Our Board

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association's business is managed on behalf of the membership by a board of directors consisting of fourteen elected directors. Directors serve for three-year terms and elections take place annually prior to the association's Annual General Meeting in the spring.

View the Terms of Reference for the Board of Directors.

2020-2021 Board of Directors

President, Regional Director, Nova Scotia & PEI

Timothy Crooks
Executive Director, Phoenix Youth Programs
tcrooks@phoenixyouth.ca

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Timothy is the Executive Director of Phoenix Youth Programs (Phoenix) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In addition to his work with Phoenix, he has served on a variety of boards and steering committees within the extended community and continues to be active with several provincial and national initiatives. He has been involved with the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University as a sessional instructor teaching on issues relating to counselling and youth at risk. Timothy has served as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Department of Child and Youth Study at Mount St. Vincent University. Presently, he is on the Advisory Board for the Centre for Employment Innovation and is also on the Board of the Nova Scotia Community Sector Council.

He is a graduate of the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University and prior to his years in this field, has a background in teaching having graduated from Acadia University. During his career, Timothy has been honored to receive recognition for his efforts:

The Canadian Society of Association Executives - Community/Association Leadership Award.
Gordon Foundation - recognition of his impact on the field of Child and Youth Care work.
Acadia University identified Timothy as an Outstanding Alumnus.
Business Person of the Year- Silver Award - Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
Honorable Mayann E. Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia - recognizing his work on social justice issues within the extended community.

Vice President, Regional Director, New Brunswick

George Cormier
Executive Director, New Brunswick Non Profit Housing Association
george@nbnpha-alsblnb.ca

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George recently jointed the New Brunswick Non Profit Housing Association (NBNPHA) as Executive Director. He comes to that role after having held leadership roles in the long-term care and affordable housing sectors in rural New Brunswick for the past several years. He also currently holds a municipal councillor seat in Memramcook and is engaged in initiatives with seniors and the age-friendly community.

He is a former Francophone Special Care Home Association Board Member and has served for a number of years as the Moncton Region Director for the NBNPHA. George sits on the Provincial Roundtable that advises the Department of Social Development on the new Aging Strategy. In addition to his extensive background in the housing sector, he also holds an MBA and is a candidate for the Chartered Professional in Human Resources designation.

President Elect, Regional Director, British Columbia

Margaret Pfoh
Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Housing Management Association
mpfoh@ahma-bc.org

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Margaret Pfoh is Tsimshian from the Eagle Clan of the Gitga'at First Nation. She bring more than 22 years of housing management experience and is currently the Chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Housing Management Association.

She was the longstanding CEO of Mamele’awt Qweesome/To’o Housing Society (MQHS). During Margaret’s tenure in housing, her team spearheaded the creation of an Urban Village concept at MQHS—a full-spectrum rental housing concept, rooted in indigenous culture and welcoming to the whole community.

Through innovation and tenacity, she increased the MQHS portfolio fivefold and implemented many support programs to help Indigenous families on the road to self-sufficiency. Margaret also served as President and Director of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association for nearly 20 of these years, supporting both the organization’s evolution and successful devolution of provincial Aboriginal housing programs and services to the association. The first of its kind in Canada to do so, second in the world.

Treasurer, Regional Director, Ontario

Olga Tasci
Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Cooperative Housing
otasci@agency.coop

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With some 25 years of non-profit housing experience as a senior manager, board member and front-line service provider, Olga is a dedicated housing professional. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of supporting resilient community-based housing and developing networks in government and housing sectors both nationally and internationally.

Olga has gained experience leading the front-line work at both the Agency for Co-operative Housing, the co-op housing sector and on the governance side of a non-profit in Ottawa, and is a volunteer as President of Taiga Non-Profit Housing. Earlier in her career, Olga worked for a co-op housing membership organization for 15 years, and offered expertise in association management and membership retention.

Olga's experience working with different levels of governments, CMHC and housing organizations provides valuable insight to CHRA in the challenges arising with the development of new housing programs and affordable housing issues.

Secretary, Regional Director, Alberta

Susan McGee
Executive Director, Homeward Trust
smcgee@homewardtrust.ca

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Susan is the Chief Executive Officer of Homeward Trust Edmonton. She was appointed Executive Director of the Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing (EJPCOH) in July 2005, and assumed Executive Director responsibilities for the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund in June 2007, overseeing the consolidation of these two organizations under the new banner of Homeward Trust in 2008.

Under her leadership, Homeward Trust Edmonton has undergone significant growth to meet the requirements and expectations of an organization mandated to implement a plan to end homelessness. In the first five years of implementing Edmonton’s plan, Homeward Trust developed a Housing First program, funding several agencies to provide access to housing and supports for over 5,600 individuals. Several capital projects are underway, including permanent supportive housing for those requiring a high level of supports, and additional services have been added to augment the capacity of existing agencies. Homeward Trust emphasizes the importance of culturally informed services and strives to ensure Indigenous organizations and individuals are active partners in addressing homelessness as experienced by Indigenous community members.

