OLIVIA LAKE DE MEZA

Olivia Lake de Meza has called Walnut Grove home for the past nine years, where she and her husband are raising their school-aged son. Originally from rural England, Olivia moved to Canada permanently in 2009 and has built a career focused on serving people and strengthening the organizations that support them.

For more than 20 years, Olivia has worked in the public and non-profit sectors. She currently serves as the Executive Director of a non-profit post-secondary organization that supports more than 10,000 students in the Fraser Valley. Her work has given her extensive experience in governance, strategic planning, budgeting, crisis management, and organizational leadership.

Olivia’s connection to public education and commitment to supporting students are both personal and community-based. As a parent of a twice-exceptional child in the Langley School District, she has firsthand experience navigating the school system and advocating for a child with a diverse learning profile. Having also been an active PAC executive and representative to the District PAC, Olivia understands that every student deserves every opportunity to thrive and that teachers and school staff need the resources to make that possible.

Olivia has also seen the pressures placed on Langley’s schools due to rapid growth, including crowded classrooms, reliance on portables, and limited access to before and after school programs. She believes strong advocacy is needed to ensure infrastructure and funding keep pace with the needs of Langley families.

Olivia is running for School Trustee to bring her background in governance and organizational leadership together with her experience as a parent navigating educational resources for her child. She believes Trustees should ask thoughtful questions, make evidence-based decisions, and communicate transparently while working collaboratively. Her focus is simple: strong governance, responsible planning, and ensuring every Langley student has the support they need to succeed.