Members of the Board of Directors
Nathalie Lachance
Chair of the Board of DirectorsNathalie Lachance (she) was born in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, a suburb on the north shore of Montreal. She describes herself as a Franco-Albertan by choice. Nathalie worked as a development officer at the Campus Saint-Jean of the University of Alberta and served as a school trustee for the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord for 11 years, including three years as president. With over 25 years of professional experience in the field of Indigenous health, Nathalie is the Director of Strategic Intelligence and Health Partnerships at the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Indigenous Services Canada in Alberta. Before joining the federal government in 2003, she worked at the National Aboriginal Health Organization and the National Métis Council.
Nathalie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Institutional Administration from Concordia University in Montreal, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Moncton, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Athabasca University. Nathalie’s doctoral thesis focused on healthcare collaboration among federal, provincial, and First Nations governments. She teaches graduate-level courses at Athabasca University.
Nathalie resides in amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), in the traditional territory of Treaty No. 6 and the Métis Nation. Nathalie and her husband Lyle have a large multigenerational blended family. She is a mother to one child, stepmother to three children, grandmother/kôhkom to eight children, and great-grandmother/chapan to four children.
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Nathalie Lachance (elle) est née à Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, une banlieue de la rive nord de Montréal. Elle se décrit comme une franco-albertaine par choix. Nathalie a travaillé comme agente de développement au Campus Saint-Jean de l’Université de l’Alberta et a siégé comme conseillère scolaire pour le Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord pendant 11 ans dont trois à la présidence. Nathalie a plus de 25 ans d’expérience professionnelle dans le domaine de la santé autochtone. Elle est directrice de l’Intelligence stratégique et des partenariats en matière de santé à la Direction générale de la santé des Premières nations et des Inuits de Services aux Autochtones Canada en Alberta. Avant de joindre le gouvernement fédéral en 2003, elle a travaillé à l’Organisation nationale de la santé autochtone et au Ralliement national des Métis.
Nathalie est titulaire d’un baccalauréat ès arts en économie et d’un diplôme d’études supérieures en administration institutionnelle de l’Université Concordia à Montréal, d’une maîtrise en administration publique de l’Université de Moncton et d’un doctorat en administration des affaires de l’Université Athabasca. La thèse de doctorat de Nathalie portait sur la collaboration en matière de soins de santé entre les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et des Premières nations. Nathalie enseigne des cours de deuxième cycle à l’Université d’Athabasca.
Nathalie habite à amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), dans le territoire traditionnel du Traité no 6 et de la nation métisse. Nathalie et son mari Lyle ont une grande famille mixte multigénérationnelle. Elle est maman d’un enfant, belle-mère de trois enfants, grand-mère / kôhkom de huit enfants et arrière-grand-mère / chapan de quatre enfants.
Nathalie Lachance
Chair of the Board of Directors
Chair of the Board of Directors
Nathalie Lachance
The ACFA will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary. Our board of directors has the honor and privilege of planning the celebrations that will take place in 2026. As we establish our priorities in the coming weeks, we are aware that we must continue the work started by our predecessors, including the modernization of the ACFA structure, the improvement of the continuum in education, and the provision of French-language services. We also recognize the growing diversity of our Francophone community in Alberta and will continue to strive for greater inclusion and a stronger sense of belonging.
Adam Brown
Calgary RegionAdam Brown is originally from Calgary. He lived in Edmonton from 2015 to 2022, but is now back in his hometown.His late immersion learning French made him study bilingual commerce at Campus Saint Jean. During his years at the University of Alberta, Adam was involved as President of the Association des Universitaires de la Faculté Saint-Jean, Vice President External of the University of Alberta Students’ Union, advocating for issues related to Campus Saint-Jean.
He also served as President of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, representing students across the country to the Government of Canada, which included parliamentary presentations and a meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada.
Passionate about youth engagement in politics, Adam has served on numerous organizing committees for youth parliaments at the provincial and national levels. From 2019 to 2020, he was also the treasurer on the board of Francophonie Jeunesse de l’Alberta and continues to be involved as a facilitator for Alberta’s Youth Parliaments.
