Speaker Profiles

Philanthropic Advisor & Manager of Development

Jen Pederson, BA, CFRE joined Saskatoon Community Foundation in March 2018 as Philanthropic Advisor and Manager of Development. Jen holds a BA in history from the University of Saskatchewan and a Certified Fundraising Executive designation, and has spent her career working in and for the non-profit and charitable sector. Jen feels a very personal connection to the notion of legacy and is inspired every day by the generosity of her community. Always involved in volunteer boards and committees, Jen chaired the Association of Fundraising Professionals Saskatoon Chapter and is currently on the local chapter board of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. She and her husband, Doug, have three children and love supporting their school, sports, and arts programs, and watching them grow to be part of and contribute to their community.

Danny joined PearTree in 2015. From his base in Calgary, Danny is focused on developing relationships with energy issuers and their investors. Danny is a capital markets professional with over 25 years of energy investment banking experience.

He joined BMO Capital Markets investment banking group in Calgary in 1996 and spent 12 years before moving to Clarus Securities Inc., where he was responsible for energy investment banking. Throughout his career, Danny has covered companies in the oil and gas, renewable energy, oilfield service, midstream and pipeline sectors. He has been involved in a multitude of equity and debt financings, ranging in size from $2 million to $1.7 billion. He has also structured several flow through limited partnerships and provided advice on numerous mergers and acquisitions.

Danny has previously served for five years as a board member for UEnd, a charitable organization focused on alleviating poverty in developing countries. Danny has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Alberta and is a CFA charterholder.

As a major gift fundraiser holding a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation, Emily has over 18 years of philanthropy experience. Emily’s approach blends strategic insight with hands-on coaching, ensuring that every client receives tailored support designed to maximize their fundraising potential. Her commitment to fostering long-term resilience helps non-profits not only secure essential funding but also achieve lasting success. Emily’s innovative methods and passion for building organizational capacity make her a sought-after consultant in the industry. Whether behind the scenes or as a front-facing asker, she has had significant success and secured over $50 million in direct solicitations.

Mike Duerksen is the founder of BuildGood, a fundraising growth agency that helps nonprofits in Canada and the US implement a multi-channel, metrics-based approach to sustainably grow revenue from new and current donors.

He believes fundraising growth isn’t a guessing game—and is on a mission to help nonprofits build a fundraising flywheel that so they can grow their revenue today and create a pipeline for monthly, mid-level, major, and legacy giving, all while improving donor retention and lifetime value.

He’s the founder of The Fundraising Academy, a coaching and training program for fundraisers doing it all in-house. And he hosts the Build Good Fundraising Podcast, one of the top-rated fundraising podcasts focused on individual giving.

But his most important job is being a husband, and father to 3 spirited kiddos.

Angela is the Manager of Activation at SickKids Foundation. She is dedicated to fostering meaningful and lasting relationships with corporate partners. Her expertise in sustainability, corporate partnerships marketing and social responsibility uniquely positions her to drive impactful initiatives. Angela’s passion for creating a positive impact shines through in her work, making her a valuable asset in the realm of corporate sustainability.

Candace Boersma entered the world of philanthropy over 25 years ago at the Royal University Hospital Foundation. Through the years, she has gained experience, education and knowledge from her colleagues and peers. Today, after various positions within the Foundation, she is the Legacy and Donor Relations Officer at RUH Foundation.

Candace enjoys listening to the “Why I give” stories from donors and building meaningful relationships between the donor and RUH Foundation.

She really enjoyed learning from her peers about planned/legacy giving which led her to be an Executive Member on the Saskatoon Estate Planning Council; and the CAGP Will Power Representative.

Kehan is a fervent advocate for cultural expression and community development, serving as a Board Member and the Fund Development and Volunteer Coordinator for Nuit Blanche Saskatoon, a festival harmonizng the beauty of art with the vibrancy of public spaces. Additionally, he is Co-Founder of the 525, a ground breaking non-profit dedicated to intertwining emerging artists, spaces and patrons to cultivate artistic flourishing and cultural introspection.

Margot has been involved in the Saskatoon charitable sector for almost 30 years, working primarily in resource development, fundraising and volunteer management, as well as training and facilitation.

