Andrew Obee
Oakville, ON
Andrew Obee has been continuously involved in Scouting since beginning as a Beaver Scout at the age of seven. He is a ‘Grassroots Scouter’, having spent much of his 35 years as a leader working at the Section level. After his time in Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, Andrew became an Activity Leader at age fourteen, working with a Cub Pack and then as a Scouter in Training, working with a Scout Troop when he turned sixteen. He then began volunteering as a Section Scouter at the Troop, Company, and Crew levels. Passionate about ensuring that the outdoors continue to be a core part of Scouting, Andrew has been involved in organizing major events such as the Scout Brigade of Fort George, World Jamborees and the Bushcraft Outdoor Skills Scouter Training program.
Andrew has been a member of the Board of Governors since 2016 and prior to becoming the Chair of the board used to chair the Board’s Audit Committee.
Professionally, Andrew is CEO of the Ficanex Group of Companies, helping the financial services industry in Canada effectively compete in the market. Andrew has a Bachelors Degree in Science from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Business Administration from Queens University.
Heath Johnson
Riverview, NB
Heath Johnson is an educator, volunteer, and life-long Scouter. He has been involved in the Scouting movement since the age of six, having been a youth member in all sections, and attributes Scouting as a defining experience in his life. As an adult volunteer, he has continued his commitment as a Scouter in Moncton, Halifax, Oxford (UK), Dorval (QC), and Levin, New Zealand. Experiencing Scouting in different provinces and countries has given him a broader perspective on Scouting, and what it can offer.
Heath holds a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford. Professionally, Heath is the head of the business and IT faculties at a local career college. Combined with previous work in economic development, over the last decade he has helped hundreds of young people pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions. Prior to this work, Heath was a management consultant, assisting businesses facing difficulties.
In addition to his 23 years volunteering with Scouts Canada, Heath has volunteered for the Board of Directors of Orienteering New Brunswick for 11 years, during which time membership doubled and the organization hosted a national championship. He was also proud to volunteer as a translator at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In recognition of his leadership, Heath received the Gold Standard of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award from HRH Earl of Wessex in 2005 and was named one of Greater Moncton’s “Top 20 Under 40” in September 2020.
Allan Birce
Calgary, AB
Allan Birce joined the Scouting movement as a Cub and enjoyed moving up through Scouts and Venturers. His favourite activity was camping. When Allan was fifteen, he worked a summer as an activity leader at Camp Gardiner, the Scout camp west of Calgary. Allan had a great summer leading and mentoring his sixes as they pursued activities such as archery, swimming and orientation. Such fun! Allan was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the Canadian Scout Jamboree in Cabot Beach, Prince Edward Island and the World Scout Jamboree in Lillehammer, Norway. He is proud to have achieved his Chief Scout Award.
Allan returned to Scouting years later as a leader for the 86th Woodcliff Troop in Calgary while his own son was going though the Scouting program.
Community building and volunteerism has always been a passion for Allan. He has served as Treasurer on his community association board and prepares tax returns for low-income families and seniors.
Allan is a CPA, CMA and works in financial reporting and operations accounting.
Steve Kent
Mount Pearl, NL
Steve served as Chief Commissioner and Chair of the Board of Governors from November 2008 to 2012 and is currently the 2nd Vice-President of the Interamerican Scout Foundation and Honourary Consultant to the Executive of the World Scout Parliamentary Union. Most importantly, Steve is a Scouter with the 1st Mount Pearl Lions Scouting Group. He has been involved in Scouting since joining as a Cub Scout in 1986. As a young leader, Steve was the founding chair of Scouts Canada’s National Youth Committee in 1995.
He lives in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, with his wife, Janet, and three sons. Steve holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and Certificate in Public Administration from Memorial University, and a Masters degree in Management from McGill University. He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Directors Education Program.
For twenty years, he served in elected public office in a variety of roles, including Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services in Newfoundland and Labrador. Steve is presently the President of FOCUS Group Consulting Inc., working with clients in the areas of government relations, marketing and communications, campaign management, and strategy. He is also the Vice-President and co-owner of FOCUS Driver Training Incorporated and Maritime Driving School Incorporated, which operate Young Drivers of Canada centres in Newfoundland and New Brunswick.
