info@harmonyhousews.com 613-233-3386

Harmony House

Women's Shelter

Meet our Team

Executive Director

Marilyn Matheson 
Case Worker - Housing

Lee-Anne Lee
Outreach Advocate

Trysh Smith
Coordinator of Volunteers and Programming

Sherri Ryan
Director of Development and Communications

Francesca Davila
Child and Youth Program Supervisor

Deka Hersi
Facility and Maintenance Coordinator

Sandi Laydu
Women’s and Family Advocate

Anette Quarcoopome
Mental Health Worker

Jessica Breault (she/her), MA, RP
Director of Finance and Administration

Susan Hopkinson

Executive Director

Marilyn Matheson 

Born and raised in Ottawa, Marilyn has lived in several cities in Ontario, including Thunder Bay, Windsor, St. Thomas, and London.  Her over thirty years of work and volunteer experience with non-profit and charitable organizations has included health care agencies, art gallery and theatre arts organizations, animal shelters, and food security.   She is a past board member of Harmony House, so she is aware of the great work done by the organization.

Marilyn has two children, her son Ian lives in Ottawa, and her daughter Laureen, son-in-law Matt, and three grandkids live in London, Ontario.

Case Worker - Housing

Lee-Anne Lee

Lee-Anne is a passionate advocate for women and children whose lives have been impacted by violence. She has worked in the Violence Against Women sector for over 25 years in a variety of positions.

Outreach Advocate

Trysh Smith

So, here’s the thing…I packed all of my belongings into a vehicle and moved from the Maritimes to Ottawa 24 year’s ago. I have my Early Childhood Education and have worked with children most of my adult life in some capacity, and started with Harmony House in 2002 as a childcare worker. I returned to school and received my Social Service Worker intensive program through Algonquin College, and began my role as a Front-line Women’s Advocate 15 year’s ago. I have had many roles at HH over the year’s, all of which I loved and have been privileged to have done. I am currently the Outreach Worker.

I love to travel, my wife, my dog and y kayak. Not necessarily in that order.

Coordinator of Volunteers and Programming

Sherri Ryan

Hello Everyone

I am thrilled to join this compassionate and dedicated team at Harmony House as the new Coordinator of Volunteers and Programming.

My name is Sherri.  I come to this role with a deep passion for supporting and empowering individuals within our community.  Having worked in various volunteer oriented positions, I am honour to now contribute my skills and commintment to facilitating a positive impact on women in need.

I am genuinely looking forward to collaborating to create a nuturing and positive environment that fosters hope and resiliance.  Together, I am confident we will make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.  Thank you for welcoming me into this incredible community.

Director of Development and Communications

Francesca Davila

As Fundraiser & Brand Development Manager at Harmony House, Francesca spends her days engaging with supporters, volunteers, community partners, and raising more money to make the world a better place. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University Javeriana.   

With over 10 years of marketing, fundraising and development experience, a passionate heart and insightful mind, she brings new approaches to donor stewardship, events and Legacy Giving programs. Her focus is on helping and empowering women and children fleeing violence, by leading and implementing the fundraising plan, brand development, creating awareness, growth and success. 

Originally from Bogota – Colombia, Francesca has lived in Canada since 2007. When not at work serving others, she likes spending time with her family, enjoying nature, exercising and dancing!

 

 

Child and Youth Program Supervisor

Deka Hersi

Deka has worked with HH for the past year. In 2021, we were able to secure enough funding to welcome Deka as a Part-Time employee. Deka has a special way of making each child feel loved and secure – especially as they navigate their new lives.

Facility and Maintenance Coordinator

Sandi Laydu

My name is Sandi Laydu and I have always had a passion for helping people in any way that I can. I was a personal support worker for seniors with disabilities for 9 years and found great pleasure in doing this.

Here, at Harmony House, I am the Safety and Environment Coordinator and I have the great pleasure to be able to aid with the transitional housing of very brave women and precious children who have managed to flee from violence and are on their quest to a safe and independent future.  The women that pass through Harmony House are from all different avenues in life but two things they all have in common is their courage and their absolute right to live in a safe environment.  I get to help with this by ensuring that their Interim stay with us is positive and comfortable.

I am honored to be a part of their big journey – Here’s to women empowering women.

