Sidra Anjum

Ex-officio

Sidra Anjum is a Bachelor of Arts student at McMaster University, pursuing a Double Major in Economics and Environment & Society. Her academic focus bridges the connections between people, planet, and prosperity, reflecting her commitment to fostering inclusive and sustainable communities. Having experiences in rural and urban settings across North America and Asia, Sidra brings a uniquely global perspective, enhanced by her fluency in four languages and ability to connect across cultures.

Sidra recently worked as a data manager for the Green Jobs for Youth Pact, a global initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited. In this role, she helped shape pathways for green opportunities, striving to empower young people worldwide by 2030. Her leadership extends beyond global projects, as she has honed her expertise in policy and advocacy through serving on a provincial youth council board. Sidra also works as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy Advisor for the Halton Catholic District School Board, building on a passion for equity and justice sparked during her time as an International Baccalaureate student.

Sidra now serves as a Young Director with FORA: Network for Change's Rise on Boards program, where she is growing her impact as a youth leader on governance boards. Guided by a vision for a more equitable and sustainable future, Sidra strives to create spaces where diverse voices are empowered, and solutions are built with both people and the planet in mind.

Seynabou Ba

Seynabou is an export consultant for Investissement Québec and teaches international business and marketing at HEC Montréal. A proud ambassador of diversity and sustainability, Seynabou is a member of Concertation Montréal's Groupe des Trente and belonged to the Jeune Chambre de Commerce de Montréal’s first change-maker cohort as a director of its equity, diversity, inclusion and climate resilience committees. She serves on the board of the Groupe de Recommandations et d'Actions pour un Meilleur Environnement. In 2023, Seynabou was a finalist in the female leadership category of the Gala de la Relève d'Affaires du Regroupement des Jeunes Chambres de Commerce.

Kimberley Cook

A partner at Thorsteinssons LLP, Canada’s largest tax boutique law firm, Kimberley was called to the bar in 1987. Kimberley’s tax litigation practice focuses on income tax, GST, PST, and international trade. Kimberley’s diverse career experience includes work in government, software development, and human resources. She also acted as COO of both TaxBack Services Inc. and Parkscape Management Ltd. and taught international business part-time at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and Capilano University. A longtime resident of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Kimberley was drawn to Habitat to try to make a difference in the housing affordability crisis. In 2023, she was elected as Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island’s board chair.

Leland Corbett

Leland Corbett was elected to Habitat for Humanity Canada’s National Board of Directors in May 2022. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity Canada’s Southern Alberta affiliate, a position Leland has held since September 2020 and for which he is currently Vice-Chair. Leland’s introduction to Habitat came through the Global Village program, sparking a passion which has resulted in he and his wife pursuing many home-building trips to different parts of the world.

In addition to his volunteer work at Habitat, Leland is a partner at the law firm of Stikeman Elliott LLP, where he has practiced in the areas of corporate finance, governance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity for over 28 years. Leland is also a member of the Board of Directors of Kiwetinohk Energy Corp., an early-stage, publicly-listed energy transition company.

Leland holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA and a Bachelor of Laws, all from the University of Alberta.

Kathleen Flynn

Secretary

Kathleen has over 30 years’ experience in legal and governance roles, having served as in-house corporate counsel in the Canadian retail industry and, prior to that, in private legal practice. For nearly 20 years Kathleen provided legal, regulatory and corporate governance support to Indigo Books & Music, its board of directors and its charitable foundation. Prior to her recent retirement, Kathleen held the role of Executive Vice President Real Estate, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Indigo, supporting company-wide initiatives and leading the legal and real estate teams during times of industry transformation.

Kathleen has served on the boards of two not-for-profit organizations in her community and on the board of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation supporting literacy initiatives within under-resourced elementary schools across Canada. Kathleen continues to be involved in student and early career mentorship and is passionate about helping those with fewer advantages build the capacity to reach their potential.

Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queen’s University and a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall, York University. She has held part-time teaching positions at both the University of Toronto School of Management and Seneca College School of Legal and Public Administration.

Jim Garner

Corporate Director

Jim is a retired senior executive with broad executive leadership experience in finance, strategy, healthcare/life sciences and education. He has extensive board experience both as an executive and director with public company, broader public sector and not-for-profit organizations. He is currently a Director at Habitat GTA, Chair of ORION, Ontario’s research and education network and supports several other not-for-profit organizations.

Jim joined the board of Habitat GTA in June 2020 and is currently a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee and Chairs the Campaign Cabinet where he supports the organization’s resource development team. Jim is passionate about the Habitat cause and, in his capacity as a senior Habitat volunteer, he has visited many Habitat affiliates and Restores in Canada and across the United States.

Jim is a CPA/CA and a Chartered Business Valuator and earned his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is a graduate from IMD (MBA) and Queen’s University (B. Comm.)

David Hooper

Treasurer

David is a professionally accredited Management Account (CPA, CMA) as well as a professionally accredited Risk Manager (CRM). He has over 35 years of experience in Controller and CFO roles in major, privately owned corporations.

Currently, David is completing his second three-year term on the National Board of Habitat Canada, serving as Board Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. Previously, he served with Habitat Manitoba for ten years in a variety of roles. Initially he was a member of the Finance committee and the Risk Assessment committee, and then moved on to chair those two committees. He stepped down from those committees to take on the role of Vice-Chair for two years and then served as Board Chair for two years. During his term as Board Chair the Manitoba affiliate was very active building homes, including the very successful Jimmy and Rosaline Carter Work Project in 2017. During David’s tenure on the Manitoba Board, he helped create implement new mortgage and debt financing policies that will provide greater opportunities to serve more families in the future.

In addition to his involvement with Habitat, David is active in the community, as Race Director of the Great Grain Relay in support of KidSport Manitoba, and as a former Trustee for his local church.

Sharon Kuropatwa

Sharon Kuropatwa is a Coach, consultant, speaker, leader, innovator, teacher, writer, integrator and facilitator with over 30 of experience in academe, government, non-profit organizations and health services. Sharon’s work has focused on violence against women, mental health and addictions, the integration of health and social services, and housing and homelessness. Sharon is a considered expert in strategic, governance and operational excellence. With a specific expertise in creating collaborative partnerships, organizational efficiencies and communities of practice Sharon has supported these activities in the areas of domestic violence services, homelessness initiatives, housing innovations, mental health program development, primary health care redesign and the sector serving adults with developmental disabilities.

As a Board Director at Habitat for Humanity Canada Sharon also works at a national level to create impact and excellence in the area of affordable home ownership. Housing as a human right has framed Sharon’s work throughout her career. Sharon believes in the strength of collective effort and the capacity of communities as well as faith in people and families to know what works best for them. Optimism is ever-present, and hope is always on the table.

Ken Lancaster

A financial planner with RBC Dominion Securities, Ken has over 30 years of experience on several boards, providing trusted oversight of finances. He recently completed six years as treasurer with Habitat for Humanity Hamilton. Ken currently serves as vice-chair on the Hamilton Golf & Country Club Foundation’s board of directors and previously served as chair of both the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton and the Hamilton Halton Junior Golf Tour.

Ken is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants Ontario. The FCPA designation recognizes CPAs who have rendered exceptional service to the profession and their communities.

Paul Mason

An experienced senior executive with diverse industry experience in technology, health care, financial services, and housing, Paul is the Senior Vice President, Business Transformation at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Paul is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He is also a former finalist for Canadian CIO of the Year and has an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Motivated by his work at CMHC, Paul is committed to positively impacting housing for all Canadians.

Craig Meeds

Craig and his wife joined Habitat for Humanity Limestone Region (then Greater Kingston and Frontenac) as volunteers. He soon joined the board, becoming treasurer and then chair and has remained involved as a Habitat volunteer since moving to Nova Scotia.

