Staff & Board
Meet our team! We’re passionate about supporting the nonprofit sector, the individuals, and the organizations in it. Our small but mighty staff has a solid depth and breadth of experience in the nonprofit sector and beyond. Get to know a little about us here – better yet, send us an email or give us a call. We look forward to meeting you!
Photo by Kelly Hofer
Karen Ball
Karen is a nationally recognized community leader with over 25 years developing the community and cultural landscape in Canada. She has held leadership roles with Calgary Arts Development, AU Arts, The Banff Centre and the Canada Council for the Arts. Prior to joining the Nonprofit Chamber, Karen led a consulting practice focused on building strong engaged communities for clients such as the University of Calgary, City of Calgary, Government of Alberta and the Calgary Stampede. Karen has been named one of the most compelling Calgarians by the Calgary Herald and is a recipient of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal.
kball@thenonprofitchamber.org | 403-910-5881
President & CEO
Photo by Kelly Hofer
Alexa Briggs
Alexa has a strong professional background as a researcher and writer, combined with extensive experience working for nonprofit organizations in managerial and leadership experience positions. Her work in policy analysis and research was enhanced at Vibrant Communities Calgary, where she served as Associate Director of Strategy and Research. Alexa holds a B.A. in Sociology with High Honours and an Interdisciplinary M.A, both from the University of Saskatchewan. Her professional experience includes numerous publications and conference presentations as well as service on nonprofit Boards.
abriggs@thenonprofitchamber.org | 403-910-5871
Vice President, Policy & Research
Carol Chu
Carol has worked, volunteered, and served on the board of numerous nonprofits for the past 16 years. She loves to see the passion organizations have for making the world better and the valuable work that organizations do. She has a wide variety of interests and is always curious and eager to learn more about the causes and initiatives that organizations are championing. She is excited to be able to connect with more organizations and support the nonprofit sector at the Nonprofit Chamber. In her spare time, Carol enjoys hiking, biking, and climbing.
cchu@thenonprofitchamber.org | 403-910-5876
Communications Coordinator
Dave Ford
Dave is a nonprofit management professional with a decade of experience leading a small nonprofit association. He specializes in strategic planning, social enterprise and people management, with experience in marketing and communication. He strives to find efficiencies in all aspects of an organization, looking for ways to maximize the effects and benefits of programs and other initiatives. Outside of the office, Dave is an avid sports fan (both watching and playing) and loves to spend time with his young (and growing) family.
dford@thenonprofitchamber.org | 403-910-5873
Director, Programs & Operations
Photo by Melanie Gauer
Celia Lee
Celia specializes in research, knowledge translation and project design & management for the non-profit and government sectors, with a focus on healthy built environments, health equity, poverty, and sustainability. Past projects include spearheading Stepping Towards a Greener Tomorrow, which empowered kids to design and prototype safe routes to school; co-ordinating a made-in-Alberta approach to neighbourhood “co-design” as Alberta Director for Active Neighbourhoods Canada (ANC); developing strategy and tools to inform policy as ANC’s National Policy Co-ordinator; and co-writing analyses of the cost of poverty in Alberta, Ontario and Toronto.
clee@thenonprofitchamber.org
Research Manager
Photo by Kristen Holm
Taylor Rhodes
Taylor is an experienced Events & Projects professional, with an extensive background in Sport and Recreation planning and logistics. After starting her career as a Recreation Therapist, Taylor moved into Events & Projects planning and spent the last four years working on multiple challenging and fascinating nonprofit events. She is particularly passionate about the importance of having many forms of social support available to everyone in the community. Taylor keeps busy outside of work by doing stand-up paddle boarding, playing hockey, and going for long dog-park walks.
trhodes@thenonprofitchamber.org | 403-910-5877
Administrative Coordinator
Board of Directors
Photo by Kelly Hofer
Greg Juliano
Greg is the Chief Human Resource Officer for the City of Calgary. He is a practicing lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience, called to the bar in both Alberta and Manitoba. Greg has spent most of his career leading the legal and human resource functions at large post-secondary institutions. He has used these forums to advocate for the fair treatment of employees, equity, diversity and human rights. Throughout his career, Greg has been heavily involved in supporting the work of charitable organizations. He has volunteered extensively with groups dedicated to environmental, habitat preservation, wildlife and animal related causes. He has also provided pro-bono legal advice in support the healthcare, disability, childcare and educational sectors. Greg, along with his wife and three children, are relatively new to the Calgary community, having moved from Manitoba in early 2019. They are enjoying the strong sense of community in the city, and taking advantage of opportunities for an outdoor lifestyle.