She has specialized in stewardship and supporter engagement in many local organizations including:

· the Friends of the Broadway Theatre
· the Canadian Mental Health Association
· the United Way of Saskatoon and Area
· the RUH Foundation
· the University of Saskatchewan

Margot is back working with the Canadian Mental Health Association – Saskatoon Branch as their Director of Development, building the organization’s foundational capacity to engage effectively with the community.

Margot has been involved with the SSFRE since 1996 and sat on the Executive from 1999 – 2009 as President and Past President and worked on the Program Committee for 2018 and 2019. She has also volunteered on Committees and Executives for AFP, CAGP, and for Leave a Legacy. Currently, she is the volunteer Program Chair for Leadership Saskatoon’s Lunch & Learn Program.

Margot holds two degrees in Literature from the University of Saskatchewan and is a graduate of the Leadership Saskatoon program – Class of 2018.

David is a creative innovator with a personal commitment to generating funds for charities across Canada through developing and nurturing great donor experiences.

A consultant with deep experience in direct marketing strategy and bequest marketing programs, David is passionate about increasing access to professional and practical advice for all charities. This led him to operate his very own Fundraising Pharmacy (where his words are the drugs…I just added that lol) where he is focusing on creating healthy donor relationships for organizations of all sizes.

Before launching Fundraising Pharmacy, David was the Senior Counsel at Good Works where he developed and delivered both strategy and creative for clients including Canadian Red Cross, the UN Refugee Agency-UNHCR and the Canadian Cancer Society.

He spent over 5 years in the University of Alberta’s Annual Giving Office where he increased revenues to more than $6 million per year and led efforts to generate gifts from close to 90,000 donors.

David has been actively involved with professional organizations throughout his career including AFP, CASE and CCAE. He regularly presents at fundraising conferences, workshops and seminars across Canada and internationally.

Tracy Arno is a business leader, entrepreneur, and owner of one of the leading boutique search firms in Western Canada, Essence Recruitment.

She leads by her values and believes in helping others in her community through her expertise in recruitment and training.

Tracy is passionate about her community and has extensive involvement in several boards and countless hours volunteering for various causes and community events.

Tracy’s most recent appointments include the Chair of Prairieland Park, the past chair of the NSBA, the board of directors for Sask Water, Affinity Credit Union, and the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation.

She is also the past president of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce and represents the province on the Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judicial Council.

Tracy’s most recent initiative was in early 2023, where she created a much-needed training program for Small to Medium-sized businesses, Improve your Recruitment Skills.

Nowshad (Shad) Ali, CFRE, is the President and CEO of On Purpose Leadership a company whose mission is to help people, communities and organizations in the effective pursuit and attainment of purpose without compromise of core values. Shad has several certifications in various human behaviour dynamics sciences and has over 25 years of experience working on high performance, leadership, growth and advancement of individuals, teams and organizations.

One of Shad’s core beliefs is that true growth and development come from an intense understanding of self and commitment to support and develop the capacity of others to realize their dreams and potential.

Shad has extensive experience working with both corporate and social impact organizations in the areas of Organization Growth and Development; Individual and Team Excellence and Hiring and Retaining Top Talent. In both professional and volunteer capacities, he has served many of Canada’s top charities and corporations. Shad has served AFP on the International Research Council, as well as on Professional Advancement and Chapter Growth endeavors. He has chaired the AFP Canada Foundation for Philanthropy Research Committee for several years including the launch of the What Canadian Donors Want Study and the Research Grants Program. Shad remains a highly-rated AFP Congress speaker and has spoken at several international and National conferences. He is also a certified AFP Global Master Trainer.

Shad continues to lead local projects such as the upcoming Nutrien Fireworks Festival; and The Eclat Lighting Initiative and he serves as President to the Trinbago Association of Saskatchewan.

Travis is the CEO and Owner at Blue Moose Media, a digital marketing and social media agency in Saskatoon. He leads business development, organizational strategy, and is part of the team that facilitates training and consulting sessions with clients.

