Staff Directory
Foundation Administration
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Tina Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
sepi@ecfoundation.orgTina Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer at ECF. She spent over a decade at Edmonton Public Library and was the main champion and leader behind their award-winning rebranding project that helped transform the perception and use of EPL. She holds an executive MBA from Queen's University, a CPA-CMA professional accounting designation, a Masters in Library Information Science from the University of Alabama and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. She is an American Library Association Councilor at Large, member of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations Intellectual Freedom Committee and Board Member of the Edmonton Screen Industries Office. Tina is also easily bribed with good dark chocolate or Californian Cabs.
Communications
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Nneka Otogbolu
Director of Communications and Equity Strategy
notogbolu@ecfoundation.orgNneka Otogbolu (BSc. MBA. MSc.IM) is the Director of Communications and Equity Strategy at ECF. Nneka comes to the Foundation with several years of non-profit experience, most recently as executive director of a community-focused science charity on Vancouver Island, BC. She was also the research and fundraising coordinator for the national, Indigenous Moose Hide Campaign. Before coming to Canada, Nneka spent more than 15 years in increasingly responsible positions in the Nigerian banking system, specializing in small and medium-sized businesses. She has completed graduate work in both U.K. and Canada, earning an M.Sc in International Business from the University of Hertfordshire and an MBA from Vancouver Island University. Both degrees were awarded Distinctions. She has led several teams across different industry sectors. She is also a co-recipient of the Canadian Bureau of International Education’s Elizabeth Patterson Award for Internationalization, for her work in her community on Vancouver Island. She's a supermom of three kids and loves to read, watch movies and cook.
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Shereen Zink
Communications Lead
szink@ecfoundation.orgShereen Zink joined the ECF team as a Communications Associate in 2022. She is co-chair for Vital Signs and is responsible for coordinating sponsorships, advertising, events, and many other communications projects. Shereen graduated from Macewan University's Bachelor of Communication Studies program in 2015 with a major in Professional Communications. She has worked with a wide variety of local businesses and organizations to find and share the stories that make them unique. She loves a good spreadsheet and has been known to "project manage" her social activities. She spends her free time gardening, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, exploring Edmonton's food scene, and hanging out with her cat, Peanut Butter.
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Andrew Paul
Communications Associate
apaul@ecfoundation.orgAndrew Paul is a Communications Associate at ECF. He started working at ECF in 2011, where he coordinates the production of ECF's quarterly magazine Legacy in Action and hosts the award-winning Well Endowed Podcast. After graduating from MacEwan University’s Journalism Program in 2008, Andrew took up feature-writing for the now defunct SEE Magazine. He worked as SEE's web and features editor and won the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association’s Award for Best News Story in 2010. He has also served as an editorial intern at Avenue Magazine Edmonton (now Edify) and was selected as one of Edify’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2021.
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Lisa Pruden
Communications Coordinator
lpruden@ecfoundation.orgLisa Pruden is the Communications Coordinator at ECF. Lisa is a philosophy nerd who loves learning. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in both philosophy and psychology, and still loves to explore ideas. One of Lisa’s favorite projects is The Well Endowed Podcast where we share stories about how Edmontonians come together to support each other. Outside of work, she collects hobbies like writing, puzzles and felting (and other things related to wool crafts. Don’t even get her started on wool!).
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Graeme Lummer
Communications Assistant
graeme@ecfoundation.orgGraeme Lummer is the Communications Assistant at ECF. He began his work at ECF in 2020 with a practicum as part of the Public Relations Program at MacEwan University. Graeme started working full-time with ECF in 2022, managing the Foundation's social media and online presence. He is an avid cyclist — frequently found biking through Edmonton's river valley and fuelling up at a local cafe thereafter.
