Board of Directors
Ahmet Kapici
Shannon Jackson
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Jill Wherrett
Mitchell Lafrance
Andrew Meldrum
Lianne Wright – 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.
Ahmet is an experienced Programs and Quality Management Executive with a strong track record in community development, food security, and strategic innovation. He currently leads Quality Improvement and Health Promotion programs at Carlington CHC. Previously, he served as Interim Executive Director at the Rideau Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre, where he led poverty reduction initiatives and social enterprises centered on innovation and technology. With expertise in digital transformation, policy development, and cross-sector collaboration, Ahmet brings a strategic, multidisciplinary approach to advancing community impact.
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.
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.
Mitchell retired in 2023 after a career of more than 35 years in various executive, operations, professional services and finance roles. Mitchell was most recently Senior Vice President, Customer Advocacy for an enterprise software company, where he managed a global team responsible for commercial and legal resolution of customer disputes. Prior to that, he held executive and management roles at Infor, Oracle, PeopleSoft and several Ottawa Crown Corporations.
Mitchell was a member of the Board of Directors and the Finance Committee at the Shepherds of Good Hope during 2024-2025, and began volunteering at Caldwell Family Centre in 2025. Mitchell was appointed to the Caldwell Board of Directors and Finance Committee in September 2026.
Andrew Meldrum is a senior public-sector executive with extensive experience in finance, governance, strategic planning, risk management and organizational leadership. He currently serves with the Department of National Defence.
Andrew has more than 16 years of executive-level experience and 26 years of federal public service. His career includes senior director roles with Industry Canada, Shared Services Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics from Carleton University.
Andrew also brings seven years of condominium Board experience, including Director, Treasurer and Vice-President, and currently serves as a Director at CCC55 and Chair of the Joint Properties Committee and Tower Committee. He is committed to contributing his leadership and governance experience to the Caldwell Family Centre and its mission of reducing poverty in 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.