Meet The Board
Who We Are
Rita Cousins
Rita Cousins is a board member of the Nanaimo Women’s Business Network group, a network of inspiring and supportive women in business. She is a seasoned mortgage broker with over 35 years of experience in the industry, working with her daughter Rachel as partners at Mortgage Architects. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the mortgage field, and enjoys helping clients find the best solutions for their needs.
Rita has a strong background in board work and leadership. She has been involved in many business network groups and women’s groups on the mainland where she held various positions and contributed to their success. She has a proven track record of strategic planning, budgeting, problem-solving, and governance. She is excited to join the NWBN and to share her insights and experiences with other women in business. She is also eager to learn from the diverse and talented members of the group and to explore new opportunities and collaborations.
Rita recently moved from the mainland to Nanaimo to be closer to her family. She lives on the same street as her daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Trevor, and loves spending time with her grandchildren. She also has two dogs, Oakley and Chanel, that keep her company and active. She loves her daily walks with her dogs and Rachel’s, enjoying the beautiful scenery and fresh air of Nanaimo. Rita is also a passionate reader who likes to relax with a good book and a glass of wine.
604-230-9206
Mistie Bogard
As a board member for Nanaimo Women’s Business Network (NWBN), Mistie Bogard looks forward to guiding this vibrant organization through a rapidly changing world while continuing to provide a venue for women to gather, learn and grow together on their personal entrepreneurship journeys! Mistie is a licensed REALTOR with Pemberton Holmes and is entering her sixth year in the world of real estate. Mistie provides real estate services in the Nanaimo and mid-island markets. She loves helping buyers and sellers embark on their real estate journey and she is there every step of the way to ensure they are informed, confident and comfortable with their decision. For Mistie, real estate has allowed her to utilize her extensive skills developed in both business and government to provide a real estate experience that is educational, informative and best of all fun.
Mistie brings an abundance of experience in real estate, financial and business management and policy development to her role. Beginning her career in public service with the Federal and Provincial Governments as a certified Accounting Clerk, Mistie excelled in posts in financial and office management, gaining experience in procurement and records management, as well as policy, community planning and legislative development.
In 2011, she and her husband took their first step of entrepreneurship and opened one of the first online accounting firms in Western Canada. After discovering a huge gap in small business’s ability to access professional accounting services, Mistie and her husband pivoted to specialize in serving only small and online businesses. Mistie is eager to share these experiences with her fellow entrepreneurs to help benefit and grow their businesses!
In her spare time, Mistie loves exploring the beauty of Vancouver Island while hiking, biking and paddling, as well as entertaining, woodworking and sharing her love of interior design with friends and family! During those rainy days in winter, you will find Mistie curled up on the couch with her favourite author as she is an avid reader. Mistie is a dedicated Cat Mom to Winston Gray, Esquire and as well as wife to Keith (also a real estate professional) and mom to Trace, his lovely wife Samantha, and GrandCat Mom to Earl Gray (no relation to Winston LOL).
250-816-2618
Rachel Cousins
Rachel Cousins is a board member of the Nanaimo Women’s Business Group, a network of inspiring and supportive women in business. She is a mortgage broker with over 10 years of experience in the industry, working with her mom as partners at Mortgage Architects. She loves helping people find their dream homes and achieve their financial goals. She is proud to be a woman in the mortgage industry and to share her insights and expertise and support other women in their professional and personal growth.
Rachel is also a devoted mom of four amazing kids, they are all in their teens and keep her busy and entertained. She has been volunteering with their school PAC for the last decade, supporting various initiatives and events. She is currently the secretary of the PAC and is assisting with the dry grad.
Rachel is an animal lover who has a large and diverse family of pets, including two dogs, five cats, and a snake. She enjoys spending quality time with her furry and scaly friends and taking care of them. She is also an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking, camping, and exploring the beautiful nature of Vancouver Island. She likes to unwind with yoga and wine, and curl up with a good book in her spare time. She is always looking for new recommendations, so feel free to share your favorites with her.
250-618-5053