Prior to Blue Moose, Travis was best known for his charitable work supporting the Parkinson’s community. As the Executive Director for Parkinson Society Saskatchewan and the founder of the Lows in Motion Parkinson’s “Shaker”, Travis learned first-hand the value of social media and digital marketing in building awareness, growing an audience, and compelling them to act.

Since its launch in 2016, Blue Moose Media has worked with nearly 1,000 Saskatchewan businesses, helping them build an engaging online presence that turns goals into results. Through training and consulting, clients learn the tools and strategies needed to thrive in the social and digital space. While the Blue Moose team loves to share their expertise, they are equally as passionate about empowering other businesses to do it for themselves. 

Joel Fraughton is Business solutions Representative with Canada Post. He has a passion for helping businesses hone their marketing Campaigns and works with large, small, and not for profit businesses and organizations across Saskatchewan.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Joel graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in 2012. He then moved to Saskatchewan with his family and started working for Canada Post. He has spent the past 8 years helping businesses achieve their goals through Canada Post Smartmail Marketing services, parcel distribution, and ecommerce solutions.

Joel’s career achievements include national excellence and wings of leadership awards. He has an unmatched passion for collaborating with organizations to develop plans that maximize marketing strategies and utilize the most current data solutions available.

Damian McGrath is a Senior Trust Advisor of Raymond James Trust (Canada). He is responsible for the delivery of Estate and Trust services for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Vancouver Island, BC. Prior to joining Raymond James, Damian worked in private legal practice and most recently held an Estate and Trust consultancy role for a bank owned Trust company.

Damian is a member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He brings considerable experience and a practical approach to assisting clients with their estate, trust and legacy planning needs

Heather Morrison is broadcaster, award-winning theatre artist, and sought-after MC in Saskatoon. With more than a decade of experience in front of live audiences, Heather has developed teachable tools to help others through her company Deliver Your Best. She sits on the board of directors for Chokecherry Studios and has volunteered with many other organizations in her home city of Saskatoon. She is an endurance athlete and mom to an incredible child named Judah.

In only 45 minutes Heather will help you level up your public speaking. You will learn the mindset of an effective speaker, proper preparation techniques, and everyone’s favourite… what to do with your hands! You can get rid of the dread that comes with facing an audience. You can be your authentic self in front of a camera or crowd. Heather will show you how to deliver your best.

A passionate fundraiser, community-relationship builder and educator, James proudly holds a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation and completed his Master Financial Advisor – Philanthropy (MFA-P) in summer 2021. James is excited about empowering non-profits and charities to build sustainable revenue streams and the vital fundraising infrastructure needed to carry out their mission.

Currently enjoying a half-time role with Bethany Manor in Saskatoon, James works with KEA Canada clients. Most notably, he is proudly supporting Wanuskewin’s $12M UNESCO READY campaign work.

James’ skill-set was learned at a number of large and small charities and includes annual, major, and planned gift campaigns in addition to the behind the scenes skills required to be successful. He is widely recognized as a gifted stewardship expert and ensures donors are informed, connected, and inspired by the charity’s mission before, during and after they make their gift.

James’ experience includes roles as a Major Gift Officer leading vigorous gift solicitation and stewardship activities, managing a volunteer alumni fundraising committee and providing development support to senior leaders. James also brings deep annual giving experience from his work at United Way and Agriculture in the Classroom in campaigns, sponsorships, and solicitation appeals, using his strong people and presenting abilities.

James holds a Bachelor of Arts in History (4 year, magna cum laude) and a Bachelor of Education (cum laude) that shows in his strong strategic thinking and love of collaborating with people of all ages.

Jen Pederson, CFRE brings more than 20 years’ experience in the charitable sector to her role as Philanthropic Advisor at Saskatoon Community Foundation. Working closely with donors and their professional advisors, Jen has helped create charitable legacies totalling more than $40 million to benefit organizations in Saskatoon. She is passionate about getting to the heart of what donors want their gifts to do and loves working with experts in allied professions to create personalized giving plans that make a difference in our community. She is an active member and volunteer with Canadian Association of Gift Planners locally and nationally and with the Saskatoon Estate Planning Council.

