Director of Instruction
Surrey School District #36

Canada: British Columbia Hub | NORTH AMERICA

For the past 20 years, JB Mahli has been an educator and leader in the Surrey School District. The Surrey School District is in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada on the traditional, unceded, and shared territory of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Semihamoo and other Coast Salish First Nations.  Over these years, JB has taken on many roles, such as classroom teacher, district resource helping teacher, vice principal and principal, and his current role as Director of Instruction for Racial Equity.  

In leading and guiding the district in his role, JB sees his position as a broader opportunity to enact significant change in our schools through building capacity and system awareness in leadership roles for staff, diversity in the workplace and ongoing conversations with students and staff to break down barriers for racialized people.  He seeks to create spaces for bold conversations and foster a common language and capacity for staff and students to discuss such subjects as equity, diversity, belonging, racism, and anti-racism. 

To strengthen and further leadership capacity to make system change and promote well-being, JB is committed to incorporating Compassionate Systems Awareness.  Within are core elements of relational leadership and self-leadership – cultivating self-reflection, self-awareness, and mindfulness practices – which are deeply linked to us in our human connections in our work and daily life.

JB is a husband and father of 2 children and is first generation Canadian.  JB’s parents immigrated to Canada from India in the early 1970s and settled together in Surrey shortly after their marriage.  JB also has 3 sisters living in British Columbia will relatives and family that span the globe