Jill Thygesen
Chair
Jill Thygesen has a Chartered Accountant designation (CA, CPA) complemented by a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Economics and French Language and Literature. She has a strong background in the fields of finance, accounting, and risk management, all honed during her time as an auditor at Ernst & Young LLP. During her career, Jill has become well-versed in the financial needs of NPOs. She is excited to bring her passion for accounting and finance to the Board Chair position.
Jill has a love for traveling that took her abroad during her undergraduate degree and backpacking through South-east Asia for 4 months - it was no surprise that she jumped at the chance to live in Cologne, Germany for 13 months while working for Ernst & Young. She enjoys spending summers at the lake, snowboarding in the winter, and, yoga and reading year-round. She is quickly becoming an avid, albeit amateur, rock climber.
Jill strongly believes in empowering women and girls, and in particular, ensuring women and girls have equal choice and opportunity when pursuing their goals. She is very excited to join InMotion Network where this empowerment and opportunity can be seen firsthand!
Tara Sliwkanich
Vice Chair
Tara holds a Bachelor's Degree in Women's and Gender Studies ('13) and a Master's Degree in Gender and Social Justice ('19) from the University of Alberta. Tara works as a public servant in educational policy for the Government of Alberta, wherein part of her role is providing gender, diversity, and intersectional analysis on policy and programs. Tara has a strong understanding of the experiences of women and girls (inclusive of gender non-binary, queer, and trans* women and girls) from diverse backgrounds and approaches to achieving gender equality. As a settler living and working in Treaty 6 and Metis region 4, Tara has learned of the history and legacy of residential schools, Treaties, and the contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples from traditional knowledge keepers and Elders.
Additionally, Tara has 10 years of sport coaching experience, specifically for girls. She has also been heavily involved in the development of baseball for girls and women in Alberta for the past 12 years. She herself has been a high-level athlete, playing university rugby and played for the Canadian Women's National Baseball Team for four years, including competing in the 2012 WSBC Women's World Cup of Women's Baseball hosted in Edmonton. As a now retired athlete, Tara enjoys strength training and conditioning to keep physically and mentally well, Ukrainian dancing with her local dance group, and hiking and camping with her spouse and dog. Tara is incredibly passionate about achieving gender equality, specifically in advancing girls and women in sport, so she is excited about being on the InMotion Network's board to continue to support girls and women to participate in sport and physical activity!
Aman Brar
Treasurer
Aman is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and earned a Bachelor of Arts specializing in Economics and Finance from the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario she moved to Edmonton 10 years ago. She works for CapitalCare Group a subsidiary of Alberta Health Services as a Manager, Financial Reporting. From a young age she has actively participated in various organized sports.
Being an ad hoc volunteer for several organizations over the past years, Aman is passionate about empowering girls and women of all abilities in Alberta to participate in physical activity and sport. She is enthusiastic to help reduce barriers for girls and women – it helps with physical, mental, social and emotional health.
In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, working out, travelling, reading and spending time with family and friends. She actively participates on her son’s hockey & soccer teams and volunteers on the parent council at his school.
Elizabeth Robert
Secretary
Elizabeth Robert is a lawyer currently working as an associate at Brownlee LLP in Edmonton. She has a general commercial litigation practice, with a focus on public procurement and construction. Elizabeth is also familiar with the particular challenges of non-for-profit boards, representing Edmonton and area NFPs in a variety of contract disputes. A lifelong resident of the Edmonton area, Elizabeth has been an active member of a variety of girls and women's sports teams, primarily playing ringette and lacrosse. She has experienced first hand the benefits that regular physical activity and team sports can bring to a young girl's life.
In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys playing hockey with her fellow law alumni and spending time with her family. She is an avid reader and when not in the office, can be found at the library or curled up with a good book.
Dana Kiefer
Director
Dana Kiefer was born and raised in Calgary and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Calgary. She currently works for Lawson Lundell LLP as an associate in Labour, Employment and Human Rights Group in Calgary. She provides strategic advice on a wide range of workplace issues, including compliance with employment standards, human rights legislation, collective bargaining agreements, and workplace health and safety.
Dana has welcomed the opportunity to work with the InMotion Network. She spent eight years working with the Calgary Stampeders Outriders Cheer Team in the Canadian Football League. As a female athlete in a male dominated sports league, she has witnessed some of the institutional hurdles and barriers that women and girls face in accessing or participating in sport and physical activity.
As a now retired cheer and dance athlete, Dana enjoys boxing, yoga, and group fitness classes to keep her motivated. She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, and is thrilled to be using her education and experienced to give back to her community.
Laura Mullen
Director
Laura Mullen has a Bachelor of Management from the University of Lethbridge and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA). Laura is currently the Accounting Manager at PCL Construction Management Inc. where she’s worked for the past 11 years. Growing up in Edmonton, Laura was actively involved in a variety of sports, with soccer being her main passion. She coached a number of youth girls sports teams and saw firsthand the impact sports made in their lives. Through that experience, Laura learned the importance of keeping girls motivated in maintaining an active lifestyle and the need for more female role models in sports.
In her spare time Laura enjoys spending time with her two young children, golfing, playing tennis, and snowboarding. She is excited to be a part of the InMotion Network and the work they’re doing to provide opportunities and inspire girls and women to participate in sports and physical activity.
