The VULS is governed by a 7-person volunteer Board of Directors, managed by over 15 Staff, and supported by dozens of coaches, instructors, and volunteers.
The Board sets the long-term priorities, objectives and policies for the Society. See our Board FAQ for an overview of what's involved in being on the board board Board FAQ. Staff then design and implement programs to meet those objectives. For more information on how we operate, see Governance.
To contact any VUL representative, please see the Contact Us page.
Board of Directors
Senior Staff
- Diane St-Denis - Executive Director
- Tristan Brown - League Manager
- William Arlotta - Youth Programs Manager
- Michael Dorsey - Web Systems & IT Manager
- Shanna Rice - Community Engagement Manager
- Jeremy Quan - Regional League Coordinator & Merchandise Coordinator
- Matthew Berezan - Youth Coaching Coordinator
Board of Directors
Sarah Cawston-Stewart
Sarah got her first taste of ultimate in high school in 2003. She played the VUL for the first time that summer and has never looked back. She loves the camaraderie, and friendships she’s made from playing Frisbee. Through its commitment to the spirit of the game, this sport takes sportsmanship combined with talent to the next level. Also the heckling; she loves the heckling. She’s had the pleasure to play mixed summer, mixed winter, mixed winter hat, fall grass, winter Parity, mentor women’s fall turf, and more tournaments (recreational, touring, mixed and women’s) than she can count. She played for 2 years in England on an English Mixed team that went to World’s 2010 in Prague.
Meanwhile, back in Canada Sarah has played with Zephyr and Wendigo women’s club, and most recently with Fable mixed ultimate club. When Sarah isn’t playing Frisbee, she loudly tinkers away at making music in her home studio. She earns a living as a self-employed contractor teaching piano and trumpet to students of all ages. Sarah previously served as Secretary, and Vice President and is now the board's President.
Term: 2020-2022
Roles: President
Teams: ClamWow!, Buck Fugly, Outcasts, Care Bears (’07). Past touring: Zephyr, Wendigo (now Koi). Current touring: Fable Mixed Ultimate Club
Lisa Riddle
Lisa started playing ultimate with friends in 1998 in Toronto. She joined her first team in 1999 in Vancouver and played competitively for a couple of years with Idle Hands and the Roughriders, among others, before having her daughter. Her passion for ultimate has never waned and, as a result, she recently started teaching ultimate to the kids at her daughter's school in North Vancouver.
Ultimate has so much to offer young people that is not being provided in other sports, in the spirit of the game and the development of mediation skills when conflict arises. It also allows for those skills to be developed while playing with people of different genders. And, it's just so much more fun than other sports!
Lisa works as a lawyer at the Department of Justice and is a passionate advocate for equality. Outside of ultimate, Lisa and her daughter spend all their spare time riding horses.
Term: 2022-2024
Roles: Vice-President
Teams: Idle Hands, LikAStik, Roughriders
David Midgley
David began playing ultimate by throwing a disc around with his high school friends while waiting for the school bus; however, it wasn't until six years later that he joined his first organized team in the VUL. He's played in seven consecutive summer leagues and since discovering that turf leagues play year-round he hasn't missed a season. After making many great friends over the years, David is hoping to use this board position to give back to the community which has provided him with so much fun and happiness.
When not on the field, David spends his time working as a finance and operations professional at startups in Vancouver, surfing as much as possible, or planning fun activities with friends.
Term: 2022-2024
Roles: Treasurer, Finance Committee (Chair)
Teams: Current: Disco Throw Inferno, Double Rainbow, Mr. Chung's. Past: Iceman
Trisha Roberson
Trisha joined the board in 2016 and has served as President, the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, as well as on the Finance Committee, Hall of Fame Committee, and Code of Conduct Committee.
In 2017 she helped found the mixed touring teams Fable and Mastadon to create a sustained, competitive mixed program in Vancouver. She captained Fable from 2017 to 2019. With female-matching and male-matching players on the field, mixed ultimate is an important arena for promoting gender equity and the Spirit of the Game. In 2018, Trisha along with other Fable leadership helped form a second mixed team, Mola Mola. In 2019, Trisha helped foster the growth of the beach ultimate community in Vancouver, hosting the twice-weekly Famous Vancouver Beach Ultimate Pickup Game.
