BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that we fulfill the mission and purpose of YW Calgary through strong governance, effective planning and sound fiscal management. You can read more about how our board operates in our Board Bylaws.
Join the Board
We recruit for our board of directors prior to the end of each fiscal year on March 31. To learn more about how you can join, contact Dana Boyle dboyle@ywcalgary.ca
If you’re a past YW board member interested in reconnecting, please get in touch for more information about opportunities to re-engage.
Meet our Board Members
Aalia Ratani is a Partner with McKinsey & Company based in Calgary. She serves clients in the energy industry across a range of topics, including strategy, operations, organization and capability building. Prior to joining McKinsey, she worked at Husky Energy in various engineering roles. Aalia is passionate about giving back to the community and she also sits on boards and other strategic committees across Calgary. In 2019, Aalia was named top 40 under 40 in Calgary by Avenue Magazine.
She holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary and an MBA from INSEAD.
Lisa is an innovative entrepreneur and chartered accountant with experience in international finance.
As the CEO of Neal’s Yard Remedies Canada, Lisa is the strategic leader and visionary for development and operations across Canada. With vast experience ranging from public accounting to B2C sales and strategic consulting, she also shares her passion and expertise as a Senior Consultant at Citrus Capital Partners where she provides business planning support and coaching.
Lisa is a graduate from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce. She is a member of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Finance and Audit Committee, the Director of the 4th Street Calgary Business Improvements Area and Treasurer of REAP Calgary.
Deborah brings with her more than 20 years in the legal field with a particular focus on land planning and property assessments with Alberta Justice as Legal Counsel. She holds a Law Degree from the University of Calgary and has nearly a decade of experience as a member of a non-profit Board of Directors in the theatre and education sectors.
Emily Wang, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Senior Director, Clinical Advancement & Centre
Dr. Wang has worked in the field of mental health for over 30 years, starting as a front line worker at the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Wang holds a Master’s of Science in Educational Psychology, a Master’s of Art and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Wang has been an invited speaker both internationally and nationally on many occasions, speaking most frequently about the impact of trauma on development to professional groups like educators, clinicians, Indigenous populations, ministries in Alberta and British Columbia and caregivers. She was responsible for the provincial training of the Neurosequential Model (NM) concepts and implementation in Alberta from April 2017-October 2018.
She currently works as a Senior Director of Clinical Advancement and Trauma Informed Services at Hull Services. Dr. Wang was an appointed Fellow of the Neurosequential Model Network between 2012-2020, and a specialist in Infant Parent Mental Health. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and a Sessional Instructor with the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Dr. Wang is an Associate Member at Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education at University of Calgary, and as such is involved in several research projects related to child maltreatment and mental health. She has completed 445 hours of training in Reflective Practice and Supervision, and utilizes this skill as a tool to support others in leadership roles. Dr. Wang is the 2020 recipient of the University of California, Davis Continuing and Professional Education Parent-Infant and Child Institute “Bruce Perry, Spirit of the Child Award”.
Eleanor Chiu is a prominent leader in the business and philanthropic community in Calgary. She is genuinely passionate about ensuring her contributions make a significant difference. Her long list of volunteer roles have included sitting on the Mount Royal University Board of Governors, Alberta Children’s Hospital Board, and treasurer of Immigrant Access Fund Board. She is also the founder of Trico Charitable Foundation and serves as one of their directors. In her role as Trico Group’s Chief Financial Officer, she helped build the Company from a small business in Calgary to one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies-a testament to her business acumen, and professional and personal strengths. She also held directorship of various public and private for-profit companies. Eleanor holds an FCPA designation; a prestigious honorary designation awarded to CPAs who, through their outstanding achievements including community leadership, bring distinction to the accounting profession and serve as a role model to others.