Michelle began her career in non-profits with YWCA Saskatoon working with community organizations to deliver and fund programs in the fitness facility. Wanting to expand her skill set, she and made the change to the Heart and Stroke Foundation to manage three fundraising programs for the province. In 2018, Michelle found Foundations Learning and Skills Saskatchewan (formerly READ Saskatoon). She started in Communications and Events and is now the Donor Relations and Fund Development Manager.

Deborah Kies has over 20 years experience in marketing, communications, and fundraising. She is currently the Director of Marketing & Development with Lung Saskatchewan.

Deborah has worked in the private, public, government, and not-for-profit sectors and as such, has developed a wide range of experience marketing and fundraising. Her passion is details and loves to organize events, people, but not her home closet. 🙂

Deborah has a degree in Business Management and a diploma in Computer Systems Technology which means she can translate what the technology team is saying into plain language! This combination has proven very effective when working on Direct Mail campaigns where the combination of targeted data selection and writing, play a key role in successful campaigns.

When not working, Deborah enjoys hanging out with her hubby and puppy.

Arla Gustafson has been the CEO of The Royal University Hospital Foundation since May 2007 and is counting down to a July 1^st retirement date after 15 years of working closely with and engaging donors and volunteers in healthcare through philanthropy.

Arla and her team have raised and invested close to $140 M since 2007 to advance research, education and patient care at RUH. 

Arla has been active as a volunteer in many local, provincial and national organizations and has received numerous awards including Outstanding Fundraising Professional from AFP Saskatoon in 2014, SaskBusiness Women of Influence in 2011, Canada’s 125 Medal, the Lieutenant Governor’s Saskatchewan Centennial Medal, YWCA Women of Distinction in 1998 and Saskatoon’s Centennial 100 people Award. 

Terri has been involved in the Saskatoon community for over 20 years. Often on boards, organizing committees or involved through her career,

Terri has built strong and trusted relationships in our community.
As the owner of SPARK Creations & Bookings, Terri and her team have executed over 100 events, galas, festivals, conferences and fundraising efforts throughout Canada and the US.

Facilitated boardroom brainstorming to target key partnerships, building marketing plans, coordinated media efforts with professional athletes, to planning Hockey Fantasy Camps, booking talent for guest speakers and everything in-between.

She finds inspiration working with enthusiastic leaders and non-profits and enjoy bringing her professional network on board with projects.

Jim is much more than a numbers guy. When working with finance and trusts at the University of Saskatchewan, he shared the importance of ensuring donors know the impact of their gifts. This is especially vital to encouraging planned or legacy gifts, an area Jim thoroughly understands as a previous long-time member of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. His knowledge of donor relations combined with his accounting experience means his expertise has been sought both on campus and by charities in the broader community. Jim especially enjoys strengthening fund development programs by answering questions about Canada Revenue Agency regulations, Gift Acceptance Agreements, along with policies, guidelines and terms of reference. Jim’s versatility has been proven by his varied roles in construction, agriculture, oil and gas, and engineering. 

Christy is a creative and collaborative leader, adept at idea generation, planning, strategy development and relationship building. She has over 15 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector and takes pride in engaging donors in the mission of an organization so that they can realize their philanthropic goals.

Christy has written a wide variety of successful cases for support for projects of all sizes, as well as major donor fundraising proposals and direct mail appeals. Christy masterfully finds the core messages that speak to a donor’s heart and mind to advance giving conversations. Christy’s communications and donor relations work has been awarded several national and international awards for its creativity, strong results and impact on fundraising revenue.

Christy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing from the University of Saskatchewan and a master’s degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University. She became a Certified Leadership Coach in 2021.

Jennifer is currently the Director of Development at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, where she leads a small, but mighty, team that has achieved great fundraising success. Over the last 17 years, she has held fundraising positions at St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, The Canadian Red Cross and the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan.

Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan (Bachelor of Arts-Sociology), and has held her CFRE designation since 2009.

To Jennifer, fundraising success is built upon integrity, building genuine relationships, listening to donors and working as part of a team.

Jennifer has served as president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Saskatoon chapter and proudly volunteers as a director on the boards of both READ Saskatoon and Haven Family Connections.