Stephen Loney
Hinton, AB
Stephen joined Scouting as a Beaver in Bedford, Nova Scotia where he had countless adventures from Beavers to Venturers. He joined the volunteer ranks as a Scouter with 1st Wolfville, and then 36th Halifax while attending university where he was welcomed around the pond for the beginning of his Beaver Scouter career. During this time Stephen joined a team of Assistant National Youth Commissioners, supporting Councils and projects across the organization.
After moving to St. John’s, Stephen served as a Scouter with 1st Mount Pearl Beavers as well as working with an amazing team of youth, staff and volunteers as Council Commissioner in Newfoundland and Labrador Council. Stephen, his wife Nora, and there always fun-loving dog Fig Newton now make Hinton, Alberta home where they enjoy the mountains and Stephen hopes to restart Scouting in the local area.
Stephen is passionate about youth leadership and volunteer engagement. He hopes to work with our many amazing staff, volunteers, and youth to solve problems and build a strong vibrant Scouting organization serving youth all across Canada.
Outside of Scouting, Stephen is a lawyer who works for the Province of Alberta.
Justin Chenier
Halifax, NS
Scouting has played a critical role in Justin’s life since the age of six, when he first became a Beaver Scout with the 1st Coldbrook Colony in Nova Scotia. Justin continued onto Cub Scouts at 4th Kentville before joining the 2nd Berwick Group, where he continued through to Scouts, Venturer Scouts and onto Rover Scouts. It was not until 2013 when his journey as a volunteer first began when he became an Area Youth Commissioner. Following that he served as a Deputy Council Youth Commissioner, and then became the Nova Scotia Council Youth Commissioner (CYC) in 2016. Following his term as CYC, Justin became a Group Support Scouter (GSS) in Halifax, spent a couple years leading a team to plan the first Atlantic Jamboree as well as serving as the Nova Scotia Council Communications Lead. Currently Justin, aka Hawkeye, works with a local Beaver Colony in Halifax, continues to support two groups as a GSS and is a member of the Scouts Canada Leadership Team.
Outside of Scouting, Justin is currently attaining his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. Aside from classes, Justin can be found spending time outdoors as much as possible whether that’s hiking, hammocking, canoeing or simply sitting around a campfire on the shore with some friends.
Justin is incredibly excited for this next adventure in Scouting as he takes on the role of National Youth Commissioner. Justin hopes to build upon Scouts Canada’s successes and create an even stronger organization through increased volunteer engagement, leveraging meaningful youth leadership roles and by collaborating with our incredible staff members from coast to coast.
Liam Burns
Ottawa, ON
Liam Burns is the Executive Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Scouts Canada, a role he has held since May 2023. Liam has been connected to Scouts since he was six years old and credits the organization for the many skills, resilience, and compassion he learned. As CEO, Burns is responsible for leading the organization and implementing its strategic vision to empower more young people to thrive and become better prepared for success in the world.
Before joining Scouts Canada, Liam held several executive leadership positions in the UK National Scouting Association, including external affairs, policy and strategy, and most recently, as Chief Programme Officer, focusing on program quality, fundraising, equity, diversity and inclusion. Previous to Scouting, Liam was President of the National Union of Students in the UK, campaigning for better access to further and higher education on behalf of seven million members, supporting the development of over 600 students’ unions, and acting as a non-executive director for several non-government and commercial bodies.
Liam is known for his strong commitment to youth leadership, diversity and inclusivity, community service and social justice issues.
Sandi Burns
Sandi’s love of Scouting is derived from her family of Scouters. Three of her grandparents told fascinating stories of the 1929 World Jamboree in Birkenhead which resulted in many adventures around the UK. She and her Scouter husband David have travelled across North America attending jamborees and exploring its natural and urban beauty. These adventures often included their sons and daughter and grandchildren who have all been involved in the program from Beavers through Rovers.
Sandi became a Pack Scouter in 1983 and continues to work with that section. She has served as a Group Commissioner, Wood badge trainer & mentor, support Scouter, Council Commissioner (2016- 2019), and National Recognition Administrator (2011-2015). Other roles were liberally sprinkled in as time and opportunities emerged. These roles have been met with enthusiasm and commitment, along with a smile. Most recently she has been the Interim team lead for the National Recognition Network and a Director on the Ontario Incorporated Body.
