Our Team

I grew up in Thailand, and lived there until my early 20s before moving to Australia and eventually we moved to Canada in 2011. I speak Thai and English. I am a Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA-CMA) who is passionate about promoting an awareness of diversity, inclusion and equality in the society.

Being an immigrant myself, I appreciate the challenges newcomers experienced when relocating to a country with different culture and ways of living. I am hoping that my experiences and skills can make a positive impact to the newcomers settlement and Cochrane community where my family and I belong. I am married with a 12 year old daughter and a yellow tabby cat.

I’m an old-time Cochranite, moving here on Canada Day 2000 with my husband Ken, and kids Eric and Natasha. While working at FCSS, I helped start the seeds of CISC, gaining more support and members in 2015. My Masters in Community and Cultural Studies focussed on welcoming newcomers to communities.

This passion has followed me into retirement where I continue as a Board member with CISC, as well as other efforts in the community and beyond. I try to promote welcoming and inclusive thinking and behaviour in myself and others, including when raising my own children, and now sharing this spirit with my grandchildren. I love learning about other cultures. We can all learn so much from each other.

I immigrated from Brazil to Canada in 2015 with my husband and three daughters. While in Brazil, I obtained an professional accounting designation and accumulated over 15 years of professional experience in financial management and banking.

In Canada I started my own business, providing financial management and bookkeeping services. My mission is to help business owners, entrepreneurs and nonprofits to focus on their field of work while I take care of all their financial processes.

Another project that I embraced in Canada is the support for Brazilian immigrants through my Instagram profile "Canadá Simplificado".

Aside from a couple of years in Calgary, I have lived in Cochrane in Treaty 7 territory since my family moved here in 1979. In all of those years, I have been excited to watch our town grow and to welcome new faces, many of whom have become dear friends. My husband jokes that he knew he needed to move me back here shortly after we were married, as this was clearly home to me. Now 26 years married, we have raised our three children in Cochrane as well.

In my spare time, hiking, snowshoeing, and backpacking in our beautiful Rocky Mountains are some of my favourite activities.

I was born in Lima, Perú, and moved to Ontario, Canada in 1998. I am a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and a Masters in Design and Advertising. I am currently attending online school at Mount Royal University in the Event Management program.I have two sons (22 amd 17) and two dogs. We moved to Alberta in 2009 and are proud to call Cochrane our home.

Being an immigrant myself, I understand the challenges of trying to make a new home in a different culture. The language was not an issue for me as I am fluent in Spanish and English, but the weather was definitely a big change. I am passionate about helping the community and specially new immigrants, to find a way to call Cochrane their home through new experiences and community engagement and inclusion.I enjoy yoga, hiking, playing guitar and spending as much time as possible with my family.

I came to Canada in December 2011. I graduated from Humber college in Toronto and moved out to west for better opportunities & my career. I came to Cochrane in July 2014 for work. I worked 2-3 jobs and volunteered whenever possible. This helped me to grow and learn from my fellow Cochranites. Living and volunteering almost 7 years in this town has not only given me an opportunity to drive my passion to help out different organizations, businesses, non-profits, youth, newcomers, seniors, veterans, LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, but also helps me to partner with people and organizations and work towards building a better, more inclusive community.

I am currently a Board member of Cochrane Society for Housing Options(CSHO) and Cochrane Immigrant Services Committee (CISC). I am proud to call Cochrane my home. I believe when you put your heart and soul to something, there is nothing which can’t be achieved.

As an immigrant myself from the Philippines in this beautiful country I now call home since 2003, I am always grateful for all the help that were extended to me as I settle in and eventually find my place to be of help to others, specially to the newcomers. I have been a member of CISC since 2017 and the opportunity which this organization offers to grow and to serve has been amazing. I am humbled and at the same time, proud to be part of this wonderful team of people who tirelessly seek for an opportunity to serve others.

I am a proud daughter of Indian immigrants, who moved to Canada in 1976. I am now living and raising my own family in the beautiful space of Treaty 7 territory known as Cochrane. By day, I work as an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor at the University of Calgary and my educational background is in political science and sociology. My life and path have been shaped by the wisdom and inspiration of many cultures and people. I am honoured to be part of CISC, to learn from the experiences and insights of newcomers, and to help shape a better way forward for everyone who is lucky enough to make Cochrane their home.

“Life itself has no meaning, It’s an opportunity to create a meaning”

Originally from Montreal, I moved to Calgary in 2007. Eventually in 2010, I started my work at CCIS. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do the work I love to do. I get to meet people from all parts of the world, hear their stories and experiences and help them integrate into their new communities. The smiles and words of gratitude I get all day make me feel blessed. In addition to my blessings, I am the Chair of CISC Advisory Board. A team of passionate , enthusiastic and caring people who all strive in building an inclusive and diverse community.

Aside from work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Also I love horseback riding and hiking in the mountains we are gifted with.

An immigrant from the glorious Caribbean country of Jamaica, I moved to Canada in 2013 with my husband and 3 kids. We have called Cochrane home ever since. As a certified HR professional, the evidence of disparity between cultural practice is not only seen within the work environment but also in the community we call home. As a volunteer within various non-profit organizations, I enjoy connecting with individuals, but also sharing the knowledge I have learnt as an immigrant. I believe the more information we can provide to those coming into our community the greater the opportunity for them to understand the community they live in and just how to become engaged, which can provide the sense of belonging as many migrate without family and friends close by.

As for me , I love watching a great movie, connecting with people, eating vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake. Most importantly, I believe in giving back through volunteering. I see volunteering as an opportunity for one to play role in making change in a life, in a community and who knows even… Nope but maybe, just maybe the world. I love what we do at CSIC and can’t wait to see how we connect with all the newcomers and immigrants to our community. We ensure they all feel belong!!

I’ve been living in Cochrane with my family for more than 10 years. Within these years, I’ve spent 8 years in retail but now I’ve found my calling in the education industry as a learning assistant at Cochrane Christian Academy. I’m currently the Vice President of the Filipino-Canadian Association of Cochrane Alberta (FCACA) which promotes Philippine culture through the spirit of volunteerism and community support to other organizations here in Cochrane.

Originally from the tobacco fields of S. Ontario, I retired to Cochrane late December 2017. Sixteen years in Qingdao, China developing and implementing Oral English Programs for 3 - 7 year olds gave me an entirely new perspective on life.

I've weathered this lifetime globetrotting, frequently immersing myself in the cultural diversity of developing nations, gladly adventuring off the beaten path.

I maintain an active retirement volunteering locally, acquainting myself with beautiful Alberta, and absorbing the dignity that our Indigenous neighbors have to share with us.

Life can sometimes be a tough row to hoe, whereas the Cochrane I've grown to love is a majestic frontier where community, benevolence, and social consciousness reign supreme.

I feel completely at home.

WBH (aka) Jin Mao Shi Wang