Meet Our Team

Linda Poole

Founder, Creative Director
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Linda Poole is the Founder and Creative Director of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Seventeen years ago she brought a new idea from Japan to our city and has grown it to be the beloved intra-community arts and culture celebration that it is today. She is a passionate community-builder and combined with her love of sharing the beauty of the cherry blossom with everyone is unfailing. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is and will remain a labour of love for her always.

Her career has largely been in Vancouver’s arts community with the Arts Club Theatre and young people’s theatre with Carousel Theatre as well as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Linda also represented Canada in Chicago and the Mid-West as Canada’s Cultural Attaché producing a wide range of large-scale cultural initiatives to showcase Canada’s top artists and arts organizations. She studied theater at UBC and Arts Management at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The cherry blossom brings so much joy to everyone that Linda believes “the world needs more cherry blossoms”! Her favorite saying from Issa’s haiku is well known ~ “there is no stranger under the cherry tree”

Andrea Arnot

Executive Director
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Andrea brings over 20 years of experience in non-profit leadership roles with a focus on creating opportunities and events that spark community engagement and create positive social change; often using arts-based methods to create connection, dialogue and understanding.

Whether she is producing large-scale events like the annual Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival, conferences, awards ceremonies, neighbourhood block parties or even a Unicorn Ball, she brings a wealth of event planning expertise and her own unique brand of creativity that ensures attendees experience moments of awe and wonder.

In her volunteer life, Andrea has contributed her skills and experience to two different organizations as a board member – Lumiere YVR and Fierte Canada Pride. Since 2014, she has also produced annual events for the Greater Vancouver Interactive Arts Society (the local Burning Man community).

Isanna Wong

Program Coordinator, Social Media Specialist
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Isanna Wong is a recent graduate with a Bachelors in Cognitive Systems from UBC, driven by a passion for transforming ideas into social change. She excels at creating logos and platforms that connect people and has managed VCBF’s social media and websites while coordinating various programs. Her involvement extends to initiatives such as Imagine a Canada and leadership roles in student council and school clubs.

Additionally, she has gained valuable experience in the retail industry as a manager and stylist. Her journey showcases her ability to turn creative visions into reality for positive impact.