Board of Governors

Over the years, the Island Pacific School Society has been very fortunate to continually attract a diverse range of Board members who bring strong qualifications, a wide range of skills and experience, and most importantly, a deep interest in education and student development.

We are pleased to announce that Travis Beals has been appointed as the new Chair of the IPS Board of Directors. Joining the board this year are John Parker, Sophie Middleton, and Cooper McGuire.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Michael Florendo, our past Chair, who will continue to serve on the board as Past Chair and Ombudsperson, providing a direct line of support for parents and ensuring the board remains accessible to the school community.

Our passionate Board ensures that IPS is focused on the Big Picture, while still delivering exceptional learning experiences through a strong school administration and faculty foundation. We are as dynamic and innovative today as we were the day we started, 30 years ago. Read the Executive Summary of our Strategic Plan.

Mission

Island Pacific School is an independent middle school that equips and inspires students to cultivate their humanity at this pivotal point in their lives. We are an education community that fosters intellectual engagement, citizenship, leadership, and self-confidence.

Vision

Island Pacific School is widely recognized as a distinctly different, innovative leader of program excellence in middle school education.

Board Members 2025-26

Travis Beals — Board Chair

Travis and his wife Kathryn both grew up in small BC island communities. They wanted the same for their three kids, and moved to Bowen in 2020. Their son Max graduated from Island Pacific School in June 2025, their son Storm currently attends IPS, and their youngest is at Bowen Island Community School. They were drawn to IPS by its focus on integrity, curiosity and engagement with the community and nature. They are also both passionate about science; at their kids’ prior school, they started an after-school science club with experiences ranging from liquid nitrogen ice cream to air-pressure rockets.

Travis is Senior Director of Business Operations & Strategy at Google, where he focuses on issues related to the intersection of technology & society, such as AI and sustainability. Travis holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and is an alumni of UBC physics and computer science.
Joseph Cooke — Treasurer

Joseph and his family have been Bowen Island residents for 10 years. He is currently the president of a multinational technology firm with operations across APAC and a headcount in excess of 400.

Joseph has been recognized as CIBC’s Top Entrepreneur, EY’s 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and a recipient of BIV’s 40 under 40 in 2021.

As an active member of the Bowen Island community, Joseph has served on numerous boards including the Bowen Children’s Centre (BCC), the Community School Association (CSA), and is the current Chair of the Bowen Island Gymnastics Club.

Joseph’s eldest daughter currently attends IPS in grade seven and his youngest daughter, in grade three will attend IPS in grade six.
Sophie Middleton — Secretary
Michael Florendo — Past Chair, Ombudsperson

Michael and his wife moved to Bowen Island in 2005 and have had the privilege to send both of their children to IPS. The school’s focus on fostering intellectual engagement, citizenship, leadership, and self-confidence were key reasons their children attend IPS.

Born in the Philippines and raised on the North Shore, Michael is an alumni of UBC Engineering. As a licensed Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience, he has delivered community infrastructure projects across western Canada and the USA for various levels of government and First Nation communities. His focus is on resilient and sustainable infrastructure design for projects for the Province of BC and Metro Vancouver.

He currently serves as a National Director for the Canadian Water Resources Association and as a committee chair for the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of British Columbia.
John Parker — Director

John Parker, an IPS parent, has been a lawyer, journalist, environmental activist, and entrepreneur. His older daughter is an IPS alumna, and his youngest daughter currently attends the school.

John is currently Chairman of Fresh Tracks Canada, a travel company based in Vancouver.
Cooper McGuire — Director
Jun Wang — Development Committee

Jun has a Master’s Degree in Information Technology from the University of Nottingham in the UK. She has worked in many different countries including the UK, US and China, and also worked for many Global companies, such as HP, TCS and Capgemini.

She is now a partner of a big data company and one of the founders of WingChun Kongfu Academy. She is also the director of Enhance West Van. She has lived in West Vancouver with her husband and three children for the past eight years.
Cameron Chell — Director

Cameron Chell is a seasoned entrepreneur and technology pioneer with over 25 years of experience leading innovative ventures. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Draganfly Inc., an award-winning leader in drone technology, software, and AI systems that serve sectors from public safety to agriculture. Cameron also co-founded Business Instincts Group, a venture creation firm recognized for its “BIG Thinking” approach focused on clarity, alignment, and execution. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to empowering teams, driving innovation, and developing technology that creates meaningful, positive impact.

13 Students from the Mainland

32 Students from Bowen Island

Our independent middle school is a not-for-profit organization, which is different from a private middle school. We embrace the opportunities we have as an independent school with an arms-length Board of Governors dedicated to supporting an innovative and evolving middle school program. Not all independent schools or private schools meet rigorous and defined education standards. Our school is an accredited CAIS school and International Baccalaureate (IB) Global School teaching the Middle Years Programme (MYP). We’ve been accredited since 2009.

Board of Governors

Mission

Vision

Board Members 2025-26

Address

Useful Links

Hours

Get Social

Talk to Admissions

Call the School

Masterworks: Big Ideas, Bigger Impact

June 9th & 10th, 2026