Our Board
Board of Directors
President: Kelsea Zalaski
Vice President: Doris Paquette
Doris Paquette, BA, PMP, MBA Candidate, is the Vice President of Assets and Capital Management with the YMCA of Northern Alberta. A strategic leader with deep expertise in capital planning, infrastructure stewardship, and long‑range organizational strategy, Doris is dedicated to building resilient community spaces where people of all ages can thrive. Her work is grounded in a commitment to advancing women’s leadership and empowering women across generations.
Doris serves as President of the Board of Directors for Change for Children Association, Chair of the Edmonton Chapter of Women in Leadership, and is an active member of CREW Edmonton. Her leadership and community impact have been recognized through several prestigious honours, including Edify Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 (2022), the Healthy Community Award for Most Significant Change (2022), and Women of Influence (2023) by The Planner’s Magazine.
Prior to joining the YMCA, Doris held senior roles in both the education and affordable housing sectors, where she led a diverse portfolio of innovative projects that strengthened and enriched communities.
Vice President: Sumira Duggal
Sumira Duggal is a Senior Manager, HR Partnerships & Programs with Canadian Western Bank (CWB), a Certified Talent Management Practitioner, and working towards her Certified Leadership Coach designation. As a Human Resources professional she supports business leaders with succession planning, talent management, business reorganizations, and other strategic initiatives with a people first lens, in addition, being an advocate and champion for team members across business areas.
Her real passion lies around facilitating community investment. Sumira has centred her community investment and voluntary efforts around advocating and supporting newcomers to Canada, providing foreign trained professionals with the tools and mentorship to be successful by translating and leveraging their skills into the Canadian landscape. Within CWB, she is the Co-Lead for CWB Global, an Employee Resource Group committed to supporting newcomers to Canada at CWB by creating opportunities for education, knowledge and information sharing with the goal to highlight the intersectionality between racialized newcomers, protected groups, and the experience of being new to Canada.
Outside of CWB, Sumira is a business owner and Co-Founder of MNS, a philanthropic sock brand with the ethos to donate back to the community and support organizations and corporations to give back to those requiring social assistance and basic items, like socks. Through MNS, they have donated over 100,000 pairs of socks to local shelters and charitable organizations across North America.
Treasurer: May Han
May Han is a Finance Director with a Canadian institutional investor. She has responsibility for finance, reporting, regulatory and compliance, strategy, risk management, and internal controls. Previously, she held Director of Finance roles with provincial pension plans administrators,pension fund manager, and invested time in public accounting practice. She holds a Bachelor of Management, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation.
May also serves on other non-profit governance boards supporting their important causes.
May is passionate about YWCA’s vision and mission. YWCA continues to make important contributions in advocating and advancing the needs and interests of the women and families they serve, and with meaningful impacts in the community. She is proud to serve and represent YWCA.
Secretary: Katie Clackson
Katie Clackson is a criminal defence lawyer with Legal Aid Alberta’s Criminal Trial Group. She is passionate about advocating for marginalized individuals within the criminal justice system and the broader community. In November 2024, she was honoured to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her work fostering social justice.
Katie enjoys mentoring law students through the U of A Faculty of Law’s “Low-Income Individuals and the Law” seminar, and volunteering with the Law Society of Alberta as a mentor to other lawyers, and as a member of the Practice Review Committee.
Fairness is the guiding principle in Katie’s personal and professional life, and she looks forward to collaborating with YWCA Edmonton’s Board and Leadership to work toward achieving equity for women and girls. In her spare time, you will find her at the family cabin with her husband, kids, and bratty but charming dog.
Tanya Adams
Tanya serves as the Director of Public Relations for the Mikisew Cree First Nation and contributes to the YWCA Truth & Reconciliation Committee. Proud of her Dene/Cree heritage and a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), she maintains deep connections to her community. Tanya has earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and ongoing studies toward a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Simon Fraser University.
Over the span of 15 years, Tanya has gained diverse professional experience across multiple sectors, including marketing, communications, events, management, administration, indigenous relations, and community engagement. As an Indigenous woman, she brings a range of perspectives to her work and proudly advocates for diversity and inclusion within the YWCA and beyond
Ogechi Anyanwu
Ogechi Anyanwu, CPA, CGA, FCCA, MBA, is a seasoned Corporate Finance executive and strategic leader with 18 years of experience financial management/leadership, risk management/compliance, operational excellence and financial sustainability in mission-driven organizations and diverse industries.
Currently serving as Corporate Controller at Patterson Animal Health (Div of Patterson Companies Inc. US). she specializes in financial leadership, risk & treasury management, and driving long-term financial transparency.
Beyond her professional commitments, Ogechi is a passionate community builder, promoting health and wellness, particularly advocating for physical activity among women from diverse background through her involvement with Sistawalk Association. She has also served on YWCA Edmonton’s Finance and Audit Committee.
Vicki Campbell
Vicki Campbell, P.Eng. is a registered professional engineer in both Saskatchewan and Alberta with over 28 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. Her current role is Director of Water Treatment Plants for EPCOR in Edmonton.She joined EPCOR in 2010 and in previous roles for EPCOR, Vicki was responsible for leading operations across Western Canada. She also has a wide range of experience from various roles prior to joining EPCOR including time in municipal utilities, engineering consulting, and technical sales.
Vicki has a passion and a long history of volunteering with industry organizations. She has dedicated her time to be an active member of many industry committees and has a passion for mentoring and making a difference for the next generation. She has served two terms on the Board of Directors for both the Canadian Water Wastewater Association and the Western Canada Water Wastewater Association. She was president of the Canadian Water Wastewater Association in 2023 and was Past President in 2024.
