Board
Bios
Erick
Ambtman
Erick has a Master’s degree from the London School of
Economics, a university Stephen Lewis called, “a bastion
of conservative ideology.” But Erick has always felt that
a requisite for changing the world is to understand how it works
and to understand how it is being run. After working as the
program manager for the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association
and the Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain House Native
Friendship Centre, Erick headed to South Africa to work for
the Msunduzi Housing Association to assist in the development
of their social housing practices. Upon Returning to Canada
Erick began working for the City of Edmonton and is now a senior
project manager in the Community Services department. Last year
he was the Treasurer for the Association and chaired the Personnel
committee.
Erick is
relatively new to Change for Children, having joined the board
in 2007, but he has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the
Change for Children mission and believes that systemic change
is one of the most valuable causes to fight for. His experiences
in South Africa lead him to conclude that the Change for Children
model of partnership and community led development is one of
the few worth while models for Canadian international development
efforts. He considers his election as President to be one of
the monumental occasions of his life and looks forward to an
exciting year of change, innovation, and growth.
Dianne Dalley
Dianne was born in Australia, worked in England and traveled
extensively in Europe before coming to Canada. She has been
working with, and on behalf of children most of her adult life.
She has always believed that if every child grew up in freedom
with equal opportunities for love, education and abundant nourishment
from their environment we would change the world. Dianne is
currently an independent consultant in project management and
development, with a particular interest at this time in Restorative
Justice and Domestic Violence. She has been fortunate to have
opportunities to work on many challenging and innovative community
initiatives and volunteer with amazing youth from many countries.
Dianne has participated in the foster parent program to support
children overseas for many years and currently has three girls
in Ghana, Sri Lanka and Colombia. Change for Children is an
exciting opportunity to be invested with a group of like minded
people sharing talents and time to work for a better world.
Matthew Gusul
Matthew “Gus” Gusul grew up on acreage South of
Bittern Lake, AB. He came to Edmonton after doing an undergraduate
degree at Augustana University College in his hometown of Camrose
and spending time living and working in rural Mexico. Gus has
been working throughout the non-profit community using theatre
with diverse community groups throughout Western Canada, in
the Arctic, and in rural Mexico. He has worked with Alberta
Council for Global Cooperation, Canada World Youth, Taking it
Global, and Change for Children Association. He is the Assistant
Director of Geri Actors and Friends, an intergenerational theatre
company and is currently a Master of Arts candidate at the University
of Alberta in the Drama Department.
Gus was
introduced to CFCA when in the summer of 2005 he became the
Rural Roots Youth Coordinator. Throughout his education and
professional life he has seen the benefits of global partnerships
that work to soften the hardships faced by those living in the
Global South. He has been inspired by the work of the partners
of CFCA and believes that other Canadians will be inspired if
there are made aware of their efforts. He believes that it is
important for CFCA to maintain strong and healthy partnerships
with organizations in the Global South while educating Canadians
about the work of these organizations.
Bill Hallam
I
have a diverse background in management within the hospitality
industry, the human services sector and the social enterprise
field. At the same time, I have been involved in such community
volunteer based organizations as the Edmonton Folk Music Festival,
the Global Visions Festival and others.
My involvement with Change for Children was to provide food
for fundraisers and to help out with other donations as I could.
Earlier this year, I participated in the dental brigade to Bosawas
and visited other projects in Nicaragua. This life altering
experience has motivated me to join the board of directors as
a way of contributing to the wonderful work being done by such
dedicated people.
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