Women’s and Family Advocate

Anette Quarcoopome

I am enthusiastic about making an impact in the lives women and families and I am currently serving as a Women’s and Family Advocate at Harmony House. Armed with a degree in Social Work and actively pursuing my Masters, my journey in the field has been defined by a commitment to supporting and empowering individuals facing challenging circumstances. At Harmony House, I play a pivotal role in advocating for the rights and well-being of women and families fleeing abuse. This position allows me to merge my academic knowledge with hands-on experience, providing emotional support, resources, and guidance to those navigating difficult situations.  My goal is to contribute to social justice through direct intervention and advocacy. Every day at Harmony House is an opportunity to make a tangible impact, and I am excited about the continued journey of learning, growth, and advocacy that lies ahead.

Mental Health Worker

Jessica Breault (she/her), MA, RP

Jessica has been working in the mental health field for 7 years, and is passionate about providing accessible and trauma-informed counselling support. She completed a Master’s Degree in Counselling and is a Registered Psychotherapist. Jessica provides feminist, strengths-based counselling services to current residents as well as former residents that are transitioning into the community. Outside of work Jessica loves dancing, gardening, and buying too many books. 

Director of Finance and Administration

Susan Hopkinson

Born in Ottawa, Susan is a graduate of Carleton University with her Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree. She has worked extensively in the non-profit sector for more than 25 years.

Starting in the 1990s Susan worked to raise funds for Inuit causes particularly in support of the formation of Nunavut.  This was followed by 15 years working as a Training and Management Consultant through her own company – JanSu Communications.  She offered Computer Training, Computer Support, Database Development and Management, and Accounting Services to the non-profit sector.

Susan had the opportunity to travel north to James Bay to conduct computer training, and also worked in the Aboriginal community in Ottawa for many years.  She developed many database systems including those for Radiothons, fundraising, and Social Services program delivery.  Most notably was the development of a database system to coordinate Christmas Giving. This system enabled some 300 agencies in Ottawa to coordinate with each other to ensure that as many people as possible received assistance at Christmas while minimize duplication of service.  

Susan has been an active Rotarian since 2001 has been Treasurer of her club for many years, and is a Past President.  Through her Rotary Club she was involved in building a playground where children of all abilities could play. Susan dedicates herself to volunteering in her spare time.

In January 2024, Susan joined Harmony House as Director of Finance and Administration.

Board of Directors

Board President

Lorena Caputo, MBA
Board Secretary

Cindy Ramsunahi
Board Member

Karla Rahn
Board Member

Tamara Taub
Board Member

Pragya Dubey
Board Memeber

Emily Murray, M.A., B.A.
Board Memeber

Andree Beaupre
Board Memeber

Jennifer Graham
Board Memeber

Kelly Khalilieh
Board Memeber

Sydney Lively
Board Member

Tara-Marie Andronek

Board President

Lorena Caputo, MBA

Lorena is a seasoned Management Consultant with more than 10 years of experience in strategic business administration. Based in Ottawa, Lorena holds a Master of Business Administration from Carleton University and Honours Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Ottawa.

Her expertise involves delivering transformation results for clients across many different industries including building strong governance systems and prudent business management. She is passionate about giving back to the community and has volunteered with many organizations in various functions over the years.

During her free time, Lorena enjoys spending time outdoors with her spouse, trying new recipes, and relaxing with a glass of wine.  

Board Secretary

Cindy Ramsunahi

Board Member

Karla Rahn

Karla owns and operates a small business with her husband.  Her background is in agriculture and she works directly with farm families, and understands the complexities in family-owned farm businesses. Karla’s compassion, ability to listen and to challenge provides a space to have conversations in the grey zones, to help people move forward. Karla’s professional experience is built from farming, working in the private and public sectors in the field of agriculture and agricultural banking.

Karla is married with 2 active teenage boys.  Most of her time is spent with her boys and husband, family & friends in the beautiful outdoors, cooking, gardening, and enjoying her work.

Board Member

Tamara Taub

Tamara has worked in the Federal Government for the past 23 years focused related to environmental compliance and sustainable development in real property, and more recently has moved into the area of accessibility and inclusivity in the built environment. She has vast experience working with a variety of stakeholders to develop and implement programs, policies and strategies. Tamara is very passionate about volunteering and has volunteered with various organizations such as the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, School Parent Councils, Temple Israel Board of Director, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ottawa. Tamara is married and has one child. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling to new and interesting places, going on family downhill skiing adventures, spending time outside in the woods with her dog, reading and volunteering. 

