Team

One of the best parts of Jolene’s day is having dinner at home with her family. This simple pleasure grounds her and fuels her at the same time—and she is keenly aware that not everyone in Canada has the same opportunity to share a meal in a place they call home.

Jolene believes that the growing housing crisis in Canada needs significant action on a national scale now. She also believes in the power and potential of the social profit sector. In 2021, she, with support from the Bespoke and Ramp Communications teams, founded Partners for Affordable Housing with a seed investment from the Government of Alberta. The charity seeks to ensure affordable housing for everyone in Canada.

Partners for Affordable Housing is a social profit organization that will accelerate and amplify the Canadian housing sector’s actions through the availability of centralized, maximized resources, resulting in a massive positive impact on the affordable housing crisis.

Jolene is uniquely qualified to lead this ambitious effort, integrating her experiences as an entrepreneur, board member, corporate community partnership builder, and prolific fundraiser. Energetic and innovative, she coaches social profit organizations on engagement, strategy, revenue generation, governance and ambassadorship. She helps clients weave these essential qualities into the DNA of their organizations to ensure their long-term sustainability. She has led capital campaigns ranging from $25 million to over $1.4 billion. She is a team builder, an idea generator, a champion of women leaders, and a guest speaker on transformation in the social profit sector.

Shelley Mayer, CM is a passionate and visionary leader, committed to the intersection of purpose and profit. Shelley believes that collaboration is at the heart of all success and is well-known as an industry connector and matchmaker.

With deep business experience and extensive knowledge of the social profit space, Shelley has advised hundreds of organizations in their quest for transformational change. A trusted industry expert, coach and advisor, Shelley has a reputation for challenging the status quo and solving problems creatively.

Shelley holds a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Chartered Marketer designation with the Canadian Marketing Association, and is a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional and a member of Social Value Canada.

With more than 20 years of combined client and agency experience, Shelley is a trusted strategic advisor to organizations committed to sustainability and leading social change. Since founding Ramp Communications in 2011, Shelley has partnered with over 100 social impact organizations and purpose-driven companies, helping them showcase their impacts across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Shelley’s expertise includes branding, storytelling, impact reports, awareness campaigns and a range of other communication tools to help organizations engage with communities, share their great work, attract funders and inspire change.

Carly Schur is a leader in philanthropy and partnerships with over 25 years of experience driving revenue growth and building high impact collaborations across Canada’s national health sector. She led major gifts, corporate partnerships and integrated national strategies that drive meaningful, system-level change.

Carly is known for connecting donor and partner interests to bold outcomes. At Partners for Affordable Housing, she is focused on mobilizing philanthropic and private sector capital to accelerate affordable housing solutions across Canada.

In her spare time, Carly is a busy mom of two, stays highly active, and enjoys music, travel, and time well spent with family and friends. 

Amy Bolt is a community housing professional with a demonstrated track record in program design and delivery. She is deeply committed to the belief that access to affordable housing is not only a fundamental human right, but also a vital foundation for individual and collective well-being.

Over the past decade, Amy has dedicated her career to supporting the non-profit and cooperative housing sectors in expanding their impact. She has designed and led numerous capacity-building initiatives focused on organizational development, research and innovation, partnership building, and knowledge-sharing. As Program Manager at the Community Housing Transformation Centre, Amy worked with housing providers to enhance their capacity to plan, develop, and deliver affordable housing. More recently, at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), she managed the end to end delivery of the National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund, a capacity-building program aimed at advancing evidence-based solutions to Canada’s housing challenges.

Amy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and Management and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from McGill University. This unique combination enables her to integrate systems thinking and technical analysis with a nuanced understanding of urban policy and governance.

Her work centers on empowering housing organizations to drive transformative change and maximize their impact - through clearer strategies, deeper collaboration, and improved access to knowledge and resources.

Sara Falconer is a strategist, storyteller, and communications leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing social change through powerful campaigns, strong brands, and mission-driven communications.

Throughout her career, Sara has worked with a wide range of nonprofit and social impact organizations, including Canadian Hearing Services, Canadian Red Cross, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and Oxfam Canada. Her focus includes communications, fundraising, advocacy, branding, and digital transformation.

Sara builds and leads dynamic bilingual teams and national initiatives, both online and offline. She is known for bringing people together, creating clarity in complex environments, and helping organizations communicate in ways that inspire trust, engagement, and action.

