Horizon Housing

Bryan Romanesky, President

Chief Executive Officer
Permit Masters and CITYTREND

Bryan is President, founder and CEO of CITYTREND and CEO of Permit Masters. In 2010, CITYTREND was named by Profit Magazine as one of the Top 50 Emerging Companies in Canada. Bryan formerly worked with The City of Calgary’s Corporate Planning Application group and holds a Bc. Sc. in Urban Planning from Université du Québec à Montréal. He volunteers with Calgary’s U6 soccer program and at Connaught School. Bryan joined Horizon Housing’s board in 2014.

"Homelessness is a complex problem. The solution is not only financial support but the daily dedication of organizations and people. With Horizon Housing, I have found an organization where my contributions make a difference."

Committees:
Finance and Audit
Governance
Growth and Development
Stakeholder Relations

Ian Nash, Vice President

Owner
Benjamin Moore Mahogany Paint & Co

Ian is currently the owner of the Rocky Mountain Paint Company, which operates Benjamin Moore independent dealer retail paint stores. He also has a wealth of strategic experience in housing development, including 15 years at Brookfield Residential where he held numerous Vice President positions. Ian holds a Master of Environmental Design (Planning) from the University of Calgary and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Victoria. Ian’s other volunteer endeavours include over nine years as a volunteer with BILD – Calgary Region and six years coaching with Axemen Lacrosse. Ian joined Horizon Housing’s board in 2015.

"I have always been passionate about building homes and believe we have to provide a full spectrum of housing options to meet the needs of all. Horizon Housing plays an important role in the housing continuum, as well as in the RESOLVE Campaign and Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness."

Committees:
Growth and Development (Chair)

Wade Paget, Treasurer

Senior Manager, Audit & Assurance
Deloitte

Wade Paget is a Chartered Accountant and received his Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina and Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan. He has a broad range of professional experience in accounting and finance, working with companies such as Suncor Energy, PwC, Enerflex Ltd. and Agrium. Formerly, Wade volunteered as coach with Regina Minor Football. He joined Horizon Housing’s board in 2011.

"Over 3,000 people in Calgary live without the one thing that many take for granted; a safe and secure home. Horizon Housing is a leader in our community and is both dedicated to and capable of addressing this problem. I want to be part of the solution."

Committees:
Finance and Audit (Chair)

Byron Reynolds, Director

Senior Associate
Dentons Canada LLP

As a lawyer with Dentons, Byron has extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions and project development, representing clients in the energy, infrastructure, construction and hospitality sectors. He is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and has also given his time and expertise as legal advisor and guest lecturer to Momentum and as Civil Claims Duty Counsel in Provincial Court.  Byron joined Horizon Housing’s Board in 2019.

"There is a significant need for affordable housing options in our city. Horizon Housing is an organization taking tangible action to meet that need while serving some of our community’s most vulnerable. I want to be part of the solution."

Committees:
Governance

Bev Forsyth, Director

Consultant
Accounting and Financial Management

Bev is a Chartered Accountant with broad experience in accounting and financial management, primarily in the real estate sector. After several years with KPMG in Calgary and Toronto, she returned to Calgary and has held senior financial roles in diversified growth-oriented private companies, most recently as CFO of Beattie Homes. Volunteerism is important to Bev and her family. They have volunteered with various organizations related to youth, sports and music. Bev joined Horizon Housing’s board in 2015.

"It is my hope that I can make a difference to any one of the 3,000 homeless people in Calgary and ideally to the greater goal of ending homelessness. With the Housing First model demonstrating that providing a home can save tax dollars of $35,000 per person per year, resolving homelessness is clearly a responsible solution."

Committees:
Governance

Madelyn McDonald, Director

Social Worker (Retired)
Wood's Homes

Madelyn is a retired social worker with decades of experience serving vulnerable populations  in Canada and the U.S., most recently at the nationally-recognized children’s mental health charity Wood’s Homes. Madelyn holds an MSW from Columbia University in New York and is a Registered Social Worker. She continues to support Wood’s Homes in her retirement through work on the Neighborhood Advisory Committee and by providing single session mental health counselling. Madelyn joined our board in 2018.

"Having housing is a right that should not and cannot be ignored. Horizon Housing continues to be a leader in providing innovative housing that supports tenants who have a variety of needs."

Committees:
Stakeholder and Community Relations (Chair)

Janine Moir, Director

National Blockchain Assurance Leader
Deloitte

Janine is a CPA, CA with more than a decade of experience providing audit, assurance and risk management services. She has worked with both private and public companies in the energy, tech, infrastructure and water products sectors, and has experience working with teams across North America, the European Union, Australia and the Middle East. Janine joined Horizon Housing’s board in 2018 after serving on the Finance Committee for several years.

"Needing a home is one thing that every single human has in common. Each one of us needs a safe place to stay. Horizon provides dignity and security to its residents through their housing. As a fiscal conservative, I believe in a housing first approach and completely support Horizon’s strategy in helping end homelessness in my home town."

Committees:
Finance and Audit

Paul Steckler, Director

Assistant Vice President, Commercial Financing
First National Financial LP

Paul has diverse experience in commercial real estate finance and development, with extensive knowledge in business development, strategic planning, risk assessment and operations. Currently, he holds the position of Assistant Vice President, Commercial Financing at First National Financial LP where he shares his 20 years of expertise with clients.

Paul has held senior roles with an Alberta based new home builder and a regional management role in development and construction financing, for a major Canadian bank. He has also completed strategic operational and financing consulting engagements for numerous small and medium sized real estate development companies. Paul has a passion for affordable housing and completed the development of three multi-family projects in coordination with Attainable Homes Calgary. Paul joined Horizon’s board in 2018 and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan.

