future leadership
Meet This Year’s Candidates
This year’s CMBA‑BC Board election features three strong Associate Member nominees vying for one available seat. We’re pleased to introduce this talented group of candidates.
We invite all voting members to participate in the election process. Please take the time to review the candidate statements and biographies to make an informed decision.
Election results will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on June 23, 2026. This is your opportunity to have a say in the direction of CMBA-BC!
Voting will be open until 11:59 PM (PDT) on May 22, 2026. All CMBA‑BC voting members in good standing will receive their electronic ballot by email. If you have not received your ballot, please contact [email protected].
Niloo Fazeli
Candidate for Election
Vivi Saddik
Candidate for Election
Tom Walsh
Candidate for Election
new voices
Congratulations to Our Acclaimed Directors
We are pleased to recognize the four mortgage brokers (individual voting members) who will join the Board by acclamation.
Craig Barton
Craig Barton is a results-driven professional whose career reflects a strong foundation in entrepreneurship, leadership, and client service. He began his professional journey in the beauty industry, where he built and operated a successful business recognized for its commitment to quality and exceptional client experience. In addition to entrepreneurship, Craig worked for and managed both national and international organizations in a variety of leadership roles. Through these positions, he developed extensive expertise in strategic growth, team development, operations management, and brand expansion.
His years in the professional beauty sector refined his strengths in sales leadership, relationship management, and customer retention — skills that would later become instrumental in his transition to finance.
Over the past two years, Craig has established himself in the mortgage industry as a trusted advisor focused on strategic lending solutions and long-term client relationships. His approach combines disciplined financial analysis with a service-first mindset, ensuring clients feel confident and informed throughout the mortgage process.
Craig’s diverse professional background provides him with a unique perspective: he understands both the entrepreneurial mindset and the financial strategies required to build and protect wealth. Known for his integrity, strong communication skills, and commitment to excellence, he is dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate one of the most important financial decisions of their lives.
Craig continues to grow his mortgage practice with a focus on education, transparency, and strong community relationships.
I am seeking the opportunity to serve as a Director with the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association of BC (CMBA-BC) because I am deeply committed to advancing the professionalism, credibility, and long-term strength of our industry.
As a mortgage broker, I see firsthand the impact our work has on families, investors, and communities across British Columbia. I believe CMBA-BC plays a vital role in advocacy, education, and maintaining high ethical standards that protect both brokers and consumers. My intention in serving as a Director is to contribute meaningfully to that mission by supporting strong governance, fostering collaboration among members, and helping ensure our association remains forward-thinking and relevant in an evolving regulatory and economic environment.
I am particularly passionate about mentorship and professional development. Supporting new brokers as they enter the industry, while also ensuring experienced professionals have access to ongoing education and resources, is critical to maintaining public trust and raising industry standards.
If elected, I will bring a collaborative mindset, practical field experience, and a genuine commitment to representing the interests of our membership. I am motivated not by title, but by the opportunity to serve, to listen, and to help strengthen the voice of mortgage professionals across British Columbia.
It would be an honour to contribute to the continued growth and leadership of CMBA-BC.
Samantha Elam
Samantha Elam is a mortgage broker based in Kelowna, British Columbia, with a professional foundation that extends well beyond the industry.
Through her work in the industry, Samantha has developed a working familiarity with the regulatory and compliance frameworks that govern mortgage brokering in BC, an understanding she continues to build on. She is known for guiding clients through one of the most significant financial decisions of their lives with honesty, patience, and calm confidence.
Before focusing on her brokerage practice, Samantha spent years working in first response, a career that instilled in her a deep commitment to accountability, service, and sound judgment under pressure. Those qualities are ones she carries into every client interaction and professional commitment, approaching each with the same care and clarity that her earlier career demanded.
Samantha is an active contributor beyond her professional work. She serves on the board of Triathlon BC and as a board member of the Apple Race Series, a community racing organization in the Okanagan. These roles have strengthened her skills in strategic governance, collaborative leadership, and organizational planning, experience she looks forward to bringing to the CMBABC board.
A dedicated triathlete, Samantha brings the same discipline and perseverance she applies in sport to every commitment she takes on.
She is passionate about the future of the mortgage broker profession and eager to contribute to an association that advocates for its members, upholds ethical standards, and strengthens the industry across British Columbia.
I am applying to join the CMBA-BC board because I believe the mortgage broker profession deserves strong, principled advocacy and I want to be part of providing it. After several years in the industry, I have seen how much the association’s leadership influences the environment brokers work in, the standards they are held to, and the reputation the profession carries with the public.
My background in first response taught me things that no classroom can: how to make clear decisions under pressure, how to hold yourself accountable when the stakes are high, and how to lead with calm and purpose when others need you most. Those lessons have shaped every role I have taken on since, including my work as a mortgage broker.
