Board of Directors

(Board Chair) Meghan Lavallee resides in Winnipeg, and is the Executive Director of Apprenticeship Manitoba. Prior to this, she was the Director of Career and Student Engagement for the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology. This role included leadership of MITT’s Adult Learning Centres, Career and Employment Services, and Domestic Recruitment. She believes that we all have a role within the educational ecosystem to create successful career pathways and equitable access to further education, training and/or employment for all.

Meghan’s passion for experiential learning and student success started as a student and staff member within student services in the post-secondary sector. From there, she turned her love of student development to leadership roles with Career Trek, an experiential learning career development not-for-profit that creates opportunities to catapult young Manitobans to career and education success. In her return to post-secondary institutions, she has utilized her experience in community settings to make access a driving force in the systems and programs available to learning communities.

Meghan loves volunteering in her community, practicing yoga, urban gardening, and hiking with her family and canine companion.

(Vice-chair) Keka DasGupta is a 20-year award-winning PR and communications strategist, a TEDx speaker, executive trainer and an entrepreneur. Keka began her career at IKEA and served with the company for seven years, managing all national PR and communications programs. She also served as the company’s media and crisis spokesperson. She then moved onto the reputed PR firm, DDB Public Relations (DDB PR). After becoming a new mom (she now has two boys), Keka established her own boutique consulting firm, Precision Marketing Group Inc.

Keka continued to consult with DDB, as a freelance VP of their PR division. In 2016, Keka and her DDB team were awarded the Oscars of the PR industry with the Agency of the Year designation in the global Gold Quill competition, by the International Association of Business Communicators. Keka has worked with such globally recognized brands as: IKEA, Nike, Disney, American Express, Schwarzkopf, Johnson & Johnson and many other Fortune 500s. She has worked in recruitment marketing for over a decade, co-founded a corporate L&D company, Enkompass Consulting, and served as an instructor at the Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC), York University.

As her passion project, Keka also delivers keynote speeches and runs interactive Gratitude workshops for corporations across North America, focused on increasing employee productivity, happiness, loyalty and retention. Keka has also created a program for school students (Grades 7 to 12), focused on using gratitude to proactively tackle bullying environments. Keka is a professional member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS).

(Past Chair) Dr. Candy Ho is an internationally recognized career development educator, speaker and scholar whose work bridges higher education, sustainability and social impact. She serves as the Chancellor’s Research Chair at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where she teaches in the Educational Studies department and leads transformative initiatives that embed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into career development and education. 
 
As President of Career Connections Consulting, Candy equips organizations to build inclusive, future-ready career ecosystems. A dynamic keynote speaker, she has energized audiences across Canada and around the world, from boardrooms to global conferences. Her insights have been featured in The Globe and Mail, BNN Bloomberg, Canadian Business, and CTV News, amplifying the national conversation on meaningful work and lifelong learning. 
 
Candy currently serves on the boards of The Counselling Foundation of Canada, People for Education’s The Education Promise, CERIC and the BCIT Alumni Association. Across all her roles, she champions career development as a catalyst for equity, hope and transformative change – and invites others to do the same. 

Akosua Alagaratnam is the Executive Director of First Work. Prior to joining the organization, Akosua worked as a senior public affairs professional, primarily focused on policy affecting marginalized communities and youth. During her tenure with the Provincial Minister of Children and Youth Services, Akosua led the Youth Justice and Youth Opportunity policy and also worked directly with multiple agencies, as well as frontline staff, to advocate for marginalized youth. As a senior policy advisor with the Provincial Minister of Finance, Akosua effectively advised on policy and legislation spanning a diverse portfolio, including labour, children and youth services, community and social services, correctional services, and Indigenous relations. With over six years of experience in government, combined with seven years as the board representative for the Region of Peel Women’s Centre – Interim Place, Akosua is an established driver of effective policy-making, communications, public and government affairs, and community engagement.

Michael Ford brings a diverse background to his career development work, teaching and studies. He has over 40 years’ experience in multiple professions and industries, including communications, healthcare, the arts, education and international business. Currently, he is the Co- Coordinator, Co-op Abroad at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver.

Michael is particularly interested in the shifting dynamics and trends of the workplace and jobs, labour market information, career adaptability, work/life transition and the future of work in times of uncertainty and rapid technological change. Around these topics, Michael has presented multiple times at the Cannexus conference.

Michael holds an MA in educational psychology at SFU with a focus on career development and education along with a B.A. in communications and a post-baccalaureate in counselling and human development. Previously, he was an instructor in SFU’s Career Development Practitioner Program.

 

Dinuka Gunarante is a national leader in graduate education, experiential learning and inclusive career development. He currently serves as Director of Career Development and Experiential Learning at Northeastern University Vancouver, where he also chairs the Global Campus Directors Council – providing strategic direction across a multi-campus network.  

Over the past 15 years, Dinuka has shaped student career ecosystems at seven institutions across Canada and the US, launching award-winning initiatives and building systems that centre equity, innovation and reflective learning. A former international student from Sri Lanka, he brings lived experience to his work and is widely recognized for his expertise in supporting complex transitions for graduate students and international learners. 