At Partners for Affordable Housing, Sara is passionate about strengthening awareness, connection, and support for affordable housing solutions in Hamilton and across the country.

Sara lives in Hamilton with her family (including cats!). She is proud to volunteer with Nunavut Ukpiit Hockey Association for girls.

Heidi brings over 20 years of experience in strategic leadership, organizational transformation, change management and operational excellence. She has led complex, cross-functional initiatives across government, consulting and nonprofit sectors, with a strong focus on improving systems, strengthening teams, and delivering meaningful results.

As Special Projects Lead, Heidi supports several key priorities, including strengthening our internal processes and project management, optimizing our systems and helping translate our strategic priorities into clear, actionable operational plans. She also provides support across governance and planning rhythms, recruitment, and onboarding as we continue to grow.

Heidi holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Humanities from York University, and a post-grad diploma in Exhibition, Convention and Trade Show Management. She is an accredited PMP with a micro-credential in Organizational Transformation and also holds a certificate in Non-profit Leadership from the Northwestern Kellogg Executive Education Centre.

Dyllan joined Partners for Affordable Housing in 2024 as an Executive Assistant, bringing over 15 years of administrative experience and a strong foundation in the social profit sector. Now serving as Operations Manager, she plays a central role in ensuring the smooth, day-to-day functioning of the organization. Dyllan oversees core administrative systems, supports cross-team coordination, and leads internal process improvements.

Dyllan is particularly skilled at streamlining operations and building internal systems that allow the team to stay focused on high-impact work. Her diverse background—ranging from farming to beauty to social profit—makes Dyllan an adaptable and invaluable leader across varied contexts. She proudly calls herself a “professional jack-of-all-trades” and is deeply committed to supporting the sector through Partners’s mission. She thrives when collaborating with like-minded individuals and believes in the power of investing in the affordable housing sector to benefit individuals, communities, and the broader economy.

Outside of work, Dyllan is a passionate volunteer, contributing her time to organizations such as the Calgary Drop-In Centre, the Alzheimer Society, and various animal rescues.

Reece brings a multidisciplinary background in technology, research, and program operations to his role as Program & Systems Specialist with Partners for Affordable Housing. He specializes in platform and web development, CRM management, workflow automation, digital infrastructure, research, project management, and program development that support the organization’s work.

Prior to joining Partners for Affordable Housing, Reece worked as a Junior Researcher at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), where he contributed to research initiatives focused on addressing Canada’s housing challenges and advancing evidence-based housing policy, primarily in Indigenous contexts.

Reece holds a Bachelor’s degree in Global Business and Digital Arts from the University of Waterloo and has pursued graduate studies in Urban Planning. His work combines technical systems thinking with research and strategy, helping organizations build the infrastructure, processes, and tools needed to operate more effectively and advance solutions to complex housing challenges.

Brooke brings a diverse background in digital marketing to her role as Marketing Specialist with Partners for Affordable Housing. She specializes in digital marketing strategy, social media management, content creation, community management, photography, videography, and project management, combining creativity and strategy to deliver measurable impact.

Her career spans working in industries ranging from consumer packaged goods and beauty to engineering, post-secondary programming, and agency marketing. This breadth of experience has equipped her with a unique perspective and an adaptable approach to marketing. At Partners for Affordable Housing, Brooke is motivated by the opportunity to help raise awareness and amplify the voices of individuals and families in need of safe, stable, and affordable housing.

Michele Madaire brings extensive experience in executive support, governance, and operations to her role as Executive Assistant at Partners for Affordable Housing. She supports boards, executives, and teams by creating clear, efficient systems that allow leaders to focus on mission-driven work. Known for her collaborative and detail-oriented approach, Michele helps ensure organizational processes run smoothly and effectively.

Michele’s background spans executive assistance, board liaison work, human resources support, and program administration across nonprofit and corporate settings. Her experience includes implementing board management software to strengthen governance, supporting government-funded programs, managing vendor systems, and leading event operations through her own craft expo business. These roles have shaped her ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on execution.

At Partners, Michele is motivated by projects that strengthen housing, accessibility, and community well-being. Guided by her belief that “clarity builds trust,” she is passionate about building strong operational foundations that enable sustainable community impact.

Michele holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Ottawa, along with certificates in Nonprofit Management and Event Management from Mount Royal University.