Board Chair
Bjorn Johansson
Bjorn Johansson, MSW, RSW, was named Chief Executive Officer of Wood’s Homes, a children’s mental health centre based in Calgary, on May 1, 2020. He first joined the organization in 1992 as a Youth and Family Counsellor and since then held increasingly progressive leadership positions, including Program Manager, Associate Director, and Director of Programs and Research. Bjorn is a Registered Social Worker and holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Calgary. He is considered a leader in the field of children’s mental health and is widely recognized as someone who believes every child, youth and family deserve an advocate.
He is an Instructor with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, and an Ethics Investigator with the Alberta College of Social Workers. Bjorn contributes his time and expertise to several industry and community organizations, and currently serves as a Board member with ALIGN Association of Community Services and the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board (CFREB) at the University of Calgary.
Past Board Chair
Jerilynn Daniels
Jerilynn is the Regional Director, Community Marketing and Citizenship for RBC, Alberta and Territories, a position she has held since 2011. In 2006 after more than 12 years in not-for-profit working in roles ranging from front line support to Director of Fund Development and Communications, Jerilynn made the move back to the corporate world. She now works at her dream job, fulfilling her love of community with the desire to work in a corporate environment. Jerilynn is responsible for Community Investments, Sponsorships and Marketing for RBC in Alberta and Territories. A passionate community supporter, in addition to the Board of the Nonprofit Chamber, Jerilynn is a member of the advisory council for the Haskayne School of Business and a new volunteer with Dreams Take Flight.
A graduate of the University of Calgary, Jerilynn has been fortunate to have worked her entire career in Calgary. In 2010, Jerilynn was the recipient of the Hazel Gillespie Community Investment Leadership Award, the first Community Investment professional to receive the award after Hazel herself. In 2012 she received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in community locally and internationally. She resides in Cochrane with her husband and two teenage children and loves to cook and travel.
Board Secretary
Photo by Kelly Hofer
Ryan Barrett
Ryan graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 1998. Ryan articled with PriceWaterhouse Coopers and obtained his CA designation. Ryan then went on to work at a public real estate investment trust in the hotel and resort industry, managing the tax department. Subsequently Ryan went to work for an entrepreneur, focusing on the real estate industry, where he earned his Chartered Business Valuator designation (“CBV”) and completing the CICA Corporate Finance program. Ryan’s work consisted of valuation, taxation, financing and accounting. From working with the entrepreneur Ryan realized that owners of private businesses did not have the resources or financial means to have all their needs met by one Professional. Ryan joined a mid-size accounting firm in 2009 specializing in US taxation, with a focus on providing full service accounting and advisory services to business owners. Ryan has also completed the CICA In-depth Tax Course and has obtained his Certified Public Accounting designation.
Board Treasurer
Lisa Amonson
Lisa has over 30 years of experience in a variety of accounting roles in the oil and gas industry, with increasing responsibility and leadership positions. Lisa enjoys bringing a collaborative and innovative energy to both her professional role and as a volunteer with two local charities. Lisa is passionate about supporting charities and contributes time and money to both local and international not-for-profit organizations. Lisa is an advocate of lifelong learning and has recently completed a Master of Arts in Leadership degree from Royal Roads University and is currently enrolled in a professional coach certification program.
Board Director
Christi Cruz
Board Director
Christi is an internationally recognized respectful disrupter. She recently retired from a job she loved helping TELUS - a global communication technology and integrated healthcare company - address some of the world’s most pressing social issues. Her most recent TELUS adventure included creating a Center of Excellence in Government Subsidies for the wireless technology team where she secured more than $250M in technology grants bringing connectivity to 39 underserved rural and Indigenous communities in Canada and setting the groundwork for the TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund. For the past 25+ years, she successfully developed and executed award-winning programs and led TELUS to become an internationally recognized leader in corporate social responsibility.
Her desire to make systemic change in the social sector is parallel to her passion for learning and sharing her experience with others. Christi presents at conferences and regularly consults to the social sector on program development, community investment, cause marketing and sponsorships. She earned a Master of Education from the University of Western Australia, an Advanced Certificate in Corporate Citizenship from Boston College and she was one of two community investment leaders selected to represent Canada at Boston College’s inaugural Leadership Academy.