Sandi taught Architectural Technology for 29 years full time at Fanshawe College, also serving as the program coordinator. In Nov 2020 she accepted the challenge of part-time virtual classes at Durham College. She is a graduate of the Fanshawe program and worked in a variety of building disciplines including Land Surveying, HVAC and lighting, Landscape Architecture and as a Senior Technologist of a small Architect’s office.
Sandi holds a Bachelor of Education for Adult Learners from Brock University, which she completed through distance education while working full time raising a young family, and volunteering. She looks forward to using her varied skills to help Scouts Canada thrive and grow.
Jean-Francois Champagne
Montreal, QC
Jean-François Champagne joined Scouting in 1988. Over the years he held various positions at all levels of Association de Scouts du Canada (ASC). A strong believer in the youth-led organization, in 2000 he was the youngest District Commissioner to be elected. Under his leadership, youth were granted voting rights in the Scouting governance for the first time.
In 2009, Jean- François began his term as the youngest president of the organization in a difficult time as membership had been free-falling for years without being able to implement the required changes. He has driven, using participatory leadership, the major reforms allowing ASC to return to growth. Jean-François also played an important role in strengthening relationships between Scouting organizations in Canada. This partnership was formalized by the signing of a new memorandum of understanding between Scouts Canada and Les Scouts du Canada under the governance of the Governor General of Canada Charles Johnston in 2012.
From 2014 to 2017, he was nominated as the International Commissioner. During that mandate, ASC has actively participated in more international events than ever before. Jean- François also negotiated and discussed partnerships with other National Scout Organizations (NSO) all over the world.
In 2016, he was designated as the ASC Head of Contingent for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree which was the biggest cooperation project between the 2 Canadian NSOs. This milestone project was a big success and Canada sent the largest contingent ever to a World Jamboree out of Canada.
Jean-François is now president of his ASC local Scout Group. Jean-François currently works as a Human Resources Director, executive and support staff at the University of Québec in Montréal. He has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management, change management and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He lives in Montréal, Québec with his wife Sylvie and two sons.
Christine Dupuis
Memramcook, NB
Christine Dupuis has been a volunteer with l’Association des Scouts du Canada since 2008 and has been a member of the Conseil National of l’Association des Scouts du Canada since 2015. She has also been a leader for the Éclaireur (11-14 years old) for over 11 years and is a Certified Trainer with l’Association des Scouts du Canada.
Christine is an archivist at the Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson of the Université de Moncton and is responsible for the private and institutional archives. She is also a practicing National Archive Appraisal Board (NAAB) appraiser and serves on the NAAB Board as director for the Atlantic region. She is also a founding member of the research Group on Archives and Women in Acadia (GRAFA) at the Université de Moncton.
Christine also collaborates on several large-scale projects including two funded by the Human Sciences Research Council (SSHRC): Military Service, Citizenship, and Public Culture in Atlantic Canada directed by the Institut d'études acadiennes of the Université de Moncton and the Gregg Center for Study of War and Society; and a partnership project Three Centuries of Francophone Migrations in North America led by the Université Saint-Boniface.
Jennah Merchant
Vancouver, BC
Jennah has been an active member of the scouting community since she was four years old. She has been a member in each level of scouting and has served as a Scouter-in-Training, Youth Spokesperson, and a Leader with her local cub pack. Her hard work and dedication have earned her the honor of being a member of the National Board. In her capacity on the Board, Jennah works to ensure that the values and traditions of scouting continue and is always looking for ways to help the organization grow.
Through the scouting movement, Jennah has become an outspoken leader and mentor in her community. In 2017, she was awarded the Medal of Maple for her exemplary service. She has also received recognition for her personal accomplishments and commitment to community service, with the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
In 2021, she graduated from Western University, where she majored in Health Science and minored in Psychology. Professionally, she works with the regulatory body for water and wastewater operations for all of BC and the Yukon, bringing her passion and expertise to the field.
