Meet our Team
Staff
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Fatima Ahmed (she/her)
Social Justice Program Manager
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Desneige Frandsen (she/her/kwe)
Indigenous Youth & Environment Program Manager
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Shelan Markus (she/her)
Executive Director
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Deniz Yilmaz (she/her)
Environmental Justice Program Manager
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Samantha Lowes
Accounting
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Sandra Presland
Fundraising and Social Media Manager
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Nada Ibrahim
Program Facilitator and Coordinator - National
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James Gaume
Program Facilitator - Alberta
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Samantha Craig-Curnow
Program Facilitator - Rama First Nation
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Misko Banaishe
Program Facilitator - National
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Thomas Milne
Program Facilitator - Rama First Nation
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Shawnee Monchalin
Program Facilitator - Vancouver
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Brianna Morrison
Program Facilitator - Toronto
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Sarah Schmaus
Program Facilitator - Saskatoon
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Vivian Sim
Program Facilitator - Ottawa
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Robert Bassett
Program Facilitator - Siksika First Nation
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Aisha Abawajy
Program Facilitator - Toronto
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Hilena Demelie
Program Facilitator - Ottawa
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Caitlyn Alegbe
Program Facilitator - Toronto
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Evan Paulse
Program Facilitator - Halifax
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Jeff Rogers
Program Facilitator - Halifax
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Dan Rutabingwa Gakire
Program Facilitator - Ottawa
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Momina Naveed
Program Facilitator - Toronto
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Sam Gruppuso
Program Facilitator - Ottawa
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Kimora Harris-Taylor
Program Facilitator - Toronto
Board of Directors
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Jewel Amoah
Board Member
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Adrian Di Giovanni
Board Vice Chair
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Jennifer Guerard
Board Chair
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Heather McKay
Board Member
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Fallon Melander
Board Member
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Tanya Mushynski
Board Member
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Susan Spence
Board Secretary
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Brittany Twiss
Board Member
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Richard Zeni
Board Treasurer
Black Youth Advisory Board
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Faith Enemaku
Advisor
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Jasmyne Julien
Advisor
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Safia Abdulle
Advisor
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Shanii Defoe
Advisor
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Presila Mason
Advisor
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Janice Asiimwe
Advisor
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Samantha Adebiyi
Advisor
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Ever Imafidon
Advisor
Indigenous Advisory Board
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Samantha Craig-Curnow
Program Facilitator - Rama First Nation
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Danielle Davyduke
Program Facilitator - National
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Desneige Frandsen
Program Facilitator - National
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Misko Kicknosway
Program Facilitator - National
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Paul Porter
Program Facilitator - National
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Thomas Milne
Program Facilitator - National
FOUNDERS
Co-founders Catherine McKenna and Yasmin Shaker started Canadian Lawyers Abroad - Avocats canadiens à l’étranger (CLA-ACE) in 2005 with a simple goal: to engage the Canadian legal community to positively change lives in Canada and abroad. CLA-ACE originated from the idea that Canadian legal professionals have a specific set of skills, and given the opportunity, can uniquely benefit and support communities in need.
In September 2015, CLA-ACE became Level (Égaliser), which marked an important milestone in the growth and development of our organization. ‘Level’ captures our long history of combating injustice, promoting equality in rights and opportunities, and changing lives through law.