Governance

Shaelyn Savignac relocated to Sudbury after graduating from Nipissing University with a BA in both Political Science and Gender Equality & Social Justice.

While completing her undergraduate degree, Shaelyn became very interested in volunteerism and social action.  Since moving to Sudbury, she began her community involvement as a Youth Outreach Worker for the YMCA and Employment Placement Consultant at the YMCA Employment & Newcomer Services, assisting clients to find employment in the Sudbury area. She currently works for the ministry of children, community and social services in the Ontario Disability Services Program.

Shaelyn has always had a passion for travelling the world. She has visited Europe, Thailand, Peru and most recently South Africa for YWCA’s 29th World Council.  Her travels have reminded her how important it is to help those around us.  Shaelyn looks forward to continuing her work with YWCA.

Paula Riccio was born and raised in Sudbury. She graduated from Laurentian University in 2005 with a Bachelors Degree in Physical Health and Education (Health Promotion) and received a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa in 2008. Paula spent some time in Ottawa working at the Heart and Stroke Foundation in the Schools Program before returning to Sudbury in 2010. She currently works in Disability Management with the Human Resources Division of the Provincial Government. Paula is married and has dedicated the past ten years to raising her three wonderful children. In her free time, Paula enjoys being outdoors with family, spending time at the lake and playing soccer.  This will be Paula’s second term on the Board and she is excited to be continuing on with this important work.

Originally from a small community in northwestern Ontario, Alex now calls Sudbury her home. Since moving here in 2007 she has graduated from Laurentian University with a Bachelors degree in Neuroscience and a Masters degree in Experimental Psychology and has started her career in the mental health and addictions sector.

Outside of work, Alex endeavours to give back to her community through volunteering. Alex participated in the United Way Young Leaders on Board Program and was drawn to the YWCA Board of Directors because it aligned with her values.  Alex is currently a member of the YWCA Board of Directors.  Alex is hopeful that she can contribute to the wellbeing of women and children within our community through advocacy and social action. 

Bryanna Bimm is currently working as a Caseworker for Ontario Works through the City of Greater Sudbury. In her role, she must utilize strong active listening skills in order to determine the needs of clients and make appropriate referrals within the community. She also acts as an advocate on their behalf to ensure their voice is heard when attempting to access resources.

Bryanna graduated from Laurentian University with a Bachelor of Social Work in 2016 and has been working in the field ever since. During her third year Social Work placement, as a member of the YMCA Peace Week Committee, she attended weekly meetings as a representative for immigration services where she assisted with the organization of fundraising and collection of personal hygiene items for the Corner Clinic.

Her next goal is serving on the Board of Directors or as a Community Committee Member of YWCA Sudbury. She is interested in a position on the Board of Directors because she is a young, professional woman who would like to become more involved in the current and future growth of our community through advocacy and action. Change within our community begins on a micro level, and Bryanna believes offering her own unique perspective may be beneficial to the YWCA Sudbury. She believes it’s her responsibility to take on new roles and partake in the continuance of competency in order to be constantly improving and learning in the social service field.

Sophie completed an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology at the University of Nipissing in 2017. Studying this discipline has allowed her to gain the educational background and experience required to support vulnerable populations. She is currently a Probation and Parole Officer with the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Within her role, she is regularly advocating and supporting persons who are marginalized and lack support in certain aspects of their lives. She contributes to rehabilitation and public safety, which is fostered through compassion, empathy and understanding of her clients, victims, justice partners and community agencies. Part of her role is working with victims (survivors) of domestic violence. Through her training in Working with Survivors of Domestic Violence, and Safety Planning, she has garnered the tools and experience needed to help survivors succeed. Throughout her volunteer experience, Sophie was a supervisor for the Patrick4Life organization in North Bay, a non-profit organization to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS.  She supervised various groups of students affiliated with the organization and coordinated fundraising events with high school students.

Sophie is interested in becoming part of the YWCA because she is proud to be a woman! Sophie would love the opportunity to contribute to the strength of femininity and utilize her training and skills by giving back to her community, especially through an agency that empowers and supports feminism and equality.

Anne Gauthier joins us following her successful completion of the She’s on Board Program, which provides women with training related to governance and policy, and guidance into leadership roles. She is passionate about women’s rights and equality. 

