Hospitality industries and promote them to become future leaders! When Richelle is not working or fulfilling her NEWH board duties, she can be found in the mountains snowboarding, hiking, biking or playing volleyball at one of Vancouver’s beautiful beaches.

A Registered Interior Designer with more than 17 years of experience, Jennifer is a leader who is passionate about design. A team player with a commitment to elevating design, Jennifer leads by example with her dedication and attention to detail. Jennifer has been volunteering within the design community since her time in design school and she is excited to become more involved with NEWH and join this year’s Vancouver Region Steering Committee! In her spare time, Jennifer loves to travel, play tennis, and explore the local Vancouver social and outdoor scenery.

Rebecca Bertrand has been in the Interior Design world for 20+ years. She is an NCIDQ certified Designer with over 12 years of direct design experience. She is currently and Account Executive with Milliken flooring (for both commercial and hospitality products). Rebecca started on the board as NEWH Secretary, worked as Membership director, chair-elect, Steering Chair and will now serve as Past Steering Chair in ’24 for the Vancouver Region. Rebecca has been a member of NEWH for years and got involved to support the scholarship program. Her passion for NEWH continues as she has seen the scholarship winners and students grow in the industry and become future leaders. In her spare time she loves to travel, plays soccer, skiis and is a big foodie, ask her about her food Instagram account.

Alex Jones’ career started 20 years ago in retail furniture sales for one of Canada’s largest department stores before transitioning into the commercial furniture market.

Upon completion in 2002 of BCIT’s Marketing Management Diploma in Professional Sales, Alex started working at Heritage Office Furnishings specializing in healthcare and the hospitality division. Her expertise has now grown to include education and corporate in her account portfolio with special detail for ancillary spaces.

Founded in 1979, Heritage saw a full service dealership that includes furniture, warehouse, installation and architectural walls. With more than 50,000 square feet of warehouse and showroom space, they are located in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, B.C. Heritage represents more than 200 manufacturers and is the only authorized Steelcase dealer in B.C. Lower Mainland and Interior. Working with various budgets to provide appropriate furniture to the design intent of the client and interior designer is Alex’s expertise.

In 2011, Alex joined NEWH as a commercial member before becoming an addition to the board. Currently she is the Director of Leadership Conferences, having moved from volunteering at all positions at the Vancouver Region Level.

Sean Hewlett has been orbiting the design industry for a decade. First as a furniture designer and fabricator with his studio; East & West Design Co. and most recently as a graduate of the Master of Interior Design program at the University of Manitoba. Sean also has over a decade in the hospitality industry with a focus on cocktailing. His company, Coupe & Co, has been offering private cocktail classes to office groups and more since 2017. Professionally he works with A&W designing restaurants to serve you the best burgers in Canada. Sean started as an applicant to the NEWH Toronto Chapter scholarship before moving out west and volunteering for a year with the Vancouver Region. He’s thrilled to take on the role of Scholarship Chair and help other students smoothly transition from academia into the design industry. In his spare time, he likes to stay active whether playing tennis, hiking, biking or running. Sean loves to host dinners and both cook and make cocktails for his friends and family.

Michael Evans has been directly involved with the A&D industry in Vancouver since 2020, but as a second generation A&D industry representative, he has a keen familiarity with the design community. Michael has been involved with NEWH since January 2023 and has stepped into a new role as Membership Director for the 2024 board. Michael is passionate about giving back to the design community and is particularly inspired to help students and young professionals to network and become familiar faces in the industry. When he’s not working or volunteering for NEWH, you may find Michael at a coffee shop, craft brewery or being active outdoors.

John Bland has been active in the local Vancouver commercial and hospitality design community since 2013 and has been an active member of the NEWH board since 2022, where he has taken on the role of Programming Chair. For John, helping design students with financial need to gain access to education via NEWH scholarships, is a worthy and noble cause. John also enjoys the mentorship and networking aspects of NEWH that help students to find their first internship roles at design firms. When John is not volunteering at NEWH, he can be found riding his bike around the seawall, touring on his motorcycle, camping, fishing, or skiing the local mountains.