Board of Directors

British Columbia
Amy S. FitzGerald is the Executive Director and formerly the Director of Training & Programs at the BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH). In BC, Amy has also been a policy analyst. She has been a public interest lawyer for over 20 years serving as the domestic violence Assistant Attorney General at the Vermont Attorney General’s Office working on unsolved homicides and domestic violence litigation, policy, training and legislation, a Legal Services lawyer and Public Defender in Vermont and NYC. Amy was the founding chair of Vermont’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission and served on Vermont’s Child Fatality Review Team.

Alberta

Cat Champagne is the Executive Director of the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) and a seasoned leader in the domestic and gender-based violence sector. With a strong background as a Shelter Director, Cat has supported survivors and led collaborative rural and urban housing initiatives to create safe, stable housing for women and their children.

During her time in leadership roles and multiple shelters, she demonstrated leadership in government and public relations, policy development, and fund development—securing vital operational and capital funding for frontline services and housing supports.

Cat has extensive experience supporting survivors and their families through the complexities of the justice system, across multiple levels of court. Her work spans both rural and urban contexts, giving her a comprehensive understanding of service delivery and survivor experiences throughout Alberta.

She also brings deep knowledge in supporting people with disabilities, who face disproportionately high rates of domestic violence. This work has strengthened her commitment to advancing equity, accessibility, and inclusive practices across the sector.

Known for her energy, dedication, and strategic thinking, Cat is a passionate advocate for systemic change. Her leadership at ACWS continues to drive forward transformative efforts to end domestic and gender-based violence across the province.

New Brunswick

Quebec
Julie has been interested in issues surrounding social justice and women’s rights for nearly 10 years. Throughout her career, she has been involved in feminist struggles at various levels, whether through activism, community work or research. She finds many of her motivations reflected in her current position as Policy Advisor at the Federation of Women’s Shelters.  Julie holds a master’s degree in international development with a specialization in feminist and gender studies, a bachelor’s degree in international studies, cooperation and development, and training in project management. She is driven by the analysis of political economy and social context from an anti-oppressive feminist perspective and is particularly interested in the impact of policies on women’s living conditions and their access to services.

The issue of violence against women and systemic discrimination are central to her involvement in feminist struggles. Before joining the FMHF team and the Women’s Shelters Canada Board of Directors, Julie was the coordinator of the Accessibility to Interpretation Services for Immigrant, Refugee and Precarious Status Women Victims of Domestic Violence project at the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI).

Public Director
Julie Young is Professor at Humber College in the Bachelors of Community and Social Services Degree Program. She holds a PhD, Masters and Bachelors from Western University. Julie is known as a social justice thought leader with a passion for diversity and inclusion, social enterprise and community building.

She is a member of the National Advisory Council on Gender-Based Violence (Federal Ministry of Women and Gender Equality – WAGE) and a GBV Expert on the National Research Program conducted by the Centre for Research and Education for Violence Against Women. She has worked alongside women and survivors of violence in Canada, and also internationally in Rwanda and the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. She is the 2020 recipient of the Excellence in Brescia University College’s Teaching Award.

Her current research program addresses women’s empowerment, the financial and social inclusion of those experiencing poverty, and gender bias within the family court. She is the past Chair of the London Race Relations Advisory Council, the Royal Bank Equity and Diversity Council, and Londoners for Opportunity. She is known by her students as a professor with an interactive classroom that bridges the distance between the academy and the real world. She is most passionate about launching the next generation of do-gooders and game-changers.

Ontario (Treasurer)
Maïra Martin has been the Executive Director of Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes since 2015. Through this organization, she advocates for the recognition of gender-based violence and for access to quality French-language services for Francophone survivors. Raising awareness about gender-based violence has always been central to her commitment: in France, she coordinated an awareness campaign on intimate partner violence targeting youth, and with Action ontarienne, she launched the first provincial awareness campaign against sexual assault in Ontario. Her ongoing community engagement has also led her to work with asylum seekers and people with low incomes.

Yukon
Michelle Parsons is Yukon First Nations, a member of the Daklaweidi Clan of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. Michelle holds a Masters degree in Social Sciences and has worked in the area of social justice and advocacy for women and Indigenous rights the last 20+ years. She brings with her a wealth of senior leadership experience with an extensive background with federal and territorial governments. More recently, Michelle helped to advance the position of Self-Governing Yukon First Nations with the federal and territorial governments during her term as the Executive Director of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation.

Prairies (Public Director)
Nola Mahingen is First Nations from Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from SIFC, now known as the First Nations University of Canada. Nola has worked with the Yorkton Tribal Council since January 2002. Most of those years were in the Justice Unit. Positions she held were South Justice Coordinator and Southern Court Worker. In January 2005, she was successful in the position of Director of Justice. In December of 2014, Nola moved over to Safe Haven, a Women’s Shelter, working as an In-House Counsellor and Family Violence Outreach, where she became the Director of Safe Haven to 18 employees.