BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeff Booke – Chair

Jeff is the CEO of MNP Community & Sport Centre in Calgary AB. Jeff was born in Toronto and raised in Winnipeg. He has been active his entire life and, through this lifelong involvement in sport Jeff was encouraged to pursue degrees in physical activity & sports studies from the University of Winnipeg, a recreation studies degree from the University of Manitoba and a Haskayne MBA from the University of Calgary.

Jeff’s 25 year track record of leadership and management excellence was recognized in 2009 with his selection to Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40, in 2014 with a Leaders of Tomorrow distinction and again in 2022 with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. Jeff is an active volunteer and currently sits on the Board of Sport Calgary and the Calgary Parks Foundation. In his spare time Jeff enjoys cycling, hiking, hanging out in the gym and spending time with his family.

 


Jason Ribeiro – Vice-Chair

Jason Ribeiro is a father, community advocate, and Vice-Chairman & President of the Calgary Surge Professional Basketball Club. Jason holds degrees from McMaster University, York University, Brock University, and recently earned his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. Jason has held progressively senior roles in global consulting and economic development, and is regularly relied upon for trusted thought leadership and public affairs commentary in local and national media.

A passionate corporate director and community volunteer, Jason serves on boards and committees within the Alberta Motor Association, Sport Calgary, and EducationMatters. In 2023 he received the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal and Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Brock University. However, Jason's greatest achievement is the family life he's built with his wife, Dr. Natalie Scime and their young sons. His latest venture, the Calgary Surge, is an extension of his passions for sport and arts and culture. Jason is steadfast in his belief that the sport of basketball can bring people together and help build a Calgary that leaves no one behind.


David Inhaber – Treasurer / Chair of Internal Affairs

David is the Chief Executive Officer of the Beth Tzedec Congregation Society. He also is the Sole Proprietor of a Tax Preparation firm preparing personal, corporate and estate taxes. As a former treasurer of the Certified General Accountants Association (CGA), Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, and the Calgary United Soccer Association he has extensive experience in accounting and finance. As former chair of the CGA, and Parks Foundation he has a wide variety of skills including strategic planning, governance, human resources, and organizational management.


Carmelle Hunka – Secretary / Chair of Governance

Carmelle is Senior Counsel at Walsh LLP, where she previous worked at the YYC Airport Authority.

Sport has been a significant part of her life, since she was a young athlete in Edmonton to being the parent of competitive alpine ski racers to supporting sport organizations as a board member and volunteer. Carmelle was a competitive track and field athlete, competing at national and international levels (Canada Games Champion, Pan American Junior Games bronze medalist 400m hurdles), before leaving her sporting career to begin the practice of law. In the course of her legal and professional career, she had the absolute privilege to work with young athletes, coaching, volunteeting and mentoring, and working on boards of directors for sporting associations (Westside Recreation Society, Alberta Alpine).

Her past professional experience includes roles with CareVest Operations Inc., Cenovus Energy, Encana, PanCanadian Energy Corp., and Blakes LLP.


Simon Baker – Board Member

Simon brings a wealth of experience in accounting and finance having worked in the UK, Australia and Canada. He is a partner at PwC in the Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory practice in Calgary. 

When not advising clients on accounting issues Simon loves to spend his time playing soccer and spending time with his wife and two young boys. Simon has always seen sport as a key part of the communities that he lives in and as a newcomer to Canada it was a great way to meet people and make lifelong friends. Simon is excited to get increasingly involved in youth sport as his sons grow up. 


Charity Callahan – Board Member / Chair of External Affairs

Charity is a IT/Marketing Consultant who was previously active on Sport Calgary’s standing committees for three years. She has a background/interest in diving.

Charity is a recognized leader in developing strategic business plans, business transformation, system planning and systems implementation initiatives. She has hands on experience focused on delivering value to internal and external business partners on operations generating profitable growth. A systematic trouble shooter, resolved to fix problems in organisations so that they can achieve their strategic goals. 

She has demonstrated leadership in enabling change in organization, people, processes and technology aligning and motivating teams through complex projects whilst delivering on scope, schedule and dollars.


Lachlan Griffiths – Board Member

Lachlan is the CFO, Wolfe Automotive Group.

He is a finance and Accounting professional with experience across Real Estate, Energy Services and Retail industries.

Former experience includes Vice President, Finance, at Arlington Street Investments, Senior Manager in the PwC Calgary Assurance (AAG) practice and Controller at Hopewell Development.

Lachlan’s assurance career experience includes multinational companies in Adelaide, Brisbane and Calgary. His public practice experience is primarily in the energy services, mining and oil & gas industries. His large account experience includes ExxonMobil, Teck Resources, Ensign and Mitsubishi Motors, and is complemented by many mid-size public and private entities such as Rocky Mountain Dealerships, Akita Drilling, Matrrix Technologies and Landmark Cinemas.

Lachlan served as the chair of the AAG Local Staff Council, working with staff across all grades and lines of services on ways in which they can continue to improve the firm. He also led several efficiency initiatives focused on audit transformation, including leading workshops for both clients and audit staff.

