Senior Management Team

Stephanie Mora Garcia

Senior Manager, People and Culture

Stephanie joined Shepherds of Good Hope in 2017 and is the Senior Manager of People and Culture. First starting as a student, Stephanie has demonstrated skills in fostering positive change and supporting vulnerable populations.

Stephanie has always felt passionately about helping others and prides herself in being there to develop new innovative ways to support those who are supporting the most vulnerable in our community. As the Senior Manager of People and Culture, Stephanie plays a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being and development of Shepherds of Good Hope’s staff members. She is passionate about creating a positive work environment and fostering a culture of inclusion, diversity, growth, and compassion.

Peter Townsend

Senior Manager, Facilities

Peter joined Shepherds of Good Hope in the Spring of 2023. He brings with him 20 years of Facility Maintenance and project management experience in the not-for-profit sector.

Peter is responsible for the general oversight of all of Shepherds of Good Hope’s facilities and manages the capital and maintenance operations for all the organization’s buildings across Ottawa.

Being born and raised in Ottawa, Peter is highly invested in the charitable sector of Ottawa and giving back to the community. His contributions to Shepherds of Good Hope will be focusing on the overall quality and functionality of the buildings for the clients now and in the future. In addition, Peter has worked extensively in an outdoor environment and feels passionate about bringing eco-friendly alternatives to our buildings.

Working with vulnerable populations has been a very rewarding part of Peter’s career. While working in facility management is heavily focused on background support services, Peter loves that he is able to create a space of comfort, security and home for those who are without.

Bernie Forestell

Senior Manager, Communications

Bernie joined Shepherds of Good Hope in early 2023. Bernie’s career in business development, fundraising, and non-profit management includes conceiving, creating, and implementing campaigns for a wide range of organizations, raising awareness and millions of dollars.

Bernie is an entrepreneur and has owned a successful direct marketing agency, serving clients in Ottawa and throughout Canada. He has worked for the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, Bruyere Hospital Foundation, The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, Consumer Health Products Canada and BioTalent Canada, helping those organizations reach beyond their goals.

A gifted storyteller, Bernie embraces the opportunity to share the Shepherds story through effective and engaging communications to a wide range of audiences.

Ashley McCullough

Senior Manager of Programming)

Ashley started with Shepherds of Good Hope in 2017 as a casual frontline worker and since then has held the roles of Administrative Coordinator, Human Resources Assistant Manager, Assistant Manager in both our Supportive Housing and Transitional Shelter Services. Prior to joining the Senior Leadership team Ashley served as Program Manager of Transitional Shelter Services.

Ashley attended the University of Ottawa and obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Victimology from Algonquin College. She is a certified instructor in Non Violent Crisis Intervention from the Crisis Prevention Institute, and has volunteered her time to The John Howard Society of Durham Region, Matthew House Ottawa and Ottawa Victim Services.

Ashley now serves as the one of two Senior Manager of Programming at Shepherds of Good Hope. In her role, Ashley is committed to enhancing the guest, resident and staff experience within our programs. 

Ashley is the epitome of what it means to be a Shepherd — seeking to meet everyone where they are at in their journey with compassion and without judgement. 

Emma Bernans

Senior Manager, Philanthropy

Born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, Emma is passionate about making an impact in her community. As the daughter of two dedicated educators, she learned the value of service and compassion from an early age and is excited to bring her experience and knack for relationship-building to the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation.

Having spent the last 13 years in the charitable sector working closely with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals, Emma looks forward to creating meaningful opportunities for people to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness in Ottawa.

Emma’s personal values, her commitment to ethics and transparency, and her ability to foster long-term relationships align perfectly with the Shepherds’ mission and vision of Homes for All, Community for All, Hope for All.

Grayson Warawa

Senior Manager, IT and BEAM (Business Evaluation & Analytics Management)

Born and raised in Alberta, Grayson moved to Ottawa in 2018 and joined Shepherds of Good Hope in 2020. Grayson first started as a Front-Line staff member before expanding into Facilities & Project Management, and currently IT and BEAM (Business Evaluation & Analytics Management).

As the Senior Manager for IT and BEAM, Grayson is responsible for the oversight of the organization’s Information Technology and Data Management teams. This involves managing the development of capital IT projects, collaboration and advocacy for app development and data automation, maintaining and expanding upon the existing IT and data infrastructure, and supporting the organization in risk management.

Working towards the betterment of society and our most vulnerable populations is a key aim in Grayson’s personal goals and he is grateful that he is able to manifest this through the Shepherds of Good Hope.

Meara Zinn

Senior Manager of Programming

Born and raised in Ottawa, Meara came to Shepherds of Good Hope in March of 2013, as a frontline staff, and is now a Senior Manager of Programming.

One thing that drew Meara to Shepherds of Good Hope is the staff. She knows how hard this work can be on someone, and she knew early on that, thanks to her colleagues, she would never be alone when facing those hard moments and feelings.

Meara pride’s herself on her innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life. As a teenager and young adult, Meara found it strange and at times annoying, how a simple trip on a bus or reading a book in a park, would lead to people sitting with her, and telling her their life story. She now knows that connection, even with stranger, is all anyone wants in this world.

Her ability led her to study Psychology at Carleton University for her BA, and get her Master’s in Counselling and Spirituality at St. Paul’s University. Understanding what people are feeling / going through, and how that affects their day-to-day life, is part of what drew her to working at Shepherds of Good Hope. She knew Shepherds of Good Hope would allow her to connect with all different types of people, be able to listen to them, validate their feelings and experiences, but also be able to laugh and find moments of humour and happiness.