Currently, Adam works as a Government and Community Relations Specialist for the Calgary Airport Authority. He loves exploring the mountains, cooking, and running.
xAdam Brown
Calgary Region
Justine Fallu
Edmonton RegionJustine is originally from Montreal and graduated from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law in 2019. While at U of A Law, Justine co-founded the Francophone Law Students Association and participated in the inaugural year of the Michel-Bastarache Moot Court Competition.
She continues to contribute to the teaching of language rights by occasionally acting as a trainer for students who participate in the Michel Bastarache Moot Court Competition. Admitted to the bar in 2020, she primarily practices family law. Justine has been a member of The Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Alberta (AJEFA – French-speaking Legal Professionals Association of Alberta) since 2020.
xJustine Fallu
Edmonton Region
Guillaume Laroche
Calgary RegionGuillaume Laroche is from Lethbridge. Once he became an adult, he lived in various parts of Alberta before settling in Calgary in 2015. His involvement with Albertan Francophonie has spanned multiple organizations and initiatives, ranging from fundraising in Medicine Hat to organizing concerts for the Saint-Jean Choir in Edmonton. He has also been deeply engaged in debate and public speaking competitions for youth at local, provincial, and national levels,consistently advocating for equal access for French-speaking youth across the country in such competitions.
His ability to transform goals into concrete actions and results for his community has earned him numerous awards for community leadership, including national recognition from the Baxter and Alma Ricard Foundation, and the Peter Lougheed Leadership Scholarship, the highest distinction for students at the University of Alberta.
Guillaume is a teacher by training and is currently a French immersion educational advisor for the Calgary Board of Education. Among his university credentials, Guillaume holds a Master’s of Laws from Osgoode Hall and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University.
In his spare time, Guillaume greatly enjoys attending concerts and exploring new culinary options. During winter, he is often found skiing on the slopes near Pincher Creek. He and his wife, Sangeeta, are great travelers, always on the lookout for new and fabulous places to discover together.
Guillaume Laroche
Calgary Region
Anne-Marie Lizaire
Edmonton RegionAnne-Marie Lizaire grew up in the southwest part of Edmonton, inspired by her parents, Dr. André and Muguette Lizaire, who were active in Alberta's Francophonie, and she followed in their footsteps.
From high school, she joined the student council and later the Association des universitaires at the Saint-Jean faculty during her postsecondary education. Throughout her studies, which included a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education, Anne-Marie participated in various committees of francophone parishes.
As a mother of three wonderful children, Anne-Marie supported their development in French by serving as an organizer with the Francophone Scouts of Edmonton, as a member of the board of la Girandole Association, as a volunteer at school activities, and as a member of school councils and parent societies.
During this time, she earned her Master’s in Canadian Studies at Campus Saint-Jean and her Ph.D. in Education at the University of Alberta's north campus. Even during the family's stay in Florence, Anne-Marie got involved with the French school Victor-Hugo to support her children's education while promoting Alberta's Francophonie.
Today, Mireille is a dentist, Julien is a mechanical engineer, and Théo is pursuing studies in biomedical mechanical engineering, while their mother, Anne-Marie, is a teacher and a member of the provincial board of the ACFA.
xAnne-Marie Lizaire
Edmonton Region
Paylig Oltadjian
Edmonton RegionPaylig Oltadjian was born in Montreal to a family of Armenian descent. Surrounded by the Armenian and French languages in her early childhood, followed by English and Spanish, she developed a deep love for sharing languages and cultures from an early age. She received her Bachelor's degree in clarinet performance and her teacher’s diploma from McGill University, then completed her Master's studies in Education and Indigenous Studies in British Columbia.
Teaching is in Paylig’s blood. She has taught at every level from preschool to high school, in francophone and immersion schools across three provinces, as well as in language acquisition and didactics at Saint-Jean Campus.
Currently, Paylig teaches high school, serves as the principal of the Armenian School of Edmonton, and sits on the board of the International and Heritage Languages Association.