Trisha works as an operations manager at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre and holds a BSc in Physics and Philosophy, a MSc in Geophysics, and a PMP designation. When not training for, researching, watching, or playing ultimate, Trisha can be found reading, hiking, cycling, or thinking about science, feminism, social justice, and how to save the planet.
Term: 2020-2022
Roles: Secretary
Teams: Fable (mixed touring), Zephyr (women's touring)
Ari Metzger
Ari has been playing ultimate since 2008 and with the VUL since moving to Vancouver in 2018. Always looking for more ways to contribute to the growth of the community that he loves, he's excited and honoured to be a part of the VUL board. He has a great appreciation for the sport that has given him a strong sense of community and many good friends (even helping him meet his wife) during his time playing in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Louisiana, and now Vancouver. He has also recently started coaching and is always excited to find ways to pitch in as a coach.
Professionally, Ari is a consultant in the healthcare industry with experience in organizational change, project management, and organizational leadership. He has a sincere dedication to bringing all parties to the table to ensure that every voice is fairly heard and all perspectives are represented and considered. In his tenure on the VUL board, he hopes to help maintain and build the vibrant, diverse, and welcoming community that he has found with the VUL, ensuring a long and robust future.
Term: 2020-2022
Roles: Member at Large
Teams: Dragon Sound, Game of Throws (and he loves hat leagues!)
Zun Zhang
Zun started playing ultimate at Prince of Wales high school and has since played with the Misfit youth program and in the states with the UC Berkeley Men's team. Since returning to Vancouver, Zun has volunteered with the VUL strategic planning and governance committees, working on evaluating the league's core values as well as collaborating with members on the board's crisis management plan.
Outside of ultimate, Zun works at an HR consulting firm where he helps advise clients on topics related to compensation, talent strategy, and governance.
Term: 2022-2024
Roles: Member at Large, HR Committee (Chair)
Teams: Ruckus, Misfit, UGMO, Breakside, Dog Sport
Ken Su
Ken is privileged and grateful to be able to serve on the board of the VULS. Since having the good fortune of being introduced to ultimate in high school via outreach efforts of the BCDSS, he has loved the game and truly appreciated the Vancouver disc sports community. He strives every day to live by the principles behind the name 'ultimate,' the Spirit of the Game, and the many unique aspects of our sport. He started playing ultimate in the VUL in 1992 and has been lucky enough to have the chance to play with several teams and meet so many amazing ultimate people over the years. Ken was away from Vancouver between 2004 and 2016 in China where he was involved with introducing ultimate to new people across China and the ongoing early-stage development of the ultimate community and ultimate organizations in China.
Since returning to Vancouver, Ken has enjoyed getting back on the field with old friends and teammates and meeting new players and teams. He is honoured to have been re-elected to the board and will work hard for the members and support the VULS in any way he can.
Outside of Ultimate, Ken spends time working with clients on their mergers and acquisitions and cross-border investments, as well as being a dad to his energetic young son.
Term: 2022-2024
Roles: Member at Large, Hall of Fame Committee (Chair), Governance (Chair)
Teams: Current: ReTox, Weeble, Marauders. Past: Funky Chickens, Vertical Sidewalk, Discombobulators, Vinnie Barbarino, Sippin' Sunshine, Salmon Envy, Flying Warthogs
Staff
Diane comes to the VUL with extensive experience in sports delivery models, management, HR and communications. Her experience as Executive Director for Judo British Columbia, Canada West and her role as Media Summit Coordinator and Communications specialist with the Canadian Olympic Committee is just a small glimpse into what Diane brings to the Vancouver Ultimate League.
We are excited to have her with us. Diane’s track record of providing positive change to any organization she is a part of speaks to the heart and soul of ultimate and spirit of the game that we hold dear.
