The Board of Directors of C.I.E.S. is responsible for the management of the business and affairs of C.I.E.S. in accordance with the bylaws. This includes management of the corporate assets (funds, intellectual property, and support equipment) and allocation of corporate resources to projects. Below is the list of current C.I.E.S. board members.
President
William J. Johnson Q.C.
Mr. Johnson began with the C.I.E.S. in 1998 as a volunteer advisor. In 1999, he joined the Board of Directors and since then has been vice president and in June 2003 was elected as the president. He has also been a member of the Audit Committee, the Job Selection Committee, and is the Chairperson of the Building Committee.
Mr. Johnson is a partner in the law firm of McGowan Johnson Barristers & Solicitors. Despite his business commitment he is deeply involved with the community. In 2002 he received Q.C. recognition.
Vice-President
Carlos Qafiati
Mr. Qafaiti joined C.I.E.S. as a director in October 2002 and in June of 2003; he became Vice-President of the Society.
Mr. Qafaiti came to Canada from the West Bank (Palestine) in late 1983 as a student. Carlos graduated from University of Lethbridge with a bachelor degree in Finance. He joined ATB Financial in 1991 and has been working as their customer manager since then.
Secretary
Katherine Franks
Kate Franks began volunteering in 2005 as a teacher for the CIES Drop-In Program. She's had a long career in Communications working for software companies. In 2007 she began a new career as a junior high English and ESL teacher with the Calgary Board of Education. That year she also made the change from classroom to boardroom at CIES. Kate teaches at a north east public school, and has a strong interest in supporting newcomers through her language classes. She brings experience from her own French-language learning to her teaching.
Treasurer
Philip Baker
Mr. Baker joined C.I.E.S. as a member of Board of Director in 2002. Philip became the Treasurer as of June 2007.
Mr. Baker is a computer-design draftsperson. He graduated from University of Calgary and SAIT where he acquired a degree in Computer Science and gained knowledge of Engineering Graphics Technology.
Directors
M'Liss Edwards
M'Liss is one of the founding members and first Secretary of the C.I.E.S. She worked as the Secretary to the Board of Directors until 2003, and was then re-elected as a Board member.
Peter Plesche
Mr. Plesche has been involved with the society since 1989 as a Board Member. In 1992 he was elected as Vice-president and in 1994 elected President. Presently, he is a director and actively involved in the affairs of the society.
Brian Simpson
After a teaching career of thirty years with Calgary Catholic Schools, it is not surprising that Brian devoted some of his volunteer time to educational enterprises.
Before getting involved with C.I.E.S. he spent several years volunteering with the Calgary Learning Centre as a director and treasurer of the Friends of the Learning Centre.
An Albertan by birth, he completed a B.A. degree at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto and later an Education diploma at the University of Alberta. His final year of post graduate studies earned him a Masters degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Brian is pleased to take a small part in making C.I.E.S. a successful experience for the many hard working students who access the various programs.
Michelle Warkentin
Michelle has been acting for over twenty years and has appeared on stages as far as Yorktown Heights New York and Jakarta Indonesia. She is a professional puppeteer and voice-over artist and currently the Educational Manager for the Calgary Block Parents program presenting programs to the Calgary School District. She has credits in film, cartoons and theatre. Some of her performances include, “Amber Lights”, “Stories, Lies and Heros”, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Waiting for the Parade” and “Plaza Suite”.
Michelle volunteered as a Drop-in ESL tutor in C.I.E.S. for one year. She also volunteered in Moshie Tanzania and Salvador Brazil and lived overseas in Jakarta Indonesia.
Rick Stones
Mr. Stones joined the C.I.E.S as an ESL volunteer in April 2008 and was elected to the Board of Directors in June of 2009.
Mr. Stones came to Canada from England as a child. He grew up in Ottawa where he obtained an Engineering Degree from the University of Ottawa. He currently works for NOVA Chemicals.
Ryan Siemens
Ryan joined CIES 2008 as a volunteer teacher in the drop-in ESL program and was elected to the Board of Directors in June 2009. Originally from Kelowna, BC, Ryan came to Calgary for school and graduated from the University of Calgary with a Commerce degree. He currently works for General Electric Canada.
Ali Al-Salem
Ali was born in Iraq and came to Canada in 1995 as a student. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with an Engineering degree then moved to Alberta to work in the oil and gas industry and has been living in Calgary since 2003.
Ali tries to keep busy and volunteers as an ESL tutor in C.I.E.S. and also in other programs in Calgary that promote assistance to newcomers to Canada.Galan Riley
Galan Riley joined the C.I.E.S. as an ESL volunteer in March 2008 and was elected to the Board of Directors in June of 2009. His previous volunteer experience led him to a teaching and advisory role at the Wisdom Academy (Aburi, Ghana) and as a care-giver at the New Life Orphanage (Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania).
Originally from London, Ontario, Galan graduated from Queen's University in 2002. Currently he resides in Calgary working for Liberty International Underwriters.
Amarjit Rakhra
Amarjit Rakhra was born in DehraDun, India and moved to Calgary in 1995 after marrying Anita. They were blessed with two sons, Shubumjeet and Shubraj. Shubum wants to be a Police Officer and Shubraj a Fire Fighter.Since then he has lived and worked in Calgary, for five years drove a city bus and has been with ATB Financial for the last seven years.
Throughout his life, he has been continually placed in leadership positions. His interests are broad and varied. He plays drums and the harmonica and is also a keen photographer.
Amarjit has been a Volunteer News Anchor for a local TV Station "Asian Magazine" for the last fourteen years.
In 2005, he received the prestigious Alberta Centennial Medal for his outstanding Volunteer Support to the Community.
Although focused in Banking, Amarjit's dream is to produce a Short Tele Film on Drug Awareness.