Board of Directors

2024-2025 Board of Directors

 

Serena Hak - Chair

Serena started her career at Free The Children in 2009, and has since become Head of Philanthropic Advisory Services at CI Assante Wealth Management and Executive Director of The Donor Motivation Program® Canada.

Read More

With a decade of experience in the philanthropic sector, she is committed to helping Canadians realize their giving potential. She has been featured in The Globe and Mail and National Post’s Guide to Charitable Giving and is a frequent speaker with the Association of Gift Planning Professionals (AFP) and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP).

Serena currently serves on the Board of Outside the March and AMREF Canada. In 2018, she joined The Toronto Foundation Vision 2020 Cohort which was later awarded Martin Connell Spirit of Philanthropy.  Outside of work, she loves sailing and trotting around Toronto with her beagle, Bogart.


 

Kathy Arney - Vice Chair

michael_blatchford_edit.jpg

Kathy Arney has spent her career growing organizational capacity and improving results and has a passion for enabling people to reach their full potential.

Read More

Located in Treaty 7 Territory (Canmore, AB), Kathy established KEA Canada in 2013, where she works with leaders, organizations and philanthropists to strengthen the social sector through supporting capacity-strengthening and strategic philanthropy.

Kathy is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA) and obtained Master Financial Advisor-Philanthropy (MFA-P™) certification in 2021.  


 

Geoff Graham, CFRE - Past Chair

graham.png

For 29 years, Geoff Graham has helped guide foundations in Canada and the US. He is a senior charitable giving officer and independent consultant helping individuals and non-profit organizations fine tune their philanthropic goals.

Read More

Geoff’s professional commitment has long been recognized by his peers including being named as Outstanding Development Professional by the San Diego Association of Fundraising Professionals. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and has held memberships in the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, San Diego Planned Giving Partnership, Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), and Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.

Outside the office, Geoff has taken leadership positions in a number of professional organizations and currently serves on the CAGP National Board of Directors. He has served on the boards of local AFP chapters and is a past President of the San Diego Planned Giving Partnership. In addition, he has been a guest speaker for the University of San Diego Nonprofit Leadership and Management Program and other professional conferences.


 

Véronique Salibur - Secretary

Born and raised in Guadeloupe, a French island in the Caribbean, Veronique pursued education in administration and international development in France before earning an MBA in Financial Services in Montreal. 

Read More

Transitioning from Wealth Management to Philanthropy, she specializes in securing major gifts for causes, working with organizations like United Way of Greater Montreal, or McGill University Hospital Foundation. As the Director of Major and Planned Gifts at the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CHUM) Foundation since 2021, she advocates for education, ethics, and best practices in philanthropy. Believing in collaboration for excellence, she emphasizes educating donors about the fiscal impact of their decisions and collaborating with professionals for societal advancement.


 

Danzel Pinto - Treasurer

michael_blatchford_edit.jpg

Danzel is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Chartered Accountant) and Principal at Grant Thornton LLP in the Greater Toronto Area where he exclusively serves charities and not-for-profit organizations.

Read More

Danzel provides assurance and advisory services, with areas of focus including audit and financial reporting, financial statement reviews, operational process improvements, governance and reserves. Danzel is a frequent speaker and author on these and other wider issues affecting the sector.

In addition to his service to CAGP as National Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, Danzel also serves as National Treasurer of the Grant Thornton Foundation. Danzel is also highly involved in his community, serving various leadership positions throughout his life. His service provides him a unique perspective into the challenges faced by charities and not-for-profit organizations, and he brings this understanding and passion in everything he does.  


 

Maya Ahmad

Maya Ahmad is the Senior Manager, Mid-Level & Planned Giving at the Canadian Red Cross. 

She began her career in the charitable sector 20 years ago, at WWF-Canada.

Read More

She is a passionate and goal-oriented fundraising professional with a specialized focus on Legacy Giving. For over 15 years, Maya has been building relationships and making connections with caring individuals, helping them to create a better future through gifts in Wills. She believes strongly in the power of a legacy gift and has engaged thousands of Canadians through donor-centred journeys. 

