Commissioner Bios

The Treaty Commission's impartiality and ability to provide a balanced perspective is reflected in its composition and the way it makes decisions. Commissioners do not represent the Principals that appoint them, but act independently. Decisions require the support of one appointee of each of the Principals.

The First Nations Summit appoints two commissioners and the federal and provincial governments appoint one each. The chief commissioner is appointed to a three-year term by agreement of the three parties. The four part-time commissioners serve two-year terms.

Sophie Pierre
Sophie Pierre is a respected leader among BC First Nations. Prior to her appointment as chief commissioner, Pierre led the St. Mary's Indian Band for 30 years as elected chief and was the administrator of the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council for 25 years. She also served as the tribal chair of the Ktunaxa Nation Council, chairperson of the First Nations Finance Authority, president of St. Eugene Mission Holdings Ltd. and co-chair of the International Advisory Committee to the Indigenous Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy for the University of Arizona. Pierre was involved in the work of the British Columbia Claims Task Force and served as a co-chair of the First Nations Summit. She has also served on several boards and committees, including the Environmental and Aboriginal Relations Committee of the BC Hydro & Power Authority and the First Nations Congress. Pierre was recognized with the Order of British Columbia in 2002 and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the business category in 2003.
Robert Phillips
Robert Phillips' was elected by the First Nations Summit to a second term as commissioner in March 2009. Phillips is a member of the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw (Shuswap) of the Canim Lake First Nation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University College of the Fraser Valley. Phillips served as Chief Negotiator and prior to that as Self-Government Director at the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council since 1998. He also has an extensive background in aboriginal justice and economic development.
Jerry Lampert
Jerry Lampert was appointed in December 2007 by the Government of Canada and re-appointed to a two-year term in December 2009. Lampert served for 15 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of British Columbia, where he was a vocal advocate for developing better business relationships with First Nations in British Columbia. Prior to joining the Business Council, Lampert was a principal in a government relations/public affairs consulting firm offering strategic and tactical advice to private sector corporations in their dealings with governments. He served as Chief of Staff to two Premiers of British Columbia and managed two successful provincial election campaigns in British Columbia. He has held many key political organization and advisory positions.
Dave C. Haggard
Dave Haggard was appointed to a two-year term in February 2008 by the Government of British Columbia and re-appointed in February 2010. A long-time labour leader and forestry advocate, Haggard has extensive experience facilitating negotiations with industry, labour, government and First Nations. Haggard has worked with a number of Vancouver Island First Nations, including the Maa-nulth.  He was first elected in 1996 as national president of the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada and has served as vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress and the B.C. Federation of Labour. Born in Kamloops and raised in Barriere, Haggard’s grandmother was a member of Simpcw First Nation (Chu Chua) located by the North Thompson River. He is married to Eileen, a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation.
Shana Manson
Lahalawuts’aat, Shana Manson was elected to a first term as commissioner at the First Nations Summit in November 2009. She is a member of the Lyackson First Nation.

Manson was treaty negotiator for the Hupacasath First Nation for the past two years, where she was also responsible for nation building and constitutional development. As treaty negotiator she participated in the Common Table negotiations and served as technical support during the negotiations on governance and shared decision making.

Manson was employed by the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group for six years as Communications Director and Senior Negotiations Support.

She has a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Indigenous Governance, both from the University of Victoria. Her graduate studies included Dispute Resolution with Gord Sloan and Cross Cultural Mediation with Michelle LeBaron. Manson is also a sessional instructor for the First Nations Studies Department at Vancouver Island University.