Victoria Barclay

Ex-officio

Victoria Barclay is a Master of Arts student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the Department of Sociology. She is a skilled qualitative researcher and writer, currently exploring the housing situations of racialized women who have experienced gender-based violence in Vancouver and Toronto. She also supports a second project that investigates the impact of occupancy standards on women who have fled violence in these cities.

Victoria has engaged as a leader at UBC, the University of Toronto (U of T), and the broader community. This experience includes revamping the UBC Graduate Student Council of Sociology, co-founding a racialized students collective at U of T, and representing her home riding of Parkdale-High Park in the 2021 Daughters of the Vote program hosted by Equal Voice. She is currently a Youth Council Member at the Canadian Council on Youth Prosperity.

She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in sociology, political science, and equity studies. Victoria’s work is guided by her objective of a safer, more inclusive, and more just world. She joins Habitat as a Fora: Network for Change's Rise on Boards Young Director.

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.

David Hooper

Treasurer

David is a professionally accredited Management Account (CPA, CMA) as well as a professionally accredited Risk Manager (CRM). He has over 30 years of experience in Controller and CFO roles in major, privately owned corporations.

Currently, David is completing his two-year term as board Chair of Habitat for Humanity Manitoba. He has been involved with Habitat Manitoba for eight 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, Habitat Manitoba was very active building homes, including the very successful Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in 2017. During David’s tenure on the Habitat Manitoba board, he helped create and implement new mortgage and debt financing policies that will provide greater opportunities to serve more families in the future. Also, he is a member of the Habitat Canada Assessment and Risk Committee.

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 trustee for his local church.

Sharon Kuropatwa

Sharon Kuropatwa is a leader, innovator, teacher, writer, integrator and facilitator with over 30 years 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 had the opportunity to be on the ground floor of Housing First development in Winnipeg and participated on the Working Group of the At Home Chez Soi study, a national research project on Housing First models across Canada. Housing as a human right has framed Sharon’s work for the last 15 years, with a specific interest in housing as a primary determinant of health. This has included the development of Housing First programs, street health outreach teams, a congregate Housing First site, housing support teams for provincial social housing, and a number of initiatives and tables designed to integrate the service response to individuals impacted by homelessness. 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.

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

In her role as executive vice-president and chief risk officer at Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Corinna leads a diverse team accountable for overseeing the management of all risks. She brings a strong focus on developing risk management practices that align with FCC’s strategy, risk appetite, business objectives and customer experience priorities.

Corinna came to FCC as part of the treasury team in 2001. She has served in several senior roles, including vice-president and treasurer, vice-president of portfolio management, vice-president of prairie operations and vice-president of credit risk management.

Corinna holds a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Regina. She is a chartered professional accountant, chartered accountant and a CFA Charterholder. In 2013, Corinna was recognized by Saskatchewan Business Magazine as a 'Woman of Influence'.

Corinna is passionate about youth development and donates her time to students as a mentor with the Hill Levene Mentor Program at the University of Regina and the Womentorship Program at the University of Saskatchewan.

Mehdi Nezarati

Mehdi Nezarati was appointed to the board of Habitat for Humanity Canada in August 2021. He has close to 30 years of experience in high tech, software development and cloud platform management and operations. An entrepreneur at heart, Mehdi was a co-founder of Esna Technologies, a Canadian startup which was acquired by Avaya Inc in 2015. He served at Avaya until July 2021 where he last held the position of Vice President of Cloud Operation and Platform and led the company's product and platform transformation to cloud based software and services.

Mehdi was drawn to serve on Habitat's board through his own experience as a newcomer to Canada in the early 1980's. 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. 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.

Christine Pacini

Working primarily in the public and not-for-profit sectors, Christine Pacini has more than 35 years of professional experience in the areas of housing research and policy, management consulting, and social purpose real estate development.

Christine Pacini is a co-founder and partner of SHS Consulting, an independent consulting firm specializing in the housing field. She has had an integral role in the preparation of more than 250 housing and related studies and has acted as project manager in the development of a wide range of affordable, supportive, and transitional housing projects. Christine has also worked with a number of housing organizations in the development of long-term real estate strategies.

Christine is heavily involved in SHS Consulting’s business innovation practice, having worked on the reimaging of the business offerings of community-based housing organizations, and facilitating a range of Solutions Labs aimed at solving complex housing problems on behalf of CMHC, including healthy housing, future of community housing, and citizen-led housing design.

Christine was on the Habitat for Humanity GTA Board of Directors between 2010 and 2020, including serving as Board Chair. She has been a SheEO Activator since 2017, supporting women entrepreneurs working on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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.