Maya has been an active volunteer with CAGP’s Greater Toronto Chapter, supporting new gift planners as part of the Mentoring Program and also contributes to the Education Committee. She has been a speaker within the philanthropic community, sharing her experience and insights on marketing efforts created to inspire and invite legacy gifts, Donor-Advised Funds and the Will Power Campaign. 

She is also a nature lover, avid reader and mother of two who enjoys sharing the wonders of the great outdoors with her family.


 

Kate Bake-Paterson

Kate Bake-Paterson practices exclusively in the area of charities and not-for-profit law and has developed specialized knowledge of the legal, regulatory and operational issues faced by charities and not-for-profit organizations.

Read More

In her work, Kate regularly advises charities and not-for-profit organizations on a broad range of issues, including those relating to:

incorporating and organizing not-for-profit entities;
governance and other corporate structural issues;
relationships with other organizations, including both qualified and non-qualified donees; 
obtaining charitable registration and other regulatory compliance issues;
charitable giving and the documentation, receipting and implementation of charitable gifts; and
the conduct of revenue-generating activities.  

Kate also assists donors with planning, documenting and implementing charitable gifts, including establishing donor-advised funds and private foundations.

Kate speaks frequently on various topics associated with charities and not-for-profit organizations, presenting to professional advisors and other members of the charitable sector.


 

Janice Correa

Janice Correa, is Associate Vice President, Legacy and Estates at ROM Governors and has had a rich multi-decade journey in the philanthropic sector, traversing borders and bridging diverse communities with a fervent passion for Legacy giving.

Read More

A true relationship alchemist, she has an unwavering zeal for connecting hearts to philanthropy in the pursuit of meaningful impact. As a connector and collaborator, she thrives on bringing together diverse stakeholders, uniting them under a shared vision; and architecting innovative approaches as a catalyst for positive change.

Prior to leading ROM Governors Legacy Program’s growth to a bequest expectancy value of $50M, she was Director, National Ballet School Foundation and previous to that honed her fundraising skills at Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony in Florida.

Janice has been CAGP GTA Co-Chair since 2020, presented at Chapter Education Sessions and Community Engagement Panels and is Chair, 2023 GTA Awards Selection Committee. She has had several editorial features on philanthropy in The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star’s Guide to Charitable Giving and Estate Planning and was recipient of 2019 Sweatman Award.


 

Christine Kang

Christine is Director of Legacy Giving at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation. In 2023 she was awarded the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s 40 Under 40.

Read More

She started her fundraising career at SickKids Foundation where she held progressive roles in planned giving and served as a mentor, peer support worker, and employee resource group member for BIPOC staff. She is an invited speaker and published writer on using social media for gift planning. Christine initially began her career in the financial services sector and held various roles in reporting, strategy, communications, and project management.


 

Claude Lestage

Claude Lestage, with 25 years' experience in philanthropy, has distinguished himself as a speaker, teacher and consultant.

Read More

Specializing in the implementation of gift planning programs, he has guided organizations and companies across Canada, helping them achieve their philanthropic goals with remarkable impact, raising over $250 million for various projects. Based in Quebec City, Claude is recognized for his national expertise and innovative approach.


 

Jen Pederson

Born and raised in Treaty Six territory, Jen Pederson brings two decades of charitable sector experience to her role as Philanthropic Advisor at Saskatoon Community Foundation.

Read More

Working closely with donors and their professional advisors, Jen has helped create more than $40 million in charitable legacies to benefit organizations in Saskatoon and around the world. Passionate about getting to the heart of what donors want their gifts to do, Jen loves working with experts in allied professions to create personalized giving plans that make a difference in her community. 

She is an active member and volunteer with Canadian Association of Gift Planners locally and nationally and with the Saskatoon Estate Planning Council.

;