About

Staff and Board

Meet the team of dedicated individuals working together towards the Vimy Foundation’s mission.

Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall © OSGG-BSGG, 2021.
Viceregal Patron

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada

Where we began

Our Founders

Our founders set the stage for what the Vimy Foundation has become today.

Andrew Powell

Andrew Powell

Mark Cahill

Mark Cahill

Mark Cahill

Mark Cahill

An entrepreneur and a native of Lachine, Québec, Mark Cahill has been a passionate collector of First World War Canadiana for over thirty years. In 2014, he founded the Canadian Centre for the Great War, a heritage organisation dedicated to telling Canada's First World War story through the eyes of those who lived it. Mark served as Chair of the Board until 2020 and now sits on the Heritage Committee as an advisor.

Andrew Powell

Andrew Powell

Every country needs legends, especially young countries like Canada, and Vimy’s story is perfect for inspiring Canadian pride. After living in the United Kingdom for more than 2 decades, and travelling often on the road that passes the magnificent National Vimy Memorial, Andrew Powell had the idea of bringing students from Canada, the United Kingdom and France to this site to learn about Vimy’s history and its significance for Canada. This experience gave him the motivation to create the Vimy Foundation in Canada and to register it as a charitable organization in 2006.


Who are we?

Our Staff

Our staff members all have rich and diverse backgrounds that contribute uniquely to the Foundation’s vision and help carry out its creative initiatives.

Caitlin Bailey
Executive director

Caitlin Bailey

Claire Carny
Operations Lead

Claire Carny

Alicia Dotiwalla
Education Lead

Alicia Dotiwalla

Ada Chan
Heritage Lead

Ada Chan

Kevin McGaw
Communications Coordinator

Kevin McGaw

Pierre Wavelet
Education Programs Coordinator

Pierre Wavelet

Join our team!

Come work with us

oUR bOARD

Board of Directors

The Vimy Foundation is very fortunate to have dedicated men and women who have devoted their time and efforts to furthering the Foundation’s goals. They each bring an impressive slate of experience and skills to oversee the management and the major policy decision-making of the organization.

General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier
Honorary Chair

General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier

Carolyn Patton
Chair

Carolyn Patton

Christopher Shannon
Vice Chair

Christopher Shannon

LCol Andrew Beckett
Board Member

LCol Andrew Beckett

Mark Cahill
Board Member

Mark Cahill

Steve Desgagné
Board Member

Steve Desgagné

Dan A. Doran
Board Member

Dan A. Doran

Daniel Frajman
Board Member

Daniel Frajman

Rob Francis
Board Member

Rob Francis

Geoff Irvine
Board Member

Geoff Irvine

Lauren Small
Board Member

Lauren Small

Angus Watt
Board Member

Angus Watt

Deborah Wolfe
Board Member

Deborah Wolfe

Our Alumni

Alumni Council Executives

See the full list of Alumni Council members and learn more on our Alumni page

Claire Belliveau
Co-chair

Claire Belliveau

BVP

2017

Sung Park
Co-Secretary

Sung Park

VPA

2021

Heena Singla
Co-Chair

Heena Singla

VPA

2021

Who are...

Our Patrons

The very first people who supported Andrew Powell's vision for the Vimy Foundation.

Bruce Bolton

Stuart Iversen

Reford Macdougall

Dean Oliver

Desmond Morton

(1937 – 2019)

Vincent Prager

William Stavert

(1934 – 2017)

Advisory Board

John Clemes

Shaun Francis

Jonathan Leigh

Art Linton