Craig has been with TD since 1999 and is Head of Investment Management Practices and Insurance at TD Wealth. He earned a degree in Commerce and Economics from Mount Allison University, attended The Wharton School’s Securities Industry Institute, and has his Chartered Financial Analysis designation.

Corinna Mitchell-Beaudin

Over her career, Corinna has passionately applied her business, strategic and people-focused talents to senior leadership roles in Finance, Operations and Risk Management.

As Executive Vice-President, Finance at Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Corinna is responsible for finance, treasury, internal audit, procurement, pension management and loan administration.

Prior to being appointed Executive Vice-President, Corinna served 10 years as Chief Risk Officer and was instrumental in building enterprise risk management foundations and strategic risk practices for the organization to maintain industry trust and deliver great customer relationships.

Corinna holds a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Regina and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a CFA Charter holder. In 2022, she was recognized by the Regina YWCA with a Woman of Distinction Award for Leadership in Business. She is a past Woman of Influence as named by Saskatchewan Business Magazine.

Corinna has volunteered on numerous not-for-profit boards focused on youth development and is pleased to sit on the National Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity Canada and as chair to its Enterprise Risk and Affiliate Relations Committee.

Mehdi Nezarati

Mehdi Nezarati was appointed to the board of Habitat for Humanity Canada in August 2021. He has over 30 years of experience in technology, product development, and cloud platform management & operations. An entrepreneur at heart, Mehdi was a co-founder of Esna Technologies, a Canadian startup that was acquired by Avaya Inc in 2015, where he served as Vice President of Cloud Operations and Platform and led the company's product and platform transformation to cloud-based software and services until July 2021. Today, Mehdi mentors founders and CEOs of startups in pet tech, legal tech, HR tech, health tech, and telecommunications.

Mehdi was drawn to serve on Habitat's board through his experience as a newcomer to Canada in the early 1980s. At a young age, Mehdi realized the importance of having a secure home in a supportive community and how having that foundation helped him and his family become a successful Canadian immigrant story. Mehdi has a BASc in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto and is currently enrolled in the Masters in Law program at Osgoode School of Law. He lives north of Toronto with his wife and daughter.

Rachel O'Connor

Rachel is a Practice Lead at WATSON, a national governance advisory firm. She is focused on private, public and not for profit board governance and how it shapes the future of organizations. Rachel brings an additional emphasis on board oversight of people, performance, leadership, culture and DEI. She has served on boards, advisory boards and special committees for various organizations including the United Nations Women’s Development Fund and currently serves on the board of CODE.ngo, a development agency advancing literacy throughout the world.

Rachel has a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering, a Master of Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration. Rachel also holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources, and has served on the faculty of the Institute of Corporate Directors and The Directors College.

Brad Peters

Vice Chair

Brad Peters was elected to Habitat for Humanity Canada's National Board of Directors in May 2018. Brad began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Saint John Region as a Habitat ReStore committee member in 2012. He joined Habitat Saint John Region's board in February 2013, and served as board chair from 2015 to 2018.

Brad works for J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI); a large, diversified company headquartered in New Brunswick with over 17,000 employees. He has held many roles at JDI including operations, purchasing, branding, marketing and sales. His current role is General Manager of JDI Logistics, a third-party logistics provider moving freight for companies all over North America and internationally. Brad is a Forest Engineering graduate of the University of New Brunswick and an MBA graduate of Ivey at Western University.

Riccardo Trecroce

Chair

Riccardo Trecroce is a retired corporate lawyer and executive with extensive experience providing strategic leadership and support to dynamic organizations and managing multi-disciplinary professionals over a 40 year career. In June 2020, Riccardo retired as Executive Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer of Magna International Inc.

