Paula Klein – Chair of the Board
Paula was elected to the Board in May 2018 and has been Chair since May 2019. Paula has nearly 30 years of domestic and international experience in a wide variety of business and technology leadership positions at 3M Canada Company and Nortel. Past roles include Business Manager, Traffic Safety and Security Division for 3M Canada Company and Director, R&D Operations at Nortel. Paula graduated with a Bachelor of Mathematics in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo and has completed the AEA/Ivey Executive Marketing Program.
Lianne Wright, Vice-Chair of the Board
Lianne joined the Caldwell Board of Directors in May 2022 and was appointed Vice President inSeptember 2023. Born and raised in the Ottawa area, Lianne is excited by the opportunity to help make this beautiful City a safe and thriving space for all residents. She brings to the Board over 20 years of executive experience in the Public Service in a wide range of areas including strategy, finance, governance, operations and metrics. Prior to joining the public service, Lianne was a family and civil litigation lawyer and a consultant. She holds a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) from Queens University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Western University. When not working, Lianne loves being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.
Karen is an experienced technology executive who has spent more than 20 years leading software teams in the Ottawa area. She has held various roles at Nortel, Avaya and Halogen Software. Currently, Karen is the Vice President of Service and Customer Support at Upland Software. Karen is dedicated to community growth; in addition to various volunteer commitments, she enjoyed a past board position on the Huntley Community Association working on programs within the Carp community. Karen has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Regina. In her spare time, Karen participates in various running races and enjoys biking, skiing and spending time with her family.
John is a retired EY tax partner with almost 40 years of experience dealing with international tax issues. He has held a wide variety of roles including national leader of EY’s Canadian transfer pricing practice. He is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Math degree from the University ofWaterloo. John and his spouse enjoy travelling, golfing, skiing and spending time with their family.
Shannon is an experienced organizational change consultant specializing in strategic, technology and operational change management. She has been working with private, public, and not-for-profit organizations for over 20 years and currently runs her own consulting practice. Previous experience includes working for top organizations such as the Conference Board of Canada, Telus Health, Deloitte Consulting, and Hilton Hotels Corporation. Shannon is passionate about helping leaders and teams navigate through the complexity of business transformation.
Shannon has a background in Human Resource, applied research, and consulting. She holds a Master’s in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from University of Toronto. Shannon also volunteers with the Intercultural Dialogue Institute on their annual International Women’s Day conference committee. Originally from Saint John, NB, Shannon has happily lived in Ottawa for the past 12 years with her three grown children. She was elected to the Board of the Caldwell Family Center in May 2023.
Sharon Burke is a Director in Deloitte’s Technology Strategy & Transformation team, working out of Ottawa, ON. She works with CIOs to strategically plan the future of their technologies with a keen interest in disruptive innovation in technology. Having lived through numerous transformations in IT, Sharon is well-equipped to help clients as they consider new ways of dealing with old problems. Recent experience includes establishing concepts of operations for organizational and cloud transformation, as well as assisting client organizations in implementing new technology solutions. Sharon leads small advisory engagements, and large implementations, and moves cross-industry though she currently focuses on the federal government space.
Katlyn Harrison is Vice Chair at Summa Strategies, a government relations and communications firm headquartered in Ottawa. She provides advice to clients in a variety of fields including technology, defense procurement, retail, and transportation. Her client roster includes some of North America’s largest companies, as well as leading industry associations who navigate major challenges on behalf of dozens of different corporate entities. As a seasoned government relations professional and campaign strategist, Kate provides counsel to organizations and companies looking to execute an effective advocacy campaign. She has successfully navigated legislative, regulatory, and financial asks for clients on complex files. She is also a regular commentator on current events, including for local Ottawa talk radio and television programs. Kate resides in Ottawa with her husband and two active toddlers, and proudly hails from Ontario’s beautiful Kawartha Lakes region.
Jill was elected to the Caldwell Board in June 2023. She is an experienced executive who spent 30 years in the federal public service. Jill held various senior leadership roles, most recently as an assistant deputy minister at Public Safety Canada prior to her retirement in 2022. Jill’s previous board experience includes several years with the Old Ottawa East Community Association as secretary and board member. Jill holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and has completed the Certificate Program in Public Sector Leadership and Governance at the University of Ottawa.
Eugene Williams – Executive Director
Eugene has worked in the Non-Profit Sector for over 30 years and has extensive experience in program management, board governance, organizational leadership, strategic planning, community engagement, policy development and government relations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science, a Project Management College Program Certificate, and a Social Services Program Diploma. Eugene is a results-oriented, non-profit leader who has channeled a strong belief in social justice into a lifelong commitment to championing the interests of people and communities who are marginalized and at risk: advocating for change to address the root causes of poverty.