Meet Our Team

Barb Kennedy

Executive Director

The Sylvan Learning Center in Vancouver is operated by Patbar Management Ltd. Barbara Kennedy, the President of Patbar Management, also serves as the Executive Director of Sylvan Learning in Vancouver. She has been with Sylvan Learning since 1986 and brings a wealth of experience to this role, having worked closely with Sylvan families of all ages, from all across Vancouver, to discover the joy of learning. “I’m a strong believer in the Sylvan programs because I’ve seen first-hand how a personal approach can help children to strengthen their academic skills, inspire confidence, and most importantly, develop a lifelong love of learning,” Barbara explains.  She grew up in Vancouver and graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce.  Barb can be reached at [email protected] to discuss how we can help!

Liwen Wang

Centre Director

As Centre Director, Liwen is responsible for managing day-to-day operations to ensure a consistent, quality educational experience for Sylvan students. She strives to deliver on the Sylvan promise to make a positive difference in children’s lives by helping them discover the joy of learning. Liwen has seen her own children, as well as the children of her friends and many other families, strengthen their academic skills and build their confidence to succeed in school from Sylvan’s programs. Liwen graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She joined Sylvan to help more students achieve their academic goals and pursue her passion for education.

Brenda Floyd

Director of Education

Brenda graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Education degree; she majored in Math and Social Studies. She started her teaching career as a Teacher-on-Call for the Vancouver School Board, but decided to explore other careers in education. Brenda has been working at Sylvan for several years; first as an instructor and program manager, and since 2008, as a Director of Education.  With her years of experience at Sylvan Learning, Brenda has watched many children, including her own, overcome learning challenges and achieve their educational goals. Brenda enjoys collaborating with parents and students to develop learning plans that inspire them and help them develop the skills and abilities to be more confident in school.

Shan Chi

Assistant Director of Education

Shan graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University and Vancouver Island University, with a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Educational Leadership, respectively. She started her teaching career in 2016 as an IELTS teacher, and really enjoyed helping students achieve their goals. She is good at identifying students’ learning challenges and developing individualized solutions to help them. Shan began working at Sylvan Learning in 2022 as an instructor, and looked forward to working with students explore the joy of learning and achieve academic success. Now as the Assistant Director of Education, Shan likes working with parents to help their children do well in school.