Role: Executive Director
Tristan started playing Ultimate in 2001 for his intramural dorm team at UBC. From there he joined the VUL the next summer playing with his cousin’s team. Since then, he has played on a variety of teams and at all different recreational levels in the VUL, and also a semester of club ultimate in England while on academic exchange.
While his age has increased, so has Tristan’s love and passion for the sport of Ultimate and the community it creates throughout Vancouver and beyond.
Before working for the VUL, Tristan was the Intramural Leagues Coordinator for UBC Recreation where he organized recreational sports leagues for the students of UBC, including Ultimate, for 13 years.
Role: Leagues Manager
Teams: Current – Just a fling and Preshslice and the Gang Past – Stacked, Discombobulated, Random Fling (England)
William Arlotta
William brings a wealth of experience in playing and organizing Ultimate at all levels, including 20+ years with the VUL and 16+ years with the BC Ultimate Society (previously the BC Disc Sports Society). His biggest passion is giving children the opportunity to play sports, so why not the sport he loves so much! Feel free to reach out to him directly if you want to help him in his quest to have more kids playing Ultimate, i.e. you want to coach, be an instructor, etc.
Role: Youth Manager
Teams: Past: The Eddies
Michael Dorsey
Michael has been playing team sports for as long as he can remember, mostly football, baseball and basketball with a bit of ultimate sprinkled on top. He loves the competition and camaraderie when working together as a team.
Michael is responsible for maintaining and improving the League Management System and all things digital for VUL. He wants to help the organization grow and be a leader in the recreational sports community.
Role: Web Systems Manager
Shanna Rice
Shanna started playing Ultimate in 2011 in Kitchener/Waterloo in Ontario and was immediately hooked on the sport and culture of Ultimate. She started touring in 2012 and started volunteering within the community in the same year.
Shanna is excited to be in Vancouver and is eager to promote Ultimate at all levels and to all ages of Ultimate players throughout Metro Vancouver. She loves introducing people to Ultimate, giving them an opportunity to develop new friendships, experience the unique competitive nature, and develop a healthier lifestyle. Spirit of the Game is near and dear to her heart!
Role: Community Engagement Manager
Teams (Ontario): What Would Neil Patrick Harris Do?, Hustle & Flow. Touring: Whiplash (2012), Viper (2017-2019) - Vancouver Teams: #DiscsOutForHarmabe
Jeremy has been involved with ultimate since 2005 - he was introduced to the sport by some friends who brought him to youth pickup and has been hooked ever since. Ever since then, he’s played on a variety of VUL teams, in mostly the capacity of a captain. Additionally, he’s been a behind-the-scenes administrator with the VUL, BC Ultimate Society, Ultimate Canada, the Vancouver Nighthawks and the Vancouver Riptide - from organizing events and tournaments, to running the ticket sales at professional games, he utilizes his skills and experiences to elevate the sport in Vancouver and beyond.
When Jeremy isn’t throwing plastic, and working with the VUL leagues/merchandise, he is a Recreation Programmer II with the Vancouver Parks Board, organizing programs and activities for the local community of Yaletown. You can also find him in the bush, hunting his next deer or in the marsh, wading after ducks.
Roles: Regional League Coordinator & Merchandise Coordinator
Team: #DiscsOutForHarambe (and many other teams previously)
Originally from Edmonton, AB, Matthew first discovered Ultimate in his high school gym class. He started his competitive career at the University of Alberta and with the Edmonton mixed team PsychoPlastique, he then went on to play for UBC and Furious George. Matthew has been lucky enough to compete at the World Ultimate Club Championships, represented Canada at the World Ultimate and Guts Championships and was an alternate for Canada's World Games team.
After retiring from playing in 2015, he has pursued coaching Ultimate. His coaching career has led him to coach women's, men's and junior divisions. Including the Vancouver-based team's Zephyr and currently Furious George. Matthew is also the co-coach for team Canada at the 2022 World Games!
Currently, he is pursuing a Master's degree at UBC in High-Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership to continue his coaching development. Matthew’s interest in coaching is rooted in a desire to help others develop, reach their potential, and meet their goals. He is excited to be a part of the VUL team and support all their exciting programs.
Roles: Coaching Coordinator