Board of Directors
Our Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary positions are held on a rotational basis throughout the year.
Board Members:
David Kelleher
He is an organizational consultant who works primarily with non-profits. He is the co-founder of Gender at Work, an international network of feminist change agents. He is an enthusiastic amateur guitar player and has been on a number of boards including the Mariposa Folk Foundation. He believes that music saves lives and builds communities.
Joan Knight
Born in Ottawa
B.A. From Trent University - major Anthropology
L.L.B. from University of Ottawa
Worked as a secretary until admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1983
Had a private practice for a couple of years then joined the government, first with the Department of Transport setting up a legal opinion library, then with the Department of Justice assigned to the Department of Transport legal office. Practiced domestic aviation law.
Retired in 2008.
Am on the Board of the charity SalvAide.
Activities - piano, reading, Pilates
Rebecca Kahindo
Steffi Ortiz
Tong Zhao-Ansari
She has an extensive experience in different kind of work.
Community Engagement Coordinator for City for All Women Initiative (CAWI), plan, coordinate, and, design and facilitate focus groups, community conversations, and training sessions on community issues and municipal governance and elections, strategize and mobilize community actions, plan and organize meetings and events, oversee data collection and analysis for research and evaluation;
In the past she worked for Neighbourhood Liaison Worker for Community Development Framework to train residents and community development staff to create positive change in their neighbourhoods.
Executive Director - Jam Wright
Jam holds a degree in Classical Studies from the University of Alberta. She is originally from Edmonton, AB, and moved to Ottawa in September 2018. She has several years of administrative experience, and hopes to bring some new programming ideas to WFMO. She likes animals and horror movies, and she writes stories in her spare time.
Coordinator and Consultant:
Alicia Borisonik
She has built a career around composing, teaching, and performing. She plays accordion and keyboards, and is a vocalist, composer, and arranger for her band ‘ALICIA BORISONIK AND THE ARGENTINIAN PROJECT”
Alicia has received numerous grants for her research of Argentinian music. (Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec, Ontario Arts Council and FACTOR)
She received her Diploma in Composition and Performance (piano) from the National Academy of Music, Buenos Aires, Argentina and a Bachelor of Music Therapy (BMT) from University of Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
She had been teaching piano for more than 20 years privately and with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board’s Continuing Education Program.
Her area of expertise is jazz, latin, popular music and composition.
Parallel to her profession as a musician and composer, Alicia has a long career as a music educator. She’s created a series of workshops, residencies and programs about Latin American music. Her Latin-American Music workshops have been presented at several schools in the OCDSB and others venues such as; Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Art Gallery, Nepean School of Music, The Ottawa Folklore Centre, The National Arts Centre, various branches of the Ottawa Public Library, community centres, Whitehorse Elementary School and was featured on TVOntario.
Board Members:
David Kelleher
He is an organizational consultant who works primarily with non-profits. He is the co-founder of Gender at Work, an international network of feminist change agents. He is an enthusiastic amateur guitar player and has been on a number of boards including the Mariposa Folk Foundation. He believes that music saves lives and builds communities.
Joan Knight
Born in Ottawa
B.A. From Trent University - major Anthropology
L.L.B. from University of Ottawa
Worked as a secretary until admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1983
Had a private practice for a couple of years then joined the government, first with the Department of Transport setting up a legal opinion library, then with the Department of Justice assigned to the Department of Transport legal office. Practiced domestic aviation law.
Retired in 2008.
Am on the Board of the charity SalvAide.
Activities - piano, reading, Pilates
Rebecca Kahindo
Steffi Ortiz
Tong Zhao-Ansari
She has an extensive experience in different kind of work.
Community Engagement Coordinator for City for All Women Initiative (CAWI), plan, coordinate, and, design and facilitate focus groups, community conversations, and training sessions on community issues and municipal governance and elections, strategize and mobilize community actions, plan and organize meetings and events, oversee data collection and analysis for research and evaluation;
In the past she worked for Neighbourhood Liaison Worker for Community Development Framework to train residents and community development staff to create positive change in their neighbourhoods.
Executive Director - Jam Wright
Jam holds a degree in Classical Studies from the University of Alberta. She is originally from Edmonton, AB, and moved to Ottawa in September 2018. She has several years of administrative experience, and hopes to bring some new programming ideas to WFMO. She likes animals and horror movies, and she writes stories in her spare time.
Coordinator and Consultant:
Alicia Borisonik
She has built a career around composing, teaching, and performing. She plays accordion and keyboards, and is a vocalist, composer, and arranger for her band ‘ALICIA BORISONIK AND THE ARGENTINIAN PROJECT”
Alicia has received numerous grants for her research of Argentinian music. (Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec, Ontario Arts Council and FACTOR)
She received her Diploma in Composition and Performance (piano) from the National Academy of Music, Buenos Aires, Argentina and a Bachelor of Music Therapy (BMT) from University of Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
She had been teaching piano for more than 20 years privately and with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board’s Continuing Education Program.
Her area of expertise is jazz, latin, popular music and composition.
Parallel to her profession as a musician and composer, Alicia has a long career as a music educator. She’s created a series of workshops, residencies and programs about Latin American music. Her Latin-American Music workshops have been presented at several schools in the OCDSB and others venues such as; Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Art Gallery, Nepean School of Music, The Ottawa Folklore Centre, The National Arts Centre, various branches of the Ottawa Public Library, community centres, Whitehorse Elementary School and was featured on TVOntario.
