Board of Directors

John Alexander has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from MacEwan University, as well as an MBA from the University of Alberta. He is currently working as Manager of Business and Operations for the Foundation arm of the Winnifred Stewart Association, a not-for-profit organization that supports individuals with developmental disabilities. In his role, he oversees day-to-day operations, as well as strategic long-term planning, of the organization’s revenue-generating social enterprises. John has seven years of experience working in the School of Business, Office of the Dean at MacEwan University, in the role of Coordinator of International Projects & Student Engagement. In this role, he helped business student leaders fulfill their potential, while also managing the School’s international portfolio. Additionally, John has enjoyed teaching international business courses to undergraduate university students. John very much enjoys his role as Board Chair at Action for Healthy Communities and looks forward to further supporting the organization as it continues to grow and thrive.

Dr. William X. Wei is a Full Professor and Associate Dean with MacEwan University’s School of Business. He is Editor-in-Chief of Asia Pacific and Globalization Review and Associate Editor of two Emerald journals: Chinese Management Studies (SSCI) and Emerging Markets Case Studies. His research interest is in international business with a focus on Foreign Direct Investment. Before joining MacEwan University, Dr. Wei completed a BA in China, an MBA at Berlin University of Applied Sciences, an MA at Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus in Germany, a PhD at University of Limerick in Ireland and his post-doc visiting research at Richard Ivey School of Business, Western University, Canada. Dr. Wei has over 200 publications, including journal articles, books, book chapters, business cases and conference proceedings. Dr. Wei received a distinguished scholar award from the Academy For Global Business Advancement in 2012. He is also the president of International Case Research Association and the president of Edmonton Section of Hong Kong Canada Business Association.

Meghan has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from University of Alberta. She has more than eight year experience working in various capacities in the corporate sector in last six years at EPCOR Utilities. Currently, she is the Manager of Billing Operations which is a role that has a diverse portfolio. She has been volunteering for many organizations in the past and she is motivated to give back to the community by participating in AHC’s activities.

Amanda has a Bachelor of Health Science degree from Thompson Rivers University and a diploma in Dental Hygiene. She had worked as a Dental Hygienist for the last seven years. According to Amanda, her educational career has given her a vast array of skills in understanding health care in Canada, the social determinants of health, public policy, and research. With her in depth studies into the social determinants of health, she understands that she can foster positive changes while utilizing her science-based policy development skills.

Brooks has an MBA in Community Economic Development (CED) and has worked in the social sector for more than 14 years focusing on economic and workforce development, social innovation, nonprofit management, and social enterprise. He currently works for EndPovertyEdmonton exploring the effectiveness of inclusive economic models in eliminating poverty and is also the project lead of AB SEED (Social Economy Ecosystem Development) a project that seeks to build the social enterprise and social finance ecosystem in Alberta. He also is the co-founder of MatchWork (www.mymatchwork.com), a SaaS tool for service agencies supporting groups who face barriers to employment.

Colin has spent 30 years in entrepreneurship and his current chapter is all about helping others navigate the tricky waters of starting and growing a business. As the owner of several of his own businesses in diverse industries including building materials, renewable energies, social enterprise, and technology, he has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs around the world raise millions of dollars and, in many cases, bring their families out of poverty and create better options for themselves, their communities and the world at large. Including developing ecosystems internationally paired with microlending platforms, he currently serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at MacEwan University and is married to his best friend – also a business owner. They have three teens together who still think he’s “pretty alright”.

I am originally from Eritrea. I came to Edmonton as a government-sponsored refugee with my family about 38 years ago. My educational background shifted into the human sciences after I came to Canada. After finishing the diploma program at MacEwan University, I earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Calgary and later a Master of Science from the Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, US, in Community Economic Development. I worked with the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers as a community development coordinator during my early days in Edmonton. I also worked with the City of Edmonton for 26 years as a community social worker and Social Planner. I love to volunteer, and my passion is in community & economic development, refugee & human rights.

Nikki is a CPA, CA with over 15 years of experience in public practice and industry. She is currently working on her Professional Master of Education from Queens University. She works with students in the CPA program as well as in the field of accounting education developing materials for the CPA program. She has volunteered for several organizations in the past and looks forward to working with AHC and learning from this experience.

Adana is a mission-driven bricoleur who enjoys working with NGOs and the non-profit world. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with a Humanities background (BA in History). Her specialty is a transdisciplinary approach called One Health, which looks at wicked problems that involve human, animal, and environmental health. She is from Trinidad & Tobago and moved to Canada with her enthusiastic family. Adana has been working in international development, with issues around climate change, poverty reduction, and sustainable development for the past 20 years. She has worked with international and regional development agencies and corporate, academic, and civil society sectors in the Caribbean region. Adana currently works on applied research projects in the Caribbean and partners in Eastern and Southern Africa, supporting One Health and climate change initiatives.  She is particularly passionate about community empowerment, women in STEM, neocolonialism and tackling racism and sexism.