CFN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
LAURA LINNELL
BOARD CHAIR
Born and raised in Alberta, Laura has lived in both rural and urban centres in the province. She and her family have called Calgary home, since 2000. With a background in sales & marketing management, Laura started her career in media, first in broadcasting and then settled into the publishing industry. She has been with Postmedia and the Calgary Herald for nearly 20 years. A focus on offering solutions to the needs of a business, organization or community has served well in her role, both in the business and non-profit sector. Laura is an active volunteer both locally and nationally. She has served in various capacities with volunteer organizations in Alberta; is the past-chair of CISV Calgary, and currently does fund development nationally, for CISV Canada. Laura has been involved with the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund since she joined the team at the Herald in 2000. She values her involvement with the Christmas Fund, as it has given her an understanding of the needs of Calgarians and the incredible work that is done by the not-for profit sector in our city.
ALYSHA KANJI
VICE CHAIR
Alysha is an energy professional with over 8 years of experience in the Upstream and Midstream space. She currently works for Keyera in Business and Strategic Development. Before that, she worked for Shell as an operations geologist and development planner for a variety of their North American assets. She holds a Bachelor of Geological Sciences degree from Queen’s University and an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid. Born and raised in Calgary, Alysha is passionate about facilitating and promoting the continued growth of Calgary’s diverse and vibrant community. As such, she is extremely excited to be apart of the Calgary Centre for Newcomers. Previous community involvement work includes international poverty reduction initiatives and access to education for young women.
JASON KRAATZ
TREASURER
As Director of the Hopewell Group, I have a strategic role with each Company while providing oversight through a Board structure. The Group’s capabilities include residential land development and home building (Hopewell Residential), commercial land development (Hopewell Development), property and asset management (Hopewell Real Estate Services), warehousing and logistics (Hopewell Logistics), final mile distribution (Ziing Final Mile), property technology early stage venture capital (GroundBreak Ventures), and overall strategic and support services (Hopewell Capital).
DON MACDIARMID
DIRECTOR
Don MacDiarmid recently retired from an energy industry career during which he worked first as an engineer and later as a lawyer. He completed his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University and his LL.B. at Dalhousie University and practised law in Calgary for almost 30 years. Don has also been involved in numerous community volunteer roles, including political campaigns, university alumni fundraising, junior soccer coaching, Inn from the Cold and various Board roles at St. David’s United Church.
ZAI MAMDANI
DIRECTOR
A proven leader and trusted peer, with demonstrated experience formulating and implementing strategies to drive organizational development and capitalize on opportunities. Areas of expertise include non-profit board leadership, community investment, stakeholder relations, early childhood education and literacy.
VIVEK WARRIER
DIRECTOR
Vivek Warrier is a partner and Co-Head of the firm's Energy Industry Team. In this role, Vivek helps lead and implement the firm's strategic initiatives and intersections across the broad spectrum of the energy industry. Vivek's practice encompasses the entire energy value chain, from extraction or generation, transportation and transmission to the marketing of energy products to end users. He is consistently sought out by clients to lead complex private M&A transactions and frequently advises clients in the structuring, ownership and operation of energy infrastructure projects. In this regard, he has represented clients on many transformative projects, including the development of liquefied natural gas export facilities, equity participation transactions between energy industry project proponents and First Nations, renewables energy partnerships and on the development of linear infrastructure projects throughout Canada.
VERONICA TANG
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DIRECTOR
Veronica is currently Interim Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at WestJet Airlines. In her role, she leads the airline’s legal function, is responsible for WestJet’s corporate governance matters and for liaising with the company’s Board of Directors and advises WestJet’s executive team on a range of legal issues. Veronica has been at WestJet since 2012; prior to this, Veronica practiced securities, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions law at Stikeman Elliott in Calgary. Veronica is a member of the Alberta bar and holds Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) degrees from the University of British Columbia. Veronica is a born-and-raised Calgarian. She loves to travel, and her favourite WestJet destination is Palm Springs.
DEDAYO ADENIJI
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DIRECTOR
Immigrating to Calgary in 2016, Dedayo has over 15 years of legal experience from various jurisdictions. She holds her LL. B from University of Lagos, Nigeria and her LL. M from The Robert Gordon University from Aberdeen, Scotland. She is also qualified to practice law in both Nigeria and Canada. In addition to her role as Legal Counsel at Coril Holdings Ltd., Dedayo supports the company's goals in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Workplace Safety, and Total Rewards & Compensation. Her multicultural perspective, dedication and passion for continuous growth make her a trusted advisor and valuable asset.
ONAI ABOTE
DIRECTOR
Onai is a communications professional with eighteen years experience. She brings a rich tapestry of skills and experiences to the CFN board.
As an immigrant to Canada, her journey from journalism in Zimbabwe to a senior management role showcases resilience and determination, embodying the spirit of overcoming challenges to thrive in new environments. In Canada, Onai has worked in nonprofit, publishing, media and banking sectors. She is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and has previously served on their Calgary chapter board. She has also served on the City of Calgary's Immigrant Advisory Table (IAT).
With exceptional communication skills and a passion for positive change, Onai is contributing to CFN’s mission and vision, helping drive positive change and foster community growth in Calgary.
JOSE RODRIGUEZ
DIRECTOR
Communications Leader Media Relations and Employee Communications at the City of Calgary, Jose previously spent 24 years in the news industry in varying senior roles including reporter, columnist, city editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun. He believes in leading in a positive, respectful and goal-driven manner. A communicator, writer and editor, he is loyal and tireless and relished in the opportunity to serve his community through volunteer work and fundraising initiatives for local charities.
JESSICA LACROIX
DIRECTOR
Jessica LaCroix joined the Coril Group in 2017 and currently serves as the Senior Vice President, Corporate Services & General Counsel for Coril. In her executive capacity, Jessica actively participates in strategic planning, governance initiatives, as well as human resources and organizational culture management. In addition, she serves as General Counsel and Secretary for the Coril Board and its associated committees.
Prior to joining Coril, Jessica held in-house legal counsel positions with both private and public companies, advising on governance, continuous disclosure, and other legal matters. Jessica graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Laws in 2005 and, in 2022, further advanced her expertise by obtaining the ICD.D designation through the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program.