Lachlan is also the President of AFL Canada, the national governing body for the sport of Australian Football. In the past five years of his involvement they have grown the membership base, significantly increased existing income while creating new income streams, and developed key external partnerships. This varied experience has helped him become a well-rounded and highly respected finance professional.

Specialties: Energy services, commercial real estate, project management, operational efficiency, leadership. Designations: CA (Australia), CPA, CA (Alberta)


Patricia McLeod – Board Member

Patricia McLeod is an experienced corporate director and the current Board Chair of Pieridae Energy Limited (TSX: PEA), a publicly-traded integrated upstream/midstream natural gas exploration and production company.

Patricia recently completed a five-year term as the Board Chair of Calgary Cooperative Association (Calgary Co-op), one of North America’s largest retail cooperatives (annual revenue exceeding $1.3B). Patricia was also the inaugural Board Chair of the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA), a provincial regulatory agency reorganized under amended real estate legislation in late 2020.

Patricia has also been Board Chair of the Calgary Film Centre, YW Calgary and cSPACE Projects, all substantial not-for-profit organizations that engaged in significant strategic and capital projects during her board terms. She currently also serves on the boards of Alberta Innovates, MINDD Inc., and the Green Line Board. She is a passionate community builder with a strong understanding of innovation and change management.

Patricia is a former General Counsel, Vice President, and Privacy and Compliance Officer. She held senior leadership roles with electricity-regulated utilities, mortgage brokerage, insurance, and financial services companies. She has extensive experience in contracts and corporate legal matters including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, capital development projects, regulatory applications, privacy and compliance oversight and business development transactions.

Patricia has a law degree and business degree from the University of Alberta and an MBA from Queen’s University, during which time she completed an applied thesis in creating a culture of innovation in regulated entitles. She is also a certified Compliance and Ethics Officer, a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ accredited director program and recently completed Competent Boards certification program for board directors in ESG oversight. She was appointed as King’s Counsel in January 2014 (formerly Queen’s Counsel at time of appointment).

Patricia was recognized by the Premier of Alberta with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her contributions to Alberta in 2022. She was recognized by BMO Financial and Women Get on Board in 2021 as one of five Canadian leading women corporate directors. She was awarded Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN in 2018 and 2019 and Legal Advisor of the Year (2019) by Women in Finance Canada.


Andrew Tankard – Board Member

Andrew Tankard is a Partner with GEC Architecture, a Calgary-based firm with extensive experience in sport and recreational architecture, at both the community and elite levels.

Andrew’s strong leadership style, business acumen, and understanding of the dynamics of delivering a broad range of sporting activities has established him as one of the foremost experts in his field. His professional experience has included working with many local and national sports organizations including the 2026 Winter Olympic Bid Evaluation Committee, Repsol Sports Centre, the Canmore Nordic Centre, the YMCA, and WinSport Winter Sport Institute.

In addition to his professional experience, Andrew spent many years volunteering with the Alberta Bicycle Association to help stage road races throughout the province, as well as acting as a soigneur to athletes at Nationals and races throughout Canada and the United States.

Andrew served on the Board of the Consulting Architects of Alberta, and understands the governance, fiduciary and oversight responsibilities of Board membership.

Andrew is an avid cyclist, hiker and cross-country skier in his spare time.


Sheila Taylor – Past Board Chair

Sheila Taylor is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Parks Foundation Calgary, a non-profit organization. In this role she has improved the organization's fundraising capabilities, increased stakeholder communications, and implemented upgraded program delivery measures.

The Parks Foundation is a Civic Partner of the City of Calgary, as is Sport Calgary.

Sheila would bring considerable experience with volunteer and non-profit organizations. She previously served as President and Board Chair of the Lake Bonavista Community Association, where she led the Board of Directors in policy development, planning, fundraising, and budgeting.

Sheila also previously served as a Trustee with the Calgary Board of Education. Her goals were to provide better financial transparency and provide parents with a strong voice in decision making - both of which were achieved.


Kathryn Truscott – Board Member

Kathryn was on the External Affairs Standing Committee. She is an experienced business leader, broadcaster, and fundraiser who has served on boards and committees that focus on inclusive sport and diverse ecosystems for women and youth advocating for sport for life.

Kathryn is a former Canadian Women’s National Team soccer player and youth coach. Skilled in business strategy, technology, innovation, fundraising, marketing, and relationship management. She has an MBA from Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, and certificate programs in Sport Management Studies at Columbia University and Innovation at Stanford University.


Eric Michalko – Board Member, City of Calgary – Appointed

A member of The City of Calgary’s Partnerships team, Eric works closely with a wide range of municipal recreation and sport partners, including Sport Calgary.

Prior to joining The City, Eric held communications, marketing and partnership roles with a variety of notable organizations including Western Financial Group, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Basketball.

In his previous roles, Eric developed and executed strategic partnership agreements with a variety of organizations and properties including the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), the National Hockey League (NHL), the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series and the CTV Olympic Celebration Tour.

Away from the office, Eric is busy at home with his two boys who he coaches in baseball and football. He enjoys boxing, fitness and running.