Donor Advisors
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Noel Xavier
Director of Donor Services
nxavier@ecfoundation.orgNoel Xavier is the Director of Donor Services at ECF. He joined ECF in 2013 and works with individual donors, families, and local charities to build endowment funds and legacy plans that provide strategic, sustainable support in our community. With over 22 years of resource development and senior management experience in the not-for-profit sector, Noel has worked with arts, social services, immigration, and health-related causes. Noel currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation and is the past-Chair of the Edmonton Arts Council. He has also served on the Boards of the Nina Haggerty Centre, Opera NUOVA, the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) – Edmonton Chapter, and the MacEwan University Arts and Cultural Management Advisory Committee. Noel is originally from the greater Toronto area, but he lived in Osaka, Japan for nearly four years before settling in Edmonton in 2000. In his spare time, Noel enjoys running, hiking, camping, and gardening.
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Matt Mandrusiak
Donor Advisor
mmandrusiak@ecfoundation.orgMatt Mandrusiak is a Donor Advisor at Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF). He joined ECF in 2015 after seven years of working with organizations focused on providing support to individuals with disabilities throughout Alberta. Having witnessed first-hand the passion and generosity of Edmontonians to support local causes, Matt has had the great privilege of assisting donors and charities to enhance our already amazing community.
Away from the office, he spends most of his time with his wife and two daughters, but you can often find him on the golf course. An avid traveller, Matt can also act as an unofficial Disney Parks vacation planner…Mickey ears included.
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Kathy Hawkesworth
Counsel/Philanthropy Advisor
khawkesworth@ecfoundation.orgKathy Hawkesworth (LLB TEP) is a Counsel/Philanthropy Advisor at ECF. Before discovering her passion for gift planning, Kathy was a tax advisor practicing first within a law firm and then a national accounting firm. Since leaving private practice and joining ECF, Kathy has helped hundreds of donors establish hundreds of different endowment funds that now provide meaningful, ongoing support to the causes important to them. Kathy is the past chair of the Edmonton Branch of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), she serves on the steering committee for the Wills & Estates Section of the Canadian Bar Association and is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Edmonton. Outside the office, she leads a quiet but busy life. She enjoys food, travelling, and has a personal fitness goal to be skilled and strong enough to go heli-skiing — one day. In the meantime, she one of the people who actually uses those darn cycle lanes (in warmer weather) for her commute, is a consistent if not talented yoga practitioner and simply loves to walk.
Donor Services
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Sharlene Clarke
Donor Services Administrator
sclarke@ecfoundation.orgSharlene Clarke is the Donor Services Administrator at ECF, coordinating receipts and acknowledgements for the foundation’s more than 1,000 endowment funds. Holding a BA from Saint Mary's University and Certificate in Book and Magazine Publishing from Centennial College, Sharlene has 12 years of experience in magazine circulation and marketing; her most recent positions having been with Venture Publishing and University of Alberta's New Trail magazine. Her customer service and results-driven approach won her the Circulation Management Association of Canada's Caren King Scholarship Award in 2010. After living in Halifax, Calgary, Kingston, ON and Toronto, Sharlene is now happy to call Edmonton her home, and loves contributing to the community through volunteer work in education and publishing. She also enjoys playing basketball, running, and exploring the river valley (and beyond) with her dog.
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Kerri DeLuca
Donor Engagement Lead
kdeluca@ecfoundation.orgKerri DeLuca is the Donor Engagement Lead at ECF. She has worked at ECF since 2009, first as a Donor Services Assistant and then as a Grants Administrator in the Granting Department. Her role as Donor Engagement Lead is to enhance ECF’S relationships with donors and charities. She provides any information pertaining to donations as well as fund reports and assists our Donors/Fund Founders in any way she can. She is the CanadaHelps guru for setting up online campaign / donation pages as well as managing our Funds Directory which can be found on our website. Helping ECF’S Fund Founders grow their endowment funds is something she truly enjoys. In her spare time Kerri loves the great outdoors, spending time at her cabin and most of all being a “Special Grandma” to her beautiful grandchildren.
