About Us
National Board of Directors
Roslyn Bern
President, Leacross Foundation, Chelsea, QC
Roslyn Bern is president of the Leacross Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting education and programs for families. She has supported artists in communities to share their knowledge with children, assisted in outdoor education projects as well as reading programs for elementary schools, and worked on programs assisting teens with violence and dating abuse. She has served three years on the Family Selection Committee for Habitat for Humanity in the National Capital Region of Ottawa, and has helped in the builds by donating plumbing products from her family's company, Bow. She has been an educator for 20 years, working primarily with hard-to-serve teens in rural and urban locations.
Roslyn was a volunteer on the CWF Multi-Year Teen Violence Prevention Committee in spring 2006.
Julie George
Philanthropist, Calgary, AB
With over 25 years of volunteer commitment and philanthropy, Julie has generously donated her time to numerous organizations. She is presently on the William Roper Hull Foundation Board, a member of the Alberta Ballet Guild, a Board member of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and is currently developing a Centre of Excellence for Girls in Calgary.
She has acted as Chair for William Roper Hull Child and Family Services, a past volunteer for Kids Help Phone, Western High School, Parent Council President of St. Mildred’s Lightbourn School in Oakville, Ontario, and President of the International School in London (TASIS) Parent Council.
Julie is a graduate from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and a Minor in Dance. She taught physical education in an inner city school in Houston, Texas, supervised and choreographed dance and drill teams, and was an instructor for the water baby Red Cross courses.
In addition to an appreciation of music and dance, Julie enjoys skiing, hiking and biking with her husband Rick and their three children Matthew, Emily and Zachary who is married and eagerly awaiting the arrival of his second child.
Sheherazade Hirji
Hirji + White Consulting
Sheherazade has worked in the philanthropic sector for the past 20 years. Her work experiences include the Ontario Trillium Foundation where she held a variety of positions, including Director of Learning and Evaluation, Vice President of Grants and Acting CEO. Most recently, Sheherazade was Executive Director of the Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation. In 2005, Sheherazade turned to consulting full time. Hirji + White Consulting focuses on promoting excellence in philanthropy by working with private and public foundation, agencies and corporations. Her areas of expertise include strategic philanthropy, program development and evaluation.
Sheherazade’s volunteer commitments have included the Great Lakes Management Assistance Project for Non-Profits and the Wellesley Central Health Corporation. She is currently a member of the Aga Khan Foundation. Sheherazade served on CWF’s violence prevention committee for several years and joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2008.
Patt Lenover-Adams
Executive Director, Violence Intervention Program Southeast Saskatchewan Inc., Estevan, SK
Patt Lenover-Adams has been the Director of the Violence Intervention Program Southeast Saskatchewan Inc., (VIP) for the last 11 years. VIP is a community-based organization, which provides services to victims of violence and abuse. The program provides counselling, support groups, public education, as well as a 24-Hour Abuse/Sexual Assault Support line throughout Southeast Saskatchewan.
She has been involved in developing and establishing programs and services for women living in rural Saskatchewan. Patt is a Board Member on the Provincial Association of Transition Houses of Saskatchewan and is the Co-Chair of Saskatchewan Sexual Assault Services. She also chairs the 24-hour Crisis Lines Committee of Saskatchewan. Trained as a nurse in Toronto, Patt has worked in various capacities in the hospital setting. In 1983 she began working in Psychiatry, eventually doing individual and group therapy work focusing on assertiveness, self-esteem, family violence and partner abuse. She has served on numerous community-based boards and committees, including Scouts Canada, and United Church Women.
Ildiko Marshall
Publisher, Today's Parent magazine
Mary Mowbray (Co-Chair)
Vice President, Colliers International, Toronto, ON
Mary Mowbray is a Vice President with Colliers International, a global commercial real estate brokerage firm. She studied history at the University of Western Ontario and worked as a general manager for a national franchising company prior to starting in commercial real estate in 1989. She has represented both national and international companies such as Louis Vuitton, Telus, Nike, Microsoft, Mosaic Group, and B/Com3. Mary has been a member of the Board of Directors of Toronto CREW (Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women), an organization for senior commercial real estate professionals, since 2002 and served as President Elect in 2004. Through her work on Toronto Crew’s charitable golf classic, Mary has helped raise over $200,000 for the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s economic development initiatives since 1997.
