Board of Directors

The school is operated by a not-for-profit corporation and registered charity known as the Joan of Arc Academic Society of Ottawa. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors composed of talented, committed volunteers. The Board is made of both parents/guardians and external members, and at least one-third is voted in annually.

Christina Cella

Christina Cella is a pharmacist and administrator with almost 20 years of progressive experience working in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, telepharmacy, specialty pharmacy, consulting, medical information, and academics.

She obtained her B.Sc. (Honours) from the University of Waterloo, her B.Sc.Phm from the University of Toronto, and most recently an Executive Master of Health Administration from University of Ottawa. Currently, she is a Clinical Pharmacist Professor, sharing her time between The Ottawa Hospital and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Ottawa.

Christina is also a lifelong volunteer, having served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees of the Pembroke Regional Hospital, the Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy, the Hospital Pharmacy Section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation, West Side Pride, and now the Joan of Arc Academic Society. She is thrilled to be able to give back to the school that has provided her daughter with an unparalleled experience and education over the last six years.

Her strengths are in relationship management, collaboration, and problem-solving, and she is passionate about improving patient care; diversity, equity, and inclusion; lifelong learning; and contributing to a healthy workplace culture.

Jane Labreche

Jane brings over 20 years of experience in the Canadian sport sector as a leader, advisor and sport scientist. She holds a PhD in exercise physiology from UBC and has worked as a sessional instructor and research technician in the Department of Kinesiology.

Currently a Sport Science and Medicine advisor at Own the Podium, Jane provides guidance on programming while supporting the educational needs of practitioners in the system. With a young son in French elementary school, Jane volunteers as team manager for his sport clubs at the grassroots level.

Andrew Bailes

Andrew Bailes is the owner of Hertford Advisors, providing fractional CFO and bookkeeping services to a
number of companies in the Ottawa area. He is originally from the UK, but has lived in Canada since
2007. He was CFO for GoFor, the fastest growing company in Ottawa in 2020. He has extensive
experience in IT, Telecoms and other sectors, managing not only Finance, but also Legal, HR and
Operational functions. Andrew has degrees from Cambridge University, Queens, Cornell and is a
qualified CPA. He has been a Joan of Arc parent for five years.

Mara Burrows

Patricia Chafe
Past Chair

Patricia Chafe

Patricia Chafe is an internal member of the Joan of Arc Academy board of directors, serving as chair of the strategic planning committee. Her daughter has attended the academy since junior kindergarten and is a member of the Class of 2024. Patricia brings more than 20 years of management experience and leadership to the board. She is director of winter sport at Own the Podium and leads a Canadian winter sport technical guidance and leadership team. Patricia holds a PhD in mathematics and worked previously as a university mathematics professor.

Craig Burkett

Lauri Daly Cabral

Lauri enjoyed a lengthy career in Human Resources, where she worked at the Executive level and as Lead Negotiator. She specialized in conflict resolution and strategic management in not-for-profit and government at the municipal, provincial and hospital levels. In the final decade of her working life, Lauri chose to work directly with families in crisis, where she ran support groups, advocated in education and health care and chaired a national level committee focusing on mental health issues facing children and youth.

She has a proven track record of working collaboratively to develop innovative solutions to complex issues, achieving goals and ensuring that individual potential is maximized. She is bilingual and has worked at the Board level for the past five years. Lauri's daughter, Grace, graduated from Joan of Arc Academy in 2020.

Shravan Chopra

Jennifer Lalonde

Michelle Milne

Joseph Odhiambo

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Joseph Odhiambo is a father of three children, and his youngest daughter has just started junior kindergarten at Joan of Arc Academy. Professionally, Joseph has held senior roles in the federal government since 1998. He is currently a Principal Advisor in the Investments, Partnerships, and Innovation Division at Infrastructure Canada, where he manages a team of analysts specializing in Alternative Finance Policy. Joseph has also served in various roles on volunteer boards over the past 26 years, including President and Treasurer, for the following organizations: the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Canadian International Council, and Connecting Environmental Professionals. Mr. Odhiambo is a member of the 1993 Saint Francis Xavier University National Championship Basketball Team, which was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2008. He is also a volunteer for the Ottawa Shooting Stars Basketball Programme, where he coaches boys and girls ranging in age from four to ten.

Dave Singh

I have been a proud member of the JOA family for the past 8 years, where my daughter, Kalina, has had an enriching and fulfilling experience since Grade 1. Now in Grade 8, Kalina’s journey at this school has been a truly rewarding one for our family.

I am a lawyer at the Department of Justice Canada, where I have had the privilege of working on a variety of important areas of law, including Aboriginal law, family law, and currently, Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. These experiences have deepened my understanding of justice and equity, both within the legal system and beyond.

This is my second term on the Board, having previously served a three-year term from 2019 to 2021, during which I had the opportunity to contribute to shaping the school’s direction and supporting its growth during the challenging COVID years. After that, I remained engaged in the school community as a parent volunteer, serving on various Board committees. I have also been involved in coaching basketball, which has been a rewarding experience, allowing me to help students develop both their skills and leadership.

Matt Sparks

Jennifer Watson

She has taught physics at the CÉGEP level in Quebec for over 20 years and has previously served as a sessional lecturer at the University of Ottawa, the University of British Columbia, and the École Supérieure d’Optique in France. She holds a doctorate in optics and photonics from Université Paris-Sud (XI), a master’s degree in physics from Université Laval, and a degree in Engineering Physics from Queen’s University. Before entering academia, she worked as an engineer in the telecommunications sector in Ottawa.

A bilingual educator and community volunteer, she has been involved as a Girl Guide leader and as a cross-country ski instructor for children. She is the parent of two teenagers, and her daughter Éléonore is a proud graduate of Joan of Arc Academy (Class of 2020).

Society Documents

Joan of Arc Academic Society By-laws

Board Documents

Interested in
joining our
team?

We are always seeking strong external candidates with skills in business management, education, marketing, sales, technology, accounting, or human resources. Not-for-profit governance experience is a plus. If you have something to offer, please email info@joanofarcacademy.com