About ACT | Leadership

Since 2020, Elise has been a committed member of ACT Alberta’s Board, previously holding the role of Secretary. She holds a Master of Business Administration in International Business from the University of Alberta and played a leadership role in the development of the World Vision Philippines 2021-2023 Strategic Plan in response to at-risk youth and urbanization. She has a passion for innovation and economic development and manages the global export and business development strategy for Edmonton-based, deep technology company, Zero Point Cryogenics. She is an active member of the Edmonton startup and innovation ecosystem and serves on the Board of Directors of the Alberta Motor Association (AMA).

Matt is a seasoned non-profit professional with over ten years of experience working with various organizations across Alberta. Having recently completed is Master of Public Administration in Singapore, he now is working in clean energy policy and disaster risk reduction.

Lisa was first introduced to accounting when she started her first semester in business school. Her passion has grown rapidly since then and led her to pursue a CPA designation.

Mandy is a lawyer with the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General on the Municipal, Education, and Service Alberta Legal Team. She formerly worked in private practice as litigation counsel and was a high school teacher for over 10 years. She is a member of the Law Society of Alberta Lawyer Competence Advisory Committee. Mandy volunteers with the Edmonton Community Legal Clinic and was a volunteer with the Center for Victims of Torture in Toronto.

Tim is a lawyer with Alberta Justice’s Civil Litigation Team. Originally from Ontario, Tim attended university in Ottawa and Kingston before moving to Edmonton in 2017. In his spare time, Tim enjoys a wide variety of sports and outdoor activities, motorcycling in the summer months, and spending time with his family and pets. Tim also volunteers as an Associate Coach with the Special Olympics Edmonton Alpine Ski Program.

Sanchari Quader is an experienced principal policy planner and GBA+ department lead with 18 years of planning expertise in public policy development and implementation, project management, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, strategic planning and execution, training and development, change management and communications. Work experience and keen interest in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Deep passion for work related to increasing sense of emotional safety and belonging in the workplace, and applying an equity conscious lens to the development of policies, projects, services and programs that serve the community. Certified leadership coach with over 250 hours of client experience using a modality of therapy embedded in relational psychology, self awareness, and emotional intelligence. Strives to embed curiosity, empathy and compassion into each interaction and seeks to learn, unlearn and grow while shifting perspectives.

A co-founder of ACT Alberta, Andrea Burkhart is an experienced non-profit leader with a nearly two-decade track record working in complex social and public health issues, including poverty, sexual violence, and human trafficking. She has extensive experience in developing programs, projects, and policy, leading intersectoral collaborations, and engaging stakeholders in systems change efforts. She has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a Master of Public Health degree in Global Health