Lisa Mort-Putland - Chair
Jackie Hunt - Vice-ChairJackie Hunt is a training consultant, community leader and Volunteer Manitoba’s Executive Director. She is also the co-founder of The Kindred Project, a non-profit organization that provides feminine hygiene products for over 300 women in need each and every month.
For seven years, Jackie was an elected official in the RM of Ritchot. She began her involvement with the RM as a counselor and then as the mayor. She believes in the power of strong communities and service to others, and she has built a strong reputation working with government, community leaders, organizations and individuals who share those same values.
In her current role as Executive Director, Jackie combines her extensive experience in community engagement and her strong leadership style to position Volunteer Manitoba as the leader and catalyst for engaging all Manitobans.
Kirk Muise – Treasurer
As Regional Vice President, Business Financial Services for Alberta and Territories, Kirk leads a team of professionals providing multifaceted financial services and superior advice for business clients.
Through industry specialization, RBC’s commercial financial services centres deliver a differentiated client experience. They provide a complete range of services to meet each client’s specific needs, from sophisticated cash and treasury management services, to all forms of credit solutions.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Kirk has over 25 years of financial industry experience and has progressively advanced his career. He has held various senior leadership roles across Atlantic Canada in Human Resources, Retail Banking, Financial Planning, and Commercial Financial Services prior to be being appointed to his current role in November 2020.
Kirk is a business graduate of Cape Breton University, and holds his Personal Financial Planner designation through the Canadian Securities Institute. In 2016, he was a recipient of the RBC Leo Award in recognition of his community leadership.
Kirk has always been very involved in community activities through fundraising and volunteerism, and is presently serving on Volunteer Canada’s Board of Directors, and is co-chair of Prostate Cancer’s Wake Up Call Breakfast series. A long-time supporter of United Way, Kirk has successfully chaired multiple campaigns, in addition to having served on the Board as Vice-Chair.
He and his wife Manon have two children, Janelle and Dominic aged 13 and 11, and reside in Auburn Bay community.
Don McRae - Secretary
Don McRae worked with voluntary groups and charities for over 30 years with the federal government. During that time, he was involved with the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations and the Satellite Account of Nonprofit Institutions and Volunteering. He has been a volunteer for over fifty years (learning at the age of 13 that dogs are suspicious of people handing out pamphlets, but he persisted).
Since his retirement, Don has undertaken research on the ebbs and flows of the charitable sector. The research looks at those charities whose charitable status is revoked and the new charities that are registered each year.
Lindsey Alcy - Member at Large
Lindsey Alcy is a third-year undergraduate student at Carleton University. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor in Global and International Studies, specializing in global law and social justice and a minor in sociology! She is passionate about youth and children, giving back to those in need suffering from homelessness in the greater Ottawa region and foreign affairs such as international development, human rights and diplomacy. In 2021, Lindsey was awarded the Volunteer Ottawa Outstanding Youth Volunteer award for her continuous commitment to others.
Michel Alexandre Cauchon - Member at Large
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Rachel Dick - Member at Large
Rachel Dick is the Senior Manager, Social Purpose Business Innovation at Coast Capital, Canada’s largest federal credit union, and is responsible for a portfolio of business innovation and transformation initiatives that serve to enrich the lives of Canadians. Rachel has over 15 years of experience in the financial sector in a wide range of roles including leadership, retail banking, sponsorship and events, volunteer management, community investment, corporate campaigns, and employee programs.
She currently serves as the past-Chair of Volunteer Canada’s Corporate Community Engagement Council following two years as Co-Chair and on Coast Capital’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council. She holds a degree in Communications and a certificate in Public Relations from Simon Fraser University.
Gina Jordan - Member at Large
As Manager, Sustainability and ESG Policy at Enbridge Gina Jordan leads the development of sustainability strategies and reporting in support of the company’s transition to a more sustainable, reliable and affordable energy future. Since joining Enbridge’s Public Affairs team in 2006, Gina has held leadership roles in Corporate Citizenship, Stakeholder and Indigenous Engagement, Community Relations and Communications.
Gina has nearly 30 years of public affairs experience in diverse sectors, including energy, telecommunications, healthcare and the nonprofit sector. She recently served as the Co-Chair of Volunteer Canada’s Corporate Community Engagement Council and has experience leading both corporate and non-profit volunteer programs as well as managing a large volunteer centre.
Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Communications from Simon Fraser University; certificates in Corporate Citizenship Management and Corporate Community Involvement from Boston College; and a Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from University of St. Michael’s College.
Calgary is home for Gina and her family, where she is an avid gardener, foodie, and passionate community volunteer.
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Alex Medina – Member at Large
Alex Medina has over 25 years of diversified engineering, design, and management experience in fossil and biomass power plants, renewables, heavy industrial process, upstream midstream thermal and CCSU. During this time Alex has gained experience interfacing with diverse stakeholders including public relations, regulating bodies and Government. Alex has extensive experience in contract negotiations, corporate relations, and partnership management, as well as support of financing and investor relations.
Alex forms part of the leadership team at Stantec with focus in Energy and Resources and is an innovation coach providing guidance and mentorship. Alex is Chapter Chair for the Latinos in Stantec employee resource group serving three major components: educational outreach, community involvement, and professional networking. Alex is also the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Women in Stantec employee resource group and has founded his own nonprofit organization promoting empowerment and selflove, The Medina Family Foundation focuses on advocacy, education, and assistance.
Lawrence (Lawrie) Portigal – Member at Large
Lawrence (Lawrie) Portigal is a native of Calgary and attended the University of Alberta, where he received degrees in Science and Law. He is a retired member of the Alberta Bar. Lawrence was first employed by the City of Calgary and later was a senior executive in the coal, electricity and natural gas industries. He moved to Richmond in 2002. Lawrence is active in the volunteer sector and is currently a director and Past President of Volunteer Richmond Information Services; a director and Treasurer of Touchstone Family Association and a director and President of Volunteer BC.
Anna Tran – Member at Large
Anna Tran is the Co-founder and Director of Operations of the Parsec Youth Network (PYN), a non-profit with a global network of thousands of volunteers. In March 2020, in response to COVID-related school closures, Anna led her team to launch a free national online tutoring program to help students with the challenges of online learning, connecting over 500 Canadian students coast-to-coast with volunteer tutors for one-on-one tutoring. She also launched a free summer workshop program to provide over 150 workshops to 300+ families across Canada, in lieu of the cancellation of summer camps and activities due to COVID-19.
Anna holds a BSc. in Honours Life Sciences from McMaster University and studied Human, Social, and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge. She is currently a research associate at McMaster, and has presented her work at various national and international medical conferences. She actively volunteers in a variety of research-related and leadership roles, including in her role as a Climate Action Catalyst Team Lead for which she has collaborated with municipal partners and healthcare organizations to reduce the ecological footprint of local hospitals.
Penelope Rowe – Member at Large
Penelope M Rowe is CEO of the Community Sector Council, Newfoundland and Labrador - a registered charity dedicated to linking social and economic development, strengthening the community sector and promoting volunteerism.
Rowe has spent much of her career in the policy and nonprofit fields holding numerous Order-in-Council appointments such as vice chair of the Social Sciences Research and Humanities Council (the first non-academic to hold this senior position); co-chair of the Canadian Health Network; chair of the NL Workers Compensation Board, and chair of the Social Policy Advisory Committee which developed a policy framework for the NL Government’s groundbreaking strategic social plan. As a volunteer she has contributed to national and provincial advisory committees and voluntary organizations including the National Executive of the Governor General’s Leadership Conference; the Joint Coordinating Committee for the Federal Government - Voluntary Sector Initiative; Imagine Canada’s Advisory Committee; the Community Panel of the Cooperators Group; and Statistics Canada’s Advisory Group for non-profit research. Currently on the Boards of the Social Enterprise Council of Canada and the Provincial Council of the Rural Secretariat, she is also a member of Memorial University’s Innovation Strategy External Advisory Committee. She has authored many reports including the Atlantic Regional Report of the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organization and The Leadership Gap: Perception or Reality.
Penelope has an MSc London School of Economics and an honorary doctorate of laws from Memorial University. Her contributions have been recognized throughout Canada. Named one of Canada’s 50 influential women by Chatelaine Magazine and one of Atlantic Canada’s top 50 CEO’s by Atlantic Business Magazine, she is a member of the Order of Canada cited as a tenacious advocate for the social and economic well-being of Canadians and a champion for volunteerism.