Endow Manitoba Provincial Advisory Board
Formed in 2019, the Endow MB Provincial Advisory Board (PAB) is an opportunity for CFs to provide ongoing input and feedback about Endow MB’s programs and initiatives. The PAB is comprised of volunteer representatives from CFs across the province. Board members serve three-year terms.
Current Provincial Advisory Board – 2023-2026 members
Bob McCulloch
Morden Area Community Foundation
Bob is a retired lawyer and currently the vice chair of the Morden Area Foundation. He was previously chair of the Tiger Hills Foundation (Treherne) for many years and served briefly on the board of the Community Foundations of Canada. He has also served in many capacities both provincially and nationally with the Manitoba and Canadian Bar Associations. Bob lived with his wife, Nancy, and his two daughters, Lindsay and Madison, in Treherne until 2017, when Nancy and he moved to Morden. He enjoys cottage life at West Hawk Lake, wintering in Mesa, AZ, attending Winnipeg Jets and Winnipeg Blue Bombers games, reading, running/walking and attempting (quite unsuccessfully) to score well on the Minnewasta Golf Coursev.
Donna Morken
Rivers and Area Community Foundation
Donna was born in Manitoba and after a short career in teaching in Northern Manitoba, she joined the RCMP in 1979. After a 25-year career which was served in (F Division) Saskatchewan and also at the RCMP Training Academy in Regina, Donna retired in 2004. Donna and her husband Al built their new home in Rivers, where they retired. Since their retirement, they both enjoy volunteering in the community and supporting it in whatever way they can. Donna is the recipient of the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award and was co-chair of the Manitoba Rural Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan.
Michelle Piwniuk
Virden Area Foundation
Chris Saunders
Pinawa Community Foundation
Chris Saunders was president of the Acsion Group of Companies, prior to retirement in 2021. Before starting Acsion in 1998, Chris was a research engineer with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. He has over 40 years’ experience providing consulting services for international companies. Chris represented Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs at the International Atomic Energy Agency as an expert on technology transfers to developing countries. He has published more than 80 papers and four books on a variety of scientific and historical subjects. He is a graduate chemical engineer from the University of New Brunswick. Chris has also been involved in establishing several other successful corporations, including Prairie Isotope Production Enterprises (PIPE; www.pipecanada.ca) and Acetek Composites (www.acetek.ca).
Chris moved to Pinawa in 1982 and in no time, he got involved in various local activities. Forty years later, Chris is still an active, engaged volunteer in Pinawa. His early involvement in the community focused on his love for sports. Over the years Chris has participated on numerous boards and committees. Chris was part of the team to form the Pinawa Foundation and has served as chairman since its inception. The Foundation has experienced rapid growth under his leadership and with his infectious enthusiasm for supporting the community. Chris has great pride in his hometown, and he works hard to make Pinawa a better place. Chris can often be heard to say, “How can I help?”
Murray Slagerman
Interlake Community Foundation
Murray currently serves as Interlake Community Foundation’s (ICF) Board Vice-Chair. He joined the ICF board in 2016 as a representative of the RM of Rosser. He is the current chair of the Marketing Committee and participates on the Financial and Policy committees. During the past five years, ICF focused on increasing awareness, and ICF has enjoyed significant growth with new donors choosing ICF for their philanthropy.
Murray’s family has deep roots in Manitoba…he and his wife live on the family century farm in Rosser and appreciate the community in which they raised their three daughters. They have volunteered in the community center, with local sports and Murray is an active member of the Rosser fire department.
Murray believes ICF’s efforts are critical to provide a philanthropic option and an awareness of the diversity and growing financial needs of the charities that their community foundation supports in the Interlake.
Tristin Tergesen
Westshore Community Foundation
Tristin joined the Westshore Community Foundation board of directors in 2011. During her term as board chair from 2016 to 2018, the foundation’s activities and funds increased, strengthening her commitment to ‘building a lasting legacy’ for the community.
Tristin has 25 years of experience in various capacities of business development including senior management, retail operations, consulting, and strategic development. Currently employed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, as manager, Visitor Services, she is interested in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the community.
Tristin has volunteered with many community organizations and sat on numerous boards related to arts and cultural organizations; she enjoys living in Gimli where she is often outdoors gardening, riding a bike, kayaking, cross country skiing, or walking along the shores of Lake Winnipeg.
Shamilla Thethy
Thompson Community Foundation
Shamilla Thethy is an RN MN by profession who is currently teaching nursing in the Bachelor of Nursing Joint University of Manitoba and University College of the North program in Thompson. She has lived in Thompson for close to three decades. As a Board member of the Thompson Community Foundation Shamilla has served in the role of a vice-president and Grants co-chair.
Shamilla believes that the community foundation has brought a lot of value to her community in many ways and benefited people from different spectrums of life and age. She also believes that there is a lot more that the foundation could achieve and, using examples of others throughout Canada, learn innovative ways to do this. Shamilla looks forward to serving the foundation in a different capacity now and in the future.
Thor Thorleifson
Pembina Manitou Area Foundation
Thor Thorleifson has spent all his life in southern Manitoba; he was born in Baldur, studied environmental ecology at the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba, and for the last 25 years has operated a financial planning business, home-based in Manitou.
Thor has been married to Donna since 1989; they have an adult son and daughter who continue to make them very proud. Thor has enjoyed volunteering over the years for the Manitou Opera House, Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Pembina Manitou Area Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and other causes. His work history includes a number of technical and management positions with governments, universities, the Manitoba Museum, and the Morden Area Foundation. On the personal side, music, sports, and reading have kept him busy and interested.
Thor has long been a supporter of local, community-driven initiatives, drawing on public and private support, and looks forward to the continuing success of Manitoba’s Community Foundations.
Diane Leclercq
Francofonds Inc.
Diane is currently the Chair of Francofonds Inc., Manitoba’s French community foundation, since 2022. She has been a board member since 2017.
Diane Leclercq retired in 2015 after a 35-year career in the federal government with the Department of the Secretary of State and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Diane has worked for more than 30 years in grants and contributions programs in support of Francophone organizations, ethnocultural groups and Aboriginal, Métis and Inuit peoples in Canada. She managed the Official Languages Support programs at the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Prairies and Northern Region.
After all those years in government, she has decided to get involved in her community through the Foundation knowing that Francofonds is a community foundation supporting and celebrating the French language, culture, heritage within the French community across the province of Manitoba. She also is presently on the board of the Saint-Boniface Hospital.
Darren Webster
Community Foundation of Swan Valley
Bio and image coming soon.
Former Provincial Advisory Boards
2019-2022 PAB members:
- Reg Black, Brokenhead River Community Foundation
- Larry Budzinski, Dauphin and District Community Foundation
- Brian Cottom, Brandon Area Community Foundation
- Ibrahima Diallo 2019-2021, Justin Johnson 2022, Francofonds
- Scott Doell, Winkler Community Foundation
- Barry Gosnell, Carman Area Foundation*
- Anita Janzen-Gemmell, Community Foundation of Portage and District
- Ron Jefferies, Glenboro Area Foundation
- Gerry Labossiere, The Winnipeg Foundation
- Glenn McGregor, Wawanesa Community Foundation
- Michele Polinuk, Selkirk and District Community Foundation
- Dr. Allan Preston, Hamiota Community Foundation