President

Linda Garcia is a seasoned professional with over 40 years dedicated to enriching the lives of older adults. Beginning as a speech-language pathologist aiding stroke survivors, she later became a university professor, conducting research and advocating for older adults, including those with dementia. Linda's leadership roles include founding a research institute and leading university health sciences programs. As she embarks on this new chapter, she is determined to leverage her expertise and skills to ensure that older adults thrive and flourish.

Director, Advocacy

A lawyer by profession, Louise Bélanger-Hardy has had a long career as an academic, specializing in health law, consent and liability issues. She is interested in the human rights of older persons and intergenerational relationships. She advocates for the adoption of an international convention on the rights of older persons, a step that is long overdue to protect people as they age. She has been a member of several research ethics boards and has worked as an adjudicator within the regime regulating health professions in Ontario. She believes ageing is a privilege and is pleased to be part of the work of the MIROIR Foundation.

Treasurer

Catharina spent most of her career working in the financial services industry where she honed her skills of prospecting, presenting and leading teams. After a 40-year career, she retired from BMO Bank of Montreal and found a way to give back to her community through working on projects that benefit older adults. This has been a truly rewarding experience for her.

Director, Funded Programs

Amélie Gauthier-Beaupré holds a Ph.D. in Population Health from the University of Ottawa where she focused on policy-making that supports older adults’ self-management of disabilities using information and communication technologies.

Amélie is passionate about supporting older adults to continue to live meaningful lives, as shown through her involvement in numerous scientific publications and research project collaborations, as well as her past entrepreneurial activities. In all her work, she builds on her personal experiences and academic knowledge to deepen the collective understanding on the impacts of aging and, most importantly, to uncover opportunities for diverse groups of older adults across Canada.

Director, Fundraising

Amy Porteous has over twenty-two years of experience working with senior leadership positions in healthcare across Eastern Ontario. She has a passion for making a difference in people’s lives. Her experience includes leading various strategic planning exercises (7+ for Bruyere, Maxville Manor, The Community Compassion Centre Foodbank, Global Leadership Network Canada and much more), facilitation, relationship building, oversight for residential programs, family medicine and community programs, fundraising, communications, public affairs and the development of new residential facilities. Mrs. Porteous has a Master’s in Health Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa. She is a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, the Canadian Management Consultants and a certified Ontario LTC Administrator. In her free time, she volunteers and believes in making a difference locally and nationally and having a community impact. She loves various sports, reading and travelling. Amy is happily married and a proud mother of three children.

Secretary

Emma Hamidane is a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament at the House of Commons. Driven by a strong commitment to public service and social impact, she is passionate about fostering inclusive communities and creating spaces where individuals feel seen, valued, and connected. Her work has reinforced her belief that meaningful change begins with listening, empathy, and collaboration.

Through her involvement with the MIROIR Foundation, Emma is committed to supporting initiatives that bring joy and meaningful social connections to older adults across Canada. She is particularly inspired by the Foundation’s mission to alleviate loneliness and believes deeply in the importance of ensuring that every individual feels connected, valued, and supported at every stage of life.

Director, Communications and Marketing

Afia Drah is a communications professional with over ten years of experience in strategic communications. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Ottawa and is an Accredited Public Relations practitioner.

Afia specializes in translating complex health, policy, and equity-related concepts into clear, accessible, and impactful communication. Her expertise spans integrated communications strategy and execution, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and content development.

She is particularly passionate about using storytelling to foster understanding, build trust, and promote positive health outcomes, supporting older adults and advancing conversations around healthy and graceful ageing.

Director, Systems, Data, and Impact Insights

Alexandra Cline has more than 20 years of experience recruiting global SAP teams and supporting a diverse international client base. Her career has included managing teams, configuring systems, gathering stakeholder requirements, managing partner relationships, and preparing and responding to proposals. She has worked with diverse global teams throughout her career and brings a collaborative, solutions-focused approach to every role she takes on.

Service to others has always been a central part of Alexandra’s life. Her volunteer experience includes supporting dinner programs for those in need, hospice care, and helping educate girls in life skills. She is passionate about bringing joy, solving problems, and living a purpose-filled life. For Alexandra, being of service is not just something she does, it is what feeds her soul and brings her peace.

Director, Communications and Marketing

With three decades of experience shaping narratives and building partnerships in high tech, energy efficiency, and sustainability, Sarah is now channeling her expertise into improving the physical and mental well-being of older adults. As a social entrepreneur and board member of the Fondation Miroir Foundation, she is dedicated to fostering healthier, more active lives for seniors.

Sarah finds joy in movement and time in nature—whether walking, hiking, playing tennis, biking, gardening, or dancing. In Ottawa’s cold and snowy winters, she embraces cross-country skiing, skating, and snowshoeing. Certified as a Seniors Fitness Instructor by the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, she now joyfully shares her passion for movement with her fitness program participants.

Director, Fundraising

Haniya is a finance professional with two master’s degrees, most recently an MBA in Finance from the University of Ottawa. She is passionate about making people’s lives easier and happier. Having spent years in client-facing roles, she genuinely enjoys meeting new people and listening to their stories.

She serves as a Board Director at the Fondation Miroir Foundation, contributing to fundraising and community engagement initiatives. Through her experiences, she has come to deeply value the importance of bringing joy to older adults; individuals who have worked so hard throughout their lives and deserve to feel seen, connected, and appreciated. She is committed to supporting efforts that reduce loneliness and create meaningful moments of connection, and is excited to be part of an organization that brings this kind of human impact to life.

Outside of work, Haniya values balance, creativity, and community involvement. She enjoys staying active through tennis and badminton, playing the piano, and contributing her time to volunteer initiatives. Giving back and lifelong learning are central to her values and influence how she approaches both her personal and professional life.

Charles Jia is a BSc graduate from the University of Ottawa, and is completing a Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Western Ontario. His previous and current projects have been related to aging, quality of life in older adults, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, clinical epidemiology, and breast cancer.

Ishika Tripathi is a recent BSc graduate from the University of Ottawa with an interest in aging and health related research. She has been involved in several research projects in the past related to the wellbeing of older adults, people living with dementia and palliative care. She is excited to continue supporting the wellbeing of older adults by promoting joyful programs through the MIROIR Foundation.

Following a 17-year career in high tech as an electrical engineer, Robin found her true passion when she started her portrait photography company, Unposed. For the past 18 years she has made a career of having people play and have fun at photoshoots and seen first-hand the importance to us all having joy in our lives. When she met the founders of Fondation Miroir Foundation at a photoshoot, she was so inspired by their passion for bringing joy to older adults she knew she had to become involved.

I am please to be part of Fondation Miroir Foundation (FMF) as a volunteer project manager since April 2025. I bring to this new challenge over 50 years of professional experience across diverse sectors - including Healthcare, Government, Defense,  Insurance, Pulp and Paper, and consulting - and i'm excited to apply this background in supporting FMF's mission.