Lisa, the executive director of Ottawa Salus from 2010 to 2020, was also a member of the city of Ottawa’s Housing System Working Group and a former vice-chair of the Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness. A former board member of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, she has also worked in the government and community-based sectors for over 30 years, including in the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services and Toronto Community Housing Corporation. In addition to her Master’s in Public Administration from Queen’s University, Lisa is a certified Change Management Practitioner.

Among her many volunteer contributions, Lisa worked with the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and Anishnawbe Health’s Street Patrol. More recently, she provided palliative care support at La maison Mathieu-Froment-Savoie.

Emma is a born-and-raised Calgarian, outdoor enthusiast and a passionate believer in the power of community. She comes to this project from the world of live theatre, where she has worked as a professional stage manager across the country for the last 15 years.

Emma brings a diverse host of skills in communication, organization and administration to the table, along with her empathetic ear and personal touch.

Louise has worked as a playwright, advocate and administrator for over a decade in Calgary and Edmonton. Committed to inspiring community partnerships, local ambassadorship and to bridging the gap between difference-makers and decision-makers, Louise uses her background in the performing arts as a foundation for all of her work. Recently, she has been the driving force behind a 24-month national study on new play development (through the Alberta Playwright’s Network), in addition to ongoing policy-writing, research and advocacy initiatives for the non-profit sector. She loves collaboration, organization, and discovering tools that make working and living safer for all.

Pierre Gaudreau has extensive experience working on housing, poverty and homeless issues. He has worked with FRAPRU (the Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain), as well as the Réseau d’aide aux personnes seul et itinérantes de Montréal, to develop responses to the needs of the ill-housed and homeless. Taking an advocacy approach, he has contributed to the fight to address these issues and has been actively involved in the work of the Quebec, Canadian and Montreal governments to develop policies, plans, strategies and programs. He has always thought globally while seeking solutions to the varied problems faced by local populations.

Tania is passionate about public policy and complex urban topics. She has devoted her academic and professional life to research public policies on housing and transportation that could lead to more equitable and sustainable cities. Currently living in Vancouver, she combines her background as an economist with up-to-date knowledge in community planning, acquired during the Applied Planning Program at Langara College from which she has recently graduated. Tania has experience in collecting and analyzing data and has worked for a broad variety of clients

Cameron joins the Community Housing Transformation Centre team after having earned a Graduate Diploma in Urban Studies from Simon Fraser University. Before moving to Vancouver for graduate school, he worked with the government of Canada and adjacent organizations in Ottawa, having also obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences in History and Political Science from the University of Ottawa in 2016. He believes that policy which aligns with the priorities of vulnerable residents is essential to creating both sustainable housing and transportation across Canada. In his spare time, Cameron enjoys reading, speaking with friends and family, and cycling.

A seasoned communication professional, Marie is finalizing a career transition to territorial planning and local development. She is completing a master’s degree in geography (regional planning). She spent five years working in public relations agencies in France before joining a community real-estate developer in Montreal, also for five years. Marie has recently been active in public consultation mandates, particularly ones involving citizen participation in the environmental sector.

After graduating from the University of Geneva with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Susanne worked for swisspeace, an institute dedicated to advancing effective peacebuilding. In particular, she participated in the implementation of training courses aimed at transferring theoretical knowledge to practitioners working in the field. Susanne recently completed her Master’s degree in History at McGill University. Her research focused on the recollection of slavery in Québec. She would now like to put her insights on social justice to good use through her commitment to facilitating access to affordable housing.

Rory holds a Masters in planning from Dalhousie University with a concentration in affordable housing as it relates to healthy communities and land-development economics. Rory has a passion and deep interest in affordable housing policy and development, and how it can influence the health outcomes of urban and rural communities. With over 5 years of experience in the field of housing and social services, Rory’s work in planning ranges from transit-oriented development housing opportunities, not-for-profit housing administration, and innovative housing policy as it relates to land development. Rory completed his BA in Behavioural Psychology at St. Lawrence College, sparking his interest in the effects of housing on the well-being of our communities. He is thrilled to work with the Community Housing Transformation Centre to help advance affordable housing across Canada.