Board of Governors
Our Board
Bissell Centre Board of Governors provides important oversight and governance functions for Bissell Centre.
Lee-Ann Leitch, Board Chair
Lee-Ann has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board of Governors since 2019. Lee-Ann is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over thirty years of experience in a variety of public and private organizations and is currently providing management consulting services at NorQuest College. Prior to that, she was in senior management with the Physician Office System Program and EPCOR providing leadership in governance, business transformation and financial management.
Lee-Ann holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. Lee-Ann’s professional specialties include strategic business planning, program management, change management, and process redesign.
Alan Aburto
Alan Aburto has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board of Governors since 2024. Alan is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 10 years of experience working in external audit and senior management positions in a variety of industries including Indigenous Business Services, Real Estate, Public Sector, and Not-for-profit organizations. Currently, Alan is the Director of Finance for CPA Alberta, the professional regulatory body for the CPA profession in Alberta. He has a diverse background in financial reporting, assurance, compliance, corporate strategy and risk management.
Alan has significant experience working with Not-for-Profit boards and First Nations governance and has previously served as Treasurer for a Provincial Arts Service organization. Alan is very passionate about serving the community and is inspired by the Bissell Centre’s work towards creating generational impact in the community.
Ami Amato
Ami Amato has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board of Governors since 2019. Driven by her own cultural heritage and being a proud Edmontonian – Ami has a keen focus on working toward ending poverty and homelessness and mental health awareness.
Professionally, Ami spent over 20 years working in the media industry, both in radio and TV. Ami utilizes her vast experience in storytelling, creative concepts, and communications experience in an effort to spread the message of Bissell Centre and assist our most vulnerable community members.
Ami has a keen focus on building strong relationships and bridging the gaps in communications among all our community members and organizations.
Continually inspired by the work of the Bissell Centre, Ami is proud to volunteer her experience in the common goal of ending poverty/homelessness.
You can often find Ami exploring our beautiful river valley or seeking out local art and artists.
Lauren Chalaturnyk
Lauren has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board since 2020 and serves on the Human Resources, Nominating, and Governance Committee. Prior to joining the Bissell Centre Board, Lauren was on the board of a local arts organization. Outside of her board work, she is an employment and municipal lawyer at a mid-size law firm and is an active member of Edmonton’s choral community.
Lauren has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alberta. She is a proud Edmontonian and continues to be motivated and inspired by the work of the Bissell Centre to end poverty.
Melanie Fix, Chair, HR, Nominating & Governance Committee
Melanie has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board since 2019. Melanie is a strategic management consultant with MNP LLP. With over 19 years of experience in the consulting field, Melanie has specialized in serving public sector and not-for-profit clients in human capital management, organizational restructuring, workforce allocation, and leadership and governance effectiveness. She is particularly skilled in the people aspect of organization dynamics. She is a passionate observer and respectful identifier of root cause barriers standing in the way of great performance. Melanie is known for her collaborative and inclusive style in facilitating strategic conversations, able to draw out a full range of factors impacting an organization’s ability to achieve success. Melanie is certified in Prosci Change Management.
Melanie believes in giving back to the community through her involvement on not-for-profit boards and volunteer service activities. Melanie is a member of the Stollery Women’s Network and past Board Member of the Association of Change Management Professionals, and has been an active volunteer with The Mustard Seed, Hope Mission, and now proudly, the Bissell Centre.
Emily Kneteman
Emily Kneteman works with foreign multinationals to support their investments and is always eager to showcase the growing industries in Canada. She works across all sectors to bring industry, community and government together for a seamless service offering.
She has experience in fundraising through her volunteer work with the Alberta Cancer Foundation and the launch of the Breast Impressions Calendar Association.
Emily has a passion for community building and has worked for both Edmonton Economic Development and Calgary Economic Development, supporting industry cluster growth and foreign investment.
She loves to explore all Alberta has to offer through hiking, skiing and spending time outdoors with her family.
Avery Letendre
Avery Letendre works at the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta as the Continuing Education & Online Project Manager. Avery is committed to working toward decolonization in Canada and is keen to build bridges, interconnections, stronger relationships and knowledge toward those ends.
Avery has experience in banking, management, economic development, research and administration and holds a Master of Arts (Native Studies) and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. She is honoured to serve at the Bissell Centre and work toward poverty elimination in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton).
Murray McKay
Murray McKay has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board of Governors since 2024. Murray holds the title of Director, Enterprise Change Management within the Department Justice of the Government of Alberta. He and his team guide and support Public Servant Executives, Management and front-line Employees in the areas of Enterprise Change Management, Change Leadership and Team Cohesion. Murray holds a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Manitoba and continues to further his knowledge and experiences in the areas of executive/life coaching, high performing teams, leadership development and emotional social intelligence.
Murray’s mantra in life for as long as he can remember is he doesn’t take himself seriously but takes what he does seriously. His family is his universe, sports is his escape, nature is his friend, humour is his go to, social responsibility is his passion and his ultimate hope is he can contribute in anyway possible in ending poverty. He is honored and privileged to be part of this Board.