Janelle Janis
Janelle Janis is the Executive Director of Event Attraction and Sponsorship at Explore Edmonton, the city’s Destination Management and Marketing Organization. She plays a key role in driving Edmonton’s visitor economy and positioning the city as a destination of choice to live, work, and visit. This includes attracting and leveraging major sport and business events for the city, while leading an integrated sponsorship portfolio across Explore Edmonton’s signature events and the city’s two premier venues—the Edmonton Convention Centre and Edmonton EXPO Centre.
As a proud Edmontonian, Janelle is deeply committed to building a thriving future for the region and its people. Her love for the city fuels her mission to attract transformative opportunities that elevate Edmonton on the global stage, strengthen its social fabric, and drive economic growth. With a visionary and dedicated team by her side, Janelle is focused on shaping a more vibrant, connected, and resilient city.
Janelle is honored to be recognized in Edify’s Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 for her contributions to building Edmonton into a premier destination. A strong believer in giving back, she has served on numerous community and professional boards and committees and is the past Chair of the NorQuest College 1000 Women Committee.
She earned her Bachelor of Commerce as an Academic All-Canadian while competing with the University of Alberta’s varsity soccer team and completed her MBA in 2021. While Janelle is a committed city builder, her greatest joy in life is being the mother of two young boys and teaching them the power of paying it forward.
Kemi Kufuor-Boakye
Kemi is currently an Executive Director of Budget Development and Systems for Treasury Board and Finance at the Government of Alberta. In this role, she provides strategic options, recommendations and advice to ministries in all areas of budgeting, forecasting, spending and business planning. Additionally, Kemi supports the development and implementation of ministry budgets, monitoring achievements through quarterly and annual reports. She leads and coaches a management team to enhance government budget and business planning processes through effective collaboration.
She is a graduate of the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and holds the designation of Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. Kemi is passionate about community service and is a current Edmonton Police Commissioner
As a black woman, she brings diverse perspectives and lived experiences to the table, ensuring that the board reflects the diversity of the community it serves. This representation is essential for making inclusive and equitable decisions that consider the needs of all community members.
Siahra Raeyr
Siahra Raeyr is a seasoned public policy professional who specializes in policies and initiatives for community-serving programs. She currently serves as a Manager of Legislation and Strategic Communications in the Ministry of Health, where she leads the development of health service delivery strategies to promote and protect the health of Albertans. Prior to this, she worked with the Government of British Columbia developing provincial policy and programs to provide a coordinated, trauma-informed, culturally safe response to violence against women, children and youth.
Siahra is excited to make a meaningful impact within the YWCA Edmonton, contributing to its transformative services, programs, and advocacy efforts. With a deep commitment to fostering gender equity and social justice, she is eager to collaborate with the YWCA Edmonton in building a stronger, healthier, and more equitable community for all.
Candice Sawchuk
Candice Sawchuk is a senior nonprofit leader currently serving as Chief of Staff at Women Building Futures (WBF), where she plays a central role in advancing the organization’s strategic priorities, operational effectiveness, and external partnerships. In this role, Candice works closely with the executive team and Board to align strategy, governance, and day‑to‑day operations, supporting organizational growth and long‑term sustainability.
Candice brings a systems‑level perspective to her work, with deep experience in governance, stakeholder engagement, and cross‑sector collaboration. She is known for translating complex priorities into clear, actionable plans and for strengthening alignment across teams, funders, and partners to drive impact.
In addition to her professional role, Candice serves as Board President of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Northern Alberta, where she has provided long‑standing, values‑driven leadership focused on justice, equity, and housing stability. Together, her professional and volunteer leadership reflect a consistent commitment to empowering women and advancing meaningful, systemic change.
Amy Verhoeff
Amy Verhoeff is a corporate lawyer at Bennett Jones LLP, a national law firm, where she maintains a general corporate commercial practice with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, private equity, and financial services.
Proud to be a born-and-raised Edmontonian, Amy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting and Juris Doctor degree both from the University of Alberta.
Amy is an active member in her local communities and is passionate about both empowering women and girls. In addition to her involvement with YWCA, she is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Stollery Women’s Network, currently serves as a co-chair of Edmonton Women in Finance’s Professional Committee and is on the Advisory Committee of the Edmonton Chapter of Young ACG (Association for Corporate Growth). She has also been involved with other non-profit organizations such as Compassion House Foundation.
Amy is a self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiast. She is an avid golfer, backcountry skier, and hiker.
Kirsty Vogelesang
Kirsty Vogelesang is a lawyer at Emery Jamieson LLP in Edmonton, practicing primarily in the areas of civil litigation and administrative law. Kirsty received her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience with Honors from the University of Alberta and her Juris Doctor with Distinction from the University of Saskatchewan.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Kirsty is passionate about serving the local community and building safe and inclusive space for women. She hopes to use her skills and experience in the legal field to benefit YWCA Edmonton and the communities it serves.
When she isn’t working, Kirsty is an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast, and can be found hiking a new mountain, visiting a new country, or training for a new race.
Amanda Whipple
Amanda Whipple is the Chief Financial Officer at the College of Alberta Psychologists, bringing over 13 years of accounting and finance experience. Amanda holds a Bilingual Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and earned her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation while articling with a national public accounting firm in Edmonton. Throughout her career, Amanda has gained extensive experience with both private and not-for-profit organizations, with a particular focus on not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Her commitment to excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership drives organizational success and financial stewardship. Amanda is excited to collaborate with YWCA Edmonton’s Board of Directors and leadership to build safer, stronger and more equitable communities
Finance & Audit
Governance
HR & Nominating
Programs & Standards
Truth & Reconciliation
Board Committees
Our Board is supported by multiple committees made up of board members and community members who offer their expertise and knowledge to ensure excellence of programming and services.