Board and Leadership

Board of Directors

Executive

Mariama Dramé, Board Chair & Chair of Executive Committee

With over 15 years of experience, Mariama Dramé is a seasoned Human Resources Executive and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) advocate. With experience in global companies, her understanding of the importance of DEI related issues helps her design practices and initiatives that support a more human and inclusive work environment. Mariama is a board member of Vues d’Afrique and sits on the Restructuring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (REDIAC) of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).

 

PATRICIA ERB, Vice Chair

Patricia Erb was the Interim Executive Director of Crossroads International from December 2018 to May 2019. She has worked with Save the Children throughout countries of Latin America for 23 years before taking up the role of President and CEO for Save the Children Canada in 2011 until the end of 2017. In the mid-1970s, Patricia, was kidnapped and tortured by the Argentine Junta. Patricia has been recognized by both government and human rights organizations for her contribution to the process of truth, memory and reparation in Argentina. She has also done extensive work on issues of decolonization, cultural preservation and communal well-being with Indigenous Peoples in Latin America, particularly in Bolivia and Canada. She is also known for her work with women’s grassroots organizations and gender transformation.

 

Janet Riehm, Treasurer & Chair of Finance Committee

Janet is Owner and Principal Consultant of Janet Riehm Consulting, advising charities and non-profit organizations internationally. A CPA and CGA, she has provided strategic and financial services to a variety of clients in communities extending from First Nations in Canada to rural development in communities in Africa. She is also a former Crossroader having volunteered in Botswana in addition to having served as a member of the Finance Committee at Crossroads. She joins Crossroads, providing over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector.

 

LISA R. LIFSHITZ, Chair of Risk Committee

Lisa R. Lifshitz is a partner at Torkin Manes LLP and is currently the Chair of its Technology, Privacy and Data Management Group. Lisa is nationally and globally recognized and ranked for her expertise in technology, privacy and cybersecurity law. In addition to her ongoing work with Crossroads, Lisa is currently the Content Officer and Chair of the Content Board of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA) and is the Co-Chair of the ABA Business Law Section’s Robotics and AI Subcommittee, Cyberspace Committee. She is currently a Director of the Canadian Technology Law Association and the Co-Chair of its Privacy and Cybersecurity Committee and is a past President of the Association. Lisa is a past director of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, the Ontario Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, where she also served as its Board President.

 

Julianne Osberg, Chair of Governance Committee

Julianne is Senior Counsel in the Legal Department at Shell Canada. She is a skilled corporate lawyer with over 26 years of experience in a wide variety of commercial law areas. She currently volunteers with the Shell Women’s Network and at an immigration law clinic at the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association. Julianne previously served on the board of the Alberta Seventh Step Society.

 

sandra nkusi, Chair of Nominating Committee

Sandra is a former Crossroader, having served as a Social Performance Officer with Pro-Rural in Bolivia in 2013. Her experience with Crossroads helped to develop her interest in the field of monitoring and evaluation and all these years later, Sandra uses her expertise with data analytics and research and evaluation design to work with a diverse range of stakeholders interested in using evidence to support their decision-making. She is currently a Senior Associate with Blueprint, a research and evaluation firm in Toronto.

 

Heather Shapter, Secretary

Heather brings more than 20 years of non-profit leadership experience to Crossroads with extensive program and business development experience.  Heather started her career in the development sector as a Project Manager for CARE Canada, and later served as the Women’s Economic Empowerment Advisor for BRAC in Bangladesh.  She also spent two years in Haiti as Save the Children USA’s Women’s Economic Opportunity Specialist.  Since then, Heather has worked in senior-level roles for Prosper Canada, Global Impact and has managed large scale volunteer team initiatives.


Directors

 

Fabien Lanteri-Massa

Fabien is an attorney specialized in Bank Financing and Project Financing at the law firm Blake, Cassels and Graydon, LLP.  He has been involved in numerous financings in Canada, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Other areas of expertise include renewable energy and infrastructure projects, as well as public-private partnerships (P3). Fabien has extensive international development experience with points of focus on Africa, gender equality and sustainable development.

 

Jean Olemou

Jean is Co-Founder and Principal of GreenDev Inc., an impact investing firm dedicated to advancing the circular economy in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. He has extensive experience working on financing mandates in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure sectors globally. Jean is a community-minded leader with a track record of serving on boards and advisory committees to advance sustainable development goals in Canada and globally.

 

Vanita Varma

Vanita is a senior non-profit executive with over 20 years of experience in organizational leadership, strategic and operational planning, change management and social innovation. Having lived and worked in over 3 countries in Asia and Middle East, Vanita is passionate about engaging diverse community stakeholders and leading multi-sectoral partnerships towards collective goals on social change. Currently, she is the Interim Chief Executive Officer at WellFort Community Health Services and is a coach and mentor at Ryerson University and University of Toronto.

 

LAURA DA RE

Laura Da Re is Vice President, Finance at Numeris, an audience measurement company.  She is an experienced executive with over twenty-five years in the field of Finance. Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of industries, providing her with a vast range of knowledge and expertise.  Laura is a board member of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and mentors accounting students obtaining their CPA designation.

 

Tara Scanlan

Tara, a seasoned Solution Engineer at Salesforce with 15 years of client-facing expertise, specializes in information management, digital transformation, and strategic business execution. She has served as a strategic advisor to major North American nonprofits, offering invaluable insights into leveraging technology to maximize stakeholder impact. Her global commitment is evident through her success as a former Crossroader, completing mandates in Bolivia and Senegal, as well as in Nepal with the Center for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI). Tara’s diverse experiences provide a global perspective at the intersection of technology, social impact, and international collaboration.

 

Chelsey Smith

Chelsey Smith (M.A.) is a communications and culture consultant committed to creating positive social change. She works as an independent contractor and specializes in social and digital strategy, campaign creation, and community building. As a former Crossroader, Chelsey volunteered to combat gender-based violence in Eswatini (2013), and to rebrand a movement toward a transformative feminist society in Tanzania (2016).


Leadership


Administration

Heather Shapter
Executive Director
heather@cintl.org

 

Philanthropy and Public engagement

Wanjiro Ndungu
Senior Manager, Philanthropy and Public Engagement
wanjiro@cintl.org


Program

Christine Messier
Program Director
christinem@cintl.org


Finance

Alex Perdue
Director, Finance and Administration
alex@cintl.org

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