In order to run our annual session in Victoria every year, there is a large group of volunteers who come together and make the event a success! These volunteers are called House Servants and below are some short biographies to introduce them before meeting at Session.
Kate Ryan-Lloyd | Lieutenant Governor
Kate Ryan-Lloyd serves as the Acting Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. After completing an undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of Victoria, Kate obtained a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of British Columbia. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Leadership from Royal Roads University and is working towards a Master of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. In 1992, Kate joined the staff of the Legislative Library of British Columbia, where she served Members of the Legislative Assembly and House officials for seven years. In 1999, Kate was appointed Committee Clerk and worked closely with the Members of Parliamentary committees. She was appointed to the position of Table Officer, serving the House as Clerk Assistant in 2002. In May 2010, she was appointed Acting Clerk of Committees. Kate has served as Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees since September 2011, and was also appointed Acting Clerk in November 2018. Kate has published articles in the Canadian Parliamentary Review, the Parliamentarian, and the Canadian Law Libraries Journal. She is an active member of many professional associations, and served as President of the Association of Clerks-at-the-Table in Canada. Kate is also Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees, a position which she has held since 2016, and is also on the Advisory Board, Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation as well as a member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Parliamentary Review. Kate is captain of the Parliamentary Pacers 10k running team. She completed the 2016, 2018 and 2019 Boston Marathons, qualified for the 2020 Boston Marathon, and is looking forward to participating again in this historic race. Kate is married to Ken and they have one son, Seamus, and two daughters, Megan and Molly.
Artour Sogomonian | Speaker of the House and Executive Director
Artour Sogomonian has served on the BCYP Senate as Executive Director since 2017. Prior to this, he volunteered at Session, and was a member of the 79th BCYP, where he was sadly/proudly a marble kisser. His experience in BCYP fueled his interest and love of Parliament and what the institution represents in our democracy. It also launched Artour into a Parliamentary career, where he has served in a non-partisan capacity for over 10 years and counting. Artour proudly calls himself an aspiring parliamentologist. He recently served as an Assistant Editor of the fifth edition of Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, which is amongst his proudest professional contributions. Artour has a BSocSc (Specialization in Political Science, Minor in Law) from the University of Ottawa and an MA (Public Ethics) conferred jointly by Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa. In his spare time, Artour enjoys hiking, cycling, being outdoors, and reading.
Sky Losier | Acting Executive Director and Press Secretary
Sky T. Losier is serving his second term on Senate as Deputy Executive Director and Press Secretary after having served as a Member of Youth Parliament between the 85th and 89th Parliaments. During his time as a Member, Sky served as Minister of Camp Phoenix & Camp Administrator, Premier, Leader of the Opposition, Provincial Secretary and Minister of the Islands (listed in order of preference). Sky joined BCYP because of his passion for politics and the environment but stayed with the organization because of his love of summer camps. In his life outside BCYP, Sky has spent the last five years working on over a dozen campaigns at the municipal, provincial, and federal level. Most recently, Sky led a national team responsible for supporting over 250 campaigns during the 2019 Federal Election. After spending time working in Ottawa on Parliament Hill, Sky has recently moved back to BC. Currently, he spends most of his time on Mayne Island or on his boat in the Salish Sea and works as an independent political consultant. His clients include NGOs, Senators, Members of Parliament, and political parties at the provincial and national levels. A true w(b)est coaster at heart, in what little free time he has, Sky likes to get outside and explore the natural world.
Ambrose Yung | Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
Ambrose is serving as Clerk of the Legislative Assembly again this year having served for the past three years. A member of BCYP from the 82nd to 87th Parliaments, he has served in various roles including Deputy Speaker, Premier, and Attorney General. He currently serves as a director at large on the Alumni Society Board of Directors. A graduate of SFU with a BA Major in Political Science and a Minor in History, he currently works with two major international airlines.
Mackenzie Lockhart | Assistant Clerk
Mac Lockhart is a PhD student at the University of California, San Diego where his research focuses on the roll of information in Congressional primary elections. Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, he previously completed a BA and an MA with an emphasis in Canadian politics at the University of British Columbia. Mac is returning for his second year as an Assistant Clerk, and this year has also joined Senate as a Director at-large. In his youth, Mac was a member of the 84th through the 89th Sessions and served as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Attorney General, Assistant Camp Administrator, and Minister of Parliamentary Education (among other things). He also attended numerous Camps Phoenix, RYPs and WCYPs, growing his passion for the Youth Parliament movement. When he isn’t being swamped by a pile of grading or a meeting with his advisor he forgot to prepare for, Mac spends most of his free time taking advantage of San Diego’s beautiful beaches, mountains and weather with his friends. He is also planning to begin his podcasting career soon with a podcast recapping weekly episodes of Riverdale.
Angus Lockhart | Assistant Clerk
Angus Lockhart is serving in his first year on Senator, returning to Youth Parliament for the first time after aging out in the 89th Session. This year he has taken on the role of Director of Alumni Affairs for Senate. During his time in Parliament, he served in a variety of positions, including Minister of Finance, Attorney General and Deputy Speaker and served as a cabin leader at Camp Phoenix from the 87th Session to the 89th Session. Beyond these roles, Angus also served in a variety of positions at countless Regional Youth Parliaments, and has attended the Western Canada Youth Parliament in all four western provinces. Since completing his Masters in Arts at Simon Fraser University in political science, Angus has now moved to across the country to Toronto where he works at a public opinion research firm.
