Born and raised on the beautiful unceded and ancestral traditional lands of the Lekwungen/Songhees and WSÁNEĆ peoples, where her grandparents landed when they immigrated in the early 1900s, Jodi was fortunate to be immersed in the performing arts from a young age. She has the special honour of being an original cast member of the Spirit of A Nation national touring company in celebration of Canada’s 125th anniversary, which was directed and produced by CCPA’s founders, Janis Dunning and Jacques Lemay. This 1992 tour, along with the Confederate Centre of the Arts summer training and performance program for young Canadians that followed in Charlottetown, PEI, is credited as the inspiration for the founding of the Canadian College of Performing Arts.

For Jodi, community has always shared centre stage, alongside dance and family. After graduating from UVic with a degree in Child and Youth Care, she devoted 17 years to a not-for-profit agency, supporting families, children, and youth. She is an alumnus of Leadership Victoria, and has served on the boards of DanceWorks Society and OCTA/ArtsReach Society. Interwoven with these endeavors, and with a nod to her Chinese Canadian heritage, Jodi has been an instructor in tap dancing as well as traditional Chinese dance. She is a proud wife and mother, with a 10-year-old daughter who also loves the arts.