Directors at Large

Kerry Patterson-Baker currently serves as VP Communications and Public Affairs for the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC).   A seasoned executive with experience inside multinational, government and non-profit organizations, Kerry’s expertise includes strategic communications, government relations, and business development. Prior to FPAC, Kerry was National Director of Government Affairs at Symantec Corporation, the world’s largest provider of security products and solutions to prevent cyber-attacks.   She has also held senior PR/GR roles with TD Bank Group, PwC, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Canada.

Kerry is based in Ottawa and is the past Chair of the city’s Youth Services Bureau Foundation. She holds a BA in Political Science from Carleton University.

Elena Merritt is a lawyer and an experienced advisor with over 9 years leading complex files in the public sector and private practice. In the last 6 years, Elena’s practice has focused on environmental and natural resource law. She also holds certification as an Associate Mediator with Mediate BC and has appeared before all levels of court in B.C. She is a past Board Member of a number of sections with the Canadian Bar Association and has showcased leadership on issues of access to justice and alternative dispute resolution. Elena is delighted to be back in the National Capital Region and to be joining the Board of the Canadian Club of Ottawa. She is thrilled to be a part of organizing and hosting events that foster dialogue on issues of national importance.

Muhammad Ali is currently a Senior Consultant with Crestview Strategy, based in Ottawa providing critical public affairs and government relations insight informed by several years of working in politics and government relations. His deep understanding of what drives government decision making helps clients navigate the political environment to achieve success on their priorities. He develops and executes on strategies for clients across a wide range of sectors.

Prior to Crestview Strategy, Muhammad was a Government Relations Advisor at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, leading advocacy files to advance municipal priorities at the federal level. Prior to that, Muhammad was a Senior Consultant at Hill+Knowlton Strategies.  

Muhammad remains heavily involved politically at the federal level including managing campaigns. For almost a decade he has worked and volunteered in a variety of roles on several federal, provincial and municipal elections. 

Muhammad earned a Master of Arts in International Relations – Global Political Economy from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University. 

Georganne Burke

Georganne Burke is a seasoned veteran of political activities in the United States and Canada. 

She worked on Aboriginal outreach and issues and managed the parliamentary process for a Private Member’s Bill.

Georganne also spent a decade in the private sector in marketing, both in the publishing and computer industries. She has an MBA in marketing and strategic management.

As Senior Vice President at Pathway Group, she is responsible for managing relationships with the federal government, utilizing her extensive network on behalf of clients.

She is also a political commentator, panelist, and avid social media commentator on Twitter and Facebook, as well as in mainstream and ethnic media.

Aquilas Kapend Dapaah is a trial lawyer and fierce advocate for justice. Prior to that, she worked as a Commercial litigator representing individuals and large corporations in business law.  With a decade of experience under her belt, she employs zealous advocacy skills in the courtroom and through all stages of litigation. When she is not in a courtroom advocating, she is active in various community endeavors committed to the empowerment of women and our youth.

She is cofounder of a Non for profit called The Rise Initiative, an organization that Helps impact community based initiatives to succeed  

She is also the founder of Financially Savvy Girl, a platform that provides financial intelligence to help millennials improve their money management and one that is invested in women’s economic empowerment. 

As a mentor in law and financial literacy, her philosophy in life is as follows: we have two hands, one is to help yourself, the other is to help others  

Martin works with organizations, both in Canada and around the world, to inform the decisions of governments and leadership, to have an impact and get results.

His practical approach to delivering outcomes leans on over two decades of experience gathering intelligence, analyzing data points, and objectively determining the best path forward. He is known for problem solving, negotiation skills, conflict resolution, and powerful messaging development.

Martin’s experience includes:

• Consulting to C-level executives and their teams in the areas of security, technology and procurement;
• Managing business units for major financial investment firms and delivering for clients;
• Working with government officials to find practical solutions and outcomes;
• Working to strengthen democratic efforts and institutions in places like Pakistan and Iraq.

Martin holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Ottawa and has completed the Henley Business School MBA Henley on Thames, England.

He is a Past President of the Canadian Club of Ottawa and he spends his downtime at home on his horse farm just outside Ottawa.