Board Member

Pragya Dubey

Pragya Dubey is the Vice President of Global Services at Agility PR Solutions. Her work involves collaborating with clients to create an objective-based media-monitoring and media-analysis framework. She has over 20 years of experience encompassing the fields of public relations, media analytics, social media and media monitoring in Canada, the United States and India.

Pragya has an MBA degree and a BSc in Physics from the University of Mumbai. She actively volunteers in her community and has been involved in the past with Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, Cultural Interpretation Services for Our Communities, and Ronald McDonald House, among others.

She loves to spend time with her family and friends and believes in no waste, recycling everything and sustainable living.

Board Memeber

Emily Murray, M.A., B.A.

Emily has worked for the Government of Canada since 2015, where she has gained experience in client service, essential social programs, and youth volunteerism. During this time, Emily also worked towards obtaining a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Master of Arts, through which she was able to develop passions for climate change mitigation (with a focus on Indigenous culture and tradition), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and female empowerment.

In addition to her work and academic experiences, Emily has had the pleasure of volunteering for many organizations such as L’Arche (as a Board Member), the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community (as a Global Shaper, an Impact Officer, and now Vice Curator), Autism Nova Scotia (as a Lead Volunteer), amongst others. Hailing from Halifax originally, Emily moved to Ottawa in January 2022 to pursue a new job and has really enjoyed her time so far (especially skating on the canal!). 

In general, Emily is a very passionate and enthusiastic people-person that loves to learn from and amplify under-represented voices and concerns in all that she does. Leisurely, Emily is an avid reader, traveler, yogi, and a terrible knitter. 

Board Memeber

Andree Beaupre

Andree is partner audit at KPMG and been with KPMG for past six years. Andree provides her expertise in finance and audit to Harmony House.

Board Memeber

Jennifer Graham

Jennifer Graham has been an employee with Global Affairs Canada since 2006. Jennifer is also a certified Yoga instructor and currently studying with Master teachers from the Krishnamacharya lineage in India to become a certified yoga therapist. Jennifer has a strong commitment to the communities in which she lives, including during postings in other countries: Jennifer lived in New Delhi, India where she served on numerous boards and board committees in various capacities, both in the non-profit and corporate sectors. 

Jennifer has also been involved in various social organizations in Canada, including the United Way, and is a co-founder of a registered Canadian charity helping support employment efforts for underprivileged persons.  

Jennifer has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (Carleton University, Ottawa). Jennifer is an avid runner and triathlete and holds two blackbelts in kickboxing and in Tae Kwon Do.

Board Memeber

Kelly Khalilieh

Kelly has taken the role of Treasurer on Harmony House Board. She is an accounting professional with 25 years experience, covering many areas of accounting. She is currently a partner with an accounting firm, and specializes in professional standards and quality management.  It is her passion to help people, as sharing her time to help others is what drives her.  Mother of three boys, Kelly loves music, water sports and her dogs. 

Board Memeber

Sydney Lively

Sydney has worked in the hospitality and client service industry in Canada and abroad for the past decade.  She brings calm expertise and expert logistical support to project management files. Experienced in video post production, editing, script writing and producer support, Sydney’s creative prowess brings a fresh perspective to client engagement.

Native to Ottawa, Sydney grew up in the theatre.  She credits over 11 years of acting experience with the development of specialized skills in communications.  

She found her passion for volunteering as a teenager, where she spent her summers teaching therapeutic riding to young adults.

Board Member

Tara-Marie Andronek

Tara is excited to join the Board at Harmony House. She is currently Legal Counsel with the Department of Justice, specializing in national security law, and has experience in border services, immigration law, and assisting Canadians in distress abroad, especially children. Tara mentors women law students at the University of Ottawa’s Common Law Program and has served in various non-profit roles, including Vice President of the board for Reach Canada (now Able2) and President of the National Capital Branch of the United Nations Association in Canada. She has engaged the public on topics such as human rights, the Syrian refugee crisis, privacy in the digital age, the UN’s role in outer space, and sustainable development.

Tara previously volunteered in Cordoba, Argentina, with local NGOs to promote human rights and strengthen democratic institutions. Her work included observing war-crimes trials, monitoring human rights, working at a community legal clinic, and providing anti-human trafficking education.

In her personal life, Tara enjoys spending time with her young daughter, playing tennis, and competing on a Dragonboat team. She hopes to travel to interesting places again soon.

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