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Carolynne Heron, Chair
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Shiva Dean, Vice Chair
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Julie Afanasiff, Treasurer
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Patricia Mackenzie, Secretary
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Todd Gilchrist, Director
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Colin Lipsett, Director
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Catherine Keill, Director
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Kevin Cathro, Director​
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Elizabeth Coker-Farrell, Director​
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Hollis Lai, Director
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Andy England, Director
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Nancy Domijan, Director
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Aileen Campbell, Director
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Dr. Ann-Marie Reddy, President & CEO
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habitat@hfh.org

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Carolynne Heron, Chair

Carolynne Heron has just announced her new appointment at AltaML, a leading North American applied AI company driven to elevate human potential, as their Vice President of People and Facilities, responsible for initiating high quality people programs and initiatives to support employee growth, wellbeing, and overall success as AltaML expands across North America. 

Born and raised in Edmonton, a Bachelor of Commerce undergrad from the University of Alberta, Carolynne is an experienced and impactful leader with over 15 years in human resource management. 

Carolynne is a recognized leader in the community, and currently serves as Board Chair of Habitat for Humanity Edmonton’s Board of Directors. A former recipient of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40, Carolynne is also the past chair of The Support Network, and previously held Director positions with the Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton, Winnifred Stewart Society, Immigrant Access Fund, and Birth to Three Society. Recently married, Rob and his three kids have welcomed Carolynne into the Heron Family and their active lake life in West Cove, Lac Ste. Anne.

Shiva Dean, Director

Shiva is an accomplished business leader with a strong background in international business. He has lived and worked in Singapore, Dubai and Oman, where he led regional teams for a global Fortune 100 company. Shiva has a wide range of experience across a number of industry sectors, including supply chain logistics, energy (nuclear, oil and gas, renewables, carbon capture and sequestration, entertainment, and hospitality. He is experienced in overseeing businesses that range from new start-ups to those generating over $240 million per year in revenue.

 

Shiva has a combined honours degree from Western University and has attended executive training programs from both the Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Columbia Business School in New York City. He holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and currently serves as President of the board for the Friends of the Northern Alberta International Children’s Festival, as a board director with Habitat for Humanity Edmonton and holds a federally appointed position on the Board of the Nanaimo Port Authority.

Julie Afanasiff, Vice Chair

Julie’s background is in corporate finance, accounting and corporate transactions. She is currently a partner at Sequeira Partners where she assists clients with merger, acquisition, divestiture and restructuring transactions. Prior to joining Sequeira Partners, Julie worked on business development opportunities as a valuation specialist at a publicly traded power generation company and executed M&A transactions at Ernst & Young. Julie has been an active member of the community including serving as the Treasurer and Chairwoman of the Audit and Finance Committee of a large arts organization. Julie holds a B.Com. from the University of Alberta and is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator.

Patricia Mackenzie, Director

Patricia Mackenzie is a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Education. She taught high school in Quebec and Ontario, and was an alderman in Prescott, Ontario from 1974-80. Patricia moved to Edmonton in 1985 where she was elected to city council in 1986, serving three terms (1986-1995). She served on the boards of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM, 1991-95), and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA 1987-95), and was elected President of AUMA 1994. In 1995, Patricia joined TELUS Corporation as AVP Environment (1995-2005). In 2002-03 she chaired the provincial government’s commission on learning, providing 95 recommendations for “Every Child Learns, Every Child Succeeds”. Patricia received a ICD.D designation in 2001 and has continued to be active serving on the Alberta Blue Cross Board, Roots of Empathy, Tree Canada (chair), the Centre for Family Literacy, the Law Enforcement Review Board, the Municipal Government Board, Homeward Trust (chair) and Habitat for Humanity Edmonton.

Todd Gilchrist, Secretary

Todd Gilchrist is a skilled executive with more than 30 years of experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Todd’s current role as Vice-President, University Services and Finance with the University of Alberta encompasses Finance, Procurement & Resource Planning, Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment, Information Technology, Performance Analytics and Institutional Research, and Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management.

