Our Board of Directors
The Choice School for Gifted Children Society is a non-profit organization charged with the operation of Choice School for the Gifted and Exceptional. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors whose members are as follows:
Victor Zhou, Chair
As a dedicated Choice School parent, Victor has personally witnessed the profound, positive impact Choice has on his son’s life. Holding a CA, CPA accreditation, Victor has honed his financial expertise through roles at Ernst & Young LLP and BC Hydro, gaining international exposure in the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong.
Victor’s commitment to community service extends beyond his professional life. He served as the Treasurer of the BC Council for Families, contributing to the organization’s financial literacy initiatives and ensuring its long-term financial sustainability. Additionally, he’s made a significant impact as a high school basketball coach, imparting strong character values to young individuals.
As an active member of the Choice community, Victor looks forward to contributing his financial acumen and passion for community advocacy. His primary objective is to harness his financial expertise to champion gifted learners throughout their educational journey, ensuring their academic excellence, fostering their happiness, and unlocking their full potential.
Gary McDermid, Director
Gary has supported Choice School for several years, most recently completing his first 2-year term on the Board as Vice Chair. While on the Board, he was Chair of Facilities Committee and a member of Finance and Human Resources Committees. Previous to that he served in a volunteer supervisory role for outdoor education camp experience, as a member of the Finance Committee, and assisted with maintenance and upgrading of the school facilities as well as the school gardening program. He has also served on various non-profit Boards.
Gary is a retired businessman with a career as an executive and manager in forestry and helicopter companies in BC. He is the father of gifted twin sons and is a long time resident of Richmond with his wife Maureen, an education consultant, who previously served on the Choice Board for 9 years.
Maureen McDermid, Secretary
Maureen is an educator who has worked across the K-12 system in 4 school districts in British Columbia. As an elementary teacher she taught both primary and intermediate grades and at the secondary level was part of a team that designed and delivered the Richmond School District’s Incentive Program, an enriched 3-year program for gifted students. While working as a District Curriculum Coordinator responsible for supporting gifted students in SD #38, Richmond, BC for over 12 years, she also taught university courses in critical thinking.
She currently makes presentations and provides in-service on understanding the BC curriculum and curriculum planning and programming for gifted learners. She and her husband have raised gifted twin boys and have 5 grandchildren, all designated as gifted. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Gifted Children’s Association of BC and is a past member of the Board of Directors of Choice School for the Gifted where she served for 9 years.
Daniel Lee, Director
Shora Niaboli-Tulumello, Director
In her journey navigating through the education system and researching various programs, Shora found Choice School. Here, she has a community that supports her children, their unique needs, personalities, and helps empower them.
Shora holds a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene as well as a Master in Health Studies. She is a community clinical instructor in the Dental Hygiene Degree Program at the University of British Columbia. She comes to the Board with experience from Committees for two non-profit organizations in oral health with mandates to promote research and advocacy. Shora hopes to lend her voice and experience to help the Board support the interests and needs of Choice School students and parents.
Aiman Rathore, Director
Aiman is an education leader and lifelong learner with a background spanning linguistics, literature, business administration, and project management. They currently serve as Centre Director at Sylvan Learning of Newton, where they oversee academic programs, mentor educators, and foster a culture of growth and curiosity among students.
Aiman also serves as Project Coordinator and a permanent member of the Board of Governors for Fareezah: The Educational Initiative, a non-profit organization supporting underprivileged children in Pakistan. In this role, they have led projects in curriculum design, fundraising, and community engagement to advance educational access and equity.
Aiman brings to the Choice School Board a deep commitment to nurturing the potential of every child and promoting lifelong learning through inclusive, innovative, and community-driven education.
Clement Ma, Director
Clement Ma is an IT and business executive with 20-year expertise in technology strategy and bioinformatics at Genetrack Biolabs, where he leads projects that combine data science, artificial intelligence, and business systems to advance innovation in genetics.
A graduate of the UBC Sauder School of Business, where he earned his Bachelor of Commerce and MBA in Finance and Strategic Management, Clement is passionate about designing systems and governance practices together with other cross-functional teams to deliver sustainable value efficiently and timely.
As a parent and advocate for enriched education, Clement believes that education is not a one-size-fits-all path. It is about helping each individual understand their strengths and weaknesses and using those insights to become the best version of themselves. Clement is inspired by Choice School’s mission to support gifted and exceptional learners and looks forward to applying his experience in IT and business strategy to help strengthen the school’s innovative and caring learning environment.
