Interim Executive Director
Cheryl has over 20 years of experience in the Not for Profit sector with the majority of experience 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), the Point in Time program ( bi-annual homeless count) . Cheryl manages a variety of community partnership initiatives including Neighbourhood Grant program (the City of Kelowna), 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.
Contact: cheryl@centralokanaganfoundation.org
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.
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 frontline 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.
Finance Administrator
Contact: julie@centralokanaganfoundation.org
Julie has joined the Central Okanagan Foundation team as the Finance Administrator with over 20 years of Not-for-Profit accounting experience. She has worked both directly for Not-for-Profits in the Okanagan and independently running a successful bookkeeping business with a focus on the charitable sector. Characteristically 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.
When Julie is not in the office, she will be found enjoying the many gifts of the Okanagan. Living on acreage, she feels so very blessed to be able to share the harvest with friends and neighbours. She is the proud mamma of 3 grown babes who have all married and moved from the area. Traveling to the coast and Alberta has definitely increased with the arrival of their 1st grandchild this year.
Julie is excited about this next chapter in her career and honoured to be part of COF’s mission to “providing an ongoing contribution to the quality of life in our community”.