Joshua Moser
Josh has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board of Governors since 2019, serving on the Human Resources, Nominations and Governance Committee and sharing the role of Policy Liaison. Professionally, Josh works to help bridge the gap between clinical practice and business intelligence as a Provincial Initiatives Consultant with Alberta Health Services (AHS), Provincial Addiction & Mental Health (AMH). Prior to this position, Josh worked as a Clinical Lead with Provincial AMH, and as an Occupational Therapist for a multidisciplinary outreach housing team with AHS (Edmonton Zone).
Josh is an enthusiastic volunteer who is passionate about Edmonton and the power of community building. In 2017 he founded a multiorganizational group called ICOTE that works to empower Occupational Therapists to be leaders in the delivery of health services to underserved populations in Edmonton, as well as support service mapping, information sharing and capacity building around the city. He also founded a small graphic design company in 2018 which he named after one of his grandfather’s mathematical theories. Josh holds a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from the University of Alberta, and he is a Prosci-certified Change Management practitioner.
Amanda Rosychuk
Amanda Rosychuk is Senior Vice President of Electricity Services for EPCOR Utilities Inc. (EPCOR). In leading EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc., her team is responsible for the safe and reliable delivery of power to customers in Edmonton, along with wholesale energy transmission and sales, retail distribution and metering. Prior to this position, Amanda served as Senior Vice President of Drainage Services and other senior positions including the Senior Vice President of Corporate Services.
Amanda has held board positions for private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and associations. In addition to sitting on the board of the Bissell Centre she is also on the board of Nulife GreenTech. Previous roles include the Chair of the Board of Directors for Women Building Futures and a board member of Edmonton Waste RE-solutions. She has also participated in a number of government task forces including the Skills for Jobs task force, and the Alberta 2030 round tables.
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a graduate of its Executive MBA program, and has achieved ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Kenneth Singh, Chair, Finance, Audit & Risk Management Committee
Ken joined the Bissell Centre Board of Governors in 2023, serving on the Finance, Audit & Risk Management Committee. Currently, Ken is a Director at Alberta Health Services, where he oversees human resource and internal audit functions. Ken is also a lead Session Leader for CPA Western School of Business and is passionate about learning and development. With over 18 years of professional experience, Ken has acquired a diverse background in accounting, audit, compliance and risk management, human resources, and marketing.
Ken obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Alberta, and is a designated Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).
Ken is an advocate for poverty alleviation and believes that everyone has the right to a life of equality and opportunity; he is passionate about working to make that a reality.
Ryan Turpin, Board Vice-Chair
Ryan has been a member of the Bissell Centre Board of Governors since 2020, serving on the Finance, Audit, & Risk Management Committee. Professionally, Ryan is a Senior Associate with Sequeira Partners within the Mergers and Acquisitions practice, and has over eight years of experience in corporate finance, accounting, and transaction engagements. As a Senior Associate, he oversees the preparation of marketing materials and financial models, identifies and sources new business opportunities, and assists clients throughout the transaction process.
Prior to joining Sequeira Partners, Ryan spent three years with EY in Calgary focusing on audit and accounting across a wide range of industry verticals. Ryan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV), and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University.
Ryan is passionate about social enterprise and its ability to empower individuals to move out of poverty. At McGill, he was involved in founding and served as President of Enactus McGill, a student group dedicated to making the world a better place through entrepreneurial action.
Executive Team
Johanna Knettig, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Johanna was appointed to the Co-CEO position with Bissell Centre after serving as its Chief Programs Officer since 2022. Her career spans nearly 27 years, beginning working as frontline care staff in health care before she quickly moved into senior leadership positions with Covenant Health. She shifted her career’s focus towards social service agencies three years ago. Her expertise in guiding Bissell Centre is built on her extensive experience in relationship development, strategic planning and organizational governance with a deep belief that all people deserve respect and dignity as they journey through life.
Louise Traynor, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Louise was appointed to the Co-CEO position with Bissell Centre after serving as its Chief Operating Officer since 2019. She joined Bissell Centre in 2016, serving in multiple leadership roles that have helped refine the organization’s program delivery models and project management practices. She shifted her career from mechanical engineering to social services more than 20 years ago, driven by her deep belief in the inherent value of every individual and the potential that everyone has for growth. Since then, she’s held multiple positions with organizations such as the Mustard Seed and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Help Eliminate Poverty in Your Community!
Bissell Centre is looking for new Board members.
If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering to become a Board member for Bissell Centre, please take a look at our Board of Governors Recruitment Notice.
Board member nominations are open year-round. Our Nominating Committee interviews prospective Board members twice a year, in April and October. New Board members are voted on just once per year at the Annual General Meeting held in July. If you are interested in becoming a Bissell Centre Board member, please contact Mary Higgs at mhiggs@bissellcentre.org.
Governors must be or become members of Bissell Centre. Interested individuals are welcome to submit a short bio or resume to the attention of Mary Higgs, Director of Administration.