Our Story

Peter Tilley joined The Ottawa Mission in 2013. Working with The Mission’s board of directors and senior management team, he has overseen the implementation of several ambitious strategic initiatives that have significantly impacted the range of services the shelter offers to the homeless. Prior to this, Peter was the Executive Director of the Ottawa Food Bank for 14 years, leading that organization to become one of Canada’s most progressive and respected food banks.

A graduate in Business Administration at Algonquin College (1984), Peter has been recognized as one of its top 10 Alumnus. He was also a 2012 and 2017 Ontario Premier’s Award nominee. He has taught at the College part-time. Currently, Peter volunteers on several community boards, such as Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa Inner City Health and Soldiers Helping Soldiers.

Brian is a bilingual Chartered Professional Accountant CPA (CMA) and has served in executive and senior management roles in the not-for-profit charitable sector for over 30 years. His expertise includes financial management, corporate governance, human resources, information technology, asset management.

He is a graduate of Algonquin College with a diploma in Business Administration majoring in Accounting. Brian also has extensive volunteer experience with the Ottawa Catholic School Board as well as the boards of Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange, Catholic Child Care Corporation, Ottawa Student Transportation Authority, and the Youville Centre.

Namrata Goyes immigrated to Canada in 2010, and has since worked in the not-for-profit sector. Her fundraising career spans over a decade of hands-on experience in Annual Giving and donor stewardship and she has been a part of The Mission’s development team since 2017. Passionate about making a difference, Namrata also sits on the executive committee of the Interval House of Ottawa’s board of Directors.

Lesley joined The Ottawa Mission as Director of Human Resources in 2014. She began her career as a Human Resources Generalist over 20 years ago working as HR Manager for one of North America’s largest retailers.

After 10 years, she was offered a position with a rapidly expanding family owned business where she was tasked with building the HR Function from the ground up. Lesley is a member in good standing of the Human Resources Professional Association.

Dave joined The Ottawa Mission in 2019 and since day one has showed commitment and passion towards helping members of the community. In addition to his work as the Mission’s Chaplain offering daily services, he enjoys assisting communities engage head-on with the most vulnerable and their needs.

Some of Dave’s most meaningful and rewarding times are spent alongside terminally ill individuals residing in the Diane Morrison Hospice. Over three decades’ worth of religious/non-profit leadership has given him the understanding of the importance of having deep and meaningful conversations with clients, staff and volunteers. Providing emotional and spiritual support to the diverse community of people the Ottawa mission serve remains constant.

Lynn is fluently bilingual and spent many years managing Mental Health treatment programs for high risk and vulnerable youth across Ottawa. She joined the Ottawa Mission team in 2014 as Manager of Client Services.

In 2017, Lynn stepped into the role of Director of Health Services and now oversees the shelter’s health programs, including the Primary Care Clinic, the Diane Morrison Hospice, and the Dental Clinic, which are offered to shelter residents and vulnerable community members. Lynn works closely with the team at Ottawa Inner City Health. She is also responsible for Housekeeping and Maintenance services at The Mission.

Aileen has worked within the not-for-profit sector for over 25 years within the domains of advocacy, communications, public policy development and government relations, including almost 15 years in senior management positions.

Past positions have included the Director of Communications for the Canadian Healthcare Association and Executive Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for the Canadian Diabetes Association. Aileen also has a long history as an active volunteer with several local community organizations.

Jo has over 30 years’ experience in the Social Services and Youth Justice sector working with high risk and vulnerable youth. She has held several positions over her career, the majority of them in management.

Jo made the leap to leave the youth sector in January 2011 and came to The Ottawa Mission as the Manager of Frontline Services. Two years later she was promoted to The Mission’s Director of Programs and oversees Addiction Services, Front Line Services, Housing Services, Client Services, and Data Evaluation.

Chef Ric Watson has worked at The Ottawa Mission since 2002. He holds a certificate in Hotel and Restaurant Management and Chef’s Red Seal certification from Camosun College. Chef Ric oversees the shelter’s meal program which serves over 2500 meals each day to shelter clients and community residents. He also developed and implemented The Mission’s unique Food Services Training Program (FSTP), which helps vulnerable people gain the skills and confidence to work in a commercial kitchen.