Rhonda Vanderfluit | Registrar
Rhonda Vanderfluit is the current Senate Registrar. She was previously on Senate in 1993, 1995 and 1997 – 2003, and rejoined Senate in 2011 after an eight-year absence. She has served as Chief Returning Officer, Registrar, Secretary, and Alumni Affairs Director. She has also served repeatedly as Head Clerk, Assistant Clerk and was honoured to be the Speaker of the 73rd Parliament. A member of the 57th – 62nd Sessions, Rhonda held the portfolios of Attorney General, Camp Phoenix, Provincial Secretary, Lower Mainland, Deputy Minister of the Interior, was on Shadow Cabinet and has attended Western Canada Youth Parliament. Rhonda used to be a high school teacher at the Inter-A program in Surrey and is now a family physician at Bayswater Family Practice in Vancouver. She is married to Jason Herbert (member of BCYP’s 60th – 63rd Sessions and current Senate Chair); they have two children, Zara and Kieran.
Darya Ali | Chief Returning Officer
Darya Ali is a fourth year Senator and is serving as Chief Returning Officer after two years of acting as Secretary and a year as Deputy Returning Officer. During her six years in Parliament, she served as Deputy Speaker, Premier, Minister of Regional Youth Parliaments, and Minister of Camp Phoenix, amongst other things. She has attended all six RYPS multiple times, serving in a variety of House Servant positions. Although she has never attended the Western Canada Youth Parliament (or one of its many forms) as a member, she did assist in organizing the 2012 session as Deputy Minister of External Affairs. She has her Master's of Science in Anatomical Sciences, a Bachelor of Science in Genetics, and is currently a training primary care paramedic. When she is not wearing fancy dressing and power-walking around the legislature, Darya can be found carbo-loading, petting dogs, or celebrating Halloween. She's very excited for this year's Session and can't wait to meet you all!
Jason Herbert | Senate Chair
Jason Herbert is currently serving in his 12th (non-consecutive) year on Senate, and his eighth (non-consecutive) year as Chair. Jason previously served as a Senator for nine years, from 1997 to 2006, and as Chair for five years, from 1999 to 2004, before rejoining Senate as Chair in 2017. During his 11-year absence from Senate, Jason also participated in numerous Senate meetings between 2011 and 2017 in a non-voting capacity as an active alumnus, and hosted many of those meetings at the law firm of DLA Piper (Canada) LLP (formerly Davis LLP) where Jason is a litigation partner, practicing in the area of administrative and regulatory law. Jason first joined BCYP in 1988, after serving as Minister of Finance of the 1st Session of the Vancouver Youth Parliament, and was a member of the 60th to 63rd Parliaments, during which time he served as Attorney General, Leader of the Opposition, and Minister of Finance. He also attended the 8th (and, sadly, last) Session of the Youth Parliament of Canada/Parlement jeunesse du Canada in Ottawa in 1990, and the 5th Session of the Western Canada Youth Parliament in Edmonton in 1991. After “retiring” from Parliament, Jason served as a Clerk at several Sessions (including as Head Clerk of the 66th Parliament), served as Registrar for three years, and was the Speaker of the 74th and 81st Parliaments. Jason lives in Yaletown on the former site of Expo 86’s Spanish Pavilion with his wife Rhonda Vanderfluit and their two children, Zara and Kieran.
Ayaan Jeraj | Sergeant-at-Arms
Ayaan Jeraj attended BCYP for the past two years as a page and is returning this year as the Sergeant-at-Arms. He is currently a grade eight student at Prince of Wales Mini School in Vancouver. Ayaan is actively involved in Model United Nations and loves to debate and exchange ideas with his friends and peers. Ayaan is fluent in French, and loves to cook and play sports such as soccer, golf, rugby and skiing. Ayaan is intentionally stubborn in his pursuit of excellence and kindness.
Emily Wang | Microphone Operator
Emily Wang is currently a Grade 10 student attending J.N. Burnett Secondary in Richmond. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet new people and learn more about the Parliamentary structure through volunteering for BCYP. Emily is also heavily involved in her school’s Model United Nations club, which greatly increased her interest in public speaking and global affairs. When avoiding schoolwork, Emily enjoys playing the tenor saxophone, attempting to sing, and researching study tips she will never use.
Dorothy Zeng | Microphone Operator
Dorothy Zeng is currently a Grade 10 student at J.N. Burnett Secondary in Richmond. She attended the 1st Richmond Delta Youth Parliament just this year in hopes of improving her public speaking skills. She is extremely grateful for this opportunity to be able to connect with this community again through volunteering. At school, she is largely involved in their Model United Nations and Book club. She likes helping out at the Richmond Brighouse Library as well as the school library from time to time. Along with her horrible memory, Dorothy struggles with the pains of procrastination and low motivation levels. In her supposed “free” time, she likes reading recipes of foods that she would never make and researching various travel destinations to which she will never go.
Yours in Parliament,
Zara Herbert