Jim McNamara was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He attended the University of Alberta, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Sociology. In 1985, Jim joined the RCMP, completing his training at Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan. He was initially posted to the Lower Mainland of BC, where he served in both uniform and plainclothes roles at various locations.

In 2004, Jim transferred to the Okanagan, working throughout the southeast region of the province before joining the Vernon North Okanagan Detachment in 2010, where he served for eight years. After 33 years of dedicated service, he retired in 2018 as Superintendent and Officer in Charge.

Motivated to continue contributing to his community after retirement, Jim became a volunteer member of the NONA Board of Directors in 2018, where he remains committed to supporting local children and families.

Danielle Saddleman comes from Nkmaplqs, the Head of the Lake, within the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) in Vernon, British Columbia. In 2015, she earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, majoring in Indigenous Studies and minoring in History. Currently serving as the Language and Culture Lead for the Okanagan Indian Band, Danielle recently completed her Master of Education in Leadership with a focus on Indigenous Resurgence at Simon Fraser University.

As a passionate champion for language and cultural renewal, Danielle plays a vital role in her community. Her dedication to language revitalization, traditional knowledge, and the overall health and well-being of her people is commendable. Before her current position, she was the coordinator of the Language Nest which works in conjunction with language revitalization and Early Years and whose mission is to bring Syilx language skills to the pre-school demographic in her community.

Danielle has been a NONA Board director since 2022, where she continues to contribute her expertise and passion for community development.

Jodi has proudly served as a Director on the NONA Child Development Centre Board since 2020. With over 30 years of volunteer experience in community development, she has actively participated on various nonprofit organizations’ boards in Vernon, including nine years with the Vernon Women’s Transition House and seven years with two minor sports organizations.

In addition to her board service, Jodi has volunteered with RCMP Victim Services and Vernon Emergency Services, coached several minor sports teams, served as a home share provider for nine years, and acted as a patient advocate for a rare disease organization. As a dedicated social worker with 25 years of experience, she is currently pursuing her master’s in social work.