Meet Our New Policy Analysts: Isabel Diavolitsis, Tara Fernando, and Dominique Garreaud

By  Isabel Diavolitsis, Tara Fernando, Dominique Garreaud, and Margaret Ovenell

We are thrilled to introduce the newest members of the AIRP-VABE Partnership team: Isabel Diavolitsis, Tara Fernando, and Dominique Garreaud. To help you get to know them better, we sat down for a quick chat about their backgrounds, how they will bring their policy experience to the AIRP-VABE Partnership, and their visions for the future of their work. Read on to learn more about our new Policy Analysts.

Can you tell us a little about your background and previous experience?

Isabel Diavolitsis: I completed my Master’s in Public Policy at McGill University and am currently working as a Policy Analyst for the British Columbia Public Service’s Ministry of Children and Family Development. I also previously worked in educational outreach for Indigenous high school students and in sustainability for Waterloo Region. I’m originally from Ontario and just moved to Vancouver in October 2023.

Tara Fernando: I completed my BSc and Master of Public Health (MPH) at SFU. During my MPH I was privileged to work as the communications lead at AIRP. Post-MPH I worked as the Knowledge Communications Coordinator at the Balanced Supply of Housing node out of UBC. I am concurrently occupying the roles of Strategic KT Specialist at Hey Neighbour Collective and Policy Analyst at AIRP. 

Dominique Garreaud: I moved from Peru to Canada in 2022 to pursue my Master’s in Public Policy at McGill University in Montreal. Currently, I am working as a Senior Policy Analyst for the BC Ministry of Health in the Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections team. Previously, I worked as a Policy Analyst at the Peruvian Ministry of Education. I haveadditional experience in other education settings, and in the innovation and technology sectors.  

The position of Policy Analyst is a new addition to the AIRP-VABE Partnership's team. How do you see your role contributing to the overall success of the project?

Isabel Diavolitsis: I’m excited to bridge the gap between academia and policy by bringing some solutionable recommendations to the table. As a team, I think we will contribute to the success of AIRP through building relationships with policy professionals and getting aging in the right place into the minds of change-makers.

Tara Fernando: Knowledge translation/knowledge mobilization (KT/KM) are my greatest passions, and, to me, policy analysis feels like one big KT/KM opportunity with policymakers as the primary audience. I am excited to take all of the incredible findings AIRP has collected across the years and translate them into applicable, relevant, actionable policy recommendations. 

Dominique Garreaud: The Policy Analyst team will add valuable experience to the AIRP-VABE Partnership by turning the incredible research that has already been done into tangible, real-world solutions to recommend to governments across Canada. The development of a policy paper will help in disseminating these solutions and making sure that they get to the hands and eyes of high-level decision makers in housing policy.

What are your initial goals and objectives in this new role?

Isabel Diavolitsis: My goal is to understand where the gaps in housing strategies are - we know that older persons experiencing homelessness are in need of affordable and accessible housing, but where and how exactly they aren’t receiving that would be great to understand (and/or which of multiple factors to prioritize)!

Tara Fernando: My goal is to ensure that the work we’re doing is applicable to older adults with experiences of homelessness. It is so important to me that we are not just pulling recommendations out of our own interests, but rather, that we are engaging with the team, lived expertise advisors, and other older persons experiencing homelessness to understand where exactly the most pressing policy gaps are. 

Dominique Garreaud: I would like for the work that we are doing to become something that governments can use to guide their decisions around housing for older adults. Lots of gaps can be found in policies surrounding affordable and accessible housing, especially for older adults, and even more so for those who have experiences of homelessness. My goal is to try and find innovative and plausible recommendations for those gaps.  

What attracted you to this research project?

Isabel Diavolitsis: I’m really interested in social policy and understanding how people are affected by societal rules and this research project is a perfect mix of interesting social policy and a population I haven’t worked with before. Also, as a person who rents housing in Vancouver, I am affected by the housing and cost of living crises and want to do my part, using skills I have, to contribute solutions.

Tara Fernando: Many things attracted me to this role, primarily 1. I was so excited for the opportunity to work with Sarah and the AIRP team again, 2. policy analysis appealed to me as a form of KT/KM I had not professionally engaged in before, and so, I was excited to learn some new skills and apply my existing skills to a different medium. 

Dominique Garreaud: It is not news, or even a surprise, that Canada has a serious housing problem. So much of the conversation about this crisis revolves around young people and their pathways from homelessness to affordable housing.The gap in the conversation and work surrounding older adults drew me to this role and to this area of policy. 

Can you share something interesting about yourself that isn’t on your resume?

Isabel Diavolitsis: I’m the oldest of five siblings, I sing in Elektra (a Vancouver-based choir), and I went camping for the first time in June of this year!

Tara Fernando: I was born and raised in Sri Lanka so, sticking to my roots, I love being out in nature, swimming, and fresh fruits!  

Dominique Garreaud: I was born and raised in Peru, love to stay active by running and cycling, and enjoy watching any and all live sports!