National Board of Directors

CHAIR

Volunteer, retired lawyer, and financial executive – Mary is a long-time volunteer of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver. She is a current member and a past chair of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver Board of Directors and of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver Foundation Board of Directors. Since 2016, Mary has been a YMCA Canada Board member and currently serves as YMCA Canada Board Chair.

Mary is a retired member of the Law Society of British Columbia. She is a past executive and board member with a BC-based independent investment adviser. Mary holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

VICE CHAIR

Daniel is a professor of management with the Faculty of Business at University of New Brunswick Saint John, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in Competitive Strategy, Managing Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. His research interests are currently focused on understanding disruptive business models, where he has published five case studies with IVEY Publishing; one of which, entitled “What Business is Zara In?” was recently recognized as a top ten bestselling case study.

Dan volunteers extensively, sitting on numerous boards and committees. He is currently engaged with the Saint John Block One startup incubator and accelerator programs, where he co-founded the Venture Validation Program, which has helped over 150 Saint John and New Brunswick entrepreneurs understand the business opportunity behind their new business ideas. He chairs the board of the Greater Saint John YMCA.

Prior to joining UNB in 2003, Daniel was involved in founding two technology startup companies for NBTel and Aliant. The first is a global software company and the second is a northern New England-based internet and broadband services provider.

Daniel began his 19-year career in the telecommunications and internet industries when he joined NBTel in 1984 following his graduation from the University of New Brunswick where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1991, Daniel received a Master’s in the Management of Technology from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  

VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR ELECT

Laurie provides strategic, operational, and financial leadership as the Associate Vice President, Administration and Finance with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Prior to this role, Laurie held the position of CFO with JCL Investments Inc., Universal Helicopters, and the KMK Capital Group of Companies. She is the former Deputy Minister of Finance for Newfoundland and Labrador and also served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Business, having held Assistant Deputy Minister positions in three areas of the Department of Finance. Laurie is a past board director of the Brother T.I. Murphy Centre and the Youth in Care Network of Newfoundland and Labrador. She volunteers her time on the Finance and Audit Committee of The Gathering Place, is a member of the Rotary Club of St. John's East, and is past board chair of the YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador.

DIRECTOR

Mostafa is a Professional Engineer working in eCommerce at Amazon. Born in Egypt and raised in Kuwait, Mostafa attended McGill University in Montreal where he was an HFA member of the historic Downtown YMCA. Here, Mostafa saw first-hand the positive impact a centre of community can bring to its neighbourhood. Following a move to Toronto, Mostafa jumped at the opportunity to volunteer with the YMCA of Greater Toronto, serving on the Youth Advisory Committee to the Board, as well as the Association’s Government Relations Task Force.

DIRECTOR

Colleen is an Executive Coach and business advisor with over 25 years of leading marketing and communications for some of the world's largest professional and financial services firms. An expert in transformation and change, and stakeholder management, she works with dynamic leaders who aspire to inspire and engage their teams.

An experienced non-profit board member, Colleen is the vice-chair of ParticipACTION and chairs the National Board’s Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. Her previous board work includes the YMCA of Greater Toronto where she served as board chair.

Colleen's achievements and contributions have been recognized with Canada's Top 40 Under 40 award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

DIRECTOR

Daniel is the Vice-President, Marketing and Digital Channels at Export Development Canada. Daniel has more than 25 years of experience as an executive leader in digital media, telecommunications, and emerging technologies with significant expertise in strategy, marketing, and business development. He has held executive positions with Cogeco Connexion, Bell Canada Enterprises and its subsidiaries, and Sympatico-Lycos Inc., and consults for many international telecom operators.

Daniel has served on several for-profit and not-for-profit boards, including the YMCAs of Quebec where he is a former board chair. He holds an MBA from HEC Lausanne in Switzerland and has participated in Ivy League executive training.

DIRECTOR

Dan holds the position of President & CEO, and Secretary of the Board for United Way Centraide Canada (UWCC) where he leads a national movement for social change comprising of 70 local United Way and Centraide (UWC) organizations serving more than 5,000 Canadian communities. Dan has 20 years of leadership experience within the UWC Movement at the local, provincial, and national levels. He brings his expertise to UWCs’ work on community impact and engagement, public policy, product development, network governance, and business transformation. Dan is leading and championing the UWC transformation and future state vision process for growth and impact. Dan engages with stakeholders through donor, government, and media relations, engaging in public policy development to drive the United Way Centraide mission forward.

Prior to joining UWC, Dan held positions with the Ontario Government and managed an independent consulting practice offering services in urban planning, public policy, housing, and research.

DIRECTOR

My first YMCA experience in Niagara Falls at age 8 launched a lifelong commitment to physical activity and admiration for the YMCA’s capacity to create for its people a sense of belonging. Later in life, I re-found my YMCA roots and, as my professional life took me to different cities, I have been privileged to serve the YMCA as a board volunteer and donor. In my career as a university professor, Dean, and Provost, I have devoted my teaching and research to active living, physical literacy, and healthy development through sport and physical education. I have lived in five Canadian provinces and worked and traveled extensively internationally as a proud Canadian and global citizen. I am a strong supporter of the YMCA’s belief in just, collaborative, and mutually beneficial relationships built on respect and a foundation of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

DIRECTOR

Sourov is a Managing Partner at Stryve Digital Marketing where he handles digital marketing executions for clients such as Intel, Oracle, and Syngenta. Previously, he worked in brand management at Unilever.

Sourov is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier’s BBA program and attended Harvard Business School for his Executive Education.

Sourov was named one of Kitchener-Waterloo’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2012 and is a recipient of a Lazaridis School of Business Alumni Award for his business and community-building efforts. He is the past chair of the YMCA of Kitchener-Waterloo.