Prior to Homeward Trust, Susan served as Executive Director for the Edmonton Downtown Development Corporation (DDC). During her 13 years with the DDC, she oversaw the implementation of several significant projects which have contributed to the renaissance of downtown Edmonton. These included the Alberta Main Street Programme, the retention of the City Market downtown, establishing the Arts District Partnership, and partnering on numerous community based initiatives. In addition to her professional work, Susan has been an active member of the community, volunteering on various committees and boards, and is committed to supporting other cities undertaking the challenging task of ending homelessness. Susan received her B.Sc. in Architecture from Ryerson University, Toronto, and has an MBA through the Edinburgh Business School of Heriot-Watt University. She is a recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Director, Indigenous Communities

Justin Marchand
Executive Director, Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services
jmarchand@oahssc.ca

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Justin is Métis and was appointed Executive Director of Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) in 2018. Prior to that, he held the titles of Director of Corporate Operations and Programs Delivery Manager and has been with OAHS since 2009.

Justin has 20 years of progressive experience in a broad range of sectors including two publicly listed corporations, a large accounting and consulting firm, and a major crown corporation, and holds numerous designations across financial, operations, and housing disciplines.

In addition to being selected as Chair of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association’s (CHRA’s) Indigenous Caucus Working Group, Justin is also an active board member for both the Coalition of Hamilton Indigenous Leadership (CHIL) as well as Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, located in Bawaating.

Justin believes that Housing is a fundamental human right and that when Indigenous people have access to safe, affordable, and culture-based Housing this provides the opportunity to improve other areas of their life.

Director at Large

Shaun Simms
Vice President, People, Culture and Communications, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation
Shaun_Simms@och.ca

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Passionate about finding a career where she could make a difference, Shaun started working in the social housing sector in 1991. As the Vice President of People, Culture and Communications for Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, Shaun leads a team of experts responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans that support Ottawa Community Housing’s goal of fostering an organizational culture of leadership, accountability, and continuous improvement. As a champion of equity and diversity, Shaun leads her team through a new multi-year diversity and inclusion plan that formed employee resource groups, including for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour; people with disabilities; women in the workplace; and LGBTQ2SIA+. Engaging and inspiring employees to create and promote a shared sense of purpose and vision ultimately leads to building stronger and healthier communities for tenants, which is both critical in my role as a leader and supports my values.

Shaun has had the opportunity to serve in many roles throughout her career in the housing sector, including maintenance, tenant intake, tenancy administration, operations, and human resources, which have given her an all-encompassing understanding of how best to provide affordable housing to people in great need.

Regional Director, Manitoba

Christina Maes Nino
Executive Director, Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association
execdir@mnpha.com

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Christina Maes Nino has spent her career working to support, organize and collaborate with people living in poverty, often focused on improving housing circumstances. After working as a frontline support staff with people who were previously homeless in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and as a community development worker in social housing in Calgary, Christina decided to pursue policy and research.

Christina was the coordinator and co-author of “Here and Now: The Winnipeg Plan to End Youth Homelessness” (2017), and Winnipeg’s Street Census projects, conducted in 2015 and 2018. She is the co-author of the Winnipeg Street Health Report (2011) and has published two chapters in edited books, “Decolonizing Planning” (2014) and “Poor Housing” (2015). She has also partnered with resident associations, planners, and Neighbourhood Renewal Corporations in Winnipeg’s inner city to develop three neighbourhood housing plans.

Currently Executive Director of the Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association, Christina supports non-profit housing providers to build a thriving, sustainable non-profit housing sector in Manitoba through advocacy, professional development, and partnership building. She is an active member of the Winnipeg Right to Housing Coalition.

Regional Director, Saskatchewan

Tyler Stewart
Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Properties
Tyler@stewartproperties.ca

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Tyler is the President and CEO of Stewart Properties, an affordable housing provider based in Saskatoon, SK. Tyler and his team have a passion for helping individuals who have trouble helping themselves. Under Tyler’s leadership, Stewart Properties has become one of the leaders in affordable housing in the province of Saskatchewan having established partnerships with various non-profits to provide secure affordable housing to the people each agency serves.

Tyler received his diploma in Business Administration from Mount Royal College in 1997. He volunteers his time by sitting on numerous boards and involving himself in community service groups where his passion for helping others and affordable housing manifest itself. He is very active in the Saskatoon residential housing industry as a Director of SHIP (Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership), a Director at CFAA (CDN Federation of Apartment Association), and a former Director of SKLA (Saskatchewan Landlord Association). Tyler also sits on various non-profit boards including The Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon and the YMCA.

In an attempt to live a balanced life, he spends his free time with his lovely wife, two boys and daughter, travelling the world, spending time in the outdoors and making the most of what life has to offer.

