Foundation Board of Directors

Kaveh Rikhtegar

Chair

 “The Greatest gift we can give ourselves is the permission to start”, which is why Kaveh joined the Shepherds of Good Hope as a volunteer in 2017 and eventually, joined the Foundation Board in 2019 to help, guide and provide awareness and support to the fundraising priorities in support of people experiencing homelessness. 

As a retired Chartered Professional Accountant executive, Kaveh has been involved as a director with governance related matters in both the public and private sectors for the past 25 years. He has been responsible for and has played a pivotal role in helping to deliver on the various corporate mandates and priorities through engagements in a broad range of activities while building strong relationships with colleagues, clients and various partners at many different levels. 

Kaveh loves to spend as much time as he can with his wife Caroline and their three children. 

Kaveh sits on the Governance and Finance, Investment and Audit Committees. 

Mark Roundell

Vice-Chair

Mark retired in 2021 after more than 40 years in the financial services industry.

He enjoys working on behalf of the Foundation Board to raise funds and awareness for the vital work that Shepherds does in our community.

Mark and Deb have two adult children and three grandchildren. Mark also sits on the Finance, Investment and Audit committee.

David Rattray

Treasurer / Chair of Finance, Investment and Audit Committee

Prior to his work as a management consultant which began in May 2004 as President of Public Accountability Consulting Inc., David was an Assistant Auditor General of Canada for 16 years. 

For almost 40 years, David has been active in the volunteer community having recently sat on several Boards and Foundations including the Ottawa Senators Foundation, the Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation and finally, the Christmas Cheer Foundation. He is currently a Director with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. With his wife Marion they founded Socks for the Homeless in 2015. He is recipient of the Canada 125 medal as well as the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals, the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers and the Order of Ottawa. 

Carrol Pitters

Chair of Governance Committee

Carrol was the Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). She held an academic appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine, and her clinical role was as a staff physician in the Emergency Department at CHEO. 

Carrol obtained her medical degree from the University of the West Indies and after a one-year internship at the University Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, she pursued her residency training in Paediatrics at CHEO from 1980-84. She spent an additional year as a resident in Epidemiology and Community Medicine at the University of Ottawa, before beginning her medical career in the CHEO Emergency Department in 1985. 

After serving as Associate Director of the Emergency Department for 4 years, she was appointed Medical Director and Chief of Emergency Medicine in 1996, a position she held for 10 years. She then became the Chair of the Board of the Children’s Hospital Academic Medical Organization (CHAMO). Carrol was appointed Chief of Staff in 2010. She was honoured with the Health Sciences award for excellence at the 33rd Annual Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) Harry Jerome Awards held on Saturday, April 25th, 2015 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The BBPA Harry Jerome Awards is recognized as the most prestigious national awards gala in the African Canadian community and a coveted symbol of achievement.

Lyndra Griffith-Harnden

Board Member | Member – Governance Committee

Lyndra is an experienced adjudicator with the Licence Appeal Tribunal and the Ontario Parole Board. Lyndra is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and prior to her appointment, she practiced civil litigation with a mid-sized firm. She has appeared as counsel before various courts and administrative tribunals. Lyndra holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa and a BA (Hons) degree in Psychology from Carleton University. 

Lyndra also practices entertainment law at Edwards Creative Law, LLP. She has excellent knowledge of the entertainment industry and is committed to properly informing and supporting her clients at every 

stage of their career. She has represented clients in music, television, film, publishing, performing arts and visual arts. Passionate about the arts, Lyndra is very keen to serve the artistic community. Lyndra enjoys sharing her knowledge and is regularly invited to present at professional development sessions. Lyndra is fully bilingual and represents clients in both official languages. 

Wendy Hope

Board Member | Member – Governance Committee

Wendy retired from her role as Vice President, External Relations at the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) at the end of 2018 after 19 years. At CLHIA, she was responsible for overseeing the Associations communication initiatives as well as its conference and events portfolio. She was also involved in governance matters, serving as Associate Corporate Secretary to the CLHIA Board of Directors. 

Prior to joining the CLHIA, Wendy worked for 10 years with the Canadian Payments Association as their Director, Communication & Education. She was also a member of the Canadian Public Relations Society and served as President of the Ottawa Chapter in the late 90’s and more recently in 2017-2019 as Treasurer. 

Wendy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from McMaster University and a post-graduate certificate in Public Relations (with honours) from Humber College. 

Wendy continues to enjoy retirement with her husband Andrew and looks forward to sailing their boat on Lake Ontario out of Kingston and resuming travelling. 

Jim Orban

Board Member | Member – Finance, Investment and Audit Committee

Jim enjoyed a 38-year newspaper career at the Ottawa Journal, Edmonton Journal, and Ottawa Citizen, concluding as Publisher of the Ottawa Citizen. Under his leadership, the newspaper earned numerous awards for journalistic excellence from the National Newspaper Association and the Canadian Association of Journalists.

