Housing Cambridge (Cambridge Non-Profit Housing Corporation) was incorporated in 1986. Of the seven original directors, four were City Councillors. Cambridge City Council now appoints two of its members to the Housing Cambridge Board of Directors. The remaining Directors are volunteers from the community. Some of these community volunteers are also Housing Cambridge tenants. All of our tenants are members of the Corporation and can vote at the organization’s annual general meeting.
The Housing Cambridge Board of Directors is responsible for the sound governance of the organization. Operating budgets are closely monitored by the Board, which ensures proper financial accountability and fiscal responsibility. Operating and capital replacement funds are limited and are used on a priority basis to address maintenance and operational issues.
Cathy Shafe
Chair
Cathy has worked in the residential rental industry since 1987 and has been in the non-profit housing sector since 1992. She works for a large non-profit housing provider in the Kitchener Waterloo area. She brings a wealth of experience in Property Management and Tenant Placement to the Housing Cambridge Board of Directors. She also offers her considerable experience on non-profit Boards. Cathy has been a past board member for both the Preston Heights Community Group and Langs Farm Village. At present, she is a member of the Board of Directors for a local co-op in addition to her work with this organization. She has also served on the Community Housing Review Committee for the Region of Waterloo. “For Cathy, housing is not a job, it’s who she is”. Cathy lives with her husband in the Preston area.
Gary Bell
Vice Chair
Garry is the principal at Bell Design Services a local business that provides design and drafting services. Prior to running his own business, he did project management at Cambridge ProFab and he was a designer at both Engineered Air and National Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Canada. Garry brings considerable technical expertise to the Board of Directors. He also brings many years of volunteer leadership experience with a variety of organizations and associations, including the Board of Managers at Central Presbyterian Church, the Galt Cambridge Lions Club, the Cambridge Symphony Board and the Arthur White Sports Bursary Fund.
Audrey Wilton
Treasurer
Audrey is one of our tenant Board Members. She was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and moved with her family to Ontario in 1967. She became a Canadian citizen in 1977. She has worked as a legal assistant in Cambridge for the past 30 years and she has been a resident at 325 Myers Road for the past 15 years.
Dave Kinder
Board Member
Dave is married with 2 adult children. He graduated from Osgoode Law School in 1975 and was called to the bar in 1977. He has 10 years experience as an in-house corporate lawyer for a large multi-national and smaller entrepreneurial companies. Dave has been in private practice in Cambridge for over 20 years and is a Past President of the Cambridge North Rotary Club.
Pam Wolf
Board Member
Pam is a City of Cambridge Councillor appointed by Council to the Board. Pam taught for WRDSB for over 30 years and raised her three children in Cambridge. She is currently the chair of the city’s Affordable Housing committee and member of the Poverty Eradication round table. Pam is a former board member of the Cambridge United Way and current member of several advisory committees to Council including Heritage and Environmental.
Barry Hesson
Board Member
Barry is a tenant of 650 Eagle Street North. Barry has had considerable experience serving on boards and associations. He is Past Chair of the Comox Valley Prostate Cancer Support Group in B.C. He has been a member of the Canadian Cancer Society branch in the Comox Valley. He was also charter President of the Ayr Optimist Club and Lieutenant Governor, Optimist International, District 11, Ontario.
Kristine Dearlove
Secretary
Kristine has worked within the housing stability sector in Waterloo Region for the past fourteen years. In 2002 she assisted in the creation of The Waterloo Region Rent Bank and Eviction Prevention program. This is a comprehensive and integrated program that prevents eviction and homelessness for low-income households within Waterloo Region by providing interest-free loans for arrears, and at the time she was Coordinator for a last month rent deposit program. As the Tenant Placement Officer with Kitchener Housing Inc. (KHI) she oversaw the tenants of the KHI housing portfolio with over 730 units. She was responsible for all areas of tenant placement, the processing of applications, interviewing, coordinating move-ins, annual income reviews, rent challenges and social issues. Since 2011, She has been the Family Services Manager for Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region. Habitat is a non-profit housing provider that is working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.
Lisa Keys
Board Member
Lisa brings to the Board considerable professional experience and expertise in facilities management. She has works for Wilfred Laurier University, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in a variety of capital program administration, maintenance and facilities management roles. Lisa was our primary contact while at the Region of Waterloo for the Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program (SHRRP).
Natalia Bulkowska
Board Member
Natalia Bulkowska is an active an engaged tenant of Housing Cambridge. Natalie’s career experience is in the private sector. Her resume lists a range of skills and experience including administration, data management, policy and procedures development, customer service and talent recruitment. Natalia will bring a positive tenant perspective to the work of the Board and her professional experience will be a definite asset.