In addition, he currently serves as Board Trustee, Audit Committee Chair and Sponsor Board Chair with the Universities Academic Pension Plan (UAPP); Board Director with the Public Sector Pension Plan (PSPP); Board Director and Finance & Audit Committee Chair of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of Alberta (CPHR AB); Board Director and Governance & Human Resources Committee Chair with Habitat for Humanity Edmonton; Chair of the Board of Directors with the Capital Region of Alberta United Way; and, Board Director with the Canadian Association of University Business Officers. 

Todd is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management and the Institute of Corporate Directors (Directors Education Program). He holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources Management and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching, both from Royal Roads University. He is designated as an ICD.D by the Institute of Corporate Directors, and accredited as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP).

Colin Lipsett, Director

As a member of the Real Estate group in the Edmonton office, Colin’s practice is focused on providing counsel to clients in the areas of real estate and environmental law. He has extensive experience in all commercial real estate transactions and provides advice on other agreements. Colin has particularly strong experience in commercial leasing and has acted for both landlords and tenants, from individuals and sole proprietors to large corporations and other entities.

 

Colin represents one of the major holders of rural land in Alberta, and that representation brings with it numerous title, environmental and land use planning issues. He is knowledgeable about municipal law issues in real estate, including development, zoning, subdivision, expropriation and land use planning matters. Apart from being a Director on the Board of Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, Colin is also a Director of Youth Empowerment and Support Services, and Treasurer of the Canadian Bar Association Environmental, Energy, and Resources Law Section.

Catherine Keill, Director

Catherine Keill has more than 25 years of experience in strategic communications, public relations, government relations and policy development in private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Catherine has been at the helm of Keill & Company Inc. since 1999 and her client work spans across the strategic communications spectrum from speechwriting, to market lead for product launches, to change management and issue management, to government and media relations training. She has built Keill’s diverse body of work based on her extensive experience. She has been a member of several not-for-profit boards and she continues to be a committed member of Alberta’s volunteer community giving of her time to causes close to her heart. Currently, Catherine is a University of Alberta Senator, Vice Chair of Shadow Theatre, Stakeholder Relations Committee Chair for Special Olympics Alberta, a Board member for Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, and a committed Rotarian. Catherine has a B.A. in English and Communications, an M.A. in Communications and Technology. She has received a certificate in Project Management and completed her Management Essentials certificate through Alberta School of Business Executive Education, including Change Management Bootcamp. She has most recently received a training certificate in public participation and engagement through IAP2. She loves her husband and son, enjoys her time with her corgi, and relaxes reading whatever book she has handy and learning new painting and sketching skills. She is also bilingual in French (but needs a lot of practice). Her next personal challenge is to learn American Sign Language.

Kevin Cathro, Director

Kevin has over 30 years of experience helping clients gain value from their investments in business solutions and information technology. He has a proven track record at a global level as a senior executive and strategic advisor, collaborating with and uniting diverse groups to affect positive change with measurable outcomes. Kevin is a Certified Management Consultant with a commitment to high levels of stakeholder satisfaction and exceptional service delivery. He has outstanding relationship management and leadership capabilities demonstrated through his experiences leading major consulting organizations and dealing with stakeholders at all levels across a variety of industries. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics, Math) from the University of Alberta, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Victoria. He joined the Habitat for Humanity Edmonton board in 2018 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Kevin has had a lifelong commitment to community engagement focused on sports, animal welfare and financial inclusion.

Elizabeth Coker-Farrell, Director

Dr. Elizabeth Coker-Farrell is an Assistant Professor at the Concordia University of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She obtained her first degree in Computer Sciences from the University of Jos in Nigeria. She then went on to complete her master’s degree in Organizational Management, as well as her PhD in Business Administration, at Cyprus International University.

Dr. Coker-Farrell’s research focus is on population and organizational human resources, and her future research interests include developing a healthy working population in Alberta, and focusing on health and safe workplace, mental health, and other correlated variables. She has presented her research findings at several conferences, and has publications in peer-reviewed journals, social science citation index journals, and IEEE. 

Elizabeth is compassionate and passionate about community development; hence, her involvement in many communities and organizations’ volunteer services.

