Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation announces Lisa Southern as Integrity Commissioner

Beginning in July 2023, Lisa Southern will commence the inaugural role of Integrity Commissioner for Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.

Ms. Southern is an accomplished lawyer with extensive experience in labour and employment law, including guiding organizations through complex issues involving privacy, human rights, and workplace health and safety. Some notable achievements supporting public sector organizations and the field of sports include:

• Appointee of the British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General to the 2019 Judicial Compensation Commission.
• Member of the Government of Canada’s national roster of workplace harassment and violence prevention investigators since 2021
• Appointed by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner as Independent Investigation/Assessor member in 2022
• Appointed as the first Integrity Commissioner for the City of Vancouver under the new Code of Conduct By-Law No. 12886 in 2022

The Park Board passed a Code of Conduct policy on July 18, 2022, aligning its ethics regime with that of the City of Vancouver. Ms. Southern will act as the Integrity Commissioner for both the City of Vancouver and the Park Board.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have a seasoned and respected legal expert like Lisa Southern in this role,” said Scott Jensen, Chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. “Her efforts will assist us in ensuring the highest level of support for the users and residents of our facilities and spaces, as well as for the dedicated staff and suppliers who operate them.”

“I am honoured to support the Park Board in meeting its mission in alignment with the Code of Conduct. The Park Board and City of Vancouver Council continue to demonstrate courageous leadership by self-mandating expectations for conduct and establishing mechanisms for accountability and transparency in ethical conduct. I am proud to be a contributor to their work”.