Meet Kristen Rivers.

Tiyaltelut Kristen Rivers is a proud Indigenous woman of Squamish and Kwakwaka'wakw descent with extensive governance experience and a deep lived commitment to reconciliation and advancing social and economic justice. Kristen is presently in her second consecutive term on the Squamish Nation Council while also pursuing her Master of Business Administration at Simon Fraser University.

In addition to over a decade of experience serving on numerous governance boards and appointments, Kristen has most recently honed her skills in the areas of strategic leadership and ethical decision-making through serving three years as elected Co-Chair of the Squamish Nation Council (a position equivalent to an elected Chief in other Nations), as well as Deputy Chair of the Nation’s Finance and Audit Committee and an active member of numerous other Council Committees.

Kristen is proud to have driven the Squamish Nation’s work in creating a rental assistance program—the first of its kind in BC—to alleviate some of the pressure felt by Nation members paying market rent off-reserve amidst a housing crisis. Kristen also played an instrumental role in pursuing and implementing the Living Wage for Families certification to improve the lives and economy of her community through her work as Chair of the Squamish Nation's Equity and People Committee.

Kristen first became a member of Vancity in 2012 while working as a Senior Strategic Advisor with Reconciliation Canada, where she was deeply moved by witnessing Vancity’s early commitment to reconciliation and social justice causes in action.

She presently holds positions on the governance boards of the New Relationship Trust and Justice Institute of BC, is an appointed member of the City of Vancouver’s UNDRIP Task Force, and serves the Squamish Nation’s over 4,000 members through her work on Council’s Finance and Audit, Governance, and Equity and People Committees, as well as the Squamish Nation Climate Action Task Force.

Kristen grew up on the North Shore and now lives in Vancouver with her beautiful teen daughter and their lovable Goldendoodle Teddy.

Tenure

• Elected in 2022
• Currently serving a first term (2022-2025)

Committees

• Chair, Governance Committee
• Member, Equity and People Committee
• Member, Risk Committee