President and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation (2011-2020). Under his direction, the largest fundraising campaign in the Heart Institute’s history was successfully completed in 2020, raising $100 million over seven years.

Jim holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. Over the past 45 years he has served on more than 40 nonprofit boards and fundraising committees, spanning sectors such as education, business, sports, healthcare, the arts, and social services.

John Peters

Board Member

John has been on the Board of Directors of Shepherds of Good Hope since 1993. He has served as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board as well as Chair of the Human Resources Committee (HRC). John is also Past Chair and a Director on the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation Board. 

John is a partner at Gowling WLG practising in the Advocacy Department and in particular, the Employment, Labour and Equalities Group. Prior to joining Gowling WLG, John was Principal Litigation Counsel at Export Development Canada (EDC) where he led the Litigation Management team, which delivers advice on all liability-related issues. With over 30 years of experience, John has extensive knowledge and expertise in the areas of employment and insurance Law as well as general litigation matters 

John has received both the Gordon F. Henderson Award from the County of Carleton Law Association (2007) and the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General of Canada (August 2017) and the Leadership in skilled volunteering Award from Volunteer Ottawa (2023) all in recognition of his work with Shepherds. 

John is the first Emeritus Officer of Shepherds of Good Hope. 

Stéphanie Montreuil

Board Member | Member – Finance, Investment and Audit Committee

Stéphanie Montreuil is currently Head of Public Affairs & Corporate Communications at the Professional Institute for the Public Service of Canada, the second largest public service union. With over two decades of experience spanning marketing communications, stakeholder relations, and public affairs, she’s navigated the landscapes of government, non-profits, and corporate entities. 

Stéphanie doesn’t just communicate; she crafts strategies that drive results. Her track record speaks volumes as she’s steered numerous organizations toward success through her proactive and results-oriented approach. 

Fluent in both French and English, Stéphanie possesses a unique ability to cultivate relationships that matter. Whether it’s fostering connections internally or engaging stakeholders externally, she excels in building bridges that propel initiatives forward. Her dedication to transparent communication and setting clear expectations has been instrumental in fostering collaborative environments where innovation thrives. 

Based in Ottawa, Stéphanie’s passion for effective governance extends beyond her professional life. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration at l’École nationale d’administration publique, she’s committed to continuous learning and personal growth. Stéphanie is also a proud mom of two. 

Michael Williams

Board Member | Member – Finance, Investment and Audit Committee

As a bilingual facilitator connecting people, ideas, and opportunities, Michael provides strategic guidance to clients and candidates throughout the executive search process. Drawn to innovation and a champion for diversity, he specializes in recruiting top candidates into leadership roles in technology, academia, not-for-profit, and the public sector. 

When not working with clients, Michael’s leadership expertise and entrepreneurial passion have led to advisory roles across Canada, including as a start-up advisor to Pay Shepherd, a Calgary- based SaaS provider, and as a mentor with Invest Ottawa – Xtreme Talent Accelerator. Michael is also an active volunteer with the Shepherds of Good Hope. 

Before joining Odgers Berndtson, Michael held senior business development and leadership positions at Canadian Onshore, HealthPartners, and two national executive search firms. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and received a Forty Under 40 award – one of Ottawa’s most prestigious business awards. 

Michael is energized by meeting new people and discussing the future of work, emerging technology, and disruption in general. 

Irfan Ahmed

Board Member | Member – Governance Committee

Irfan Ahmed is the EVP of Federal Government & Acquisitions at Altis Recruitment & Technology Inc., where his teams specialize in supporting projects in professional services and technology for the federal government, across Canada. He has a decade of experience in the staffing industry and has worked with numerous national clients to secure top professionals in their respective fields. 

Irfan is passionate about the staffing sector and the people who work within it. As a leader, he has succeeded in growing businesses using his people-first approach and the belief that empathy is the first step to successful management. He is committed to helping bring forward positive change that will impact both the industry and the community at large. Irfan has put that into action through the support of Big Brothers and Big Sisters Ottawa, CHEO’s For the Kids Gala, and other organizations within the community. 

David Gourlay

Ex Officio

David joined the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation in 2020 as Director and then in 2021 was appointed as the VP of Philanthropy. This appointment fits a career that is characterized by a passion for people, relationships and building the community he was born, raised and lives in – Ottawa. 

David had a 10+ year in the private sector following a 15-year career in the Government of Canada and the City of Ottawa. David’s commitment to community is important to him and he has served on the Board of Directors for the Ottawa Public Library, the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation and the Ottawa Sport Council. David established the Ottawa Champions Baseball Club and proudly co-founded the Miracle League of Ottawa to provide children with special needs a fully accessible and inclusive baseball facility in Orleans. 

In June 2009, David received an Ottawa Business Journal “40Under40” Award and in 2014, David became a Member of the Order of Ottawa as recognized by Mayor Watson for his contributions to the local community. 

In 2022, David was recognized as AFP Ottawa’s Outstanding Fundraising Executive. 

David lives in Kanata with his wife Danielle and their two children.