ABOUT US

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The OCH Foundation helps thousands of families, youth and children achieve personal success through education, employment, and community engagement programs. 

The volunteers who serve on the Board of Directors guide and champion the work we do to support families living in Ottawa Community Housing neighbourhoods. The OCH Foundation is grateful to work alongside some wonderful individuals and leaders within our Ottawa community.

Wayne French

Chair

Melissa Reeves

Vice-Chair

Nick Ethier

Vice-Chair, Treasurer

Stephen Tanner

Secretary

Stéphane Giguère

Ex-Officio

Rohan Bansie

Director

Sharon Coward

Director

Heather Dawson

Director

Tara Lapointe

Director

David Mason

Director

Barbara Spanton

Director

Sam Bhalesar

Director of Fund Development

Jim Watson

Director

Adham Al-Rachidi

OCH Liaison

Wayne French

Chair

Wayne is currently the Director of Public Affairs for Waste Management Ottawa where he works strategically in collaboration with governmental entities on issues at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. In addition to his work with Waste Management, Wayne has devoted his time to a number of philanthropic endeavors. He as a Past-President of Kiwanis Ottawa, a Past-President of the Ottawa Executive’s Association and has a long history of volunteerism in the city.

Melissa Reeves

Vice-Chair

Melissa has been volunteering with the Board since 2016 and has been its Vice-Chair for 4 years. She is COO for Linebox Studio, a sustainably-minded architecture firm specializing in residential developments and single-family homes. Linebox’s recent work includes conversion of office towers into residential buildings as well as mid-rise developments using mass timber. Melissa is passionate about the work that the Foundation undertakes and is a big supporter of their programs.

Nick Ethier

Treasurer & Vice-Chair

Nick is a CPA and a partner in PwC’s Ottawa office. In his professional life, he works with a variety of clients in Canada and globally, helping them with all facets of financial reporting.  Nick is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and has been active in the Ottawa community for over 20 years. Nick lives in the city’s west end with his wife Amanda and their two young boys, Sam and Thomas. He is an avid golfer, skier, and hockey player/coach. Nick is fluently bilingual and was previously on the board and audit committee of La Cité Collégiale. He currently sits on the event organizing committee for the Ottawa chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Stephen Tanner

Secretary

Retired General Manager of Staples with a desire and passion to give back to his community.

Stéphane Giguère

Ex-Officio

As CEO of a $2.7 billion housing portfolio at Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), the largest social housing provider in Canada’s National Capital, Stéphane Giguère, MPA C. Adm./Adm. A., and CIH Chartered Member, leads an award-winning organization that directly impacts the lives of over 32,000 residents in 15,000 OCH homes. Stéphane provides strategic direction and leadership to 340 employees, over 400 contractors and 1,000 volunteers whose specialized skills provide affordable housing to seniors, families, single persons and those living with special needs. Stéphane promotes OCH as being more than a “bricks and mortar” landlord. He leads a high-profile Corporation with expertise in asset management, community development, government and stakeholder relations, finances and business development. Stéphane makes it a priority to incorporate the diversity of tenants’ needs into the services that the organization delivers. Working with his team to build on the organization’s solid foundation, Stéphane is positioning the Corporation for sustainable growth by identifying new sources of funding along with business development opportunities in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. As an acclaimed business and corporate development leader and in combination with his Finance and Public Administration background, Stéphane brings to OCH an impressive range of professional successes and experiences that benefit the organization, its tenants and stakeholders.

Rohan Bansie

Director

Rohan Bansie is a non-traditional lawyer who works as a mediator, arbitrator, workplace investigator and Deputy Judge. Additionally, along with his experience as a teacher and management and training/development consultant, Rohan is an experienced businessperson with decades of sales and management experience. Beyond his professional life, Rohan is a former competitive athlete, and together with his Law degree, also holds degrees in Education and Philosophy, and a Masters of Education degree. Rohan continues to be active in community life through his dedication to coaching, mentoring and counseling. In 2014 Rohan’s book, Eloquence: Public Speaking Skills for Lawyers and Other Professionals was published.

Sharon Coward

Director

Sharon is Executive Director of EnviroCentre, a longtime Ottawa-region resident and supporter of Ottawa Community Housing.  She has lived in Ottawa on and off since childhood, and has known OCH and OCH residents across all those years. She worked for ten years in the community health and social service sectors, including programs supporting vulnerable senior residents in OCH. She now heads up one of Ottawa’s leading climate action organizations, supporting emissions reduction, and energy transition initiatives across the region.  Sharon has worked alongside OCH for nearly 15 years both through her work in community support and climate action, and now is happy to support their work in Ottawa communities through the OCH Foundation Board. 

Heather Dawson

Director

Heather is a hospitality professional with strong, proven leadership skills. She is currently the Vice-President, Operations for McDonell-Nadeau Consultants Inc., where she oversees the day to day and strategic planning of the business side of this firm. Heather brings comprehensive experience in business, sales and revenue management, as well as strong connections to the Ottawa community through her work and through her dedication to volunteerism. She is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts, Communications Program at Ottawa University as well as a graduate of the Hotel and Restaurant Management program at Algonquin College.

