Girl Guides of Canada

Pam Laycock
Chair of the Board

Pam’s involvement in Girl Guides spans across Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. In her role as Chair of the Board, and previously as Vice Chair and as part of the Board’s Strategy Committee, Pam brings her experience as a digital transformation and business strategy leader, collaborating with CEOs to translate strategy into action. She also draws inspiration from her mother and grandmother's leadership roles in Guiding, and credits her own participation in the organization as formative in the achievements she has pursued and excelled in. Along with the impact she makes in Guiding, Pam finds joy in travel and capturing the world through the lens of her camera.

Helen Cashman
Vice Chair and Director-Guiding Experience, Guiding Ambassador

Helen began Guiding at the age of seven and since then, she has held various roles in the organization including Unit Guider and National Link Adviser. She has held a position on the Board of Directors since 2021 and draws on her experience working in strategy, consulting and within the non-profit sector. Inspired by her connections with girls and women in Guiding, Helen is committed to ensuring GGC empowers a new generation of girls to achieve their goals. Helen is currently working towards completing a concurrent Masters in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Beyond her professional pursuits, she enjoys camping, hiking, canoeing and star gazing.

Gaya Arasaratnam
Director

Gaya joined the Board in 2025. With extensive experience on national advisory boards and committees in the areas of health and wellbeing at the post-secondary level, Gaya looks forward to contributing to GGC’s transformative work of creating spaces where girls and youth can lead, explore and reach their full potential. She enjoys wishing on sunsets, exploring bazaars and farmers markets and everything to do with books.

Andrea Chakma
Director-Chair, National Youth Council

Andrea has served on the Board since June 2022. Having benefitted from her experiences as a girl member, she finds it incredibly rewarding to give back and help to shape the next generation of leaders to be bold, engaged and confident. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Andrea brings a unique perspective to the Board. She also enjoys morning walks or hikes, reading non-fiction books and travelling.

Melinda Gibson
Director-Governance

Melinda joined the Board in June 2022 as the Director – Governance. She brings to the role her experience in executive governance from the Ontario Government and the Ontario Medical Association and is focused on driving member engagement, trust and transparency. As a former girl member in Embers and Guides, and now a Guider for these branches, Melinda understands the sense of community and support that Girl Guides offers youth as they grow, develop and dream. In her personal time, Melinda is either in her backyard gardening or travelling.

Annie Houle
Director

As a mother to three children in Girl Guides, Annie has seen firsthand the positive impact the organization has on girls. During her time on the Board, she looks forward to bringing her expertise in leading teams as a global executive to champion the voice of girls so that Girl Guides can continue to be a place where they can develop their leadership skills, confidence and become the best version of themselves. Annie enjoys golfing, traveling with her family and learning new languages. 

Sheliza Ismail
Director-International Commissioner

Sheliza Ismail has been on the Board since June 2021 and became the International Commissioner is June 2024. The GGC Mission holds deep significance for her, driven by a commitment to providing accessible and stimulating programming for girls nationwide, fostering skills in art, STEAM, camping and beyond. She is passionate about providing global opportunities to GGC members and connecting with other Member Organizations and WAGGGS, on an international level. Professionally, she works as a Project Manager with Service Canada in the Transformation Management Branch. In her personal time, Sheliza enjoys golf, trying new restaurants and of course, going on adventures with her Guide unit!

Dina Kamal
Director

Dina is an established business leader with more than 20 years of experience working across portfolios including banking, corporate innovation, risk management, cyber security, digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Dina joined the Board in August 2024 and is excited to bring this range of experience to ensure Girl Guides continues to be a place where girls can build foundational skills alongside strong role models. As a life-long learner, Dina holds an MBA, a master's degree in public policy and is finishing a PhD in economics.

Emily Lints
Director

Emily joined the Board in 2025. She brings experience in the not-for-profit sector as well as leadership positions with GGC on the Manitoba Provincial Youth Forum, as part of the National Youth Council and with Saskatchewan Provincial Council. She also attended the Juliette Low Seminar in India and looks forward to supporting GGC in continuing to provide unique, skill-building activities for girls and youth both in Canada and around the globe. In her free time, Emily enjoys baking, spending time with her cat, reading and writing.

Heather McFadyen
Director

Having been an active member of Girl Guides since age six, Heather has seen and experienced the impact a safe, supportive community of friends has on girls and women. As an adult member, she has taken on the role of Guider, Trainer and various positions as part of district, area and provincial councils, and was Provincial Commissioner for Manitoba Council from 2020 to 2024. Heather also joined the Human Resources Committee in 2023 and is excited to continue her work in this area during her time on the Board. In her free time, she loves travelling, camping, canoeing and reading. 

Lisa Trostenko
Director-Treasurer

Lisa served on Girl Guides of Canada’s National Audit and Finance Committee for six years before joining the Board as Director – Treasurer in 2021. Lisa brings her expertise in thought leadership and her professional qualifications as a CPA to focus on forward-thinking solutions. As a Spark Guider in Guelph, Ontario Lisa gets to connect with other volunteers and see first-hand the impact Guiding has on girls and how the opportunity to share new experiences and lean into their interests helps them to build their confidence.

Janette Yuen
Director

As a former girl member of the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association, Janette decided to rejoin the Guiding movement since immigrating to Canada. She has been serving on the GGC Board since June 2022. Janette has more than 15 years of experience, bringing her management consulting expertise in leading business transformations, building and executing on human capital strategy land more to both nonprofit and for-profit clients. Janette’s interests include travel, photography and music.

Shannon Benner
Chief Executive Officer

Shannon joined Girl Guides as CEO in September 2023. As a former girl member, she recalls being impacted most by the opportunities to serve others and that led her to pursue a career in the youth-serving sector. Shannon’s experience includes roles with The Princeton Blairstown Center at Princeton University, the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation, and as CEO of 4-H Canada. To complement her work at the grassroots level, she was the inaugural Chair of the Global 4-H Network Board of Directors and has supported the advancement of youth policy at the United Nations. She was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 50 Leaders in 2021 for her decades of work with youth. Shannon is an avid sports fan and loves to hike and travel with her family.