Chef Ric is also responsible for the Mission’s catering program, which helps support the FSTP, and its food truck program, which feeds thousands of hungry people across the community. He has received several awards recognizing his volunteer contributions across many organizations.

Peter is the Associate Director of National Operations at Canadian Blood Services, where he is responsible for managing daily operations and key manufacturing agreements supplying fractionated blood products for all CBS sites and hospitals in Canada (excluding Quebec). 

Prior to this he held senior positions at General Dynamics and Nortel Networks. He has also worked with the federal and provincial governments in various capacities, as well as Indigenous populations.

Volunteer work has always been an important part of Peter’s life, particularly his involvement with various Christian ministry groups such as church boards and committees. It is very rewarding for him to provide a smile or a ray of hope to a person who is at the darkest point in their lives by stepping into this gap and advocating.

Adam is an independent corporate director and advisor with over 25 years’ experience advising stakeholder-driven organizations.

Adam serves as Treasurer and also is also a member on the Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Board of The Ottawa Mission. Adam is also a member of the Audit Committee of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda.

Previously, Adam served as Vice-President, Finance, of the Ottawa Community Foundation following a 25-year career in public accounting.  As an audit partner and trusted business advisor with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Adam led PwC’s not-for-profit practice in the National Capital Region.

A graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Directors Education Program, Adam is also a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree in Accounting and Finance from Carleton University.

Elie is a bilingual Ottawa-based lawyer whose private practice covers the majority of Eastern and Southern Ontario. Focussing on the representation of law enforcement professionals and high-profile cases, his practice areas are centered on labour/employment law, human rights, regulatory matters and professional discipline in policing. 

Having previously worked for the Department of Justice, Ministry of the Attorney General, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the Office of the Chief Justice of Ontario, Elie brings with him over a decade of experience in the field of law, executive organisational governance, policing, courts administration, and strategic business intelligence. Public safety is everyone’s responsibility, starting with fostering strong community-police relationships, hence why Elie’s leisure time is spent volunteering on numerous boards in the city.

Certified Third-Party Neutral, Elie holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) degree in criminology (B.S.Sc.), Master of Arts in criminology (M.A.), Juris Doctor (common law – J.D.), Licentiate in Law (civil law – LL.L.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), and is currently completing his Doctorate of Laws (LL.D./Ph.D.). Elie is also a former recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Service Award.

Anthony is the Lead Minister at Parkdale United Church, a position he has held since 1999. The congregation is known for its spiritual vitality and its community outreach, advocacy and justice work.

Originally from Barbados, Anthony has lived in various parts of Canada and the world. With a background in social work, international community development, ministry and teaching at a university level, Anthony brings experience and commitment to advocating for vulnerable people. He also serves on the Board of the Parkdale Food Centre, is the Spiritual Advisor for Urban Christian Outreach and works with schools, churches and agencies around the issues of racial reconciliation, diversity and intercultural competence.

Anthony is a husband and a father of four children. He loves supporting the work and ministry of the Mission and prays that God would inspire more people in Ottawa to support its work.

Tony is an Ottawa native and has spent the majority of his working career in the nation’s capital.  Prior to retirement in January 2019, Tony was the President and CEO of BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc. in Toronto.

He is currently the President of the Board of the Ottawa Mission Foundation. In addition to volunteering with The Ottawa Mission, Tony has been a team leader for Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program for 14 years.  Tony is married to Carolyn and has 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren.

Scott is the Communications Director at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and a professor at Carleton University who teaches classes in television journalism. Scott first became involved with The Ottawa Mission when he worked as a CTV Ottawa News Director. 

Since he began volunteering at The Mission, Scott has also joined the boards of the Youth Services Bureau Foundation and Peace Camp Ottawa. He has previously served on the board of United Way Ottawa and is an honorary lifetime member of the Vanier Institute of the Family.

Kaite is the Executive Director for the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa. Previously she was a Policy Analyst with the Homelessness Policy Directorate for the Government of Canada. 