Rodney Nelson
Ottawa, ON
Rodney began Scouting in Ottawa as an eager Beaver and continued on to Cubs in the 1970s. When his family moved to the United States, he and his family continued in Scouting. In the States, Rodney received his Eagle Scout award and enjoyed many national jamborees. Returning to Canada, he joined the 28th Venturers and continued to volunteer as a leader in other scouting groups. Today, Rodney is happy to be a part of the 17th Ottawa Scout Troop as both a scouter and the group registrar.
Professionally, Rodney is a professor of International Business at Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. He teaches ethics, board governance and cross-cultural communications. He also volunteers teaching Not-For-Profit Governance for Volunteer Ottawa. Rodney sits as a board trustee for the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum. In the past, he was chair of FirstPlan Pension and Benefits, chair for AFOA Canada, co-chair of the Canada Dance Festival, and the chair of the Public Enterprise Governance Centre.
Ethics, corporate governance and social responsibility are also areas of interest. Rodney was appointed as an ethics officer for Public Works and Government Services Canada. He served as an associate with the CanPREP board at the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bio-Ethics. Rodney is also recognized as an expert in pandemic preparedness and was the business continuity research lead at the Conference Board of Canada and the chair of the Pandemic Preparedness Working Group. He was invited to join the Deputy Minister of Health's Private Sector Working Group on Pandemics. Rodney also represented Canada to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation on global pandemic planning collaborations. Rodney has also worked with many First Nations. Metis and Inuit communities and organizations. He was past chair of the Council on Corporate Aboriginal Relations.
Rodney holds a PhD (Carleton/ Trent), a Master’s degree in anthropology and two Bachelor degrees in psychology and anthropology (medical/cultural). He is a Certified Chartered Director (C.Dir) from McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business and the Director’s College, a certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator (CAPA), and a Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer (PAED).
Erica Saccary
Moose Jaw, SK
Erica joined scouting in 2005 as a 3rd year Cub with the Regina 79th after seeing how much fun her brother had in Beavers the previous year. Since then, she has been a youth participant in Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers. Erica began volunteering when she was still a Scout, serving in the roles of Pack Scouter, Area Youth Commissioner, Council Youth Commissioner and various other roles.
She is passionate about this organization that shaped her life and wants to help ensure that Scouts Canada is set up for success so that we can support Groups in helping develop well-rounded youth better prepared for success in the world through, great, safe, Scouting adventures.
Outside of Scouting, Erica works as an Occupational Therapy/ Physical Therapy Assistant in Moose Jaw, SK, working with individuals with intellectual disabilities to help them maintain quality of life, and facilitating independence.
Bill Schulte
Sooke, BC
Bill’s love for the outdoors goes back to his time as a Scout in Fraser Lake, BC. While his original Scouting time was short, Bill returned to Scouting in 2004 as a Beaver Scout Leader in Sooke, BC. Since then, Bill has been a Scouter for Cubs, Scouts and Venturers; Group and Area Commissioner, Cascadia Council Commissioner (2012 to 2015) as well as a Certified Trainer. The last few years Bill has been involved with the Pacific Jamboree Teams, Camp Committees, and the Canadian Fellowship of Baden-Powel Guilds.
Bill retired from the Royal Canadian Navy in 2008 after 31 years as an Electronic Technician and Combat System Engineer. Bill currently manages the Formation Command Analytics department in Maritime Pacific Command.
Carlie Tiller
St. Thomas, ON
Carlie first joined Scouting in 2011 as an S.I.T with a Beaver Colony in St. Thomas, Ontario. Intrigued by the adventures and experiences that the Beavers were having, Carlie joined the 7th St. Thomas Venturer Company, a Group where she continues to be a participant and Section Scouter. Carlie has worked in various roles at the Area level in Elgin Area, and most recently completed a term as the Council Youth Commissioner in Tri-Shores Council. Her favourite memory in Scouting to-date is travelling with her Rover Crew and meeting Scouts from all over the world.
In her personal life she volunteers with Character Curtain Calls, a children's theatre company out of St. Thomas—working with youth in the community, Grades 2-9, to advance education in the field of dramatic arts.
Carlie looks forward to the next chapter of her Scouting career as a member of the Board.
Scouts Canada Charity Number: 107761694RR0028