In addition to being the current Chair of Habitat for Humanity Canada, Riccardo is also on the Board of Directors of Halton Healthcare. Riccardo has also served on other charitable organizations focused on different aspects of promoting mental health and wellbeing in children.

Pedro Barata

President & CEO

Pedro is a passionate and values-driven leader with two decades’ experience driving multi-sector collaborations that achieve solutions for communities. Prior to joining Habitat in 2024, Pedro was executive director of the Future Skills Centre, where he led the start-up of the national research impact centre and launched multi-sector innovation pilots across Canada. Previously, at United Way Greater Toronto, Pedro held senior roles in partnerships, research, policy, evaluation, public affairs, and communications. Often called on for his insights into building inclusive and equitable communities, Pedro has held numerous advisory roles locally and nationally, in innovation, housing strategy, income security and poverty reduction. He sits on the expert advisory panel of the Century Initiative and the boards of directors of the Agora Foundation, the Better Childcare Education Foundation, and Learnx.

Karen Coviello

Senior Vice-President, People and Impact

Born and raised in the beautiful City of Saskatoon, Karen joined the team in January 2021. Karen’s professional roots lie in primary education, where she developed a passion for creating the space for others to flourish. Her proven talents are geared to create a successful learning organization: Developing effective stakeholder engagement strategies, curriculum and workshop design, strategic planning, and guiding organizations through change initiatives. Prior to joining Habitat Canada, Karen was the Habitat Waterloo Region CEO (2018-2020), served as a City of Waterloo Councillor (2006-14) and was a professor in Conestoga College’s Business School. She was also the co-founder and principal of The Talent Business Solutions, a successful Waterloo start-up focused on delivering strategic management support to help not-for-profits grow, compete, and embrace change. Karen is an avid community volunteer, currently serving as the President & Chair of the Board of the YW of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Jennifer Hearn

Vice President, Resource Development

Jennifer joined the team in December 2017 as the Director of Corporate Development, leading all sponsorship and philanthropic support from companies across Canada. In early 2019, she was promoted to vice president of resource development, where she oversees all national fundraising activities. Prior to joining Habitat, Jennifer worked on the corporate development team at the CAMH Foundation. In that role, she managed corporate partnerships, cause marketing, and served as the lead for their annual peer-to-peer fundraising event. Prior to Jennifer transitioning to the non-profit sector in 2015, she had a successful career in business development and marketing, working for multinational organizations in various roles on both the client and agency sides. In 2023, Jennifer joined the board and is the chair of the strategic planning committee of My Friend’s House, a shelter for women in the South Georgian Bay area experiencing violence.

Michele McMaster

Vice President, Housing and Community Strategy

Michele and her team work with developers, governments, community stakeholders and local Habitats to galvanize new affordable housing opportunities. She has more than a decade of experience as a relationship manager at CMHC, Canada’s national housing agency, supporting the multi-million-dollar funding and insurance needs of non-profit and for-profit developers, as well as the City of Toronto. Michele also brings to the team extensive communications and management expertise and a history of entrepreneurship. Among the roles in her “first career” in communications, Michele ran her agency, McMaster Communications, worked as a VP at international firm Weber Shandwick and as Director of Strategic Communications at creative agency Dakis & Associates.

Sarah Varley

Vice President, Communications and Partnerships

Sarah joined Habitat in December 2020, bringing over 20 years' communications and partnership marketing experience to her role. She started her career at the Swedish telecom Ericsson, where she managed event marketing and community relations activities for the Canadian office, before being recruited to work globally on their Brand Experience Management team. Sarah left Ericsson to launch her own social initiative, The Girl Event. The youth empowerment event series was marketed to schools across Ontario, reached over 3,000 girls and attracted partnerships with the non-profit and private sector. She consulted to the non-profit sector for many years, which led to her role leading Tennis Canada’s Corporate Partnerships service team, before joining the Strategic Initiatives team at Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Immediately prior to joining Habitat she was the Managing Director for the social change agency Manifest.