The Board

Jack retired in 2016 after 27 years of service as Executive Director of the Somerset West Community Health Centre in Ottawa. During his tenure he oversaw two major capital projects and assisted in developing a range of community health programs tailored to the needs of vulnerable populations. Food security, affordable housing, support to refugees, and harm reduction programs are some of the issues that he has been passionate about over the years. Since 2020, Jack has been the Vice-Chair of Compassionate Ottawa, a registered charitable organization that builds capacity of the citizens of Ottawa to be more capable and confident of helping themselves, their families and their communities to live well and to die and grieve well.

Tess is passionate about promoting, protecting and defending the human rights of people with disabilities in an effort to counter ableism. She brings over 10 years experience of personally caring for a family member with primary progressive MS, and actively volunteers as a disability advocate in Ottawa at ABLE2. Academically, Tess holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from McGill University and a Master of Science (Public Policy and Health Systems) from the University of Edinburgh. She is currently a federal public servant at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, where she works to advance Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy to ensure Canada's readiness for future pandemics or other health emergencies. Prior to joining the public service, Tess began her career in the healthcare sector, working at the provincial level in health system planning, and then locally at several Ottawa Community Health Centres (CHCs).

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design and a Master of Interdisciplinary Design (with a focus on International Development) from Carleton University in Ottawa. During her master’s thesis, Amanda’s research focused on income-generation for people with mobility impairments in rural Uganda (in partnership with KADUPEDI). After graduating, Amanda worked in the field of international development, with placements in Ghana, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bolivia, before joining the federal public service. She is passionate about accessibility and improving the lives of people with disabilities locally and internationally.

Rick has been actively involved as a volunteer with a variety of Ottawa based organizations like the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO), University of Ottawa grad student mentoring program, Action Sandy Hill (ASH), L’Ecole Francojeunesse and Project 4000. Prior to his retirement, Rick held a variety of technical, consulting and management positions in the telecom industry. His employment experience ranges from tech start-ups to large international telecom organizations with a focus on product development, manufacturing, product and project management and consulting activities. Rick has worked overseas and managed services and products for customers worldwide. He holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Engineering from McMaster University.

Caroline has been working in public policy for over 10 years, from municipal to international levels. She began her career with Ottawa Public Health, working on pandemic preparedness, evaluation, and performance management. Since then, she has worked in mental health policy in Australia, infectious disease policy for the Ontario government, and acted as a Senior Health Policy Advisor for a global non-profit organization, advocating for global health and nutrition policies and funding. She currently works for the Public Health Agency of Canada on vaccine policy, and is undertaking a Doctor of Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Shauna earned a B.Sc. in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa. She has over 10 years of experience working in Exercise Rehabilitation where she was responsible for providing therapeutic exercise programs as well as assessing bracing needs for clients. During this time, Shauna learned first-hand how optimizing someone’s mobility allows them to increase their independence. She has now transitioned into a new profession and is pleased to utilize her rehabilitation expertise through CanUgan.

Ben is an arborist, wilderness canoe guide, river and ice rescue instructor, and outdoor educator. He specializes in tailoring wilderness trips to meet the unique needs of individual participants. Since graduating from Algonquin College in 2010, he has adapted wilderness travel techniques and camp life systems to accommodate people with mobility differences, ensuring that everyone on trip feels safe and can enjoy the immersive experience outdoors and together.

After graduating from the Arboriculture program at Fleming College and pairing this training with an apprenticeship accredited by the Ontario College of Triads, Ben founded Treeco Systems, an Ottawa-based arborist business. With expertise in tree care, climbing and risk management, he enjoys providing tree care services to his clients and spending time with the trees. Ben has contributed to and supported other tree projects ranging from aerial performance art shows in trees to work with an NGO focused on canopy research in the Peruvian Amazon.