Rose Council

YWCA Edmonton’s Rose Council is a passionate group of community members who are advocates committed to taking action on gender-based violence. As champions for the YWCA’s Rose Campaign and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, our Council Members are ambassadors and leaders, engaging the Greater Edmonton community on issues of gender-based violence, equity, and safety. We are proud to introduce you to our 2023 Council Members.

Deborah Dodd

Deborah (Deb) Dodd is a Senior Partner with Aplin, a national staffing and recruiting agency headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Deb works with organizations to source top talent in the technology industry and is the division lead for Aplin Information Technology. Deb has previously served on the Advisory Committee of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation Women’s Network and has, since 2018, been a member of the Edmonton Elks Women’s Dinner Committee – raising funds for Ovarian Cancer Research at the Louis Hole Hospital. She is a past member of the Edmonton Health City Working Group, an economic development initiative focused on retention and recruitment to advance the health innovation ecosystem in the Edmonton region. Deb holds a BA (Psychology) from Western University. She has received 11 consecutive top-performer awards in her industry and through her commitment to the community, Deb is working to set a good example for her children. She is looking forward to her role as a member of the 2022 YWCA Rose Council.

Dénes Németh

Dénes Németh leads AIMCo’s stakeholder relations function, responsible for establishing and strengthening the organization’s connection to our community and strategic partnerships. Since joining in 2010, Dénes’ responsibilities have included leading AIMCo’s corporate communications program, managing media relations, and overseeing the organization’s public affairs efforts. Prior to joining AIMCo, Dénes was responsible for European investment attraction at Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and later led the strategy for strengthening the region’s Financial Services and Petrochemical clusters. He has held marketing and consulting roles with local firms in Edmonton and earlier worked at MOL Group, Hungary’s national oil and gas company, based out of Budapest. Dénes holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from the University of Alberta. A committed advocate for Greater Edmonton, Dénes believes the power of community can improve the quality of life for all. He is proud to serve as a member of the YWCA Rose Council and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC).

Felicia Michie

Felicia is a seasoned executive specializing in strategic and operational planning, enterprise technology enablement, change management, and organizational development. Currently an Executive Advisor with Edmonton-based consulting firm National Growth Partners, Felicia delivers strategy and governance advisory services to private sector firms and non-profit organizations. In addition to her executive roles, she has contributed her expertise to various boards, including Winnipeg Business for the Arts, Edmonton Nuit Blanche, HIV Edmonton, and presently serves on the YWCA 2023 Rose Council. Felicia holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Winnipeg and a Masters degree in Urban Planning from Dalhousie University.

Jill Dean

Jill Dean is the president of a group of entities providing training and employment support to Albertans. She currently oversees Lives in Transition, a program that focuses on upskilling and educating women whose greatest barrier to self sufficiency is the impact of family violence on their lives. Jill’s dedication to supporting women in overcoming violence originates from the loss of her sister in 2008. Her goal is to continue to bring awareness to family violence and help create community pathways for victims and their children.

Joshua Duarte

Joshua Duarte is the son of Brazilian immigrants and has had the pleasure of living and working in various cities throughout Brazil, Canada and the United States. Over the past 10 years, this multi-faceted outlook on the world has added an extra layer of value to his work with clients at RBC, one of Canada’s most trusted financial institutions. Today, Josh is primarily focused on helping individuals and organizations in Alberta create roadmaps for achieving their long-term financial goals. Through a dynamic Financial Planning process called ”Your Future By Design.” Josh provides a carefully tailored approach to gain financial confidence and freedom. Motivated by meaningful work and passionate about building strong communities, Josh is a Mentor with MENTOR Canada, was a Steering Committee Member at Edmonton Women in Finance, Co-Chair of RBC’s Alberta and Territories Black Professional Network and the Western Canada Lead for Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals. He is also married with three kids and resides in Edmonton.

