Board and Management

(Chair) Margaret is the executive director of Family Service Toronto. For ten years, Margaret was the Warden of the University of Toronto's Hart House. Prior to Hart House, Margaret served as executive director of Toronto's Choice in Health Clinic. She once served as Ontario Regional Coordinator and then Ontario Education Program Coordinator for Oxfam Canada, and will serve for her second term on Oxfam Canada’s Board of Directors.

(Vice Chair) Blair will serve his third consecutive term as an Oxfam Canada Board member. He has also served Oxfam as a member of the B.C. Regional Steering Committee and a local volunteer. A senior administrator in the B.C. public service from 1994 to 2001, Blair has considered it a privilege to work with Oxfam Canada as “both Oxfam Canada and our global Oxfam International family bring a rights approach to the challenges of development and peace worldwide.”

(Treasurer) Don was pleased to accept an appointment to the role of Treasurer for the 2010-2013 term. He has previously served in the role of Treasurer of the Board since 2005. He retired in June 2005 after 34 years as a professor of accounting in the School of Business at Algonquin College, Ottawa, where he taught financial accounting, managerial accounting and taxation courses. He has a small accounting practice and continues to act as a consultant. Don enjoys working with the caring and dedicated people on the staff and Board of Oxfam. He feels that what sets Oxfam apart is its dual focus on advocacy, which tries to make changes from the top down, and its efforts on the ground to alleviate poverty and injustice amongst the poor, especially women.

(Secretary) Yvonne is returning to the Board of Directors as an At Large Director.  She is an activist on women’s rights, peace and social justice issues, with previous leadership roles in the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, Voice of Women, Canadian Peace Alliance, Canadian Mental Health Association, YWCA.  She led an Oxfam Human Rights Initiative in Alberta, and has consulted to the NGO community in Calgary on governance, conflict resolution, and programming issues.  Yvonne is excited to be working with Oxfam, and honours its strategic plan focusing on women’s rights and climate justice.

Hannah Bontogon,
Ontario

Hannah has been a dedicated volunteer with Oxfam Canada for the past eight years. Her Canadian-based volunteer work, coupled with her experiences as an HIV/AIDS worker in Tanzania, have allowed her to witness Oxfam’s efforts, both at home, as well as in the field.  Hanna hopes to bring “creative ideas, diversity, a fresh outlook, and an upbeat energy to the Board of Directors”.

Raïmi was born in Western Africa and raised in different African countries, completed his post-secondary education in Canada and has work experience in South America. Raïmi was a Board Director for the Winnipeg Chapter of the United Nations Association of Canada for three years before becoming a member of Oxfam Canada’s Board of Directors. Having an education in International Development, Public Administration, as well as Commerce, Raïmi brings a wide range of skills to the Board. Fluent in four languages; English, French, Spanish and Fon, Raïmi hopes to bring diversity and new perspective to Oxfam Canada.

Originally from East Africa, now based in Toronto, Nidhi designs and facilitates grassroots workshops for women’s organizations, small business and farmer communities in East and West Africa and the Caribbean, enabling women to organize and articulate their priorities around sustainable development. Much of her work revolves around the relationships between women and water, energy, natural resources, food security and policy decisions but she also works on issues related to information and communications technologies and applications that enhance women’s livelihoods in developing countries. Nidhi set up Networked Intelligence for Development, an association of independent consultants. Prior to NID, Nidhi worked with the Overseas Development Institute, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the BBC Africa Service. Nidhi is Vice President of the board of Directors of Ontario Nature. She also sits on the Consumer and Investor Advisory Council to the Ombudsman on Banking and Investment Services of Canada. Nidhi has a BA in Economics and an MA in Agrarian Studies from the University of Sussex.

Fraser Green was appointed to the Oxfam Canada Board of Directors in February 2011. He is the Principal and Chief Strategist at Good Works, one of Canada's leading fundraising consulting agencies. At Good Works, Fraser's focus is on charitable branding strategy, donor research and legacy giving. Fraser was previously the CEO of the New Democratic Party of Canada, Special Assistant to Ontario Premier Bob Rae and Director of Organization for the Ontario NDP. Fraser has lived in 8 of Canada's 13 provinces and territories. Fraser is the co-author of 'Iceberg Philanthropy' (2007), and a contributing author of 'Philanthropy in Seven Words' (2011). Fraser has a BA in Economics from St. Mary's University in Halifax and did his graduate studies in Social Policy and Administration at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Anastasia has been actively involved with Oxfam’s work in the BC & Yukon region for the past three years on all levels – as an intern, volunteer and staff. She is currently employed as a Special Project Coordinator at the Justice Education Society working on projects related to public legal education. She is also a dedicated supporter of the global We Can End All Violence against Women campaign in BC. Anastasia is committed to supporting Oxfam Canada in its efforts to end global poverty and injustice.

Kent decided to volunteer with Oxfam “because it considers social and economic justice nationally and internationally to be both the prerequisite and the catalyst for effective development abroad.” Kent is currently employed as the Constituency Assistant to a Member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. Also an active member in his community with a particular interest in multiculturalism, gay and lesbian issues, politics and policy development, Kent is “especially pleased that Oxfam Canada has prioritized women’s rights and gender equality in its work.” Kent is returning to the role of Regional Director for the Prairies Region for his second term.

Currently an Associate with the law firm McMillan LLP, Marty has been volunteering with Oxfam since 2003, both in Australia and Canada.  Marty’s commitment to international development is rooted in volunteer experiences in Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Cambodia. He volunteers with Oxfam “because of its excellent reputation for providing disaster relief and development programs. By combining these programs with advocacy for development in Canada and other industrialized countries, Oxfam targets the causes of poverty.” Marty is returning to the role of Regional Director for the Ontario Region for his second term.

Elizabeth is Vice President (Academic) at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. She has been active in advocating for women’s rights at both the grassroots and the national level throughout her life, and has assisted in the development of gender-related policy in non-profit organizations. Elizabeth notes, “I have become more fully aware and appreciative of the range and depth of programs and initiatives to which Oxfam is committed... It is for this reason that I would like to serve a second term on the Board and as Regional Director for the Maritimes.”

John has been interested in Oxfam Canada since 1975 and active in governance since he first joined the Oxfam St. John’s Board of Directors in 1982.  He is deeply committed to the principle of empowerment in community development. John was also a founding executive member of the Food Security Network and founded the MacMorran (Now McSheffrey) Community Garden.

Anna has been active within Oxfam Canada since she joined the Memorial University of Newfoundland Oxfam Canada campus group Board of Directors in 2007.  She is inspired by and passionate about Oxfam Canada’s focus on Women’s Rights and Climate Change.  Anna believes that “the power of inspired, outraged, and enabled youth is immeasurable”, and is pleased to have the opportunity to provide support to youth leaders across the country.

Lucie holds the title of Manager, Horn & East Africa at Oxfam Canada.  She endeavors to “ensure that staff’s concerns and issues are fairly and adequately shared and contributed to the Board and that Board discussions and decisions are also adequately communicated to staff members: this collaboration between staff and governance is in my view key to truly harmoniously achieving the outmost of Oxfam Canada’s objectives.”