The JFSC Family

Denis is a finance professional with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, financial analysis, tax, and business planning. He has over 10 years of experience in the energy and infrastructure industries and is currently a member of the Strategy and Corporate Development team of a large energy infrastructure company headquartered in Calgary. Denis holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with distinction from the University of Calgary and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder. Denis is an active volunteer with the Calgary CFA Society, most recently as a grader and a judge in the CFA Institute Research Challenge. Denis joined the JFSC Board in 2018.                                                        

Zakeana is the Chief Operating Officer for CCDI Consulting Inc. She brings well rounded experience in all aspects of HR, as well as the strength of skill in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She has been an active parent volunteer with Calgary Jewish Academy for many years.

Daniel Merson is a finance and banking professional specializing in nonprofit financial advisory, credit structuring, and risk management. As a Senior Relationship Manager, Nonprofit Sector at RBC, he supports social service organizations, public sector entities, and other nonprofits with expertise in nonprofit governance, budgeting and financial strategy.  

An active community volunteer, Daniel serves on the boards of JFSC and The SHARP Foundation. He has also volunteered with the Calgary Military Family Resource Centre, earning their Advocate Volunteer of the Year Award, and has mentored emerging professionals through various programs.

In recognition of his leadership and commitment to community service, Daniel was honoured with the 2024 RBC Global Citizen Award - recognizing outstanding employees who excel in their roles while demonstrating dedication to volunteerism and charitable leadership, embodying the RBC Purpose of helping communities prosper inside and outside the workplace.

Daniel is currently completing his MBA at Royal Roads University, focusing on organizational change management.

Yanna is a professional in the Oil and Gas Industry, currently employed with a major multi-national organization. She has over 10 years of experience in roles from overseeing fueling stations to crude oil supply. She is a trained Continuous Improvement professional and teacher, with specialties in streamlining processes, statistics, and idea generation. She has a Bachelor of Mathematics, Honours from the University of Waterloo, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MBA from the University of Calgary. She has been an active volunteer through her workplace Social Club and annual United Way Campaign, as well as with Calgary Jewish Federation.                         

Bev is a retired Management Consultant, specializing in Organization Effectiveness, Change Management and Leadership Effectiveness. Prior to opening her own firm in 1994, Bev worked for major organizations in Oil and Gas and the Industrial Sectors in Calgary and Toronto. Bev’s client work took her to many locations around the world. Bev has an Honors Business Administration (HBA) degree from the University of Western Ontario (London) and a Masters Degree of Science in Organization Development (MSOD) from Pepperdine University in California. Bev is a native Albertan, having lived almost 30 years in Toronto. Moving to Calgary in 2013, Bev became a Volunteer Alberta Health Services, visiting Jewish people in the Hospital on behalf of the Jewish Community. Bev is also on many committees at Rockyview Hospital and in the Calgary Zone. In 2014, Bev joined the Board of JFSC, contributing her business experience and HR/organization background.

Will is a native Calgarian. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Facility Management from the University of Alberta in 2010. Following his undergraduate studies, Will pursued his interested in emergency medicine volunteering as an instructor and medic for Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross). Upon his return to Canada in 2012, Will attended the University of Calgary and graduated in 2016 with a Juris Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration. While obtaining his JD/MBA, Will volunteered with Pro-Bono Students Canada and Student Legal Assistance, gaining experience in family, civil and criminal law. Will joined the Board of JFSC in 2017. As a child growing up in the City of Calgary, Will felt safe and secure knowing the Jewish community was always there to support him through life’s endeavors and being on the Board is a means of giving back to a community that has given him so much over the years. Will currently works as a civil litigator at JSS Barristers and is the acting Co-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Articling Section.

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia, and a Juris Doctor with Distinction, from the University of Saskatchewan. She is a currently practicing litigator with a diverse practice focused on commercial litigation, shareholder and partnership disputes and employment law. Prior to her career in law, Amanda worked in Fund Development for the Calgary Counselling Centre.

Michael is a Partner with a large multi-national consulting firm, providing assurance services to large multinational companies in the Energy, Utilities and Mining industry. He is a CPA in good standing in both Canada and the US, as well as with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK. He holds a Bachelor of International Management from Wisconsin International University, a Bachelor of Business Administration from American City University and a Master of International Management from Wisconsin International University (all with honors).

For the past 20 years, Gil has served as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of a Calgary based independent management consultancy. He has over 45 years of management consulting, exploration, and production experience in the Oil and Gas sector. Prior to founding his own consultancy, he held technical, managerial and strategic roles for a large multi-national energy company both domestically and internationally. He holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Geophysics from Queens University and is a member of APEGA. He is an avid volunteer, with previous Board of Directors experience as well as committing substantial amounts of his time annually to several well-known Calgary based non-profits.

David is an associate at a leading national law firm and maintains a general corporate commercial practice, with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and technology, privacy, and emissions trading. David holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa and a B.A from McGill University.
 

Ethan provides advice on litigation risk and strategy for large scale institutions and small business owners alike in his role as legal counsel with McLennan Ross. Originally from Winnipeg, Ethan holds a BA (Theatre & Film) from the University of Winnipeg, and a JD (with Honours) from the University of North Dakota, where he volunteered his time on various student organizations and arts community initiatives. Since moving to Calgary 5 years ago, he has most regularly volunteered serving dinner at the Drop-In Centre, and devotes his time to mentoring newer lawyers.