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Tracey Gleason
Fund Development Assistant
tgleason@ecfoundation.orgTracey Gleason is the Fund Development Assistant at ECF. She came to ECF in the fall of 2015, after spending several years at Olds College in the roles of Stewardship Coordinator, Data Base Coordinator, and Project Assistant. As a Fund Development Assistant, Tracey provides support to the Donor Advisors in many areas. She also works closely with her colleagues to carry out other ECF responsibilities. When she's not busy with ECF, she enjoys gardening, rock climbing, ice climbing, hiking, scrambling, and spending time with her two dogs that she and her partner rescued over four years ago. Tracey also enjoys spending as much time as she can with family.
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Laura Kugler
Estates & Endowments Associate
lkugler@ecfoundation.orgLaura Kugler is the Estates & Endowments Associate at ECF. With previous studies at MacEwan in both Journalism and Public Relations, and after 20 years in a communications/fund development role at a social service agency, Laura recently pursued a new area of interest with courses in estate and trust administration through the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Canadian Institute of Certified Executor Advisors. Laura appreciates the opportunity to be part of the ECF team and its ability to help donors identify and support causes and issues important to them during their lifetime and/or through gifts from their estate. Laura sums up her guiding principle with the following quote from Mother Teresa, “If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Laura appreciates solitude, silence, the wide open spaces of the prairies, and the beauty of Edmonton's river valley.
Finance
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Chris Quinn
Chief Financial Officer
info@ecfoundation.orgChris Quinn is the Chief Financial Officer at ECF. After graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce co-op degree, he articled at Grant Thornton LLP. This time included a secondment to Grant Thornton’s Dublin, Ireland office. After six years of public company financial reporting with TELUS and The Brick, Chris joined ECF and has loved every minute of it. He spends his free time chasing rugby and golf balls around. He and his wife love to travel and are excited to show their daughter the world!
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Gladys Dela Rosa-Bugayong
Finance Lead
info@ecfoundation.orgGladys Dela Rosa-Bugayong is the Finance Lead at ECF. She has been with ECF since 2014, and worked as a Regional Accountant for ETISALAT in Dubai before coming to Canada. She is active in Couples for Christ, an international religious group recognized by the Vatican church. She also supports a number of charities to improve the lives of the young citizens of the world, as she believes that the youth are the future of the world. Gladys is originally from the Philippines and is energetic and outspoken, yet kind-hearted, hardworking, and a team builder.
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Florence (Oluwaseyi) Okeola
Controller
ookeola@ecfoundation.orgFlorence (Oluwaseyi) Okeola, CPA, CGA, is the Controller at ECF. She has several years of experience in accounting and received a bachelor’s degree in Applied Business Administration – Accounting (2012) from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Florence holds a certificate in Canadian Securities Course (2007) and Higher National Diploma in Accounting (2002). She received her Certified General Accounting designation in 2013. Prior to joining ECF in 2014, Florence was a Financial Analyst with Telus Retail Ltd. She is an active member of her church where she volunteers to serve in different sections. She and her husband have three children.
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Annie Blanquisco
Accounting Clerk
ablanquisco@ecfoundation.orgAnnie Blanquisco is the Accounting Clerk of Edmonton Community Foundation. She has over a decade of experience in accounting. Before joining ECF, she worked with the finance and administrative department of: Smart Communications Inc., Telus Retails, KBR Canada, City of Edmonton, and more. She graduated from Tomas Claudio Memorial College — Philippines with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Major in Accounting. She is committed to her church in the Philippines and the seminary section of the church (Church of Christ Cardona Rizal). In her leisure, she enjoys craftwork, cooking and gardening. She lives in Edmonton with her family.
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Brandy Malenko
Receptionist and Administrative Support
bmalenko@ecfoundation.orgBrandy Malenko is the Receptionist and Administrative Support to the Finance Department at ECF. She has spent her most recent years raising three humans and volunteering for various school and non-profit organizations and is currently furthering her education as a part-time student. She enjoys being creative, being in nature and leaping into recipe rabbit holes on whichever exciting food adventure has taken her fancy!
