Kristine Bugayong - Executive Director
Contact: kristine@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Kristine joined the Central Okanagan Foundation as the Executive Director in September of 2023. Kristine has over 17 years of non-profit experience in a variety of capacities, including executive positions within Red Deer and Central Alberta, where she has lived for over 20 years. She has volunteered with various boards, committees and coalitions spanning areas such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership; poverty; housing and homelessness; education and training; and mental health and addictions.
Kristine moved to Canada in 2003 from Manila, Philippines, along with her sibling to reunify with her mother. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Audio-Visual Communication degree and a Master of Arts in Women and Development Studies degree both from the University of the Philippines. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, painting, exploring new places, and gaining new experiences.
Cheryl Miller - Director, Grants & Community Initiatives
Contact: cheryl@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Cheryl has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, mostly in community development and program management. Cheryl manages the foundation’s grant programs and the Volunteer Spirit Scholarship program. She also manages the Kelsey Serwa and Evan Guthrie Scholarship programs, the Kelowna Kiwanis 2017 Legacy grant program, the City of Kelowna, Community Social Development Grant program, the Youth Initiative Grant program, the Community Entity program (Reaching Home, federal funding), and the Point in Time program (bi-annual homeless count). Cheryl manages a variety of community partnership initiatives including the neighbourhood grant program (the City of Kelowna), and the Child Safety Initiative (partnership with United Way and Kelowna General Hospital Foundation). Cheryl is focused on strengthening our community by supporting initiatives that increase the capacity of organizations and individuals to respond to challenges and opportunities, develop local leadership, promote self-reliance, emphasize prevention, and mobilize civic participation and resources.
Abbie Norrish - Manager, Grants & Community Initiatives
Contact: abbie@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Abbie has worked with a wide range of non-profit organizations as an administrator, fundraiser, and executive director, and is excited to continue her career with the Central Okanagan Foundation providing support to the many non-profit organizations working to make our community great. Abbie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Okanagan College, as well as an MBA from the University of Northern BC.
Anna-Lyn Albers - Community Entity Coordinator
Contact: anna@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Anna-Lyn (they/them/theirs) joined the Central Okanagan Foundation in August 2022 as the Community Entity Coordinator for the Reaching Home Program: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Since graduating with a BA in Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Calgary, they have spent time in both front-line and administrative non-profit atmospheres. During their time as a resident in both Calgary and Vancouver, they developed experience in addiction support, disability support, and immigrant and refugee support. Throughout their personal and work life, they remain passionate about harm reduction, housing-first initiatives, transformative justice, feminism, and BIPOC and LGBTQI2S+ justice. They are excited to combine their passions for positive systemic change and administrative skillsets to the foundation and to contribute meaningfully to the greater Okanagan community.
Julie Belgrove - Finance Administrator
Contact: julie@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Julie joined the Central Okanagan Foundation team as the Finance Administrator with over 20 years of non-profit accounting experience. She has worked both directly for non-profits in the Okanagan and independently, running a successful bookkeeping business with a focus on the charitable sector. She feels passionate about people in general, and with an education in business accounting, she wishes to remain within the realm of the betterment of mankind.
Moving from the receiving end of the gifts provided, she feels privileged to be able to support those same charities with the funds to sustain their amazing work within our community. The need is growing every year and the generosity of our citizens has touched her immensely.
Bonnie Clarke - Accounting Technician
Contact: bonnie@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Bonnie joined the team at the Central Okanagan Foundation with a background in both administration and finance. She volunteered in the non-profit sector for over a decade, which made her a wonderful fit for the foundation. Bonnie’s position as Accounting Technician is to oversee the operational finances and assist the Finance Administrator.
Lisa Watson - Office Administrator
Contact: lisa@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Lisa joined the Central Okanagan Foundation in July of 2023. Lisa’s experience with the non-profit sector includes her previous role at AutismBC and her volunteer experience with other disability organizations.
Lisa has lived in Kelowna since 2000 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Simon Fraser University.
Her interests include reading, travelling, spending time in the lake in the summer, and skiing in the winter.