Shirley Nakata
Shirley Nakata is UBC Vancouver’s first Ombudsperson for Students.
Shirley was called to the B.C. Bar in 1989 after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree followed by her Ll.B from the University of British Columbia. She practiced law at Russell & DuMoulin (now Fasken Martineau) before moving to the Canadian Human Rights Commission where she worked as a Human Rights Officer. From 1996 to 2009, she was the Director of Professional Conduct at the British Columbia College of Teachers, where she gained extensive experience in investigations and the conduct of hearings and expertise in the area of administrative law.
She has been a frequent presenter on administrative law and professional regulatory issues in a variety of venues. Shirley has been a board member of the B.C. Council of Administrative Tribunals and member of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. She is a member of the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons, the Forum of Canadian Ombudsmen and the NorthWest Ombuds Group.
Michelle Quigg
Michelle is the Ombuds Officer and your first point of contact for the Ombuds Office-Vancouver Campus. Michelle did both her undergrad and law degree at UBC and was called to the B.C. Bar in 2007. In addition to an immigration law private practice, she has worked as a staff lawyer and program coordinator for the Access Pro Bono Society of BC and as an International Student Advisor at Vancouver Island University. Her recent volunteer work has focused on helping stateless people in Canada obtain citizenship. She’s happy to have found a home in Ombuds to continue championing fairness, problem-solving and compassion.
Cindy Leonard
Cindy is the Ombuds Officer and first point of contact for the UBC – Okanagan Campus. She relocated to Kelowna and brings experience from a long-serving career in the education sector. Cindy graduated with a B.Ed. from the Campus Saint-Jean, a French-language faculty of the University of Alberta in 1995. There, she developed the skills required to serve in many school boards and teach various French as a Second Language programs across Canada. While still holding a Professional Teaching Certificate in both BC and Ontario, she has made a natural transition to UBC Okanagan to fulfill her desire to continue supporting students as well as a culture and spirit of fairness. Cindy is a member of the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons.