Granting Services
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Joanne Currie
Director of Grants and Community Engagement
jcurrie@ecfoundation.orgJoanne comes to the Foundation with over 30 years in the human services sector working with
vulnerable populations within well respected Edmonton organizations - most recently as
Director, Strategic Initiatives at United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. She has worked with
a variety of initiatives involved in financial empowerment, food security, employability, housing and homelessness. Her favourite work involves collaboration, partnerships and innovative approaches to solving complex challenges. Joanne is most proud of being with her husband for over 22 years and mom to two amazing boys. Her passions include photography, a new love of painting, and a strong emphasis on training and development. -
Cassandra Lundell
Community Grants Manager
CLundell@ecfoundation.orgCassandra Lundell is the Community Grants Manager at ECF.She joined ECF in 2011 as the Grants Administrator and now manages the Community Grants and Small Grants Programs. Cassandra started her career in the non-profit sector in her hometown of Fort McMurray, as the Executive Director of the Volunteer and Information Centre. She has served on various committees, including National and Provincial Advisory Councils, the Social Framework Community Grants Advisory Committee and Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association (ECALA). She lives in Sherwood Park with her husband; her side-bar gig consists of coordinating and keeping up with the lifestyles of two teenage bonus children with an active four year old thrown into the mix. In her spare time, Cassandra enjoys trying new food, camping, paddle boarding, curling, and craft beer.
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Andrea Diamond
Grants Impact Associate
adiamond@ecfoundation.orgAndrea Diamond is the Grants Impact Associate at ECF. She joined ECF in 2017 and has been working to explore the effect of ECF’s grants on the community ever since. Andrea holds a Masters of Science in Public and Urban Policy from the University of Glasgow and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta. She has always had a strong interest in the not-for-profit sector; working with the Urban Land Institute (Toronto) and Homeward Trust Edmonton prior to joining ECF. In her spare time Andrea enjoys downhill skiing and playing her trumpet.
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Nicholas Diaz
Donor Grants Associate
ndiaz@ecfoundation.orgNicholas Diaz is the Donor Grants Associate at ECF. Since joining ECF in 2019, Nick has taken on the responsibilities for Donor Advised Funds, budgeting, and system administration for ECF. He currently sits on the board for Interactive Arts Alberta, and on Edmonton FCSS committee. Nick is an event organizer, policy wonk, musician, and tech enthusiast – he loves to act as a sound board for projects supporting the queer community, civic engagement, game development, esports, and public policy.
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Anna Opryshko
Student Awards Associate
aopryshko@ecfoundation.orgAnna Opryshko is the Student Awards Associate at ECF. She joined ECF in 2013 and has worked to evolve and expedite the Students Awards Program. Anna holds a Masters of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta. She is a strong proponent of co-operative housing and has been active in multiple co-ops in the city, sitting on boards and assisting in the development of their membership. Anna has volunteered with a number of arts and social services organizations, both in Edmonton and abroad: including the GELA (Greater Edmonton Library Association) Prison Project, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and Canada World Youth. Anna fills her free time travelling, swimming, reading, and exploring her city and province with her partner and an adorably precocious toddler.
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Yetayale Tekle
Grants Associate
ytekle@ecfoundation.orgYetayale Tekle is the Grants Assistant at ECF. He started working at ECF in 2020, where he supports the Granting Services team. He has spent over a decade working in the Human Services sector with Non-profits and Charities. There he implemented and developed programming, as well as, provided direct services to children and families. Outside of ECF he volunteers in his community with CVITP. In his down time, Yetayale enjoys woodworking, the performing arts, and gardening.
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Shaleena Morgan
Administrative Support
smorgan@ecfoundation.orgShaleena Morgan provides Administrative Support for the Grants Department at ECF. She joined the team in 2022 and provides support for small grants, community grants and student awards. Shaleena comes to ECF with over six years of administrative experience, primarily working in the health care field. She is a born and raised Edmontonian who is thrilled to be part of a team that is helping shape the Edmonton community.