Anne holds a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts, specializing in Linguistics.  She is the Executive Assistant to the Vice-President of People Relations and Corporate Affairs at Health Sciences North and previously held a position with the Supportive Care Program at the Northeast Cancer Centre.  In 2019, Anne was also invited to participate as an Emerging Leader in the first cohort of the Leadership Development Program at Health Sciences North. She owns a small translation and transcription business and was previously a teacher at the elementary level.  With over ten years of experience in these various sectors, Anne is well versed in Human Resources, Indigenous services, and French Language Services.  She hopes to apply her skills and knowledge to engage the community to further help women requiring support. 

Tasha Glogger is a CHRL candidate and Human Resources Analyst at Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in client services. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Law & Justice from Laurentian University and her Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Cambrian College.  She began her career and spent close to three years employed as an HR Advisor working in all facets of Human Resources, including compensation, labour management, recruitment and retention, and occupational health and safety. As a proud member of the Sudbury community, Tasha looks forward to serving on YWCA Sudbury’s Board of Directors. 

Michelle Kennedy is a member of Oneida Nation of the Thames, from London Ontario. She came to live in Anishnabek Territory to study in 2011 and hasn’t left since! Michelle has completed two undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degrees in Indigenous Studies and Education at Laurentian University. She recently finished her Master’s thesis in Indigenous Relations titled, Indigenous (her)oes and their healing work: ending violence against Indigenous women and girls. Michelle is currently a student at Laurentian Univerity in the PhD Humanities program, where her research focuses on Indigenous curriculum development and art repatriation. In her work, she is a Graduate Research Assistant and a Sessional Instructor for the School of Indigenous Relations in Social Work, the School of Education, and the Anthropology department at Laurentian University. Her passion is working with youth and working towards community wellness through education and as an active volunteer. Michelle is also an avid runner and coach as she is the Director and Founder of the Waasese Track club for Indigenous youth in Ontario. Her favourite role by far is being an Auntie to many nieces and nephews. 

Carrissa Lecuyer is 26 years old. She is from the Greater Sudbury area and grew up in the Sudbury Housing community. She was raised by a hard-working single mother, who raised three daughters. Carrissa aspires to be like her mother: work hard and give back to our community. Carrissa is employed full time with the City of Sudbury’s Housing Operations Department as a Property Management Clerk. She strives to continuously push herself to be a voice for those who cannot be heard. Being raised by a single mother has made her compassion for those struggling to give their children the best they can. Growing up in Social Housing has taught her to appreciate her community and those who volunteer their time in our communities. Working for the Social Housing department has opened her eyes to how hard people in our community work to make these homes affordable, safe and community-based. Carrissa has made 2019 her year to push herself to be the best she can be. She has taken the time to study poverty in our community; through Bridges over Poverty, she has been blessed to be able to volunteer with the Elgin Street mission to give back to those in our community and now she is pushing herself to be a voice for young women. Carrissa feels she could offer a strong voice on the YWCA Board for all women in our community.

Catherine Poulton is the Wellness Coordinator at Cambrian College where she has worked for the past 9 years.  Prior to that Catherine taught in the elementary stream for ten years.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Education and is a Certified Resilience Trainer, and certified in Applied Positive Psychology. Catherine also teaches Pilates and Positive Psychology. 

Dr. Kylah Riengeutte, ND is a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses her practice in women’s health. She graduated at the top of her class from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona in June of 2019. She currently practices at Laporte Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Clinic in New Sudbury. She is also the co-creator of Female Focused Wellness, an online platform for women’s wellness. Prior to this she completed her Honors Bachelor of Science graduating magna cum laude from Laurentian University in her hometown of Sudbury, Ontario. She is currently a professional member, in good standing with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.

Kylah is an avid volunteer. She has volunteered with multiple organizations including the Sojourner Center in Phoenix Arizona and Changing Lives Centre for Women and Children in Phoenix Arizona, as a Naturopathic Doctor. She has also volunteered internationally as a Naturopathic Doctor with Naturopaths Without Borders in Cap-Haiti, Haiti. She has volunteered locally with Camp Quality Northern Ontario, as well as, the Canadian Cancer Society and Health Sciences North.

In her spare time, Kylah enjoys hiking, travelling, yoga and spending time with her friends and family. She most recently hiked Half Dome in Yosemite National Park and Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon.

Maiya Uprety is an architectural engineering consultant living in Sudbury. She received her first degree in Architecture from the former USSR. She came to Canada to further her architectural studies and completed a Masters in Architecture from the University of Manitoba. Maiya has worked on various projects designing and supervising the development of construction documents and site plans for office and service buildings, retail stores, 82 assisted living units and a 130 unit luxury apartment.

She likes to contribute time volunteering. She had volunteered as a board member of the World peace program MB, as vice president of NCSM She was born in Kathmandu Nepal. She was married. She has two children from the marriage