The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain
Philanthropist and former Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, Toronto, ON
Mrs. McCain received her early education in public and private schools in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Ontario. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree with honours in history from Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B., and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Toronto. She has received an Honourary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of New Brunswick, Mount Allison University, St. Thomas University, University of Moncton, University of Toronto and Nipissing University.
Throughout her career, Mrs. McCain has been active in organizations that promote education, music and the arts at the provincial and national level. She was a member of the Mount Allison University Board of Regents from 1974 - 1994 and served as Chancellor of the university from 1986 - 1994. She is a founding member of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation in New Brunswick. Their mission is the elimination of family violence through public education and research. She chaired their capital campaign to endow a Family Violence Research Centre in partnership with the University of New Brunswick.
In 1955 she married entrepreneur G. Wallace F. McCain of Florenceville, N.B. They have four children and eight grandchildren.
On April 28, 1994, Margaret Norrie McCain was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of New Brunswick - the first female to hold this position. She served in that role until April, 1997.
She is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Ballet School and is Chair of its capital campaign Project Grand Jeté. She is also Honourary Colonel of the Governor General’s Horseguards and serves on the Boards of the Canadian Policy Research Network, The Canadian Women’s Foundation, TVO Foundation, The Learning Partnership and the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development.
Carol Oliver (Co-Chair)
Executive Director, Distress Centre Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Carol Oliver has worked in the human services community of Calgary since 1981. She has held senior roles at the United Way of Calgary and area, Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter and most recently as the Executive Director of Distress Centre Calgary. Her interests and passions intersect around issues of social justice, women's equality and community development. She has worked as both a funder and a leader in the areas the issues of family violence, homelessness, poverty reduction and women's health. Carol has served on the boards of the Alberta Coalition Against Pornography and Calgary Legal Guidance.
Carol has an undergraduate degree in Women's Studies from Simon Fraser University and a Master's Degree in Communication Studies from the University of Calgary. She was a sessional instructor at the same institution in Women's Health Issues from 1995-1998. Carol was appointed in 1999 to Health Canada's National Advisory Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, an area of maternal/child health that is of deep concern to her. She is the mother of two children and a hopeful prairie gardener.
Diane Redsky
Director of Programs, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Winnipeg, MB
Diane Redsky has long worked to address the myriad of issues facing Winnipeg’s Aboriginal community in all areas of health, justice, education and social services. Since 1993, Diane has served in both a professional and volunteer capacity within Winnipeg’s social service sector, assisting in the creation of numerous innovative programs to support healthy communities.
“I believe that everyone has gifts and strengths to share that will enable us to work together for healthy families and healthy communities.”
Diane is a proud mother of three children and a member of Shoal Lake First Nation #40. She currently is employed in Program Development for the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Inc. (we all work together to help one another), a social service agency that provides family resource support to Aboriginal families living in Winnipeg.
Diane’s belief in the inherent strength of the community continues to guide her along her life’s journey.
Beth Summers
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Hydro One Inc.
Beth Summers is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Hydro One Inc., the company that operates Ontario’s largest electricity transmission distribution systems and directly serves 1.2 million customers. Beth’s responsibilities include treasury, tax, supply chain management, pension fund, controllership, business planning and support. She also serves as Director of Hydro One Brampton.
Beth was a member of the national committee for the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s Girls’ Growth Fund campaign and joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2008.
Brenda Vince, C.A.
Head of Enterprise Investment Solutions; President, RBC Asset Managment Inc., Toronto, ON
Brenda Vince became President of RBC Asset Management in 2002 and was named Head of Enterprise Investment Solutions in July 2007.
As President of RBC Asset Management, Brenda has overall responsibility for the sales, marketing, service and product aspects of RBC Asset Management’s business in
In her role as Head of Enterprise Investment Solutions, Brenda is accountable for the development and delivery of investment solutions for Canadian and international high net worth clients.
A Chartered Accountant and graduate of Queen’s University, Brenda recently stepped down as Chair of IFIC. She is also a member of the Queen’s School of Business Advisory Council and rejoined the Canadian Women’s Foundation Board in November 2007.