Making a Difference in the Community: the CUPS Board of Directors
People who have a passion for a cause typically make good non-profit board members — and the CUPS Board of Directors is no exception.
The individuals who make up our Board are passionate about the community and about CUPS, and dedicate hundreds of volunteer hours to engage stakeholders and industry partners so we can provide better support for vulnerable Calgarians.
We can’t thank them enough and want to share more about them, their dedication and how they serve tirelessly behind the scenes to make a tangible impact.
Meet the CUPS Board of Directors
Michael Lang, Chairman: A board member for the past 20 years, Michael leads the board of directors with vision, innovation and encourages each member to embrace the endless potential of a nonprofit. His commitment has driven CUPS’ comprehensive strategic plan, designed to better assist low-income and homeless Calgarians. Michael is a unique example of a leader who understands and can be empathetic to the human element of service work, but also has the strong business knowledge, network, experience and ability to be accountable to all stakeholders.
Wafa Kadri: Wafa is a corporate social responsibility professional with a proven track record in creating inclusive, social strategies and programs that deliver shared value for business and society. Wafa joined the board of directors in 2020 and brings a passion for solving complex social problems to CUPS. Her approach includes bringing the right people together — citizens, public, private and community leaders — to create sustainable, impactful solutions.
Patricia Blocksom, Q.C, A.O.E.: Patricia Blocksom is, in many ways, a quintessential Albertan. Her ties to the farmland surrounding the Town of Hanna stretch back generations to homesteading great-grandparents who came to the province seeking a better life. Like those early homesteaders, Patricia has forged her own pioneering path, tackling challenging new horizons as a tireless champion of Alberta families and as a strong advocate for women. As a board member of CUPS, she channels her values around lending a hand to those in need and serving as role models for strong and caring citizenship.
Dale Berstad: A member of the CUPS board since 2018, Dale Berstad applies his years of leadership to enhance and elevate our programs and services: from offering traditional support services toward offering custom programs that are based on evidence. A proponent of tangible impact, he believes in the long-term success of CUPS clients and supports our approach in creating stronger outcomes for vulnerable people.
Rob Litzenberger: Rob joined the CUPS board in 2020 and immediately got to work doing what he does best: stakeholder relations. With a focus on data insights and on providing solutions clients need, he brings his inspirational leadership style and keen understanding of people to help them succeed.
Roger Harripersad: With CUPS since 2019, Roger brings 25 years experience in building, developing and leading high-performance teams with organizations who are engaged and passionate about achieving shared goals. His approach creates pragmatic people, processes and systems solutions which promote organizational effectiveness.
Dr. Ed O’Brien: In addition to bringing his scientific expertise to the CUPS board since 2013, Dr. O'Brien is a cardiologist, clinician scientist and the Director of the Vascular Biology Laboratory, an internationally recognized lab for its study of the role of Heat Shock Protein 27 (HSP27) in vascular disease. He is actively involved in moving research forward and has procured over 20 research grants that have attracted more than $8 million in peer-reviewed research support. (Dr. O’Brien retired from the CUPS board in April 2021 after eight years of dedication. We are grateful and appreciative of his knowledge and service to the organization and wish him all the best.)
Julie D’Avignon: A CUPS board member since 2019, Julie applies her deep legal knowledge to support CUPS’ legal matters and assists with internal tax matters, as well as assess the impact of current tax developments on our organization. A strong supporter of women and entrepreneurs, Julie is also the legal director of the B.J. Hughes Foundation for the Development of Entrepreneurial Women and co-leads her firm’s involvement in Mount Royal University’s JMH Venture LaunchPad program, providing pro bono structuring advice to selected MRU students as they launch their own business ventures.
Per Humle: Per is passionate about helping people reach their potential. As a board member, he applies his deep expertise to help those around him excel by identifying and developing individual talents. He believes that strong fundamentals lead to superior results and always leaves room for a little fun and humour in the pursuit of excellence.
Tasha Brown: Tasha joined CUPS in 2019 and has applied her financial knowledge to support CUPS’ strategic financial plan. She is particularly passionate about spreading financial literacy and supporting our vulnerable community members through education and access to financial support.
Jerrad Blanchard: Jerrad has been supporting CUPS since 2008. He brings a strong technical background, coupled with his hands-on experience, to dissect and solve problems in all aspects of corporate finance, financial reporting, implementation of controls and governance for a public company operating in international jurisdictions. He believes that a healthy financial foundation is key to long-term resilience of organizations and individuals.
Steve Vesuwalla: Steve is a problem solver. As a board member of CUPS, he is first to identify significant issues and develops creative and mutually beneficial solutions. He tackles business challenges as if they were his own and is relentless in his commitment to see our community thrive.
Nancy McKenzie: Nancy has many attributes she brings to the CUPS boardroom, yet being authentic and genuine are the human elements that bring important balance to the discussion. A strong supporter of women's issues, she applies her years of experience in HR to help women become financially independent and educated on their rights as employees.
Ian Young: After almost four decades of business leadership, Ian has recently retired from the corporate world yet has found time to continue his contributions to CUPS. He has extensive experience in consulting, information technology, project management, business development and sales management competence. He offers his expertise to ensure CUPS’ technical systems are safe and effective. Ian has been with CUPS since 2018.
The combined experience, knowledge and commitment of this incredible team ensures CUPS has the strong governance and strategic leadership needed to fulfill our mission. Each member plays a significant role in raising both awareness and financial support, and their diverse backgrounds represent a cross-section of our community.
Without our board, our mission to help vulnerable individuals and families build resilience for a better future would be all the more challenging.
Thank you!