David Sauve

David Sauve was elected to Habitat for Humanity Canada's National Board of Directors in May 2016. He previously volunteered as a board member with Habitat for Humanity York Region from 2009 to 2014, serving as the chair from 2013-14. After Habitat York Region merged with the Habitat for Humanity Brampton-Caledon and Habitat for Humanity Toronto in 2014, David acted as the inaugural chair for Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (GTA) from 2014 to 2016 and remained on the GTA board until June 2020. He was Chair of the GTA’s Build Finance Committee and a member of its Land & Build Committee. On the national board, David was Chair of the Human Resources Committee from 2017-20 and is a past member of the Finance Committee.

In addition to his volunteer work at Habitat, David is a Vice President at Stantec Consulting, an international multi-disciplinary architecture/engineering design and project management firm. He is responsible for leading the firm's operations in the GTA and Ottawa, consisting of about 850 people.

David holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Queen's University), Master's in Urban and Regional Planning (Queen's University), and MBA (real property development specialization) (Schulich School of Business). In 2014, he completed the Not for Profit Governance Essentials program offered by the Rotman School of Business.

Imran Thaver

Imran brings over 16 years’ experience in the financial industry in Alberta and is currently Vice President, Prairie Region with Sagen (formally Genworth Canada).

Imran has an astute understanding of the mortgage default risk market, instituting affordable housing projects, equity land landing and securitization. Prior to Sagen, Imran spent several years with HSBC Bank Canada in their Business Development, Commercial Mid-Market and Premier Services Lending departments. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Business Psychology and Economics from the University of Alberta and his Project Management Certification.

Imran has been very involved in the Edmonton and Alberta community. He sat on the Advisory Board for the Edmonton Expo 2017 Bid and has served in multiple capacities for the United Way. Imran has sat on various boards and been involved with many other organizations including the Aga Khan Foundation’s quest to eradicate global poverty, Mortgage Loans Association of Alberta, the Ismaili Council for Edmonton and the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association. Currently, Imran is the Vice-Chair for Habitat for Humanity Edmonton and has been serving on the Board of Directors and Audit and Risk Committee since 2014.

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.

Marie Claire Uwanyirigira

Marie Claire is the General Manager for E-MC Gestion Immobilière. Established in 2013, this property management organization has built its reputation on flexibility, professionalism, and providing exemplary service. Marie is known for her strategic insights and guidance that enhance the company’s ability to manage significant real estate assets and ensure remarkable growth. Exceptional leadership skills drive Marie’s ability to mentor and coach diverse teams while overseeing essential business operations. Her agile corporate culture helps her achieve corporate objectives through organic, profitable growth and, ultimately, prosperity.

Marie is known for her eloquent, personable, and knowledgeable presentation. She has an impressive portfolio of entrepreneurial and managerial experience that is reflected in her professional accomplishments. Marie possesses an Institute for Governance of Public and Private Organization (IGOPP) designation and a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree in Industrial Engineering. Her advanced academic achievements fueled her admirable career.

Additionally, Marie is extremely passionate about real estate and believes that having somewhere to call home is a human right. She has been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity in a variety of capacities since 2017. Astute communication skills are reflected in productive professional relationships with key stakeholders. Marie is known for her remarkable business acumen and compelling blend of talent and vision. Marie’s dedicated approach to operational leadership, budget management, and investment analysis are reflected in her significant qualitative and quantitative achievements.

Julia Deans

President and CEO

Julia Deans is President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada, a 46-affiliate federation focused on safe and affordable housing for all. With degrees from Queen’s, Columbia and Osgoode Hall Law School, Julia practiced law with Torys LLP in Toronto and Hong Kong and built a legal recruitment business in Singapore before becoming a non-profit CEO with CivicAction, Futurpreneur Canada and the Canada Children’s Literacy Foundation, Chair of Ontario's Expert Roundtable on Immigration, and non-profit and business director. She’s been named to WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, a YWCA Toronto Woman of Distinction and a Woman of Influence Canadian Diversity Champion, and received the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy Leadership Award, the Goodman School of Business Distinguished Leader Award, and le Prix Hommage RelèveON 2020. Julia has her ICD.D and is a director of InvestEco Capital and the Canada Post Community Foundation and is Honourary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2 Military Police Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Karen Coviello

Vice President, Affiliate Success

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.

Around nine years ago, Jennifer transitioned to the non-profit sector. Before that, she had a successful career in business development and marketing, working for organizations such as Geometry Global, Grip Limited, Mosaic, Panasonic, and Motorola. She held various roles on both the client and agency sides.

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.

Lalit Varma

Vice President, Finance and Administration

Lalit has a proven history of financial leadership, establishing policies, procedures, and best practices for global enterprises. He is recognized as a corporate finance expert and a highly-skilled cost and management accountant. Lalit is a collaborative, engaging and empowering executive with the ability to champion organizational goals and build high-performance teams. In addition to his Bachelor of Commerce degree, Lalit holds credentials including a CPA, FCMA, CISA and ACS. His strong financial acumen is complemented by his equally strong domestic and international non-profit experience, including roles with Doctors Without Borders-Medecins Sans Frontieres and Right to Play International, where he held positions as Global Director of Finance and CFO.