Our people

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Elevating the Canada Games movement across the country

At the Canada Games Council, our Board serves as a Governance Board and is responsible for the effective stewardship of the organization.

Our Board consists of 14 Directors from across Canada with a wide variety of skills and unwavering passion for Canadian amateur sports and the Canada Games Movement. Their experience, insight, and knowledge provides executive leadership and direction in achieving our Vision, Strategic Priorities & Objectives.

Chair

Evan Johnston

Evan is a corporate executive and legal expert who currently serves as the Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Related Businesses at The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. He is driven by his passion for sport at all levels, particularly Canadian amateur sport. A Winnipeg resident, Evan is a three-time Ironman finisher whose hobbies include long-distance triathlon, downhill skiing, water skiing and windsurfing.

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Vice Chair

Catriona Le May Doan

A three-time Olympic medalist and icon in Canadian speed skating, Catriona is a true champion on and off the field of play. She is a tireless ambassador for the transformational power of sport and a distinguished member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. A Canada Games alum, Catriona is currently the President and CEO of Sport Calgary. She was Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

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Director

Jody Becker

Jody is an innovative leader and seasoned business professional with 25 years of experience in corporate strategy, operations, governance and risk management. As Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Infrastructure Services & Technology at EllisDon, Jody is the first woman to hold the COO rank at the company, and was named among WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2022.

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Director

Malcolm Boyle

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Director

Ann Duffy

As a seasoned leader in the sustainability, sport, legacy and engagement space, Ann brings more than 35 years of professional experience to the table. She is the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Board Advisor and Chief Sustainability Officer for MI Global Partners – a global firm specializing in events, sport and place – and she has operated her own advisory firm, The Ann Duffy Group Inc., since 2010.

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Director

Catherine Gosselin-Després

A leader in the Canadian sport system, Catherine is the Executive Director of Sport with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. In that role she oversees Games preparation, Paralympic performance and the Paralympic sport development pathway, and has been at the helm for the Canadian Paralympic Team in Sochi, Rio, PyeongChang and Tokyo. In 2017, she was named one of the “Five to Watch” under 40 in Canadian sport business by George Brown College.

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Director

Judy Joseph-Black

Judy has worked in the Canadian sport industry for more than three decades and is a strong advocate for athletes and coaches with a disability, women in sport, and Indigenous sport. Her background is in communications and media relations, and she has worked with Team Canada at the Paralympic Games, as well as Team BC at the Canada Games from 1993-2019. She currently lives on Gabriola Island, BC.

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Director

Teddy Katz

Teddy resides in Oakville and is the Founder and Chief Storyteller at Think Redefined Inc. He brings exceptional journalism, communications, and media relations experience to the CGC Board and has been involved with an impressive number of national and international Games, including more than 10 Olympics, Paralympics, and most other major Games. He also served as the Chief Spokesperson and Director of Media Relations for the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.

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Director

Sean O'Donnell

Fluently bilingual, Sean is a longtime executive within the federal public service. He has extensive experience with the Canadian sport system, high performance sport and the athlete development pathway thanks to previous leadership roles with Sport Canada and Cycling Canada. His knowledge of the national and multi-sport organization landscape and Canadian sport will be a valuable asset to the Canada Games Movement.

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Director

Sarah-Ève Pelletier

A former national team athlete in artistic swimming, Sarah-Ève first represented Team Quebec at the 2003 Canada Games. A practicing lawyer and governance professional with first hand experience within the national sport system, she previously served as Canada’s first Sport Integrity Commissioner. Pelletier also worked for 12 years in the Olympic movement, first for the International Olympic Committee as a Media Rights Counsel, and then with the Canadian Olympic Committee as a Director of Sport Business & Sustainability. She continues to be passionate about the Canada Games and the role it plays in the life of athletes and of our communities.

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Director

Lyn Radford

A Cree Métis and family business owner, Lyn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in revenue generation for non-profit and sport organizations to the CGC Board, as well as a Host Society leadership lens. She is the former Chair of the Red Deer 2019 Canada Winter Games.

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Director

Rick Ramsbottom

Rick brings an incredible 25 years of experience in sponsorship marketing, licensing, ticketing, and strategic partnerships to the Canada Games movement. Having spent his entire career in the Canadian sports and entertainment industry, he has a wealth of knowledge having worked with professional sports teams, Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pan/Parapan American Games, and not-for-profits. He currently lives in Port Moody, BC and is the co-founder and Managing Director of UNITE Partnerships Inc.

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Director

Sheri Somerville

A successful business executive, entrepreneur, and award-winning PR consultant to some of the nation’s leading companies, Sheri brings expertise in the areas of strategic leadership, non-profit governance, business and organizational development and communications to the table. She has spent more than 25 years empowering clients, employers, and boards to build trust and relationships through strategic communications and PR. She is currently the CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce.

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Director

David Thibodeau

A Canada Games alum in swimming, David is thought leader in sport, policy and inclusion. A member of the federal public service, he is also the founder of Sports for Social Impact – an initiative to increase awareness and elevate the discussion of sport for environmental, social and economic development in Canada and around the world. He is also an advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and an ambassador for You Can Play.

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Committees

Whether it’s sport technical, finance, or governance, these committees guide our organization and help to make decisions that leave a lasting impact on the Canada Games movement.

SPORT & GAMES COMMITTEE
The Sport & Games Committee is delegated the responsibility to decide on sport technical and Games operations matters for the Canada Games. Additionally, the Committee is tasked with advising CGC staff on sport technical and Games operations matters related to the CGC’s strategic priorities and core business.

Chair - Catherine Gosselin-Despres

FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Finance & Audit Committee monitors and provides strategic direction on the financial activities of the Canada Games Council. The Committee ensures that all financial activities are carried out in accordance with CGC Bylaws, Policies and Canadian Accounting Standards for Not-For-Profit Organizations.

Chair - Sheri Somerville

GOVERNANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
The Governance and Human Resources Committee’s mandate is to ensure that the Board fulfills its legal, ethical and functional responsibilities through governance policy and Board development. The Committee oversees, and looks to enhance,  organizational policies, procedures and performance, to ensure optimal Board effectiveness and continuing development.

Chair - Teddy Katz

Our staff

Kelly-Ann Paul
President & CEO
Aaron Bruce
Vice-President, Sport & Games
Adam Ward
Vice-President, Partnerships & Marketing
Karen Poapst
VICE-PRESIDENT, CORPORATE SERVICES
Adam Ashton
Senior Advisor, Partnerships
Aidan Godin
Advisor, Corporate Services
Amélie Proulx
Senior Advisor, Sport & Games
Carly Shaw-MacLaren
Advisor, Sport & Games
Courtney Pollock
Senior Advisor, Communications & Digital Media
Gill Orris
Senior Advisor, Sustainability & Impact
Hannah Elkas
Advisor, Sport & Games
Jacob McInnis
Senior Advisor, Sport & Games
Kali MacAdam
Senior Advisor, Sport & Games
Peter Reimer
Advisor, Marketing & Communications
Arun Rajah
Advisor, Sport & Games

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