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.
Tara is Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement and Advancement of Society at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. 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.
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.
Jen is an Ottawa real estate broker and co-founder of GoodStory, a client-focused team powered by RE/MAX Hallmark. Known for her integrity and relationship-driven approach, she has supported more than 730 property transactions and is recognized for exceptional service and strategic guidance.
Her experience spans residential and multi-unit real estate, family-run property management, and leadership roles with the Ottawa Real Estate Board and GOHBA.
Through GoodStory, she continues to elevate client care, innovate in marketing, and contribute meaningfully to the Ottawa community.
Phedely is a bilingual lawyer at Gowling WLG in Ottawa, practicing in professional liability, medical defence and commercial disputes. He also advises and assists clients with government relations and regulatory matters. He previously worked on Parliament Hill with the Independent Senators Group, where he conducted strategic reviews of bills and reports tabled before Parliament and advised senators on a wide range of policy and legislative issues. He has appeared as counsel before various courts and administrative tribunals in both Ontario and Alberta.
A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Ottawa’s dual Juris Doctor/Political Science program, Phedely earned multiple Dean’s Honour List distinctions and the Common Law Section Dean’s Award. During his studies, he served as a senior editor of the Ottawa Law Review and completed an international internship at a full-service legal clinic in Cape Town, South Africa.
Phedely is actively involved in the community. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation and the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario. He previously served on the Board of the Parliamentary Centre, Canada’s global leader for democracy. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada as “Ones to Watch”.
