Michelle is the COO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, COHO Management Services and the Community Land Trust, all based in Vancouver and representing almost 15,000 co-op households. Michelle oversees the day-to-day operations of the team and provides leadership in developing and executing an annual operating plan that supports the strategic direction set by the CEO and board of CHF BC.

Michelle is a passionate about the co-operative business model as an ethical, social and sustainable approach to business. She has been involved in the co-operative movement for 15 years and is the treasurer of the BC Co-operative Association and a non-resident member of WISHS housing co-operative. A Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), Michelle is in her final year of the Masters of Management, Co-operatives and Credit Union, at the International Centre of Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Ray Sullivan is Executive Director of the Canadian Housing & Renewal Association (CHRA). CHRA is a membership-based association that leads and provokes system-wide action toward the right to housing for all by serving as the national voice of the community housing sector, and creating the conditions for community housing providers to achieve their goals. Ray has worked in the community housing sector since 1999, serving on many boards, working groups and steering committees at the local, provincial and national level. Ray served as Executive Director of Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC), a dynamic mixed-income private non-profit landlord, and chaired the board of Cahdco, an innovative non-profit development corporation. While at CCOC, he also founded the Ottawa Community Land Trust, where he remains active as a volunteer. Ray is proud to have begun his career in community housing as a tenant and remains committed to non-profit and co-operative housing as a tool for social and economic justice.

Christina Maes Nino has spent her career focused on improving housing circumstances with people living in poverty. After working as case manager in supportive housing in Vancouver and community development in social housing in Calgary, Christina completed a Masters of City Planning at the University of Manitoba. Christina has coordinated and co-authored multiple community-based and action research projects on housing and homelessness in Winnipeg, including Winnipeg’s Street Census projects and the Winnipeg Plan to End Youth Homelessness (2016).

Christina is the Executive Director of the Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association, which supports networking, capacity building, advocacy, and sector development so non-profit housing organizations are better able to provide sustainable, secure, affordable housing for all who need it in Manitoba.

With a degree in communications (UQAM), specializing in cultural outreach and research, as well as training in performance management and human resources (HEC Montréal), Nancy Croussette has solid experience in the field of community housing and a career marked by strategic support and organizational transformation. Over the years, she has helped modernize governance, communication, and mobilization practices by promoting innovation and collaboration among collective actors. Recognized for her unifying leadership and her ability to forge links between communities, she now puts this expertise to work for the Réseau québécois des OSBL d’habitation (RQOH). As Executive Director, she is leading a transformation process aimed at consolidating and strengthening community housing as a pillar of the right to housing, social solidarity, and living together in Quebec.

In a professional career in housing that has spanned over 20 years, Lisa has worked extensively with the Canadian government and the non-profit sector. After having led large-scale projects for program development, legislative reform and housing research for marginalized populations, she is currently a senior housing advisor and consultant at Ontario’s Housing Services Corporation. At the HSC she works with administrators and providers (boards and staff) to plan for their future in a changing environment—end of mortgage and expiry of operating agreements—and for financial viability, governance and restructuring.

Lisa is a firm believer in the role the community-housing sector plays in enabling access to secure, affordable homes. As newcomers to Canada in the 1980s, her family lived in community housing as an affordable option after having faced rental discrimination. This experience fueled her career path in the housing sector and she brings a wealth of knowledge to Centre board of directors.

A former member of Abiwin Co-operative and for 10 years the executive director of the Co-operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario, Olga is well versed in co-operative housing’s strengths and weaknesses. For over five years she served on the board and as President of Rooftops Canada, the international development organization founded by the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and has served on the board of Canadian Housing and Renewal Association. Olga assumed the role of Director, Operations in 2010, at the Agency for Co-operative Housing becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2021.

Ren Thomas is an Associate Professor at the School of Planning at Dalhousie University and a Founding Fellow of the MacEachen Institute of Public Policy and Governance. As a consultant, she has conducted research for organizations such as BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Infrastructure Canada, and Institute for Public Policy Research.

Active in the cooperative housing sector for over 20 years, Nathalie Genois began her career as a trainer and advisor for associative life at the Fédération des coopératives d’habitation de Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches (FECHAQC). She quickly acquired expertise in the field, notably in the support of governing bodies, organizational structure and intervention with housing cooperatives in difficulty.

She joined the CQCH team in 2004 to develop and coordinate the training and intervention services offered by the federations and the CQCH. She helped develop the CQCH’s expertise in housing cooperatives at the end of agreements, and laid the foundations for the CQCH’s intervention service for cooperatives at risk of demutualization.

Her involvement as Development Director for the Groupe de ressources techniques (GRT) SOSACO also helped broaden her scope of intervention. Back at the CQCH for nearly four years, she now holds the position of Assistant General Manager and oversees, among other things, the intervention and turnaround service for housing cooperatives at risk.
Nathalie also sits on various committees and boards of directors in Quebec.

With over two decades of progressive leadership in housing and sustainability, Patricia currently serves as Director of Member Services at the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. In this role, she oversees national service delivery to housing co-operatives, leads strategic initiatives, and fosters impactful partnerships. Her career includes executive leadership roles with Ottawa Community Housing and consulting work with P3 Advisors, where she led complex mandates in public-private partnerships, sustainable procurement, and organizational transformation across Canada and internationally. Patricia brings extensive Board and committee experience. She currently serves on the boards of the Compass Ontario Limited, Essex Non-Profit, and is an Ontario Regional Delegate for the Cooperators. She also actively contributes to sport and community development through her roles with the Gloucester Women’s Competitive Volleyball League and past contributions to the Gloucester Lacrosse Association and the Caring and Sharing Exchange.

Bilingual in French and English, Patricia holds a Master’s in Cooperative and Credit Union Management from Saint Mary’s University, along with executive education from Queen’s University, a BA from the University of Waterloo, and international study experience at Australia’s Griffith University. She is a recognized speaker, having addressed the House of Commons Finance Committee and numerous national and international conferences. Her published works and thought leadership in sustainability and procurement underscore her commitment to ethical, effective, and community-focused governance.

As a professional urban planner, Sarah is deeply passionate about community development and empowering individuals. Sarah has over two decades of extensive municipal and non-profit experience; including managing large budgets and extensive leadership roles in a variety of functions and portfolios.

Robert was born in Inuvik and raised in Tuktoyaktuk, spending much of his early life on the land. He began his career in the trades, completing a carpentry apprenticeship with the Tuktoyaktuk Housing Association. Robert went on to work with Housing NWT (formerly the NWT Housing Corporation) for over a decade, holding progressive roles including Technical Advisor, Technical Manager, and Senior Project Officer. In 2024, he accepted a position with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, where he continues to support housing initiatives across the region.

He holds certificates in Construction Management & Administration and Leadership from the University of Alberta, as well as a Business Administration diploma with honours from Aurora College. Robert is currently completing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a focus on Management at NAIT. Nationally, Robert serves as an appointed member of the inaugural National Housing Council – an independent advisory body established under the National Housing Strategy Act (2019). The Council provides guidance to the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities on matters related to housing policy and the right to adequate housing. Reappointed for a second term in 2022, Robert continues to advocate for housing solutions that reflect the realities and needs of Northern communities. Robert and his spouse, Dana, have two children together. He is also a proud father to three adult children, all of whom are young professionals working for the Government of the Northwest Territories.

With a strong technical foundation, broad administrative experience, and a deep commitment to Northern well-being, Robert strives to make a lasting impact through collaboration, innovation, and advocacy.