Megan Palmer is a Prospect Researcher at Saskatchewan Polytechnic; a role that was brand new to both her and her fundraising department when she started in 2019. Megan is a U of S alum and has lived in Saskatoon all her life. Her background is primarily in vendor-side market research where she specialized in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies while working for Insightrix Research. She is passionate about UX (user experience) and continuous improvement and is inspired to test out new ideas whenever possible. For fun, she enjoys cooking, running, hiking in Alberta, listening to true crime podcasts, taking care of her massive houseplant collection, and PS4/Nintendo Switch gaming. Currently watching: Star Trek TNG (for the first time!)

Brian Hoessler (he/his) often follows his curiosity, whether it’s in exploring a city, learning a new skill, or building connections with a group, organization, or community.

He gets to indulge this interest often through his day job as the founder and principal consultant of Strong Roots Consulting [https://www.strongrootsconsulting.ca], a social-purpose business that supports change makers in navigating complexity. Using his superpowers in strategic planning, organizational capacity building, and program evaluation, Brian helps cultivate learning and growth, connect ideas and people, and catalyze change towards a more equitable world.

In his spare time, Brian enjoys improving his photography skills, playing trombone and drums, pursuing various geeky interests, and spending time in the community and with his partner Carolyn.

Kathy Arney, BCom, CPA, CA, ARCT, MFA-P

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

An expert in fund development, capacity-building, campaigns, strategy and operations, her business and executive background together with two decades of working in philanthropy combine to provide a unique skill set for clients. Kathy founded KEA Canada in 2013 and provides services in a variety of areas including resource development, developing organizational capacity, strategic planning, board development, campaign planning and management, coaching and interim leadership.

Kathy had a lengthy tenure at Queen’s University in Kingston in both executive education and advancement, most recently as Executive Director of Advancement Operations and CFO (Advancement) during a $262 Million capital campaign. She helped initiate the development office at the new UBC Okanagan campus then moved to Carleton University where she was Director of Faculty Development and Major Gifts in a leadership role for a comprehensive campaign. From there she moved to Banff, Alberta as Chief Development Officer at The Banff Centre developing a deeper understanding and expertise in fundraising for the arts.

From 2015 to 2018 Kathy provided interim part-time leadership for University Relations at the University of Saskatchewan during a period of transition and restructuring. During that time she was actively involved in fundraising campaigns for a new ice facility and a Livestock and Forage Research Centre.

Kathy has consulted with universities and colleges, arts organizations, community organizations and the health sector on advancement restructuring, strategic and operational planning, and campaigns. She has presented at regional, national and international conferences and has a commerce degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, obtained her ARCT in piano performance in 1985 and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. Kathy completed her MFA-P designation (Master Financial Advisor – Philanthropy) in 2021.

Jay Stark is a Planned Giving Consultant with The Donor Motivation Program® and treasurer of the North Saskatchewan Chapter of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. It has always been important to Jay to impact a number of different communities in a positive way. From meeting his family’s sponsored child in Nicaragua through Compassion Canada, to being a Kinsmen member and working behind the scenes on their Telemiracle committee where he experienced first hand the impact on families that have benefited from our province’s generosity.

He is a Certified Financial Planner at Sutton Wealth Planning successfully advising individuals, families and business owners on how to significantly reduce their income and estate taxes for more than 20 years. His counsel and expertise has helped hundreds of families realize their goals of giving back and create a lasting legacy.

Jay also gives back to his family by coaching and supporting his daughter’s sports teams, most recently his youngest daughter’s flag football team. As well he encourages social awareness and support within their family by developing a family plan that donates to local and global charities. Jay and Sheri have been married for over 23 years and have two teenage daughters, Alexandra and Sydney, and their family dog, Ginger. When not at work, you will find Jay paddling with his family in a canoe in Northern Saskatchewan..

