Staff & Board
A team committed to inspiring students across our region
Working together for our students
Our Staff Team, Board of Directors and Board of Governors all play an important role in guiding the organization.
They make strategic decisions about our future and collectively serve as an innovative force to empower the next generation of leaders.
JA South Western Ontario Staff
Karen Gallant
President and CEO
519-439-4201 x 224
Karen Chafe
Director, Programs and Operations
519-439-4201 x 225
Bobbi-Jo Gardiner, CFRE
Director, Philanthropy
519-439-4201 x 236
Jenne Wason
Director, Marketing and Communications | Regional Director
519-439-4201 x 234
Alicia Gall
Community Projects and Partnerships Manager
519-439-4201 x 231
Sheena Gosse
Senior Program Manager
Waterloo Region, Wellington, Hamilton, Niagara
519-439-4201 x 233
Claudia Villatoro
Program Manager
Thames Valley (Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin), Brant Haldimand Norfolk, Bruce-Grey
519-439-4201 x 232
Morissa Ewing
Program Manager
Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton, Huron-Perth
519-439-4201 x 238
John Wilson
Program Manager
Company Program and Summer Camps
519-439-4201 x 240
Mandy Deelstra
Volunteer Manager
519-439-4201 x 239
Board of Directors
JA South Western Ontario
Chair
Tabitha Schwarz
Chief Financial Officer, SpringTide Holdings
Vice Chair
Brad Bishop
Professor, Financial Planning, Fanshawe College
Secretary
Jennifer Matthews
CEO, Better Business Bureau Serving Western Ontario
Treasurer
Luda Pradyszczuk-Pitt
Associate Partner – Tax – EY
Past Chair
Derek Askew
Associate Vice President, TD Bank Group
Director Emeritus
Brad Geddes
President and Chief Executive Officer, ZucoraHome
Director Emeritus
Murray Flanagan
Advisor, Flanagan Foodservice
Board Member
Nomar Abdullah
Manager, Finance Transformation, Shopify
Board Member
Leonard Bumbacco
Education Officer – Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Pathway, Job Skills Programs for the Ministry of Education
Board Member
Matt Cassidy
Associate, Harrison Pensa
Board Member
Jennifer Green
Director of Competitions, Skills Ontario
Board Member
Piriya Karthikeyan
Product Manager, Aveva
Board Member
Kim MacPherson
Director of Talent Management and Organizational Development, SOTI
Board Member
Alex Moroz
Marketing & Family Services Coordinator, Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries
Board Member
Philippe N. Oille
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Senior Partner Sales Manager, FSI
Board Member
Maria Phillips
Marketing Director, Libro Credit Union
Board Member
Emily Tran
Associate, Gowling WLG
Board Member
Angelo DiDonato
Senior Recruitment Specialist, Logic Executive Search & Workplace Solutions
Board Member
Richard Dunda
This was a much-needed unit that arrived at the PERFECT time! It’s great that financial literacy is in the new math curriculum but we lack resources to teach it properly to the students. Who better to teach the kids than JA, the experts! I’d love to have you come visit my classroom next year!
– Grade 5 Teacher, JA Our Business World