What drives me is a genuine belief that the work mortgage brokers do matters and that the profession is worth fighting for. I want to help ensure that CMBA-BC is a strong, credible voice for its members, and that brokers across BC feel supported, represented, and proud of the industry they are part of.
Also, I am not new to governance. My experience on the Board of Directors with Triathlon BC and the Apple Race Series has given me practical insight into what collaborative, mission-driven leadership looks like and what it takes to keep an organization focused and effective.
I am ready to bring that same energy and dedication to CMBA-BC — helping advance this profession, supporting its members, and contributing to an association that British Columbia brokers can rely on and be proud of.
Holly Heppner
Holly Heppner is an experienced mortgage broker based in Parksville-Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, proudly serving clients throughout British Columbia. Born and raised in BC, Holly has a deep appreciation for the West Coast lifestyle and the communities she serves.
With over 30 years in the financial services industry, Holly brings extensive experience from large credit unions and investment firms before transition to the broker channel more than eight years ago. Her background spans personal lending, small business financing/commercial, investments, and complex credit analysis, providing her with a broad, well-rounded perspective on the evolving financial landscape.
As part of Mortgage Architects, Holly has built a reputation for integrity, strategic thinking, and client advocacy. She works extensively in both residential and commercial financing, specializing in complex structures, including corporate purchases, private lending, refinances, spousal buyouts, and commercial acquisitions. Her approach is grounded in transparency, compliance, and client education.
Holly is deeply committed to professional excellence. She is AML-certified and actively engaged in continuing education, staying current with regulatory changes and underwriting trends to ensure ethical and responsible lending practices. She believes strongly in protecting the integrity and reputation of the mortgage broker profession.
In addition to her brokerage practice, Holly has served on numerous nonprofit boards in a variety of capacities, including Chair/President. She currently serves as President of the Oceanside Women’s Business Network (2025-2026 term), a nonprofit organization supporting women in business since 1992. She is also the founder of ‘Purses for Haven,’ an annual charitable initiative supporting women and children rebuilding their lives after domestic violence. Her leadership style is collaborative, diplomatic, and solutions-focused.
I am seeking election as a Director of CMBA-BC because I believe strongly in the important role our association plays in advocating for mortgage brokers, supporting professional standards, and strengthening the voice of our industry across British Columbia.
Throughout my career in financial services and mortgage lending, I have seen firsthand how essential independent mortgage brokers are in helping Canadians access homeownership, navigate complex financial decisions, and support small business growth. As the regulatory environment continues to evolve, it is critical that brokers have strong representation that understands both the challenges and opportunities within our profession.
As a practicing mortgage broker working in both residential and commercial financing, I bring a practical perspective shaped by daily experience working with lenders, clients, and industry partners. My background in banking, credit unions, and investments prior to entering the broker channel provides me with a well-rounded understanding of the broader financial landscape.
In addition to my professional experience, I have served on several nonprofit boards and currently serve as President of the Oceanside Women’s Business Network. These leadership roles have strengthened my collaborative approach, strategic thinking, and commitment to ethical governance.
If elected, I would be committed to contributing thoughtful professional, team support, and helping ensure that mortgage brokers across British Columbia remain strong, respected, and well-represented.
Juliana Mason
Juliana Mason is a Vancouver Island-based mortgage broker with a strong background in underwriting and extensive experience completing high volumes of mortgage transactions. This background has equipped her with the ability to manage complex files with efficiency, precision, and a consistent focus on client outcomes.
In addition to her client work, Juliana is committed to elevating industry standards through education and mentorship. She has rewritten the CMBA Mortgage Brokers Fundamentals course to better reflect the realities of today’s lending environment, with an emphasis on practical knowledge, compliance, and building authentic, relationship-driven businesses. Within her Okanagan-based brokerage, she leads a team of women and provides ongoing mentorship, supporting their professional growth and development in a meaningful and consistent way.
Juliana strives to show up as the best version of herself in all areas of her life. While she is proud to operate a successful and busy mortgage practice, her greatest motivation comes from her two young children, Walter and Abby. They inspire her daily to lead with kindness, compassion and integrity, which spills over into her brokerage’s core values.
I am applying for a position on the CMBA-BC Board of Directors because I am deeply committed to strengthening the mortgage broker profession through integrity, education, and meaningful connection. As an active broker in British Columbia, I see first hand both the opportunities and challenges our industry faces — particularly around regulations, client expectations, and the need for stronger professional standards.
I am especially passionate about education and mentorship. Through my work developing training content for brokers, I focus on helping professionals build sustainable, relationship-driven businesses rooted in trust rather than transactional sales. I believe the future of our industry depends on brokers who are not only technically skilled, but also ethical, transparent, and client-centered.
If selected, I would bring a collaborative, forward-thinking perspective to the board. I am motivated to contribute to initiatives that support broker success, enhance public trust, and ensure our industry continues to grow in a responsible and respected way. I would be honoured to represent my peers and help shape the future of mortgage brokering.