Julia Borrelli

Julia Borrelli is a born and raised Edmontonian that shares her home with her husband and two daughters who continually teach her the best life lessons. As a family, they love to travel and discover new countries, customs, and cuisine. As a dedicated dental hygiene educator, her focus has always centered around health promotion and public health with a deep understanding of the social determinants of health, which are the social and economic factors that influence people’s quality of health and their daily living conditions. Julia believes that the YWCA is a change agent that can provide women and their families with the tools and resources that addresses the inequities so that they can live safely, independently, and free from violence. She is eager to serve as a member of the YWCA Rose Council and contribute to improving our community by focusing on programs and services, equity and advocacy. A quote that resonates with her is by Malala Yousafzai “I raise up my voice- not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back”.

Kim-Ann Wilson

Kim-Ann Wilson is a business owner, event host, and public speaker. She was recently nominated as one of Alberta’s Woman Entrepreneur by AWE in 2022, she is the 2023 recipient of the ‘Community Leadership’ award by Zeal Solutions. She was also recognized as 1 of 50 ‘Top to Top Future Woman Leader of Tomorrow’ awarded by HSBC. Kim-Ann has a passion for women in our community and serves as a Board of Directors with Shirts A Fire and is involved with various community initiatives

Kira Gregson

Kira is a Partner with Sequeira Partners, a boutique corporate advisory firm based in Western Canada, where she specializes in business valuation. Kira brings more than 14 years of experience in accounting and finance, and has advised a diverse client base, ranging from independent businesses to large publicly traded companies, across a variety of industries including industrial services, engineering, construction, and technology. Outside of the office, Kira regularly presents on the topic of private company valuations at the University of Alberta and sits on an advisory board for a local Edmonton-based business. In her downtime, she enjoys road biking, fueling her coffee addiction, and spending time with her husband and two young sons. Kira is honoured to sit on the 2023 Rose Council; she looks forward to engaging in important conversations and bringing awareness to the issues of gender-based violence to her communities and network.

Lillian Zenari

Lillian Zenari is a first generation Canadian, born and raised in Edmonton. Her strong Italian family instilled in her the importance of community and compassion. Lillian currently works as a Chartered Professional Accountant for CWB Financial Group. She has come to realize that women, because of their gender and other life circumstances, experience obstacles or injustices that are simply unfair. She believes women need a hand up to achieve their goals, be safe, and make the contributions our city, country and world so desperately need from women. Lillian has been volunteering for the YWCA Edmonton for the past three years, and also serves on the University of Alberta’s Board of Governors. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, their son and their miniature goldendoodle.

Robyn Wosnack

Robyn Wosnack is a commercial real estate professional with over 18 years in the industry, working in brokerage, ownership, and presently real estate financing with RBC. She is an active member of both the RBC Women’s Employee Resource Group, and is President of Edmonton CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) as she believes in working to support and further the careers of women in historically male dominated sectors. The YWCA Rose Council is an incredible opportunity to continue to lift women up and bring awareness about violence against women and issues facing marginalized members of our community.

Shannon Butler

Shannon Butler has been Executive Coordinator of the Butler Family Foundation since 2007, and believes the YWCA is an organization that aligns with her family foundation’s core values. She has a passion for connecting people and working collaboratively. She believes that conversations can inspire real change and that the true measure of a community is how it comes together to support and value its most vulnerable members.

Ted Bauer

Ted Bauer is the Vice President, Engagement and External Relations of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, a provincial Crown Corporation with a mandate to catalyze Indigenous prosperity and independence through sound investment. Before joining the AIOC, Ted had an extensive and diverse background in the political, journalism and non-profit sectors. He has long been a supporter of the YWCA and its programs. His governance experience encompasses several board positions, including time at Drive Happiness, and the Homeward Trust Indigenous Advisory Council. Ted is a member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8 and is a graduate of the University of Montana with a degree in Journalism and holds a citation from the University of Alberta.

Donate to the 2023 Rose Campaign

Your compassionate support of the Rose Campaign ensures the YWCA can continue to offer women and girls the support they need to live healthy lives, free of violence.