Board of Directors

I bring a background in business as a consultant working with clients across Western Canada. I was CEO of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce for a decade (in a former life!). I’ve had several roles in the local arts and culture community spanning some 30 years. I’ve served as a fundraiser, publicist, creator, planner, promoter and presenter with the Vancouver Island International Children’s Festival, Downtown Nanaimo Business Association, Commercial Street Night Market and with numerous non-profit organizations.

I look forward to playing a part with a progressive group of volunteers and board members in planning and presenting year-round events. Our major goal is to create a sustainable annual Festival that will stand with the best on the west coast.

We’re ‘in tune’ with the diversity of the broad genre that is jazz. It’s our goal to attract new audiences to experience the best in local and regional artists alongside international touring attractions — I hope you’ll join us!

Natasha Hoskins is a talented, passionate and committed musician with a love for her music community. Born and raised in Nanaimo, she was surrounded by diverse music influences where she mostly fell in love with Jazz and R&B. Natasha taught drums for over a decade, specializing in jazz drumming after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Vancouver Island University in Jazz Studies.

Natasha plays with many Vancouver Island-based groups including Elise Boulanger, Sol Azul and her own groups where she sings while playing drums. She has served as a director and secretary of the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival Association (NIJFA) board since 2017. She was invited to found the Festival’s parade band by Andrew Homzy.

As Board Secretary Natasha directs the membership base and documents the association’s business as a non-profit. The ability to support her music community by providing performance opportunities and bringing national and international acts to Nanaimo is what drives Natasha to continue her work with NIJFA. Natasha often serves as spokesperson for the Festival.

Jason Yochim is the Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. Prior to this, Jason was hired to launch the Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association (SRA) in 2020. Jason has also served as CEO of the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® and the Saskatoon and Region Home Builders.

In January of 2022, Jason and his wife Lynn arrived on Vancouver Island from Saskatchewan. An avid reader and firm believer in ongoing personal development, Jason has earned the designation of Certified Association Executive and Canadian REALTOR® Association Executive.

Jason currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce and previously as a Director of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, including a term as Board Chair in 2016-17. Although not a muscian, he has a passion and appreciation for music and culture and looks forward to the contribution he can make to his ‘new home town’ through service on the board of NIJFA.

Carrie Chassels is a postsecondary leader who has held executive-level positions at Vancouver Island University, the University of Guelph, and the University of Toronto. With a Ph.D. in Education Administration, Dr. Chassels currently serves as the academic lead for Northeastern University’s campus in Vancouver.

Carrie has a long history of engagement with arts communities having served on the board of the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects (ACNMP) and performed with the Georgian Bay Symphony and in numerous musicals and choral groups. Together with her husband John, Carrie is a long-standing supporter of Canada’s Jazz Station, Jazz.FM91.

Dr. Chassels looks forward to the contributions she may make to NIJFA as it enters a second decade of service to the community.

Darren holds a Bachelor of Applied Information Systems and recently retired from Siemens Energy after an accomplished career of more than 25 years. During that time, he held senior leadership positions in sales, commercial management, and project management, delivering successful outcomes across the energy and industrial sectors.

Over the past five years, Darren has been an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of JazzYYC while supporting the JazzYYC festivals in Calgary. Earlier in his career, Darren volunteered with CJSR, providing on-air and production support before pursuing recording engineering and working as a sound reinforcement engineer in Edmonton.

A newcomer to Nanaimo, Darren is excited to combine his professional expertise with his passion for music to help lead the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival Association. He looks forward to contributing to the festival's continued growth and success while helping to strengthen and expand the Nanaimo jazz community.