Richard is a non-profit executive leader with more than 20 years of experience in the sector. He joined the Kinsmen Foundation, “Saskatchewan’s Charity”, as Executive Director on June 14, 2018. Prior to this role, he was Director of Communications and Outreach for the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation for two years. From 2001-2016, Richard worked for the Canadian Red Cross in fundraising and communications, with a career spanning the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York to the Fort McMurray wildfires (and numerous other disaster responses in between). Born and raised in Regina, his Red Cross career brought him to Saskatoon in 2011.

Richard has a Bachelor’s degree in Administration and a Certificate in Public Relations, both from the University of Regina. He is an active member of the U of R Senate, Hill Business School’s Leaders Council and the U of R Alumni Association. In addition to SSFRE, Richard holds volunteer positions on Canada West Region Board of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Saskatchewan German Council.

Tamara has been leading the Western Canada Charity Engagement team for CanadaHelps in Vancouver since 2018. During her time, she has been fulfilling her passion for social justice by working with thousands of charities in Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C, by helping remove online fundraising technological barriers.

Entering his 10th year at Cameco, Jonathan Huntington is a proud member and vice-president of the Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations department. In the middle of a global pandemic, Jonathan plays a leadership role within Cameco – helping manage changing circumstances: leading external and internal communications, while also overseeing community investment projects and engagement with northern Indigenous leaders near mine site operations. A Saskatchewan native with a degree in Journalism and Communications from the University of Regina, Jonathan’s career path took him to Alberta – being named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40 – before returning home to join Cameco. Named one of Saskatchewan’s Top 40 under 40 by CBC after joining Cameco, Jonathan enjoys the outdoors and is a marathon runner. Jonathan is also on the board of directors of the following organizations: Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA), Saskatoon Friendship Inn and Saskatoon Sports Tourism.

For 25 years, Sheri has brought people together to tackle some of the most pressing issues in Saskatoon

As CEO for the local United Way since 2009, Sheri worked with community, labour and business groups to launch Saskatoon’s first-ever Plan to End Homelessness. Its Housing First Program Journey Home is living proof that, with solid leadership, we can tackle homelessness and save money at the same time. Sheri also implemented the organization’s ground-breaking Indigenous Engagement Strategy.

Sheri was elected to Canada’s House of Commons in 2015 serving for 4 years as the Member of Parliament for Saskatoon West. As a Member of Parliament, Sheri served as the NDP Critic for Labour, Deputy Critic for LGBTQ2+ issues, NDP Critic for Housing and Vice-chair of the Special Committee on Pay Equity where she called on the government to take immediate action to enact a proactive pay equity legislation. She advocated for a parliamentary committee on ending and preventing homelessness, increased funding for mental health services for Indigenous youth, and justice for residential school victims. Sheri also successfully pushed the government to enact a complete ban on asbestos.

As a proud mother and grandmother, Sheri is dedicated to building a safer, more equitable and better world—one we can be proud to leave to the next generation.

Don joined the Saskatoon Community Foundation team in September 2008. Don has a broad background in the charitable sector, having managed programs and developed resources for several local organizations, including Friends of the Broadway Theatre, Epilepsy Saskatoon, Hemophilia Saskatchewan, and Jubilee Residences. His career began with an M.A. in English, and he taught English at the USask and the University of Regina, before working in the charitable sector.

During his 12 years with the Saskatoon Community Foundation, Don has been involved in administering virtually every type of granting program, including the Foundation’s many programs, federal, provincial and civic grants, many corporate granting programs, donor- created programs, and multi-sectoral funding partnerships.

Don has also served for 13 years on the SSFRE Executive in several roles.

Don and his wife Margot Weiner spend their spare time training their cat Simon to perform useful household chores. He hasn’t learned one yet, but they expect a breakthrough any day now.

 Cara graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 2001 with a Bachelors of Arts in sociology. In 2002 she obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting. Cara is a CPA, CMA and holds a CIA designation. She has worked with a variety of businesses in the areas of project accounting, foreign currency management, internal audit, enterprise risk management, corporate social responsibility and community investment. Most recently Cara left an 11-year career in the financial services industry to pursue her passion for community.

