Board Chair Deanna Lennox 

"Being part of the Heartland Housing team has been an incredible experience.  It has been an impactful opportunity to not only support seniors in our community but to challenge and expand the way housing is offered to our residents.  I am proud to be part of a team committed to supporting vibrant communities through affordable housing solutions."

Deanna Lennox is a married mother of two daughters with sixteen years of service as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  As a serving member, she founded a non-profit organization to assist frontline service providers struggling with trauma and stress related injuries.  Deanna penned her memoir “Damage Done: A Mountie’s Memoir”, which appeared on the Globe and Mail’s national best-selling list in April 2015.  That same year she was the recipient of the “Stars of Alberta Volunteer Award” for her work in mental health.

Deanna was elected as Councillor for the City of Fort Saskatchewan in October 2017 and is enjoying serving her first term as an elected official.  As part of her Councillor duties, she was selected and placed on the Board of Heartland Housing Foundation (HHF).  Deanna served as Vice-Chair during her first year on the Board and is currently serving her second year as Chair of HHF.

Vice Chair Katie Berghofer 

“I learned from a very early age that giving back to your community only makes you a stronger person. I asked to be a part of this Board because I knew that Heartland Housing Foundation was an important organization for the people we serve. My experience in seniors care and non-profit organizations drives my passion for supporting vibrant, affordable, and connected communities.”

Katie Berghofer was elected for her first term as Strathcona County’s Ward 8 representative on October 16, 2017.

Councillor Berghofer attended the University of Alberta and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a major in Adapted Physical. She worked for several years as a Recreation Therapist and Manager at long-term care and assisted living facilities in Edmonton, where she worked directly with residents on programming to improve their quality of life.

Councillor Berghofer carried on her career in management, employed as a District Manager for many years overseeing retail operations across Alberta and Saskatchewan. She moved to Strathcona County in 2002 and has been an active community volunteer.

She is a founding member of the Gilmore Park Community League, and her work with that organization and involvement in the community, inspired her to run for Council.

Brian Kelly 

"As someone who has an aging mother – and is aging myself – I understand the importance of providing seniors with quality affordable housing. I believe that safe, affordable housing is crucial to supporting the most vulnerable residents of our community, and I am proud to support Heartland Housing Foundation in their valuable work."

Councillor Brian Kelly was elected as Councillor for the City of Fort Saskatchewan in October 2017.

Councillor Brian Kelly has proudly called Fort Saskatchewan home since March 1972 when he began work with Sherritt Gordon, now Sherritt International. Brian attended the University of Alberta, graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and articled with a firm in Edmonton to achieve his Chartered Accountant designation.

Brian operated a Chartered Accountant office in Fort Saskatchewan until 2017, at which time he decided to give back to the community by running for City Council. Since gaining a seat on Council, Brian has participated in a number of Boards, including the Capital Region Northeast Water Services Commission, the Emergency Advisory Committee, and the Subdivision & Development Appeal Board. When not attending to his Council and Board responsibilities, Brian and his wife enjoy golfing and spending time with the children and grandchildren.

Bill Tonita 

"It is a pleasure serving on the board of Heartland Housing Foundation which seeks to provide affordable housing for seniors and families in our communities.  As we continue to grow and as we face tough economic headwinds, it is becoming increasingly important to work together to find affordable housing options for all those who require it. 

Serving on the board of this great organization is an honour.  The dedication and commitment of our staff is incredible, leading to quality care for all who choose Heartland Housing as a place to call home."

Bill Tonita was elected to his first term as Strathcona County’s ward 4 representative on October 16, 2017.

Prior to being elected, Bill spent 33 years in education including 23 years as an educational administrator at schools in Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Lloydminster, and Nipawin, Saskatchewan. He also spent three years at Alberta Education as a Senior Manager supervising Alberta’s Accredited International Schools.  As an Educational Leader Bill was Chair of the Elk Island Catholic Division Administrator’s group, a member of the District’s financial allocation committee, and a member of the Negotiating Sub-committee of the Elk Island Catholic Teachers’ Association.  

Since becoming an elected official Bill serves on numerous boards and committees including the Board of Directors at the Saffron Sexual Assault Centre, the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, the Inter-municipal Relations Committee, the Youth Advisory Committee, the Capital Region Northeast Water Services Commission, the Integrated Regional Transportation Master Plan Task Force, and the Heartland Housing Foundation.

Andy Kennett

"I have a passion for and a belief in people and housing. Housing is one of our primary needs. There is nothing like providing shelter to people - you can actually see a tangible outcome of the service you provide. I am committed to the values of mutual respect, excellence, empathy for others, quality in service, and performance. I believe we can do our best work when we are collaborative, accountable, and demonstrate personal and corporate integrity."

Father of seven, married for 39 years and blessed to be in the retirement phase of life. Andy retired from a career in the public and non profit sectors that started in government, transitioned to the non-profit sector and back to government. Andy has experience in government policy development, housing foundation administration (CAO), property management, disaster recovery (Director, High River Flood Recovery), project management (Alberta Infrastructure) and provincial social housing maintenance (Director). For the past two years, Andy and his wife have lived in Spain as missionaries (Financial Secretary, Spain Madrid Mission).

Mike Derbyshire, ICD.D, CRM

"Giving back to the community that has been my home for over 30 years is important to me and my family. I look forward to supporting our Vision of being leaders in shaping innovative affordable housing through strong governance and strategy development."

Mike’s distinguished policing career spanned nearly 26 years with the Edmonton Police Service.  Since his “retirement” in 2006, he has had roles as the Director of Safety and Security for the Edmonton Transit System, the Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management for Servus Credit Union, the Vice President of Operations for Edmonton Northlands, and completed his full-time career as the General Manager of the Calgary Parking Authority. 

Mike graduated with Distinction from Athabasca University with a Bachelor of Professional Arts in Criminal Justice.  He served as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Police and Security Program at Grant MacEwan University. He was also a part time faculty member at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta. Mike was awarded the ICD.D designation by the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Mike’s community involvement includes Board positions on not for profits (Highlands Golf Club, two Condo Boards, Pilgrims Hospice Society and others), TSX traded companies, chairing the Board of two Credit Unions and serving on the Board of municipal and provincial government controlled corporations.

Mike is currently the Chief Listening Officer at Derbycon Enterprises Inc., a boutique consultancy focusing on investigations, mentoring, leadership and corporate governance.