 

 

Hollis Lai, Director

Hollis is rooted in academia and innovation. Hollis serves as an Associate Professor, Director of Learning Sciences of the MD Program, and Director of Innovation and Quality Improvement of the School of Dentistry at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on developing intelligent and data-centric solutions across the learning and oral health domains. He developed a method for generating test items used internationally and an array of assessment software used here at the University of Alberta. He has served on technical and national committees for medical education, dental education, and government. Hollis has serve as a member of the Community Advisory Council and is a recent recipient of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40. He holds a PhD in Psychometrics and an MBA from the University of Alberta. 

 

Andy England, Director

Andy recently retired after a 44 year career with a major Alberta based financial institution.  His last role was Senior Vice President – Credit wherein he was responsible for the credit policies, practices and performance of a $45 billion loan portfolio that included consumer loans and mortgages, small business, commercial and corporate loans.  He brings to the board an extensive background in finance, risk and strategic planning; along with a strong understanding of the not for profit sector through his past experience chairing and participating in the Board of the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton.  The next act of his life will include some consulting work in his areas of expertise, education, giving back to the community through participating in other not for profit boards, a little travel, and above and beyond all – spending time with his grandchildren.  Andy sought out this opportunity as it fit his desire to work with a not for profit organization that focused on housing and elevating those that would benefit from a “helping hand.”

Nancy Domijan, Director

Nancy Domijan is a people-oriented leader with 20 years of experience in municipal government, directing large teams in the areas of land development engineering, land use planning and safety codes, while supporting employee development and promoting a positive and inclusive culture. As the Director of Planning and Development Services with Parkland County, Nancy is responsible for overseeing the decision-making on various planning applications, including statutory plans, rezonings, subdivisions, development permits and safety codes permits.  In addition to obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta in 2004, Nancy earned a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University in 2022.

Nancy recently joined Habitat for Humanity Edmonton’s Board of Directors and previously held a Board Director position with the Safety Codes Council, where she also participated on the Human Resources and Compensation Committee. She was also a 9-year member of the City of Spruce Grove’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

Nancy has a passion for travelling and enjoys taking trips whenever she can with her husband and son. 

Aileen Campbelll, Director

Aileen Campbell has an extensive background in finance and treasury, tax planning, estate planning, budgeting, and financial reporting. She was involved in various strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and has an in-depth experience in complex corporate reorganization and financing for large land and real estate development projects. She has a Master of Business Administration and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Currently, she is the Senior Vice President, Finance at Maclab Properties Group (MPG), a large privately-owned real estate development corporation and has various operations in Canada, United States and Europe. Before joining MPG, she was the Chief Financial Officer at Landrex, a privately-owned land developer based in St. Albert. She held several management roles within various companies including Chevron, Cameron and Finning International.  She also has several years of international experience in business process re-engineering, complex ERP system implementations and public accounting experience.

 

In her spare time, she is involved in various charitable organizations in Edmonton and is active in her local community. She was with ABC Head Start Society for six years as their Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Aileen and her husband, Andrew live an active lifestyle and love to garden, grow organic vegetables, travel, read, bike, and hike up the mountains. She is now a proud Board member of Habitat for Humanity Edmonton. 

Curtis Kinal, Director, Retail Operations

Curtis has over two decades of retail and service experience, 17 years in the home improvement and building materials industry. Curtis enjoys building effective teams and ensuring that customers, donors, and volunteers know that they are appreciated. He has served at Habitat Edmonton since 2013.

Dr. Ann-Marie Reddy, President & CEO

Dr. Ann-Marie Reddy is a life-long learner with a passion for education. Graduating from the University of Winnipeg in 2001 with a BA, she went on to complete her MBA in 2009 and defended by dissertation in 2014, and graduated with distinction with a Doctorate of Business, specializing in Strategy and Innovation. With over 25 years experience working in multiple roles in the financial industry across Canada with Lloyds Bank, HSBC, CIBC, First Canadian Title, and Genworth Canada, she transitioned into the entertainment and conference industry as Vice President of Business Development for Northlands. From there she moved to Lions Gate Marketing as Vice President Western Canada and is now proud to be part of the Habitat for Humanity Edmonton family as their President and CEO.

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