Our Board of Directors
The Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (WOCRC) is operated and driven by a Board of Directors, staff and volunteers.
The Board of Directors, on behalf of the membership and general community, governs the WOCRC through continually improved leadership with respect to values and vision. In addition, the Board of Directors establishes and records policies for the direction and good management of the WOCRC.
Board of Directors 2012-2013
Interested in serving on the WOCRC Board of Directors? Please visit our
Volunteering section!
Top row L to R: Todd Sloan, Mike Merpaw, Cathy Smithe, Cindy O’Leary, Eric Saemisch L to R: Robert McGaraughty (Chair), Trevor Kraus, Mary-Ann Rowan, Johanne Lamarre, Teisha Gaylard, Shelley Bond
Robert McGaraughty, Chair Robert McGaraughty is a financial advisor with Freedom 55 Financial specializing in planning for seniors and business owners. With over 20 years of experience in the financial field, Robert also obtained his Elder Planning Counselor (EPC) designation.
Robert’s volunteer work started in his home town of Montreal, Quebec, where he worked with youth at the Montreal Association for the Blind. Upon moving to Ottawa in 1990, Bob was a Big Brother for a six-year period. He has served on school councils, and volunteered his time as a soccer coach.
Robert’s previous board commitments included volunteering on the Board of Directors for the Nepean Support Services, where he served on the executive as Vice-Chair and Chair
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Johanne Lamarre,Vice Chair
Johanne Lamarre is a fluently bilingual financial consultant, and contracts out to the federal government.
Previously, Johanne had been employed by the federal public service for
28 years, and had held several managerial positions in areas such as
human resources, official languages, multiculturalism, grants and
contributions, and auditing.
Johanne has lived with her family in Kanata for 30 years, and is an
active community member, and has canvassed for various health-related
organizations.
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Todd Sloan, Vice-Chair
A 21-year Kanata resident, Todd Sloan is a retired Public Servant,
currently practicing administrative law. He is a Board Member of the
Forum of Canadian Ombudsman, the Roberts Smart Centre and “MAP” (an
organization assisting released offenders). He is a volunteer legal
advisor for Centre 454 and serves on the City of Ottawa, Poverty Issues
Advisory Committee and the South Kanata elementary school Accommodation
Review Committee. He is a member of the Kanata-Hazeldean Lions Club and a
proud grandpa.
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Michael D. Merpaw, Vice-Chair
Michael Merpaw is an Audit and Accounting partner with the accounting firm of Collins Barrow Ottawa LLP. Michael has been working in the west-end of Ottawa for 25 years serving many individuals, businesses and not-for-profit organizations. He also has past experience managing the audits of both Carlington Community and Health Services, and Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre. Michael and his wife Diane have two adult children, and have resided for the past 17 years in the Bridlewood community. He is an active member of the local business community, and formerly held the positions of President and Treasurer for the Kanata Chamber of Commerce (KCC). Michael is currently a member of both the KCC and the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation.
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Shelley Bond, Director
Shelley Bond is a certified early childhood educator, and is currently the Executive Director of a multi-program agency. The agency provides services such as a group care program, a home child care program, a nursery school program, and an Ontario Early Years Centre.
Over the years, Shelley has been a strong advocate for many child-oriented programs both in her professional and volunteer roles.
A long-time resident in the Nepean area, Shelley is the mother of four biological children and a special needs daughter, who adopted the family 35 years ago.
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Eric Saemisch, Director
Eric Saemisch is a Certified Management Accountant, and works for Canada Revenue Agency as a Manager in the Appeals Branch. Eric has a great
interest in community service. He is a strong advocate for the promotion
of the French language, and serves as Treasurer of the local chapter of
the Canadian Parents for French, a Heritage Canada funded advocacy
group.
Eric, a resident of Kanata, believes that his current work experience
will enable him to effectively contribute to the good governance of the
Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre.
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Mary-Ann Rowan, Director
Mary-Ann Rowan has an extensive background in volunteering for the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (WOCRC). Dedicated to community service, Mary-Ann has assisted the WOCRC in planning events, and since 2007 she has been engaged in the WOCRC Peer Support program. With excellent communication and public relations skills, Mary-Ann has been a spokesperson on behalf of the Peer Support Program. She has also been a guest speaker for several events such as the December 6th Vigil, National Victims Week and Shelter from the Storm Radio Telethon. Mary-Ann has a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a Concentration in Canadian Studies from Carleton University.
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Teisha GayIard, Director
Teisha Gaylard is a long-time Kanata resident. Fully bilingual, she is currently the Policy Director of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, which is a self-regulatory agency for Canada’s private radio and television stations. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (Highest Honours) and a Certificate of French Translation Studies from Carleton University, and a Master of Arts in Communication & Culture (Policy specialization) from York University.
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Cathy Smithe, Director
Cathy’s family is longtime residents of Western Ottawa. Her father’s family owned a market garden farm at Broadview and Carling. She grew up in Westboro and have lived in Kanata for the past 28 years. Kanata was a wonderful community to raise our children in.
For the past 25 years, Cathy has worked for Waste Management. The waste business ironically has been a great way to meet people in the community. She was the Recycling Coordinator for many years in the late 1980’s and 90’s and spent a lot of my time speaking with community groups and school classes on the benefits of recycling in the home. Cathy is currently the Community Relations Manager for the Ottawa landfill and hauling facilities and gets to meet so many people in West Carleton, Stittsville and Kanata. She loves the opportunity to speak with people who live in my “neigbourhood”.
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Cindy O’Leary, Director
Cindy O’Leary is a practicing lawyer, working for the past 13 years with local high tech and biotech companies as corporate counsel, general counsel and corporate secretary, most recently with Iogen Corporation. Prior to working in-house, she practiced with an Ottawa law firm for over 5 years, primarily in civil litigation.
Cindy is a graduate of Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, where she obtained her B.A. (Politics and Law) and Bachelor of Laws degrees.
Cindy has lived in the Ottawa area for 35 years, and has been a Kanata resident since 1994 where she and her husband are raising their 2 children.
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Trevor Kraus, Director
Trevor Kraus is a federal government executive specializing in governance reform, business transformation, and strategic planning as well as risk and project management. As a 15-year veteran in the Canadian Forces, he was given the opportunity to serve Canada overseas numerous times, including serving twice with the United Nations. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Engineering Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada as well as a Master of Science (Electrical Engineering) from Université Laval.
Happily married with two school aged children, he has been a part of the western Ottawa community for over 8 years and the greater Ottawa area for more than 20 years. Having lived from coast to coast within Canada, overseas twice, and experiencing first-hand the challenges faced in war torn countries, he is looking forward to bringing all his experiences to the WOCRC Board of Directors
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