Members of the CRA Charities Advisory Committee

The 12 members of the Charities Advisory Committee were from a list of over 100 applicants by a nominating committee representing both the government and the charitable sector.

The Committee members were chosen because of their knowledge of the laws and policies governing registered charities, their work experience in the charitable sector, and their familiarity with the trends and issues faced by charities today. Representation from different regions and cultural groups were also important considerations in the selection process.

Lois Hollstedt (British Columbia) spent 15 years as the chief executive officer for the Vancouver YWCA. She also has four years experience as a member of the Voluntary Sector Initiative's Joint Regulatory Table. Ms. Hollstedt will act as sector chair for the Charities Advisory Committee.

Gordon Floyd (Ontario) is Executive Director and CEO of Children's Mental Health Ontario and former Vice-President of Public Affairs with the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (CCP). Mr. Floyd has extensive knowledge of the laws and regulations affecting charities in Canada and abroad.

Laird Hunter (Prairies) has practised law for more than 25 years and has worked primarily with non-profit and charitable organizations. He brings with him a broad knowledge of the laws and policies governing registered charities.

Bob Wyatt (Prairies) was co-chair of the Joint Regulatory Table of the Voluntary Sector Initiative from 1999-2003. Mr. Wyatt has also been the Executive Director of the Muttart Foundation for the past 15 years.

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Tad Brown (Ontario) is Chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Government Relations Committee as well as Finance and Development Counsel for the University of Toronto. He is also a director and officer of the Board of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

Catherine Cole (Prairies) is a consultant to registered charities in the heritage field and a board and committee member for arts and heritage organizations. Ms. Cole has also spent the past 15 years as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.

Carol Fitzwilliam (Quebec) is co-founder of a specialized executive search firm dedicated to the voluntary sector across Canada. She has been an officer of a number of charities, including Amnesty International, Montreal YWCA, YWCA Canada, and Canada International Women's Forum.

Kimberley Turner (Atlantic) is a lawyer specializing in labour and administrative law, and has extensive experience in the voluntary sector of Halifax. As a member of the board, former vice-president, and past president of the Canadian Unitarian Council, she was involved with a number of different policy initiatives.

Terrance Carter (Ontario) has practiced law for more than 23 years, primarily in the area of charities, not-for-profit organizations, trademarks and gift planning, and religious organizations. He is past chair of the National Charity and Not-for-Profit Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, as well as an executive member of the Government Relations Committee of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and a past director and founding member of the Christian Legal Fellowship.

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Margaret Mason (British Columbia) practices in the area of trust law with a particular emphasis on advising charitable and non-profit organizations. She has served as an officer of registered charities and as a founding director, secretary, and treasurer of the Minerva Foundation of BC Women. Ms. Mason is Director and Chair of the Finance Committee of the Saint Mary's Hospital in New Westminster.

Hilary Pearson (Quebec) has been President of Philanthropic Foundations Canada since 2001. Her 20-year career has spanned all three sectors-public, private, and not-for-profit. She also has extensive experience with central agencies of the federal public sector such as the Department of Finance Canada and the Privy Council Office.

Catherine Rowsell (Atlantic) has been Executive Director of Women Interested In Successful Employment (WISE) since 2002. She is also a member of the Interim Committee for the Voluntary Sector of Newfoundland and Labrador.