DIRECTOR

Tyril Froese, CPA, CA is a business advisor and partner with MNP’s Assurance and Accounting group in Mississauga, ON. Working with a wide range of clients and getting to know them on a personal level allows Ty to deliver a wide range of tax, assurance, and advisory services.

As a native of Manitoba, Ty joined the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Brandon in 2008 as a young leader. Tyril went on to serve as Board Chair for the YMCA of Brandon, as well as dedicating his time to various organizations including the Westman Dreams for Kids Foundation and the MS Society.

At home, Ty enjoys spending quality family time with his wife and two children.

DIRECTOR

Barbara is honoured to serve on the Board of YMCA Canada and to have the opportunity to learn from and work with this talented team. Barbara joined CARE Canada in April 2020 as President and CEO. CARE is part of an international confederation working in over 100 countries to realize the power and positive impact of women’s leadership in their local communities. Before joining CARE, Barbara served as President & CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. She has held executive positions with BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Vancouver Foundation, and had a successful consulting practice for many years.

Barbara serves on the Board of Directors of YMCA of Greater Vancouver, jack.org (a national organization working to change the conversation for Canada’s young people around mental health), the Humanitarian Coalition of Canada, and CanWaCH. She is also a volunteer with the national Loran Scholars Program.

In 2016, Barbara was named one of Women’s Executive Network‘s Annual Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and in 2019, she received the AFP Lifetime Achievement Award. She holds degrees from Queen’s and Carleton Universities. Most importantly, she is the proud mom of three wonderful young adults and takes her turn at walking her family’s aging golden lab, Rosie.

DIRECTOR

Ruhee is a public affairs strategist specializing in government relations, policy, and strategic communications. She holds experience in private, public, and non-profit sectors. Throughout her career, she has focused on developing policy to enhance the vibrancy of Canada’s business sector, facilitate innovation and technology adoption, and support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Ruhee currently serves as Director of Policy and Communications, leading policy, advocacy, and media relations for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. She works directly with businesses, governments, and stakeholders to encourage policy adoption that strengthens the business community and the Calgary community at large. Ruhee has previously served as an economic advisor to the Government of Quebec, worked in government relations with the University of Calgary, and in public affairs with MEG Energy.

Ruhee is deeply involved in her community, currently serving on the YMCA Canada Board of Directors, ParticipACTION Board of Directors, Max Bell School of Public Policy Advisory Board, Equal Voice Calgary Advisory Board, and World YMCA Elections Committee. She has also served on the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Board of Governors and the Queen’s University Alma Mater Society Board of Directors.

Ruhee holds a Master of Public Policy from the Max Bell School of Public Policy (McGill University) and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University. She is also an avid runner and triathlete, visual artist, and pianist. 

DIRECTOR

Kwame is the CEO of Wellesley Institute and is an international expert on the social causes of mental illness, suicide, and the development of effective, equitable health systems. Dr. McKenzie is also Director of Health Equity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and a Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

As a policy advisor, clinician, and academic with over 250 papers, 5 books, and numerous awards, he has worked across a broad spectrum to improve population health and health services for three decades. He is a member of the National Advisory Council on Poverty and Co-Chair of Canada’s Expert Advisory Panel on COVID-19 and Mental Health. He was the Co-Chair of the Expert Task Force on Substance Use, sat on the Minister of Health’s COVID-19 Testing and Tracing Advisory, and was a member of Canada’s Delegation to the High-Level Political Forum on the Social Development Goals. Dr. McKenzie has served as a Human Rights Commissioner for Ontario and Chair of the Research and Evaluation Advisory Committee of Ontario's Basic Income Pilot. In addition to his academic, policy, and clinical work, Kwame has written columns for the Guardian, Times-online, and Toronto Star and is a past BBC Radio presenter. 

DIRECTOR

Wan-Peng provides engineering leadership as Director, Development at AudienceView, a global ticketing company with operations in Europe, North America, and South America. Wan-Peng is a past board member at the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario. Wan-Peng volunteers his time on the Finance and Audit Committee of London Health Science Centre, Row Ontario, Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario, as well as the Responsible Gambling Council of Canada.

DIRECTOR

Krista is a Partner at BDO Canada with over 15 years of professional experience in public practice. She provides assurance, accounting, and advisory services to clients in various sectors including not-for-profits, with a specialization in pensions, benefit trust funds, and unions. Krista helps her clients by advising on governance, information systems, financial statement preparation and disclosures, and emerging issues. As a member of the BDO Pension and Benefits Group, Krista has notable experiences executing information systems audit procedures at third-party administrators, researching emerging issues, and producing thought leadership.

Krista holds a CPA, CA designation along with a Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo. She is a member of the Velocity Women in Leadership program and a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). At BDO, she is a key contributor to the recruiting, hiring, and training initiatives for future and current staff. Outside of work, Krista and her husband parent two energetic sons, who happily attend YMCA child care.

DIRECTOR

Tracey Wallace has over three decades of global experience working for organizations in corporate governance, human capital, strategic planning, ESG, and consulting. She is known for her strategic vision, building and leading teams, and for developing and coaching people at all levels of an organization. Since 2017, Tracey has served as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Badger Infrastructure Solutions Ltd., the largest non-destructive hydro-excavation business in North America. Tracey’s past board experience includes the ALS Society of Canada, the ALS Society of Alberta, Rokstad Power, and SFT Global. Tracey is a member of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources and holds the Certified Professional Human Resources (CPHR) designation and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Outside the Boardroom, Tracey can be found spending time with her family, traveling the world, and enjoying activities such as cross-country skiing, hiking, and sailing.