Jasper may have been a bit jet-lagged during his first job interview at SFU. He remembers getting off the airplane and attending the interview only four hours later.
"I finished my degree at SFU as an exchange student in Dundee, Scotland and travelled around Eastern Europe before returning to Canada. I applied for a continuing CUPE job managing the spatial information systems lab. Since I received a degree in geography and had a background in computing, it was a great fit at the time."
Luckily, Jasper got the job. He became a founding member of the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) and helped to build the IT systems in that department from 2006 to 2012.
Jasper then moved into IT Services and worked in a variety of roles before joining FHS again in 2015. He won the 2018 Staff Award for Outstanding Service to the Faculty of Health Sciences and SFU for his work on the FHS Teaching, Research and Collaboration System (TRACS).
During his time at SFU, Jasper learned about unions and what they do for their members. He recognized that unions provide more than advocacy and stewardship.
His interest in APSA stemmed from this knowledge as well as knowing Jeff Bryer, an active member of the board. He chose to run for the board of directors as he now has the capacity to give back to APSA members. "I have respected what APSA has done for its members and how beneficial it has been." Jasper says, "Now is an important time for the association as there are changes that are happening here [at SFU]. The need for APSA and APSA’s importance is growing, not decreasing."
When I asked about his plans as a board member, Jasper explains, "I didn’t come with an agenda. I don’t take things on without ensuring that I have adequate time for them, and I’ll work hard to do the best I can for the membership and give back to APSA and subsequently the members."