Regional Director, Quebec

Jacques Beaudoin
Secretary General, Réseau quebecois des OSBL d’habitation
j.beaudoin@rqoh.com

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Jacques Beaudoin has been with the RQOH since January 2015 and is also a member of the Barreau du Québec. Jacques became involved in social initiatives when he was a student in the late 1970s, and since, has developed a certain expertise in supporting autonomous community organizations.

Before joining the RQOH team, he worked at the Mouvement Action-Chômage de Montréal, where he was able to exercise his talents as a litigator before the administrative tribunals responsible for employment insurance. After a few years in this field, he decided to devote his expertise towards the consolidation and promotion of the community housing sector. He firmly believes that the right to affordable and adequate housing is an essential condition for the development of all citizens.

Upon his arrival at the RQOH, Jacques assumed responsibility for the Network’s research and training programs. As Secretary General, he is now responsible for public affairs and shares responsibility for the governance of the organization.

Regional Director, Newfoundland and Labrador

Simone Lilly
Manager of Community Investment, End Homelessness St. John’s
slilly@wecanendit.com

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Simone Lilly has a keen interest in housing initiatives, housing-related policy, and program development. As Manager of Community Investment with End Homelessness St. John’s (EHSJ), Simone is active in leveraging and investing available funds into housing options, community resources and programming to fill systems gaps identified in the local housing sector.

Before her work with EHSJ, she held the position of Affordable Housing Facilitator for the City of St. John’s. There she led the design and implementation of their strategy for tackling the growing municipal housing needs. Simone’s work with the City was preceded by frontline outreach and program coordination work with several community agencies supporting marginalized populations.

Simone’s unique background of public policy and boots-on-the-ground community development experience enables her to see how macro level policy decisions have dramatic impacts on the lives of residents in the community. She is passionate about raising awareness around such impacts, and the role housing plays in social conditions, economic security, and community health.

Simone holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology and is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration Management through Dalhousie University.

Regional Director, Northern Territories

Patsy Kuksuk
Executive Director, Programs, Nunavut Housing Corporation
pkuksuk@gov.nu.ca

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Patsy has been working in the Housing Sector for approximately 30+ years. To date, she has been working for the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Housing Corporation (NHC) for 20+ years first as a Manager, Rental Programs, then Director of Operations, Vice-President and currently as the Executive Director, Programs. She has represented NHC on the CHRA Board and has attended almost all their conferences in the last 15 years. She learned many ways of building homes and programs from other stakeholders while attending Congress and as a board member. In return, CHRA and Congress delegates also learned from her experiences from the northern point of view. Patsy has also been a Chairperson for Divisional Board of Education, Deputy Mayor of Arviat and other various boards and like to volunteer her time in helping people in need.

Director at Large

Leigh Bursey
Independent Member
leighbursey@gmail.com

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Leigh Bursey is a newlywed homeowner, an international best-selling author, and an award winning journalist. A former media personality, former municipal councillor, and previous Executive Director of Tiny Home Alliance Canada, Leigh is also a formerly homeless youth with first-hand lived experience with poverty. Leigh currently sits on the Making The Shift 'Scholars With Lived Experience' Advisory Committee, and is the lead for the National Alliance to End Rural and Remote Homelessness' 'Persons With Lived Experience' working group.

In his spare time, Leigh is a frontline shelter work in St. John's, Newfoundland. Leigh is also co-founder of the Brockville Streetfriends volunteer initiative, and founder of the Mount Pearl Streetfriends. He is also a musician, and often can be found performing at charity events in the area. Leigh is Chartered Housing Professional, a graduate of the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program, and a Child and Youth Worker. He is a dedicated member of the Canadian Housing Renewal Association, a former Vice President of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, and a writer for Invisible People.

Leigh brings public relations and governance experience to the role, mixed with compelling lived experience, rural and remote representation, and a dedicated philosophy of volunteerism and leadership.

Director at Large

Anne Demers
Directrice generale, Regroupement des offices D’habitaton du Quebec
Anne.Demers@rohq.qc.ca

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I am a member of the Barreau du Québec and the Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec with more than 25 years of experience in organizational management and business development in member services.

I have been the Executive Director of the Regroupement des offices d'habitation du Québec (ROHQ) since 2018. The ROHQ's mission is to support, represent and assist its members, some 158 social housing organizations in Quebec. These organizations manage 100,000 social and community housing units in Quebec and operate the public low-rental housing program. I am very excited and motivated to be involved in promoting the CHRA’s mission. I also look forward to actively engaging in discussions on housing issues in Canada.

Over the last years, I have been acting as Executive Director for many non-profit organizations as well as a member of the board of directors. I have therefore developed excellent strategies to work in collaboration with people coming from many different areas and having many different backgrounds to reach the established objectives.