Board & Staff

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. For an overview of what's involved in being on the Board, see our 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

Board of Directors

Trisha Roberson

Trisha currently serves as the President of the VUL on the Board of Directors. She joined the board in 2016 and has served as 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 with the goal of creating a sustained, competitive mixed program in Vancouver. She captained Fable from 2017-2019. With female-matching and male-matching players on the field, mixed ultimate is an important arena for promoting gender equity and 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 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: President, HR Committee, Finance Committee

Teams: Fable (mixed touring), Zephyr (women's touring)

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 absolutely loves the camaraderie, and friendships she’s made from playing Frisbee. This sport, through its commitment to spirit of the game, really 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, and mentor women’s fall turf, along with more tournaments (recreational, touring, mixed and women’s) than she can count. She played 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 is now the board's Vice President.

Term: 2020-2022

Roles: Vice President, Governance Committee, Hall of Fame Committee

Teams: ClamWow!, Buck Fugly, Outcasts, Care Bears (’07). Past touring: Zephyr, Wendigo (now Koi). Current touring: Fable Mixed Ultimate Club

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 a number of teams and meeting 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 honored to have been re-elected to the board and will work hard for the members and support the VULS 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: 2019-2021

Roles: Secretary, Hall of Fame Committee (Chair), Finance Committee

Teams: Current: ReTox, Weeble, Marauders. Past: Funky Chickens, Vertical Sidewalk, Discombobulators, Vinnie Barbarino, Sippin' Sunshine, Salmon Envy, Flying Warthogs 

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: 2019-2021

Roles: Treasurer, Finance Committee (Chair)

Teams: Current: Disco Throw Inferno, Double Rainbow, Mr. Chung's. Past: Iceman

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!)

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 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 in 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: 2019-2021

Roles: Member at Large, Governance Committee (Chair), HR Committee

Teams: Idle Hands, LikAStik, Roughriders

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: 2019-2021

Roles: Member at Large, HR Committee (Chair), Strategic Planning Committee

Teams: Ruckus, Misfit, UGMO, Breakside, Dog Sport

 

Staff

 

Diane St-Denis

Diane comes to the VUL with extensive experience in sport 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

 

Kurtis Stewart

Kurtis started playing Ultimate in Vancouver in 2003 at his high school Lord Byng. He then moved on to play for UBC and touring with Flatline afterwards. Sprinkle in some league play and mentoring throughout with a dash of coaching juniors/open touring teams and that's his playing history. "Smart but not fast" is how his teammates would describe him.

The VUL has always been a part of his life, he’s met friends, colleagues, and clients here. The Operations Manager role provides them the opportunity to use all the skills he’s accumulated over the years in one job (customer service, project management, facility bookings, copywriting, creative direction and more!). He’s an insatiable fixer and loves that with each project he tackles he gets to learn something new.

Role: Operations Manager

Teams: Wannabees, CaT, BOO-YA-CHA-KA!, Flying Goofy, Stallions of Champions, Sucking Lemons, Technicolor Narwhal Explosion, Plaid-iators, Beaches be Crazy, Outdoor Players, Discalicious, Stacked, Naughty Neighbors, Limes

Touring: UBC (2005-2009), Flatline (2008-2010)

Tristan Brown

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 through out Vancouver and beyond.  

Before working for the VUL, Tristan was the Intramural Leagues Coordinator for UBC Recreation where he organized recreational sport 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

Allison Lambert

Allie started playing Ulti at the turn of the century when she was attending SFU; she was stoked to find a sport where people were so willing to teach you as you go, and that Spirit of the Game is the most important thing. Fun fact: She was the William Arthur Hawkins Spirit Award winner in 2017!

She’s a big fan of hammers and even threw 22 of them in a single game once.

When she’s not running the VUL social channels and creating Monday Ulti memes, she is busy as the Senior Associate Director of Digital Communications with the Advancement and Alumni Engagement department at SFU.

Role: Social Media Coordinator Extraordinaire

Teams: Current - Illegal Smile & Talk Nerdy To Me. Past - The Sauce, East Van Halen, Smiling Beavers, Rock Hard Mortals of Love, and more!

 

Jeremy Quan 

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 organising events and tournaments, to running the ticket sales at professional games, he utilises 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, organising 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)

 

Thadeus Tang

Thadeus started his adventure during his high school year of 2011 in his small-town, Vancouver.  Unaware of  the VUL's existence shortly after he was released into the world of college life, Thadeus found a nice little community in which he could practice, play and continue his earthly pleasures playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Ecstatic to be a part of the staff at  the VULS, Thadeus jumped at the opportunity to once again be a part of a community that strives to fill a disc-sized hole in the hearts of residents in the Greater Vancouver area.  He hopes that his contributions are meaningful, unique, and of value to the community.

Role: Administrative Assistant

Teams: Purrfect Cat-ch / Pillbox

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