Joanna grew up in the Cowichan Valley, with both parents as teachers in public schools, so naturally the NDP has always been the party of choice. In 2004 she joined the Jean Crowder team, and since then she has volunteered on many local, provincial, and federal campaigns. Joanna has served on the federal Cowichan-Malahat-Langford NDP executive as Member-at-Large, Vice President, and multiple terms as President.
She is a proud union member and holds an elected Component Vice President position within her union, the BC General Employees’ Union. Joanna works as an Adult Basic Education Instructor at Vancouver Island University’s Cowichan Campus.