She looks forward to contributing to the building of the diverse and inclusive Francophonie represented by the ACFA. Paylig lives in St. Albert with her daughter Mariam, her husband Rolando, and two Abyssinian cats.
xPaylig Oltadjian
Edmonton Region
Georges Pigoué
Calgary RegionProfessionally, Georges Pigoué has been teaching at École de la Rose Sauvage in Calgary for 17 years. In terms of his community engagement, he was a board member of the Calgary Francophone Newcomer Welcome Centre (CANAF) for over four years, and was a board member and President of the Skyview Ranch Community Association (SRCA) in Calgary for six years. Georges has chaired the Calgary Canadian Cameroonian Association (ACCC). Under his leadership, the association was recognized as the best-organized ethnocultural association in Calgary by the ACFA regional of Calgary at the 2023 Annual Gala. Also, in his spare time, he has been a referee and soccer coach for over 25 years. Finally, Georges is in the process of obtaining a license from the Alberta Insurance Council.
xGeorges Pigoué
Calgary Region
Gabriel Risbud-Vincent
Calgary RegionGabriel Risbud-Vincent was born in Ottawa and grew up in the Edmonton area, where he attended a francophone school. He completed his high school education in Calgary but decided to return to Edmonton to begin his engineering studies at Saint-Jean Campus.
Since 2020, he has been working in the renewable energy sector in Calgary. A passionate advocate for language rights, Gabriel is committed to giving back to the community that raised him. He aims to dedicate his efforts to ensuring the future of French expression into the West.
xGabriel Risbud-Vincent
Calgary Region
Isabelle Laurin
Executive DirectorIsabelle holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Montréal and a certification in Leadership and Management Skills from the Leadership Institute. She has extensive experience in the community field. After many years in the dance field, she began her role at the ACFA in May 2007 as a development officer in the heritage and history sector. A year later, she became the Communications Director before being appointed Director of Public Affairs.
In December 2014, she became Executive Director of the organization. After an 18-month period at the Centre de la francophonie des Amériques as director of communications, she has been back as the Executive Director of the ACFA in March 2020.
In her spare time, Isabelle enjoys cooking, practicing yoga, participating in community activities, and taking long walks with her dog Luna.
xIsabelle Laurin
Executive Director
Le conseil d’administration provincial de l’ACFA se compose des personnes suivantes :
- la présidence générale de l’ACFA ;
- six à huit administrateur(s) et/ou administratrice(s) ;
- la direction générale, sans droit de vote.
Le conseil d’administration (CA) aura les compétences suivantes :
a) approuver, par un vote à la majorité simple du CA, la recommandation de la présidence provinciale visant à déterminer la vice-présidence et la trésorerie pour une période de deux ans (et approuver les personnes qui remplaceront les postes vacants à l’exécutif, le cas échéant). La recommandation de la présidence doit se faire après une consultation de tous les membres du conseil d’administration ;
b) surveiller l’administration de l’ACFA et exercer tous les pouvoirs de l’ACFA qui ne requièrent pas l’autorité de l’assemblée générale ;
c) être responsable de la mise en œuvre du cadre stratégique de la francophonie albertaine et en assurer l’évaluation annuellement ;
d) voir au développement des mécanismes nécessaires afin d’assurer une bonne coordination des efforts de la communauté ;
e) être responsable de faire le lien avec le gouvernement du Canada afin de s’assurer que les fonds octroyés par ce dernier permettent l’atteinte des objectifs de la communauté ;
f) recommander des modifications aux Statuts et règlements ;
g) nommer un conseiller juridique ;
h) décider de l’incorporation, la mise en tutelle ou la dissolution d’une régionale, d’un cercle local ou d’un organisme affilié ;
i) établir les politiques ;
j) veiller à la bonne gouverne des comités et des services de l’ACFA ;
k) déléguer, à sa discrétion, ses pouvoirs à tout comité permanent ou ad hoc nommé par le conseil d’administration ;
l) adopter le budget de l’ACFA ;
m) recevoir les bilans et les rapports financiers sur une base régulière ;
n) identifier les priorités de la communauté en consultant régulièrement les membres de l’ACFA ainsi que les représentants des organismes francophones ;
o) examiner les souhaits de l’assemblée ;
p) superviser la direction générale en recevant un rapport de la direction générale à chacune des rencontres du conseil d’administration ;
q) surveiller la direction générale, incluant son embauche, évaluation, et renvoi.