Stephanie Powers, President
Susan Kennard, Vice-President
Susan Kennard works for Parks Canada as the Heritage Programs Manager, Banff Field Unit and is leading program renewal for the Banff Park Museum, Cave and Basin and Rocky Mountain House National Historic Sites
Prior to working with Parks Canada Susan was the director and executive producer of the Banff New Media Institute at The Banff Centre, leading the training, production, research, and development activity of the institute and the engagement of artists and researchers with new media aesthetics and digital culture. In the mid 90’s Kennard worked in television as an associate producer for the “International Hour”, “CBC Newsworld” Calgary, and “Dateline NBC” New York. In radio she was a writer/broadcaster for CBC Radio Calgary, fundraising coordinator for CKUT Montreal, station manager for CKIZ Community Radio Pincher Creek, and board member with the National Campus/Community Radio Association. Susan was a co-founder of radio90.fm, an early hybrid net/fm art/pirate/community radio station.
In 2005, Kennard concluded a master’s degree in communication for development from the University of Malmö, Sweden, on the relationship between contemporary art practice, social change, and civil society in post-war Sarajevo. She holds a B.A from the University of Regina, a Graduate degree in Communication Studies from Concordia University Montreal and is currently registered in the University of Victoria’s Diploma program in Cultural Resource Management. Susan’s writing has been published in Glocal Times (2006) and Euphoria & Dystopia: The Banff New Media Institute Dialogues (2011). Susan participates on numerous juries and review committees in Canada and abroad.
Louise Courtemanche, Secretary
Louise Courtemanche is an energetic and passionate executive and leadership coach. She is fluent in English, French, German, and Luxembourgish. She specializes in executive and leadership coaching, organizational development and change management, training design and delivery and facilitation. Louise has held several leadership positions, including currently co-owner of the Blue Mountain Lodge in Banff, director of an American university’s European campus, owner and director of a strategic marketing consulting firm, and manager of a research unit in new media.
Louise holds an M.Sc. in Management from the Université de Strasbourg, France, and a B.Com. degree in Marketing and International Business from the University of Ottawa and the Aston Business School in England. She expects to receive her Doctorate of Business Administration (Dissertation: Board Leadership) from the University of Phoenix in 2012.
Louise is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, the Academy of Management, and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Louise also earned her Graduate Certificate as a Certified Executive Coach from Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and holds the Professional Certified Coach credential from the International Coach Federation, the global authority on coaching.
Trish Watt, Director
Wendy Kuiper, Director
Suzi Froese, Director
Suzi has been a Bow Valley resident for 22 years. Married with two children, she has operated her own interior design company for 6 years. Suzi attempts to do crossfit in spare time.
Barbara Buchmann, Director
Barbara came to Banff from Germany in the late ‘80s while travelling around the world and, as so many in the Bow Valley, ‘got stuck’ in Banff. Together with her husband they raised two daughters in Banff.
Barbara worked as a Kindergarten teacher in Germany before going back to school to become an Occupational Therapist. In Banff she has worked many years in the long-term care unit at Mineral Springs Hospital. A few years ago she changed carrier paths completely to become an administrative assistant for the Town of Canmore. Being co-owner of a guiding and consulting company she also had the experience of running a business and looking after the bookkeeping needs for over fifteen years. Over the years she had numerous part time or casual jobs such as working as a care giver for Banff seniors, doing part time secretary work for Rundle United Church, explaining natural history as a National Park employee.
Barbara loves living in the Bow Valley and enjoys hiking and x-country skiing. Her other passions are singing, playing games with family or friends, keeping up with politics and reading.
Christine LaRocque, Director
Christine has called Banff home for 15 years, and has been the BanffLIFE Coordinator for the past 5 years.
She is very passionate about her position as BanffLIFE Coordinator and you are sure to see her out in the wilds of Banff National Park on one of the BanffLIFE trips. She loves mountain biking after work or taking her dogs out for a nice long quit walk.
Christine enjoys volunteering in the community and is always happy to share a smile with everyone that she meets.
Lori McLain, Director
Nancy Lewis, Director
Nancy has lived in the Bow Valley off and on since 1983 and she has called the Valley home permanently for the past 10 years.
She has worked for the Town of Banff for the past 8 years as a Community Development Coordinator and in this role she has worked with community members and agencies on a variety of projects including the Banff Community Greenhouse, Banff-Canmore Community Bus, Community Pot Lucks and Everybody Gets to Play program.
In her free time she is kept busy trying to keep up with her husband and teenaged son at the local ski hills, loves to X-country and backcountry ski, rides her bike and reads as many books as time allows.
Shannon Laming-Merkley, Director
Originally from Ontario but has been living in Banff for the past 5 years, Shannon graduated from Loyalist College in 2006 with a Social Service Worker Diploma. In Ontario, she has worked with Youthab in a “Transition Home” helping teens develop life skills that would allow them to move on to living independently and working towards a better life. She has also worked with people dealing with mental and physical disabilities.
Her social work in Banff includes working with teens and children when running the “Fridge” program created by the Town of Banff, which continues now as “Get Out” program. Shannon is no longer involved full time but helps out when she can. She also works part time for the Town of Banff with their Out of School program. She currently works full time as a Special Events Manager at The Fairmont Banff Springs.
Shannon loves hiking, snowshoeing, and most outdoor physical activities. She also enjoys creative arts, painting learning the piano. She loves Banff and is very excited to be a part of the YWCA’s Board of Directors as she wants to become more involved in making Banff a great place to live for all, and admires how much work the YWCA does for Banff’s residents.
Suzanne White, Director
Suzanne has worked for the Rocky Mountain Outlook for almost three years, first as a reporter and now in advertising. Both jobs allowed her to get to know the Bow Valley community and have great conversations with amazing people who call this place home.
Prior to her move to the valley, Suzanne was based in Calgary where she worked in Public Affairs for the Canadian Red Cross, for both Southern Alberta and Western Canada. It was at the Red Cross that she had the opportunity to work on programs that dealt with affordable and safe housing, bullying prevention, healthy relationships and disaster preparedness and management.
She’s excited about the opportunity to serve on the board of the Banff YWCA and to work towards providing a safe and happy future for Bow Valley residents.
Stephen Crotty, Acting Executive Director
executivedirector@ywcabanff.ab.ca
YWCA Banff is seeking candidates for the Board of Directors!
Are you passionate about your community or you would like to be more involved in your community? We might have an opportunity for you with the YWCA Banff.
The YWCA Banff is the leading resource for women and their families fleeing from domestic violence and for providing safe, affordable housing for Bow Valley community members.
The YWCA Banff is currently seeking women in the community to be part of the Board of Directors. This is an exciting opportunity to help build a better and stronger community.
In general board of directors’ role includes:
- governing the organization by establishing broad policies and objectives;
- supporting and reviewing the performance of the executive director;
- approving annual budgets that support a strategic plan;
- keep abreast of community needs and social trends;
- represent YWCA Banff to the community and stakeholders;
To request more information or to express your interest, please contact:
Susan Kennard, Director
sdkennard@gmail.com or 403-762-1461
You are also welcome to contact any of the members of our current local Board of Directors if you see a familiar face!