Eleanor’s passion for entrepreneurship and keen awareness of the need for creative solutions to ensure sustainability in the non-profit sector has played a key role in setting the Trico Charitable Foundation’s mission – provoking innovation and building capacity in social entrepreneurship. The Bow Valley College’s Chiu School of Business was named after their family. Through the Foundation, the Chiu family has also contributed to the Calgary Stampede Youth programs and, most recently, creating an entrepreneurship hub at Mount Royal University and a social entrepreneurship centre at the University of Calgary.
Through all of these endeavours, Eleanor Chiu has driven innovation and industry change in her profession, support of business studies and has demonstrated remarkable and outstanding achievement in her field and in the Community.
Pritma is a Yale educated nurse executive and award-winning serial entrepreneur with 18 years of healthcare experience caring for patients at the bedside and in the boardroom. With her expertise in health informatics, Pritma co-founded Lavender, an online psychiatry and therapy office based in New York, and serving clients across the United States. She serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Victoria and the University of Calgary where she co-hosts: Now Innovating, A Research to Impact Podcast. Pritma is a member of the American Nurses Association Innovation Advisory Council and is particularly passionate about advocating for the profession of nursing to advance access to timely mental health care. Pritma has lived and worked in Calgary since 2006 and enjoys spending time with her husband & two young children.
Liz was most recently an executive in a Provincial Financial Services organization. She has a background as a versatile senior executive with 30 years of experience. She is known as a strategic problem solver and visionary with success leading P&L in Wealth Management, Business, Agriculture, and Retail Banking. Liz brings a depth of knowledge in Organizational Culture and all aspects of HR, Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategic Planning, Sales, Operations and Information Management to the YW Board.
Liz has an MBA from Dalhousie University, holds the ICD.D, and CFP. Liz is actively involved in the community and sits on several not-for-profit organizations and advisory boards.
Devon obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Alberta in 2023. Prior to entering law school, she completed a Bachelor of Commerce from MacEwan University with distinction. She is currently articling at MLT Aikins LLP and will be called to the Alberta bar this coming July. Devon will then be continuing in the Corporate practice group at MLT Aikins LLP.
Devon has a published paper with Dr. McKay White regarding the prevalence of economic abuse in Alberta. She has also developed and acted as the project lead for the immigration project for Student Legal Services at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law.
Devon also has experience volunteering with the King’s Bench Court Assistance Program, Edmonton Food Bank, MacEwan University, and UNICEF. In her free time, Devon enjoys traveling, yoga and spending time with her niece.
Megan is the Chief Information Officer for The Calgary Airport Authority. Proficient in driving technology and automation adoption, with over 15+ years of senior IT leadership experience with Air Canada, Enbridge Pipelines, WestJet and Shaw Communications Megan has developed initiatives, strategies and IT visions that advance corporate objectives.
Megan holds a Master of Business Administration and Management degree from Athabasca University and is a graduate of the Executive Business Program for Women Leaders from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is skilled in developing executive level strategic plans for enterprise business but also firmly believes in the concept of Tech for Good – the use of technology for positive social or environmental impact through collaborative efforts between technology companies, not for profits and individuals.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Megan proudly supports her grown children as they embark on their journeys. She also demonstrates her commitment to her community through various projects and volunteer opportunities, most recently with the Calgary Health Foundation as a Fund Development Council Member.
Jessica is a lawyer and associate in the corporate and capital markets group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. A proud Calgarian, she attended the University of Calgary for both her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Commerce.
As an associate at BLG, Jessica has developed a keen interest in corporate law and honed her skills assisting organizations secure funding, enter public markets, and establish strong governance structures and internal policies. Jessica is an adept strategic thinker and excellent communicator, and she excels at synthesizing complex legal concepts into concise, easy to understand ideas.
During her legal education, Jessica volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada and Student Legal Assistance. She is particularly proud of her time spent as a law student volunteer on the Consent Project, where she helped educate high school students about legal consent and sexual assault. Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Jessica enjoys exploring Calgary’s thriving food scene, traveling to new places, and spending time with her dog, friends and family.