Dinuka serves on the boards of CEWIL Canada and CERIC and contributes to national conversations on career development, work-integrated learning, AI and student success. His writing appears in Inside Higher Ed, CareerWise and University Affairs, and he is a sought-after speaker and thought partner across the post-secondary sector.  

 

Holly Linkert resides in the Region of Waterloo, ON where she is a high school guidance counsellor and co-operative education teacher at Eastwood Collegiate Institute. Through both roles, she is able to help students find their groove, passions and interests as they explore their future pathways in life. She co-coaches the dance groups where she believes that students should expand their minds and explore ways to be creative thinkers. As a leader she chairs the Integrated Arts Program teacher meetings where they plan, organize and manage the IAP program. As a member of the provincial brainstorming team for the new Career Studies curriculum in Ontario (2018), she helped to add financial literacy and updated job application methods to the curriculum.

As a lifelong learner, Holly has created new material and assessments for dance and drama classes that include equity, diversity and inclusion principles and ideas. She has a diverse career background starting as a professional singer/dancer with Jean Ann Ryan Productions (Florida), member of a retail management team for Reebok Canada, a guidance counsellor with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), dance educator with Carousel Dance Centre, and a former volunteer for Ballet Creole (Toronto) and Dance Ontario. She holds a BA Honours history degree from Kings University College at Western University, a post-graduate Career Development Practitioner certificate from Conestoga College, a teaching certificate from D’Youville College (NY), and a jazz/tap teaching diploma from ADAPT.

Valérie Roy is the Executive Director of AXTRA, l’Alliance des centres-conseils en emploi, which brings together 95 organizations across the province of Quebec. Their mission is the job market integration of all people. Valérie works with AXTRA’s members and partners to develop best practices, and a body of knowledge in the employment and training sector to contribute to a more inclusive labour market. She also sits on numerous boards and committees in Quebec and Canada.

Sue Watts is the Executive Director of the Employment + Education Centre (EEC), a charitable, not-for-profit, multi-service organization. Sue has over 27 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector and prides herself on building and growing community collaborations for the purpose of meeting the needs of and positively impacting her communities. Sue is the recipient of provincial and national awards for her work in this sector. Sue is an innovator and has recently moved her brainchild, CareerLabsVR, a career decision making system using the immersive power of virtual reality, from concept to reality. Under the leadership of Sue, EEC hosted two international delegations (guests were from South Korea, Germany and Japan) which resulted in sharing of best practices regarding employment services for various populations.

Retired since July 2008, Donald Lawson worked in the investment industry for 58 years, initially as a partner in Moss, Lawson & Co., then its President and CEO, and subsequently as Chairman. Following the takeover of Moss Lawson by HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. Mr. Lawson was Honourary Chairman and an investment advisor to private clients. In business, Mr. Lawson has served on the Board of Governors of the Toronto Stock Exchange, including a term as Chairman of the Board. He also served on the Board of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada.

Mr. Lawson has been involved with the not-for-profit sector for most of his business career. After serving in various capacities within the YMCA of Metropolitan Toronto, he became its Chairman at a time when it was approaching bankruptcy. During his watch, decisions were made leading to the regeneration of the Association which now has become a successful $200+ million enterprise. In 1984, Mr. Lawson became Chair of the Board of The Counselling Foundation of Canada, a role in which he served for 31 years. In November 2015, he stepped down as the Foundation’s Chair, but continues as a Director and holds the title of Chair Emeritus. Other volunteer activities have included United Way Budget Committees, Director and Treasurer of Huntley Youth Services (now Youthlink), Investment Committee of the United Church of Canada, Member of the Board of Regents and Treasurer of Victoria University (an affiliated University within the University of Toronto), Chairman of the Executive Committee and subsequently the Board of Trustees of Lawrence Park Community Church, and a Director of the Georgian Bay Land Trust.

Recognition has come in the form of Officer, the Fellowship of Honour, YMCA Canada; Honourary Doctor of Laws, Dalhousie University; and Honourary Doctor of Sacred Letters, Victoria University; Honourary Doctor of Laws, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Riz Ibrahim is the President and CEO of The Counselling Foundation of Canada. He is also the Executive Officer of CERIC and an ex-officio member of the CERIC Board of Directors. He previously led the creation of CERIC as it emerged in the early 2000s and served as the Executive Director of CERIC until 2023.

As CERIC Executive Director, Riz expanded the reach and scope of CERIC’s work by actively engaging stakeholders from a broad range of sectors within the career development ecosystem. Partnership, collaboration and inclusion have been at the core of CERIC’s growth and development.

Notably, Riz created research and learning vehicles that would make CERIC a credible and non-partisan voice in career development in Canada, advocating for Career Development for Public Good and building the competencies of career development professionals. This included the Canadian Journal of Career Development, Careering Magazine, CareerWise/OrientAction and the Graduate Student Engagement Program. Most significantly during his tenure, Riz was instrumental in initiating and expanding Cannexus, Canada’s Career Development Conference as the premiere learning and networking event for career development professionals in Canada.