Margaret Durojaiye
Margaret is a Manager Consultant at Deloitte’s Human Capital Practice, where she works with organizations to transform their HR function and services, develop Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Frameworks, and implement HR Technology, thereby enhancing the employee experience. Prior to working in Consulting, she worked as a HR professional for over 13 years, building her expertise working in Africa, Europe, and Canada, and has also worked as an Instructor for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), School of Business. She holds a Master’s in Human Resources Management from the University of Hertfordshire, and a Bachelor’s in Philosophy from the University of Lagos.
Her professional and personal journey has also allowed her to pursue volunteering opportunities with SAIT’s School of Business Mentoring Program, the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, and other community outreach programs focused on coaching and mentoring young adults, professionals, and newly immigrated women. Margaret is looking forward to the opportunity to continue to be involved in supporting the work of charitable organizations.
Board Director
James Gottselig
Board Director
James Gottsellg, CA, is the Senior Partner of CompassTAX LLP, a Chartered Professional Accountancy office providing cross-border tax compliance and planning. He is both a Canadian and US CPA with 33 years of experience in accounting and tax and is considered a practical problem solver in the cross-border tax world. Prior to joining CompassTAX in 2008, James worked with a Big 4 accounting firm, an independent accounting firm and was a feature film producer. James has been a long-time volunteer director with non-profits in Calgary serving on the boards of NPOs as diverse as Trout Unlimited Canada and One Yellow Rabbit Theatre Association. His experience with national and local NPOs has given him insight into a wide variety of issues facing NPOs. Making Calgary his home after convocation from the University of Saskatchewan in 1986, James has strived to support his community through both his professional and personal endeavours.
Christine Mciver
As Founder and CEO (ret’d) of the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, Christine McIver M.S.M., LLD (Hon), CFRE was responsible for the leadership, management and growth of the foundation over an expanse of more than 30 years. She is the past president of Childhood Cancer Canada and served for 12 years as the secretary-general of Childhood Cancer International. Christine continues to serve in an advisory capacity on several boards and committees devoted to childhood cancer and other charitable organizations.
Recognized by the Governments of Canada and Alberta with a Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal and an Alberta Centennial Medal, Christine was also recognized in 2016 with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Calgary. She is a recipient of a prestigious Canadian Hadassah-WIZO Woman of Achievement Award and was one of 10 Canadians chosen in 2002 to be on the Maclean’s Honour Roll. Christine has received a YWCA/Global TV Woman of Vision Award, a Reader's Digest Canadian Hero of the Year Award and a Today’s Parent For Kids’ Sake Award. In 2020, she was awarded the Spirit of COCA Award from the Children’s Oncology Camp Association International. In the Fall of 2022, she was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal from Premier Jason Kenney. In 2023, she received a Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International and in 2024 was awarded a Melvin Jones Fellow from Lions Clubs International.
Board Director
Brian Milne
Board Director
Brian Milne practices in the areas of Canadian tax and charities law. He regularly advices public and private businesses, investors and lenders on a wide range of corporate tax matters, including planning related to acquisitions, financing, and cross-border structuring, as well as the resolution of disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency. Brian also devotes a portion of his practice to advising charitable and non-profit organizations and foundations on matters such as governance, charitable giving and the structuring of social enterprises.
Brian presently serves on the boards and committees of several charities and has previously served as president of the Canadian Petroleum Tax Society and chair of the Taxation Section of the Canadian Bar Association (Alberta-South). In addition, Brian spent a number of years as the president of both the Sled Island Music and Arts Festival and Calgary’s oldest artist-run gallery space, The New Gallery, and was formerly the chair of the community radio station CJSW 90.9 FM, where he hosted a weekly radio show for many years.
Esmahan Razavi
Esmahan is a Principal at Champion Communications & PR. She is passionate about volunteering for good causes and serves on a number of local and national boards. She also co-founded two non-profits, Ask Her YYC and Ahlain. For her work on gender equity in politics, Esmahan has won several awards and distinctions.
Board Director
JS Ryu
JS Ryu is a nonprofit executive based in Calgary. Most recently, he was the founding President and CEO of the National accessArts Centre (NaAC), Canada’s largest disability arts organization. Previous roles include: Director, External and Community Relations at the Banff Centre; Director, Public Affairs for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind; Senior Consultant with the Alberta Medical Association; and Principal Speechwriter to His Excellency Kaoru Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan. JS has served on a number of boards, including the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation, the Banff Heritage Corporation, the Health Coalition of Alberta, and Creative Calgary. He was named Top 40 Under 40 in 2019 by Avenue Calgary, and in 2017, he was appointed one of five Young Cultural Innovators from Canada by the Salzburg Global Seminar.