CALGARY FRENCH & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT SOCIETY

BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES

KIMBERLEY DUFRESNE, MBA, BBA

President and Treasurer

Kimberly Dufresne currently works for Newalta as the Manager, Business Plans and Budgets. Ms. Dufresne obtained her undergraduate business degree from Wilfred Laurier University in Ontario, and her Masters in International Business from Toronto’s York University. She has also been a certified fitness instructor for 17 years, and has taught classes in Toronto, France and Calgary.

Ms. Dufresne has been a member of the CFIS Advancement Society Board since November 2007, and a volunteer at the school with past Galas, the Uniform Shoppe and most recently, on the CFIS Yearbook. She and her husband Peter have three children attending CFIS.

CALLIE DUNDAS

Callie is a native Calgarian who graduated with a BSc from the University of Calgary and went on to complete her MD at the University of Alberta. After completing her residency in Family Medicine, Callie worked as a locum physician, spent several years doing work in an NICU and then started her own family practice.

After starting a family with her husband Ian, Callie returned to part-time family practice and now focuses her practice on the care of newborns and their mothers. Callie has been an active volunteer in the hockey community in Calgary and has been a member of the CFIS Advancement Society's Gala Committee.

Callie has four children at CFIS.

ABIGALE KNAPP-GOVENDER

Abigale and her husband joined the CFIS community when their daughter Lucy started Pre-Kindergarten this fall. During their relocation process to Calgary, last December, from New York their biggest priority was finding a school for Lucy and they are thrilled to be at CFIS. Abigale jumped in at the beginning of the school year, volunteering for the 2011 gala and hopes to be able to use her prior experiences to increase funds raised for CFIS.

As founder and President of HACCHE Communications, a boutique strategic communications firm, Abigale ensures that each of her clients communicates their brand to its fullest potential. Abigale is known for being a resourceful problem solver who utilizes her background in public relations, marketing, and politics to address issues from a multi-disciplinary approach.

 After 13 years working in politics, public relations and marketing, Abigale founded her own communications firm with the belief that she could create a more intimate approach to companies’ communications needs. Abigale has maintained long-term relationships with her clients who range from a large multi-national company to a UK-based fashion designer.

 Some of her successes to date include the launch of former Burger King CEO Brad Blum’s company BLUM Enterprises, and increasing the sales of Malcolm M. Knapp Inc., a top restaurant and analysis firm, over a two-year period through heightened media visibility.

 Prior to founding her firm, Abigale created and executed strategic communications plans for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), which includes Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Café. Before entering public relations, she worked for a variety of public officials and political organizations including, U.S. Senator John Kerry and The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, where she focused on fundraising.

GAIL O’REILLY

Gail O’Reilly has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Calgary French & International School Advancement Society since November 2007. She has extensive experience in special events planning, and prior to starting her family, she owned and operated RAVE Marketing & Communications. That company organized numerous corporate and non-profit events in Calgary. Once her children were born, Gail continued to provide services on a volunteer basis to several local high-profile events, and was the 2009 CFIS Gala Chair, which under her leadership raised $55,000 in net profits that were put toward the CFIS music program.

Over the past several years, Gail’s passions, of sports and fitness, have led her to a very personally gratifying new career. She is a certified yoga instructor in two disciplines and a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and also teaches cycling, running and yoga classes. Gail created and co-produced the popular “Cycling with a Yoga Mind” DVD.

Gail and her husband Mike have two children at CFIS.

LYNNE WAKULICH

Lynne earned her Bachelor of Commerce in 1987 and her Bachelor of Laws in 1990 from the University of Alberta. She practiced tax law in Calgary until 1996 at the firm of MacKimmie Matthews, during which time she completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Course. In 1996 she joined London Life as a tax and estate planning consultant and for four years focused on integration of insurance with tax and estate planning in areas including business succession, estate equalization, enhanced retirement and family trusts. Lynne is a past instructor for the Alberta Bar Admission tax course.

After several years at home with her children, she has recently joined the Procurement and Asset Management group at Penn West Exploration working in vendor management. Lynne and her husband have two boys in Grade 7 and 9; both have attended CFIS since Kindergarten.