board of directors
Lana Cowling-Mason
CHAIR
Lana is the General Manager of Community Futures West Interlake. She was born and raised in rural Manitoba and has spent the last 20 years working in community development. She continues to be inspired by the volunteers and community champions who work so hard to keep rural Manitoba vibrant and is driven to support their efforts. Lana is an active member of various regional development agencies, including the Economic Developers Association of Manitoba, serving as a member of the executive and program committee.
Elizabeth Stephenson
VICE CHAIR
Elizabeth is a longtime advocate of collaborative research and public education initiatives linked to public health and wellbeing in the liquor, gaming and cannabis sectors. She serves as a member of GREO, an independent knowledge translation and exchange organization focused on synthesizing and mobilizing research into action across the health and wellbeing sectors. Her most recent accomplishments include her first novel.
Lawrence Elliott
TREASURER
Lawrence is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba and previously worked as a medical officer of health in Winnipeg and Northern Manitoba. He also practiced clinical medicine in northern/remote regions. His clinical practice (in Nunavut, the Yukon, Northern Manitoba and the inner-city of Winnipeg), research and teaching has focused on prevention as a means to optimize population health.
Cheryl Sluis
Cheryl is the Manager of the Project Management Office at St. Amant where she provides structure and guidance to execute strategic projects. She has worked in various sectors including disability, arts and culture, and private industry and has several years of experience in the areas of project management, strategic planning, and volunteer management. She participates in a variety of ways in her community as a coach, a Parent Advisory Council member, and advisor.
Christina Weise
Christina holds a Master’s degree in public administration from the University of Manitoba. Previously Chief Executive Officer of Research Manitoba, she has more than 20 years of experience developing and implementing public policy in the areas of research and innovation, as well as managing funds and programs to support research. Christina participates on key boards and committees including, the National Alliance for Provincial Health Research Organizations, Bioscience Association of Manitoba, the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and the Centre for Healthcare Innovation.
Nancy McPherson
Nancy is a Population Health Analyst with Prairie Mountain Health; responsible for integrating a population health approach to the planning and delivery of programs and services. Nancy is a nurse, holds a Master of Science in Health Promotion , and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Studies at Brandon University. She has experience in acute care, community health, health planning and evaluation having worked in many diverse communities in Canada, the West Indies and Northeastern Siberia.
Monica Geisbrecht
Monica is a principal with HTFC Planning & Design, an interdisciplinary landscape architecture, urban design, and land use planning practice rooted in the Canadian Prairies. Monica’s experiences as a young immigrant to Canada, inspired her to become a passionate advocate for inclusive design. When not working, Monica gives back to her community by volunteering for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Spark Winnipeg, and the Winnipeg Arts Council.