"The majority of my working career has related to the development, construction and financing of new homes. Being involved with Horizon Housing Society allows me to help families and individuals address their need for safe, affordable housing."

Committees:
Growth and Development

Martina Jileckova, CEO and Director Ex Officio

Ex Officio
Horizon Housing

As CEO of Horizon Housing Society, Martina Jileckova is passionate about Horizon’s mission of providing affordable homes to those in need and building welcoming, inclusive communities.

Martina came to the role in 2017, with 20 years of experience in the real estate sector, and a strong track record of driving meaningful growth, solid operations, and stakeholder focus. With an ambitious strategic plan Horizon offered the perfect marriage of her experience in real estate and her passion for implementing innovative solutions.

As a respected leader within the sector, Martina is committed to building strong partnerships with government, private sector and community groups. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Community Housing Affordability Collective, provides leadership as Chair for the Opening Doors Conference and is a member of the Calgary Local Immigration Partnership Council and the Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness. She serves on Boards for the Community Housing Transformation Centre and Alberta Network of Public Housing Agencies. Martina also served on The City of Calgary’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) for more than a decade and holds a Masters of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and a Certificate of Advanced Real Estate Development Economics from Simon Fraser University.

"With unprecedented collaboration within the housing sector and support among government partners, there is incredible potential for Horizon Housing Society to advance its mission and do even more to serve Calgarians in need. I’m excited to lead this work while continuing to help our community’s most vulnerable build community and find their independence."

Committees:
Ex Officio
Finance and Audit
Governance
Growth and Development
Stakeholder Relations

Gary McNamara, COO and Director Ex Officio

Ex Officio
Horizon Housing

After a career in the private sector in finance and business development roles, Gary became Horizon Housing’s Chief Operating Officer in November 2022. After hours you can find him reading, walking the dog or contemplating that there are apparently two trillion galaxies in the observable universe…

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Committees:
Ex Officio
Finance and Audit
Governance
Growth and Development
Stakeholder Relations

Rob Bedin, Vice President

Retired

After a 37-year career in the oil and gas industry both in Canada and the Middle East, Rob retired in 2020 and became vice president of Horizon Housing’s board in November 2022.

Providing sufficient affordable housing is an ongoing challenge but he is extremely proud of the 40+ years of the organization’s accomplishments and is excited about the future. Along with his wife, Karen, Rob loves traveling to places near and far.

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Committees:
Governance (Chair)

Jim Fergusson, Director

An accountant with a solid natural sciences background, he has worked as a Chemist, Production Manager, Industrial Relations Officer, System Analyst, Accounting Manager, Controller and Vice-President Finance of a GE Capital Canada company.

Jim has been active in many volunteer organizations serving in many roles including senior leadership. He has been a group committee chair and leader for Scouting, treasurer for several international band trips, president of a community association, chair of his church’s finance committee, and president of the Calgary chapter of Financial Executives International.

He has been married 48 years with three children and three granddaughters. He enjoys music, gardening, wood and metalworking.

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Committees:
Finance and Audit

Gavin Harrison, Secretary

Managing Partner, Strategy and Growth
Level 52

Gavin has a love for anything that takes him into the great outdoors and especially enjoys participating in obstacle course races and triathlons. Along with his wife and two incredible girls, Gavin is proud to call Calgary home. Professionally, Gavin has a background in entrepreneurship and business strategy.

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Committees:
Stakeholder and Community Relations

Betty Ho, Director

Retired

Betty is retired and spends a lot of her free time volunteering in the community as well as in her parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Prior to immigrating to Canada, Betty was a high school teacher in Hong Kong where she taught matriculation classes. Once settled in Calgary, she worked mainly in the oil and gas sector and the agricultural industry as a senior analyst specializing in payroll, expats tax equalization and system implementation.

Betty is married and has two daughters and one son. Since retirement, Betty has formed a walking group with four couples whose favourite walks are in Fish Creek Park and South Glenmore Park. Betty loves to bake and her walking group friends are her “guinea pigs” who get to try out her new baking.

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Committees:
Finance and Audit

Clem Lau, Director

Clem Lau Architects & Designers Inc

Clem was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada in 1967. He completed high school in Vancouver, entered UBC for his undergrad degree and subsequently was admitted to UBC’s architectural faculty.

Clem moved to Calgary a year after graduating university and started his own firm, Clem Lau Architects & Designers Inc in 1987. Through his 31 years in practice, Clem has been involved mainly in the multi-family, commercial, mixed-use and hospitality industry projects with some prominent developers. His projects have been awarded first place three times and two times as runner-up in the Sam Awards.

Throughout his life, Clem has continuously found opportunities to be involved in charitable and volunteer work for various religious groups, communities and non-profit senior organizations.

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Committees:
Growth and Development

Lucas Tomei, Director

Lucas grew up in Calgary and holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary. He has been practicing business law for over 14 years with a focus on corporate and securities law.

Lucas has extensive experience advising issuers and investment dealers in public and private financings and advising companies in a wide variety of M&A transactions, business reorganizations and securities regulatory matters.

Lucas is married with two children. Outside of work, Lucas enjoys running, bike rides, skiing, and coaching soccer.

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Committees:
Governance

Cindy Rutherford, Vice President

Cindy is an avid traveller who loves to garden when she is not out exploring the world.

Cindy believes that fundraising, stakeholder management and government and community relations are critical to ensure affordable housing is on the minds of all Calgarians. Her involvement from 2014-2018 as Co-Chair of the RESOLVE Campaign cabinet brought affordable housing to more than 1,800 people in Calgary.

Cindy has been a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors since 2011, allowing her to provide foundational and continued education regarding good governance for both not-for-profits and public/private corporations.

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Committees:
Stakeholder and Community Relations