Marika Sandrelli

For over 44 years, Marika Sandrelli worked in outreach, counselling, education and community development with people experiencing social exclusion from poverty, homelessness, mental health and substance-use issues in several countries in Africa and Central America and in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 

Recently retired, Marika worked for Fraser Health for over 20 years in various leadership roles including the region's first Knowledge Exchange Leader and Director of Research, and Evaluation in Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Marika founded the region's Trauma and Resiliency Informed Practice initiative and still provides leadership support for that globally recognized program.   

Marika has been involved in program planning, monitoring and evaluation in a variety of diverse settings, from individual programs within non-profit organizations to multiple system-level contexts with over 5,000 collaborators and partners. She works with leaders in the evaluation field, including the developmental evaluation founder, Michael Quinn Patton, and the outcome mapping founder, Terry Smutylo.

Marika graduated with a master in education in contemplative education focusing on hope theory and compassion-led practices in response to distress and despair. She lives in Mission, B.C., with her partner and three dogs where all are dedicated to expanding ethical animal-assisted supports for learning, social inclusion, comfort and healing. 

Marika is also an advisor for the Evaluation for Social Change and Transformational Learning Certificate program.