In early May she accepted the role of Chief Executive Officer for the YWCA Saskatoon. She is passionate about the YWCA’s mission to advance the well-being of women, girls and their families. In her spare time Cara volunteers for a number of community organizations and has served on several non-profit Boards including the United Way of Saskatoon and Area, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Interval House and the Saskatoon Industry Education Council. Cara and her husband Scott have four wonderful children, three daughters and a son. They also welcomed their first grandchild into the family this past December.

 Kent is a strategic fundraising executive with a focus on assisting charities to build lasting, mutually enriching relationships with their donors and volunteers. 

After 15 years as a senior manager with a national printing firm in Saskatoon, he began his philanthropic career in 2007 as a major gift officer for the College of Kinesiology/Huskie Athletics at the University of Saskatchewan. His devotion to learning and skill as a fundraising leader enabled him to advance to Executive Director – Development, at the U of S, with oversight of all development activity raising $33M/yr.

In 2015, Kent joined DCG Philanthropic Services to be the Campaign Director for the University of Saskatchewan’s Home Ice Campaign, which achieved its $29M goal. He is currently Campaign Counsel on two other community fundraising campaigns. Kent also continues to share with boards and fundraising staff, his knowledge of the ‘art and science’ of fundraising, encompassing all avenues of fund development to achieve increased revenue generation. 

Kent and his wife Judy enjoy hiking, cycling, and attending local theatre productions. His interest in health and wellness involves training and participating in long-distance running events, which included qualifying and participating in the 2016 Boston Marathon. Nothing compares for Kent, however, then recently becoming Papa to his first grandchild, Albert.

Stacey Schewaga, Leadership Giving & Donor Relations officer in the College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan, has been in her unique role for six years.  The only development person within the college means she is a one-stop shop for dentistry and wears many hats including alumni relations, communications, major gift, and donor relations.  A background in early childhood development, financial banking, and now non-profit in an educational setting, have all attributed to the success she has found.  Putting the donor first and making them feel uniquely special are top priorities in her role; keeping retention rates high and include a milestone gift for the college, its first million dollar gift. 

Carol Tebay wears many hats: Development Coordinator for Autism Services of Saskatoon, Executive Assistant to Kinzel Cadrin & Associates, and owner of Executive Arrangements Event Planning.

Beginning as a Catering Coordinator in the hotel industry over 20 years ago, she eventually became Catering Manager at the Saskatoon Inn. In 2012, she left the hotel and began Executive Arrangements Event Planning.

A member of Autism Services with a son on the spectrum, Carol was hired as the event planner for the first Gatsby Night for Autism. This expanded into a yearly event planner contract, which morphed into the Development Coordinator role she has today.

Carol is married to her best friend, and has three children and a cat, all of whom make her smile on a regular basis. Her happy place is being on her kayak, in a secluded spot at the lake, drinking in the beauty of nature.

Anu Kashyap is a passionate fundraiser with a distinguished career in the sector for over 16 years. She was born in India and immigrated to Canada almost two decades ago and moved to Saskatoon. She is proud to call this amazing city home (except perhaps for a few weeks in January). She has graduated from the University of Delhi with a Masters in Psychology.

As Associate Director, Annual Giving, Anu works with a talented group of individuals engaged in enhancing student learning at the University of Saskatchewan. Anu’s successful career includes leadership roles at United Way of Saskatoon and Area, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, Hindu Society of Saskatchewan and Association of Fundraising Professionals, Saskatoon Chapter.

Anu was awarded the 2017 “Outstanding Fundraising Professional” by Association of Fundraising Professionals, Saskatoon Chapter.

Heather Macdonald prepared her first funding request a year after writing newspaper stories about the volunteer power behind Saskatoon’s annual United Way campaign. Her introduction to fund development – oddly enough an application from a United Way agency – came in 1997.

Since then, Heather has produced countless documents encouraging philanthropic donors and socially responsible corporations to support numerous non-profits and charities. She has no doubt improved at making the ask.

Heather’s understanding grew during conversations with volunteers reviewing grant applications for the Saskatoon Community Foundation. She learned more while interviewing stakeholders about the draft cases for support created for feasibility studies conducted by DCG Philanthropic Services Inc. Sprinkle in professional development sessions offered by SSFRE, AFP and CAGP and you’d almost think she knows what’s she talking about.