Prior to this she worked as a Community Systems Planner for the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, an organization that supports communities with research in best practice and technical expertise to end homelessness, and the Alliance to End Homelessness as a Project Manager focusing on youth homelessness in Ottawa. Her years as a community mental health worker in combination with her Master’s in Public Health provide a foundation to tackle the systemic barriers of homelessness, while also understanding how systems impact people experiencing homelessness in everyday life. She is passionate about finding ways for the broader community to join the movement of ending homelessness, both locally, and across the country.

Kaite joined the Mission board in 2018. She has an evangelical background and has worked in Ministry directly. Katie currently attends the Ottawa Mennonite Church.

Since his graduation from Carleton University’s School of Architecture in 1977, Gord has participated in a variety of residential, commercial and institutional projects with a number of architectural firms. He is currently a partner at Hobin Architecture Inc. and continues to be involved in mixed-use and residential projects. 

His achievements include the Bethany Hope Centre, Woodvale Pentecostal Church Addition, Beaver Barracks Redevelopment and The Glebe Community Centre Redevelopment.

Professionally, Gord is a Fellow with the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, a Member of the Ontario Association of Architects and an Associate Member of the American Institute of Architects. Since 2002, he has been involved with the Habitat for Humanity National Capital Region, and joined The Ottawa Mission board of directors in 2015.

Brenda Kirkwood is an HR professional with 19+ years of experience, specializing in Talent Development. Currently, as VP of Post-Placement Integration at Keynote Search, Brenda guides executives for seamless integration, leading coaching program design for productivity and alignment.

In her prior role as Senior Director, Human Resources at Senators Sports & Entertainment, Brenda oversaw talent strategy for diverse entities, including the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club.

Brenda’s extensive volunteer work, including a four-year board term at Human Resources Professionals Association, showcases her commitment to community engagement and professional development.

Corrie Hobin is a certified Fundraising Executive with over two decades of professional experience working at Carleton University in development roles; currently as Director of Major Gifts and Strategic Partnerships.

Notable achievements of hers include securing the largest individual gift to the Faculty of Engineering and Design, naming eight laboratories and classrooms, and pioneering a best-practice standard with the creation of the first faculty-based external relations team.

Corrie’s expertise in major gift solicitation, campaign management, and team supervision, coupled with her commitment to philanthropy, makes her a valuable addition to the board. Beyond her professional achievements, she actively contributes as a Board Member at Centre 507 and in the development committee of the Ten Oaks Project.

Since 2003, Jack has coordinated the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast, a non-partisan group of Members of Parliament, Senators, Ambassadors, business and community leaders. Jack serves on the Boards of The Ottawa Mission and previously served on the Board of its Foundation as well. He is past President of the Board of Directors of the Mission and has also served as its Executive Director and Chaplin.

Jack leads and teaches meditation and contemplation, leading groups at Saint Patrick’s Basilica and the Mission. He is also National Coordinator for Christian Meditation in Canada. In 2016, he was appointed to the role of President of the Korean War Veterans of Canada Foundation.

Jack spent 18 years in Federal Politics, including 4 years in the cabinet of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. He and his wife Lyn have three grown children.

Shaun is an international Policy Advisor with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. He has been an active member of the Ottawa Mission Board of Directors since 2017, including his current roles of Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Governance and HR Committee.

Before his work at The Mission, he served for over six years on the Board of Directors of Ottawa Community Housing. Shaun is a graduate of Queens University (BA Hons, MA).

Deputy Chief Paul Burnett is a long-serving law enforcement professional with 31 years of service in Ottawa. Currently overseeing the Community Policing Directorate, he leads proactive and reactive public safety services in collaboration with diverse communities.

As a Member of the Order of Merit for the Police Forces, Deputy Chief Burnett is recognized for his outstanding commitment to citizenship and service. His roles include serving on the 2008 Olympic Security Team, leading major events in his previous role as Duty Inspector, and contributing to the design of the organization’s Strategic Equity Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree from Ottawa University, Deputy Chief Burnett is also an Instructor at the Canadian Police College.