Meet our dedicated group of board members!
The Board of Directors is responsible for providing strategic leadership by establishing and regularly reviewing the Vision, Mission and Core Values of the Agency. The Children’s Village of Ottawa-Carleton is fortunate to be led by a dedicated group of board members who share our commitment to those we serve. Once a month, they generously volunteer their time, talent, resources and professional expertise, to ensure the highest level of care for the children and adults in our programs.
Laurie Grice
Board of Directors President
Operations Committee Member
Laurie is Director of Finance at Canadian Medical Association. She loves being part of this not-for-profit organization that is leading a national vison for a healthy population. She is a CPA and also has a designation in Financial Planning & Analysis. Laurie has a degree in Economics from Queen’s University.
Laurie moved from Kingston to Ottawa in 1995. She has two daughters who are currently attending university and one dog who could use some puppy schooling.
Laurie volunteers at Children’s Village because she enjoys being part of an organization committed to helping children and families. Laurie has been a member of the board since 2014. She has previously held positions of Treasurer and Chair of the Operations Committee.
Valerie Cherrey
Board of Directors Treasurer
Chairperson Operations Committee
Valerie has been a member of the board of the Children’s Village since 2012. She is currently the Treasurer of the Board but has previously held the position of Board of Directors President.
Her interest for the Children’s Village stemmed from a desire to give high needs children a better chance in life by helping their families. The Children’s Village has been the perfect opportunity to join a great team of volunteers and professionals with the same aspirations.
Prior to volunteering for the Village, Valerie volunteered with adults’ literacy and ESL organizations in Ottawa.
Valerie likes to read, sail and travel when she is not working or volunteering.
She is currently Assistant Treasurer for Nokia North America. She has a Business Degree from a business school in France, a MBA from Northeastern University and a CPA from Ontario.
Peter Gusen
Board of Directors Secretary
Operations Committee Member
Peter Gusen is a veteran of the Children’s Village Board whose membership dates back to the 1980s. He’s filled various posts over the years, even President for a stretch, and is now the Board’s secretary.
Apart from his Village involvement, Peter spent much of his career with Finance Canada, before becoming an independent consultant in the 1990s. His consultant role involved travel to many out-of-the way places in Africa and Asia. This globe-trotting exposed Peter to the different ways children are cared for, or not, in various parts of the world. It convinced him that the CVOC excels in this important task thanks to its dedicated staff.
Peter and his wife Carol now mix trips to keep life interesting with time at home in Ottawa to recharge. Three young grandchildren provide Peter with insights into the challenging world of child care and inform his work with the CVOC.
Andrew Sherwood
Board Member
Andrew has been a Board Member ever since his daughters first started to attend the Children’s Village more than 20 years ago. As a former “client” of the Village and having worked closely with staff over the past 20 years, Andrew has always been impressed by the dedication and commitment the staff members and the care providers of the Village have demonstrated in promoting the wellbeing of the children and their families.
Andrew has been practicing law since 1990 and joined the Legal Department of the City of Ottawa in 2003 where he focuses primarily on defending the City in civil claims. Andrew has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2000.
Safia Latrous
Program Committee Member
Safia joined the CVOC Board in 2023. More info to come.
Alanna Twohey
Operations Committee Member
Alanna is Legal Counsel at the management-side labour and employment law firm Emond Harnden LLP. She has a law degree from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Brock University.
Alanna lives in Ottawa with her partner and two children. As a new member of the Children’s Village Board as of 2024, Alanna looks forward to being part of such a well-regarded, family-focused organization. Prior to volunteering with the Village’s Board, Alanna volunteered as Vice-President on the board of a non-profit child care centre, and she continues to volunteer with the school council at her children’s elementary school, having previously held the positions of Co-Chair and Secretary.
Caroline Ann Budzinski
Program Committee Member
Caroline has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2014. She was born and grew up in Ottawa’s Westboro Village, and is a former child-client of the Children’s Village, circa 1970ish. She worked with marginalized communities in the areas of Women Fleeing Violence, Homelessness, Addiction, and Mental Health for 16 years prior to making the decision to be a full time parent. Caroline is an enthusiastic supporter of Child-lead learning, nature-based schooling, and Waldorf education. She and her spouse, Jason, are parents to a 10-year-old bookworm and an inquisitive 7 year old.
Amy McKenchenie
Program Committee Member
“It would seem to me that making the world better in one way makes it better in every way.”
Amy is a high school teacher for the Ottawa Carleton District School, currently teaching at Richard Pfaff Alternate Program, specializing in student success and special education.
Previously, she has worked with preschool aged children in both childcare centres and in private homes, so she respects the value of Early Childhood Education, the invaluable efforts of Early Childhood Educators, and the institutions that support this essential service to the community.
Amy has been a member of the Children’s Village Board since 2016 and has enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the Village and the programming it offers to support the community. I has also really enjoyed getting to know the committed people who deliver these services.
Amy is a mom of two young children, so she is deeply invested in the education of toddlers and preschoolers in Ottawa. I look forward to continuing to support the Children’s Villages growth and development in the future.