Celestina Arubike
Director
Celestina Arubike holds the Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CGA), an international accounting designation (ACA), and an MBA. She has over two decades of professional experience gained both locally and overseas in finance, accounting, and business administration. Celestina was born and brought up in Nigeria and immigrated to Canada in 2010 with her husband. She is currently an entrepreneur managing an accounting business.
A strong believer in the power of quality interpersonal relationships, Celestina describes herself as a tribe builder, an advocate, and a facilitator assisting individuals who come her way stay positive enabling effective good mental health of persons. For these reasons, she volunteers in many organizations mentoring women and girls in three of them to play her part in society, and is excited about joining InMotion Network's board.
To keep a healthy work-life balance Celestina relaxes by taking regular long walks. She stays active by going to the gym and values the social atmosphere when she is there. She takes her curiosity to the kitchen by exploring varieties of recipes from multiple countries to learn more about people and their cultures.
Sophia Birchall
Director
Sophia Birchall has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Public Relations Diploma, both with distinction. She has worked in government communications for the last five years with the Government of Alberta and is currently the Communications Manager at the Office of the Auditor General of Alberta. She also has experience working in the non-profit industry and is passionate about communications and community engagement.
In her spare time, Sophia enjoys leading an active lifestyle, spending as much time outside as possible, running, biking and honing her novice gardening skills. She enjoys mentoring and believes in breaking down barriers and advocating for women and girls. She looks forward to sharing InMotion Network's stories and supporting women and girls to participate in sport and physical activity.
Jill Winther
Director
Jill Winther is a lawyer at Brownlee LLP, where she maintains a broad civil litigation and insurance practice. With experience defending commercial general liability, personal injury, Occupiers’ Liability, and municipal claims, as well as investigating insurance fraud and advising clients on coverage matters, Jill is skilled advocate for her clients. She brings valuable skills in strategic planning, risk management, and conflict resolution to the organization.
In addition to her legal career, Jill is a passionate sports enthusiast and continues to play women’s hockey and baseball. Growing up in a small town in south-central Alberta, she understands the challenges that young girls face in accessing sports opportunities in rural areas. Outside of work, Jill enjoys playing hockey, baseball, and golf. She also has a love for reading fantasy novels and writing fiction, and spends an excessive amount of time cuddling with her cat.
Jen Goeres
Director
Jen Goeres has been involved in sport and recreation for over 25 years, working and volunteering for not-for-profit, municipal, provincial, and national organizations. She obtained a Bachelor of Kinesiology (Adapted and Therapeutic Physical Activity) and a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Physical Education) from the University of Calgary and currently works as an educator with Calgary Catholic School Division as well as a Practicum Advisor in the Faculty of Education - St. Mary's University (Calgary). She also is the owner and founder of WordPLAY Consulting Inc., an all-women team focusing on creating innovative learning and development opportunities across the sport, recreation and education sectors with a particular focus on empowering organizations to engage more girls and women in sport.
When Jen is not cheering on her twins at the hockey rink, rugby pitch, or golf course, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking, downhill skiing and camping with her friends and family. She is excited to join the InMotion Network to support and advocate for more girls and women getting involved and becoming leaders within the sport, physical activity, and recreation (SPAR) sector within Alberta.
Jel Pacheco
Director
Jel's experience as a newcomer working with a non-profit organization has given her a deeper understanding of the obstacles faced by girls, particularly those who are new to the community. Because of this she would like to empower girls and help them build their confidence, self esteem and leadership skills through sports. To cultivate their enthusiasm for sports by providing opportunities for them to participate in different activities.
Joining the board of directors will provide her with the platform to make a notable difference in the lives of the girls as well as her skills to make a meaningful impact in the lives of girls who are committed to grow and develop through sports.
Chelsea Stellick
Director
Chelsea Stellick has a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Alberta and is currently completing her PhD in Psychiatry. She currently works for Deutsche Bank in New York where she is able to mix both of her experiences and expertise in finance and healthcare in her role in equity research. Prior to that, Chelsea was a Bay Street Equity Research Analyst covering the Canadian Biotech and Healthcare sectors.
Born and raised in Calgary, AB Chelsea has grown up around the Alberta sports and arts scene through her time with The Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede and the Calgary Stampeders Outriders Cheer Team. In her spare time, Chelsea enjoys traveling, hiking and being active with her two boys under two. She is passionate about gender equality and breaking down the glass ceiling in the workplace. She looks forward to sharing her experiences and passion to support and empower women and girls to participate in sport and physical activity.
Jaz Ramage
Director
Jaz Ramage has Bachelor's Degrees in Education and Arts, with a focus in English and History. She has also worked in sport and recreation for over 15 years, with experience in the non-profit, government, and private sectors. Currently, Jaz works as the membership and marketing manager for Rock Jungle Climbing. She seeks to promote an inclusive and equitable space for anyone who want to experience rock climbing, with a special focus on creating a welcoming environment for women and non-binary climbers.
Outside of work, Jaz spends a lot of her time reading and (you guessed it) rock climbing. In the summer, you'll find her camped out with friends at climbing crags in Jasper, Banff, and beyond. She loves reading feminist theory and socio-political analysis, as well as lots of fantasy and sci-fi. She is especially interested in the ways different narrative lenses are capable of actually constructing different realities, and wants to apply this understanding of story-telling to help change the cultural narratives we hold about women and girls in sport.