Board of Directors

Christina has a strong background in working with the persons with disabilities community. She holds multiple degrees and certifications, including a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Carleton University and accreditation as a Social Service Worker and Developmental Service Worker from Algonquin College. Christina has been recognized for her academic excellence, earning a spot on the Dean's Honors list and receiving several awards, such as the John Teuscher award and Giovanni Caboto Scholarship.

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Beyond her academic achievements, Christina has been an active member of her community, serving as a board member for Citizens with Disabilities Ontario and volunteering for various initiatives such as the Make the Cut program and Walk N Roll fundraiser. As the first Executive Director and President of the Board of Ability First Ottawa, her dedication and leadership continue to drive positive change and support for individuals with disabilities.

Leonard has an extensive history of working with charities over the years, including organizations such as Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services, and Ottawa Humane Society. His commitment to community service and philanthropy has been a consistent part of his life. With 30 years of experience in finance, Leonard has honed his skills in financial management and strategic planning.

While volunteering, Leonard has served on various boards across Ottawa and has demonstrated a strong dedication to giving back to the community. His decision to become treasurer at Ability First Ottawa is a testament to his passion for supporting local organizations and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. His expertise and dedication will undoubtedly contribute to the success of Ability First Ottawa.

Cathy Aldrich is a career Executive Assistant with over 30 years of experience. As the daughter of a Canadian diplomat, Cathy spent her youth traveling to different postings in London, England; Warsaw, Poland; Belgrade, former Yugoslavia; and Canberra, Australia. After returning to Canada, Cathy pursued a Secretarial Studies diploma at Algonquin College. Soon after, at the age of 17, she was hired as Assistant to the Assistant Director of Informatics at Statistics Canada.

Cathy worked as the Executive Assistant at Skate Canada for 20 years, supporting two CEOs, the Board of Directors and engaging with multiple volunteers. She then served as an Executive Assistant at Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services, continuing to work in a non-profit organization. Following that, Cathy founded her own Virtual Assistant business, Precision Executive Services, offering tailored support to a diverse range of clients.

Teresa has been working as an entrepreneur for over two and a half decades, helping companies of all sizes, both locally and internationally, grow their businesses. She is the owner of Dynaverse Group, a company dedicated to assisting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and corporations with client relations, sales, marketing, corporate networking, strategic growth, and business development.

Teresa is also the founder and managing director of Runway Networking, a corporate networking and mentorship company. It coaches professionals and entrepreneurs in developing their brands and engaging with target networks to propel their businesses forward and expand their reach.

Teresa’s experience includes working in Canada and abroad. She has been sought internationally to teach business networking to companies and entrepreneurs in Dubai and Europe. She has helped her clients brand themselves and facilitate international acquisitions in China and Italy, contributing to their business success.

Abdessalam El Khimari is an IT Security Engineer with 15 years of experience in network and cybersecurity. He designs, implements, and maintains security solutions such as firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, and endpoint protection, while also focusing on disaster recovery and continuity planning. By collaborating with IT teams, auditors, and regulators, he ensures compliance with security standards and national laws, resulting in a 25% increase in security awareness.

Abdessalam holds certifications like CISSP, CompTIA Security+, and NSE 4, as well as AWS Cloud Practitioner, and he is pursuing AWS Solutions Architect certification. His expertise extends to emerging topics such as Sd-WAN, SASE, zero trust, and AI. Abdessalam is passionate about network and cybersecurity and is committed to safeguarding critical infrastructures and systems.

He welcomes connections from fellow cybersecurity enthusiasts, IT professionals, and industry experts to strengthen the cybersecurity community.

Teresa is also the founder for Runway Networking, a business matchmaking and referral club that mentors professionals and entrepreneurs and helps propel their business forward through.

Laura is an HR professional with over a decade of experience, most recently holding a senior leadership role with the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club. She holds an undergraduate degree from Sir Wilfred Laurier University and has a CHRL designation from the HRPA. Laura has been recognized for her business achievements in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, including being named one of 2024’s Top 40 under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal.

Laura has called Ottawa home since 2018 and is passionate about the city where she lives, works, and plays. In her free time, you can catch her walking her dog, spending time with her teenage son, or reading a good book at home.

Coming Soon.

Nicole is a Communications and Marketing professional who has been working for the federal government and crown corporations for over 20 years. More recently, she has been bringing her expertise to the non-profit sector. Nicole worked for the Mental Health Commission of Canada for four years in a managerial role, leading a team of communications specialists and managing the blog.
Nicole specializes in copywriting, content marketing and social media.

Writing is a life-long passion for Nicole, who published her first children's book in 2022, and has another book on the way.
Nicole is originally from Ottawa and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. As a person with disabilities, Nicole advocates for greater inclusion and brings her living experience to all her endeavors.

Alison O’Brien brings a diverse range of professional experience from the
New Housing Sales and Hospitality industries, which was her career path
prior to becoming a stay at home parent and advocate for a child with a rare
communication disorder (Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder). As a
parent of a child with a little understood condition, Alison has extensive
experience in navigating the health, education and social systems in two
provinces, and a reputation as an effective advocate for those whose voices
may not be heard otherwise. With proficiency in English, French, ASL and
LSQ, Alison is able to communicate in all official languages. As an advocate
for her child, and every member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community,
Alison strives to bring more awareness of signed languages into the everyday
lives of all Canadians; and create accessibility for those who cannot rely on
speech for their primary form of communication.

Alison has spent time working with PMA Brethour Realty Group, Cardel
Homes, Tamarack Homes, and Uniform Developments. As a student of
Sociology and Anthropology at St. Francis Xavier University, Alison also spent
time working in the Hospitality field, within both the Hotel and Dining
industries. Alison has held a wide range of professional positions, beginning
at Marshy’s BBQ and Grill as a hostess at 16 years old; which lead to
opportunities to work in food and beverage service, concierge, front desk,
and event coordinator. These opportunities allowed Alison to develop her
affinity for community service and outreach, which she hopes to one day
bring into the political arena.
 

While at ST.FX, Alison also developed a love for the Arts, minoring in both
Fine Art and Music Theory. She now puts the theories learned into practice
with her son, who also loves to express himself through painting, drawing,
and dance. In her youth, Alison was a competitive dancer, and field hockey
player. Those experiences established the foundation of her understanding
of teamwork and collaborative success.

Originally from Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Dylan has been a long time friend and supporter of Ability First Ottawa.  In addition to his support of Ability First Ottawa, Dylan is a huge supporter of The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, The Children’s Wish Foundation and The Max Keeping Fund at C.H.E.O.

Dylan also believes in the gift of life and is an advocate for Canadian Blood Services, encouraging people to give blood.

For his outstanding commitment to the Ottawa community, Dylan has been nominated for “Ottawa Humanitarian of the Year” and “Best Community Builder”. In 2015, Dylan was awarded a United Way “Community Builder Award”.

In the past 5 years, Dylan has personally collected $15,000 through the Movember campaign and will also serve as the 2016 Honorary Chair for the “TELUS Walk for the Cure!”.

Dylan is an on air personality on BOOM 99.7 and a host of Rogers Daytime.  For 20 years, Dylan was mentored by Canadian Broadcasting Legend Max Keeping.

Teresa is also the founder for Runway Networking, a business matchmaking and referral club that mentors professionals and entrepreneurs and helps propel their business forward through.