Katya was born and raised in Powell River, British Columbia. In 1996, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, with a major in psychology and a minor in sociology. Katya then worked as an immigration officer in Vancouver before moving to San Antonio, Texas for graduate school in 1998.

Katya graduated from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) at San Marcos, Texas in 2000 with a Master of Social Work degree. Katya was inducted into the Alpha Chi Chapter of the Phi Alpha Honor Society for social work. Katya worked as a medical social worker at an inpatient acute rehabilitation center in San Antonio for four years before attending law school.

Katya graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas in 2007 with a Juris Doctor degree. During law school, she was admitted to the Phi Delta Phi, Tarlton Inn (honour society) and was awarded a Pro Bono Achievement Award in recognition of her work with low income and homeless clients through the St. Mary’s Civil Justice Clinic. Katya also spent a semester in Innsbruck, Austria where she studied international law and world legal issues.

Katya passed the Texas bar in 2007 and went on to practise in the area of personal injury law with the firm Woodfill, Salazar & Pressler in San Antonio for two years.

In the fall of 2009, Katya married her former high school sweetheart and returned to Powell River where she began the process of preparing for the British Columbia bar. In 2010, Katya joined the firm of Giroday & Fleming (now Fleming & Associates). She was subsequently called to the British Columbia Bar in 2011 and then continued with a general law practice, which included civil litigation, wills and estates, family law and real estate.

In June 2012, Katya joined Villani & Company where she is a regular contributor to the Powell River Peak’s “Law Corner,” addressing questions related to estate planning, she has presented to community groups on estate planning and real estate topics and she is focussing her law practice within the areas of wills and estate planning, probate, corporate, commercial, family law and real estate.

Katya enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her young sons, travelling, photography, and gardening.