Volunteer Committees

Volunteer committees play an integral role in the Foundation’s work. Some committees help to guide our granting process, while others tap into their networks to help foster donations, or to make our events successful.

THANK YOU to these dedicated people at the heartbeat of our community — they typically bring a specific area of experience or expertise to their committee. They come from across the country and they help to make it all happen, by sharing their time, ideas, and energy.

Tova Sherman, Committee Chair, ReachAbility
Delma Autut, Canadian Women’s Foundation
Jenna Marynowski, Canadian Western Bank
Joy Agres, Community Development Council Durham
Juliana Cortes Lugo, Diversity and Youth Engagement Consultant
Lisa Forbes, SEED Winnipeg
Marieke Vandekolk, TD
Meenu Sikand, Founder, Accessibility for All
Natasha Jackson, Department of Communities, Culture, & Heritage, Province of Nova Scotia
Patricia Blocksom, Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP
Sally Dimachki, social finance practitioner
Sujin Chang, RGC – Knowledge Translation Specialist
Susan Henry, Alterna Savings
Stephanie Champagne, Ricki’s
Tyler Boyce, Enchanté Network
Xina Cowan, EntrepreNorth

Committee members 2019-21

Sonia Prevost-Derbecker, Committee Chair; Movember
Monica Arab, Government of Nova Scotia
Jennica Alhda Barcial, Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre
Manjit (Jeet) K. Chand
Marion Craft
Emilie Chiasson, Government of New Brunswick
Teshini Harrison, Ontario Nonprofit Network
Jessie Hemphill, Consultant
Ramona Lumpkin, Canadian Women’s Foundation Board Member; Mount Saint Vincent University
Sophie Mayes, City of Montréal
Ali McConnell, Northern Youth Leadership
Armine Tadevosyan, KPMB Architects
Ann Watterworth, Cassels Brock & Blackwell
Amber Young, PhD Candidate

2019-2021 Committee Members

Dr. Kristin Blakely, Committee Chair; Glendon College, York University
Papy Abdie
Aldeli Albán Reyna
Killa Atencio, LOVE Nova Scotia
Amma Gyamfowa
Kimberly Hu, Guardian Partners
Ben Lord
Shavaneil McLean, The 519
Peggy Moss, Canadian Women’s Foundation Board Member, author
Carly Neill, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation
Pauline Paterson, YWCA Girls and Family Centre
Jennifer Rankin, National Association of Friendship Centres
Quinn Saretsky, Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba

Patt Lenover-Adams, Committee Chair
Allison Gillis, TD Bank Group
Amanda Bernard, Laidlaw Foundation
Angie Arora, Seneca College
Cecile Guerin, Embrace Life Council
Jacqueline Bazompora, Microcrédit Montréal
Jillian Kilfoil, Women’s Network PEI
Karine-Myrgianie Jean-François, City of Montreal
Kim Hawkins, Rise Women’s Legal Service
Lisa O’Connor, Superior Plus
Nanase Tonda, Girls Incorporated of Northern Alberta
Sandy Vander Ziel, Dunphy Best Blocksom
Shibani Ahuja, TD Bank Group
Stéphanie Jécrois, Technovation Montreal
Tamara Sabarini, Scadding Court Community Centre
Tania Hlovosky, Southeast College

Nadine Sookermany, Committee Chair, Fife House
Aline Nizigama, YWCA Canada
Amanda Kanbari
Bilan Hassan
Candice Perry, University of Prince Edward Island
Corinne Ofstie, Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services
Deb Larocque, Assured Natural
Eve Nyambiya
Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich, Women’s Shelters Canada
Laurie Young, Consultant/Instructor, Canadian Women’s Foundation Board Chair
Lesley Anderson, Aunt Leah’s Place
Lisa Gibbs, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation
Lisa Jewell
Mireille Roy, Maison Marguerite
Pamela Fillion, Regeneration Canada
Sarah Cassellis, Registered Social Worker
Sheila Davis
Tanni Mukhopadhyay

Rusul Alrubail, Committee Chair, Executive Director, Parkdale Centre for Innovation, ON
Prisca Agernoh, Investment Associate, QC
Tania Cheng, Co-creator of Trust, SheEO, NS
Kimberly Hu, Vice President, Investment Counsellor, Guardian Partners, ON
Misty Ireland, Investment Associate, Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, NWT
Lourdes Juan, Founder of several non-profits, AB
Kikelomo Koya, Social Finance Manager, Grand Challenges Canada, AB
Shahira Mabrouk, Program Coordinator, Women’s Business Hub, Saskatoon Open Door Society, SK
Sarah Mariani, Strategic Projects Manager, Venture for Canada, ON
Mariana Martinez Rubio, Business Development and Coordinator, Kasteel Constructions, BC

Laura Barbisan (Co-chair), Leadership Design Studio
Yvonne Reid (Co-chair)
Esther Ijewere, Women of Rubies
Sadia Hassan, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Laurie Clarke, co-chair, Fundraising Strategist and Consultant
Sarah Mariani, Community Engagement Team co-lead, Strategic Projects, Venture for Canada
Peggy Moss, Corporate Team co-lead, Author and Freelance Strategic Communications Advisor
Sandy Vander Ziel, Major Gifts Team co-lead, Partner, Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP

“This program would not be what it is today without the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s support. Words cannot thank you enough!” (Paige Van Praet-Guthier, Program Coordinator, Girls’ Mentoring, Sarnia-Lambton Rebound)

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