Tara Lapointe

Director

Tara is Executive Director of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, which supports youth-led mobilization towards inclusion and racial justice through creativity, the arts and innovation initiatives. She is a passionate advocate for the role of the arts to address social issues, including questions of identity, community and social justice. She has held executive and leadership roles in Canada’s most important cultural organizations including the Canada Council for the Arts, the National Arts Centre, Alliance Atlantis and Harbourfront Centre. Deeply engaged in her community, she serves as a Board member of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation and a member of the Tamarack Institute’s Communities Building Youth Futures Collective. She is a part-time professor, teaching Group Dynamics at Algonquin College.  She was recognized for her leadership with the “40 Under 40” Award and the International Association of Business Communicators’ Distinguished Service Award.

David Mason

Director

David is a Corporate Sales Executive and Promotions/Specials Events Coordinator with experience in various high energy IT selling environments, corporate negotiations, strategic business planning, value propositions as well as large scale event planning.

Sam Bhalesar

Director

Barb currently leads a global design team at Siemens, focused on building the future of multidisciplinary oncology care. She has also been highly active in her professional community, as co-founder of Canada’s largest UX conference, as a part-time design instructor, and as a mentor to the next generation of designers. As a long-time resident of Ottawa’s most diverse neighbourhoods, Barb has actively sought opportunities to engage in her community. Whether volunteering at her children’s schools, or coaching a running program for girls, or ensuring that a lack of equipment and transportation doesn’t prevent an eager child from playing on a local sports team, or simply showing up to support initiatives led by her neighbours community leaders – it takes a village to make sports accessible to all children, and impact such participation can have on a child’s world is immeasurable.

Sam Bhalesar

Director of Fund Development

Sam is an active member nationally and is very involved in the Ottawa community. She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others here in Ottawa and around the world.

Currently Sam is working as a Senior Advisor, she has worked and managed numerous projects including Canadian energy projects, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, G7, G20, International Energy project/conferences, and numerous other international affairs. She also runs a small business with her husband. Serving as the past current National Party Secretary of the Liberal Party of Canada, she also holds Board of Director positions with the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation, the Ottawa Youth Service Board, and serves as an Adjudicator with the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council. Sam has previously served as the Chair of the Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program, Chair of the Patient and Family Advisory Council with the Ottawa Hospital (PFAC) & served as a member of numerous other committees at the Ottawa Hospital and CHEO.

Sam has also done work with the Canadian International Peace Project and served as a Member of the National Anti-Racism Council of Canada (NARCC) and as a Member of the Network of Indian Professionals. In the 2022 Ontario General Election, Sam stood as the candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in Ottawa West-Nepean. 

Sam currently also serves as the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian South Asian Women’s Chamber of Commerce in addition to her Board of Director position with the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation and the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council where she also serves as an Adjudicator.

In May of 2023, Sam was selected as Canada’s Chair of Negotiations and Diplomacy for the G100. She works alongside noble laureates, former Heads of State and Ministers, and many more all joined in a pact of purpose to create massive opportunities for women worldwide.

Jim Watson

Director

Jim Watson was elected Mayor of the City of Ottawa on October 25, 2010, and was re-elected for a third term on October 22, 2023. He did not run in the 2022 municipal election. Mayor Watson had dedicated most of his career to public service in Canada’s Capital. First elected as a Councillor in 1991, he was re-elected in 1994. Three years later he was elected as the youngest Mayor in Ottawa’s history with 82% of the popular vote. Following the amalgamation of Ottawa and surrounding communities, Mayor Watson was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Tourism Commission, a federal crown corporation. In 2003, he was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean and immediately appointed to cabinet as Minister of Consumer and Business services. In 2005, he was appointed as Ontario’s first Minister of Health Promotion and he successfully implemented the Smoke Free Ontario Act. Re-elected as MPP in 2007, he was promoted to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In that portfolio, Watson signed the largest Federal-Provincial Housing agreement in Ontario’s History. In addition he co-authored an historic agreement between the province and Ontario’s 444 municipalities that saw over $1.5 Billion in social service costs removed from local property taxes. An active member of his community, Watson has also served on the boards or as honourary chair of several community organizations, including the Riverside Hospital, the National Arts Centre, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of United Way’s 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million. An avid volunteer with several groups, he has helped serve meals at the Shepherds of Good Hope and continues to volunteer regularly with the organization. His commitment to those less fortunate was evident when, in August of 2000, he contributed his entire municipal severance payment of $31,000 to Ottawa’s Union Mission for Men. He is also a volunteer board member with the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation Board of Directors, which raises money to support individuals and families living in Ottawa Community Housing.

Adham Al-Rachidi

OCH Liaison

Adham has been an OCH (Ottawa Community Housing) employee since 2009, working in various roles such as the Call Center, Housing Administrator, Maintenance Administrator, Rental Coordinator, Tenant Debt Resolution Coordinator and most recently and currently working as a Community Developer with OCH. He has also previously worked with the Boys and Girls Club at both the clubhouses and at their annual summer camp as the camp counsellor for all the staff and kids attending. Adham is passionate about helping people in our communities and getting the services, programs and supports required. A proud member of the OCH Foundation Board, he is eager to help the OCH Foundation continue to extend its reach to more of our communities and more residents.