About Us

Karen Boz

President
Bachelor of Administration, 1992

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and now residing in Toronto, Karen joined Royal Bank of Canada full-time in 1992 after graduating from Lakehead University's Bachelor of Administration program, where she majored in Personnel & Industrial Relations. More information about Karen Boz

Yolanda Wanakamik

Vice-President
Honours Bachelor of Arts, 1998

Yolanda graduated from Lakehead University with an HBA in Political Science in 1998. Deeply committed to lifelong learning she is currently enrolled in Lakehead University Masters of Education Program. Yolanda is employed with Dilico Anishinabek Family Care as the Integrated Policy... More information about Yolanda Wanakamik

Paul Popo-Ola

Vice-President
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 2010

Paul Popo-Ola is originally from London ON, and a proud Alumnus of Lakehead University, who chose Lakehead University to pursue both his academic and athletic career. Paul graduated from the H.B. Commerce Program in 2010, and while attending Lakehead University he played for the Thunderwolves. More information about Paul Popo-Ola

Mike Walton

Treasurer
Honours Bachelor Outdoor Recreation, 1983

Landing in Thunder Bay from Toronto to start at LU in 1979, Mike fell in love with the idea of wilderness and Lake Superior. He has spent his life hiking, paddling and camping in some of the most beautiful places in Canada, including the north shore of Lake Superior.  Working... More information about Mike Walton

Debra Woods

Past President
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 2005

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Debra earned her Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 2005 and now resides in Calgary, Alberta.Debra is a client-focused leader with over 10 years of experience in business development, marketing and communications in a professional services environment.She’s...More information about Debra Woods

Michael Michaud

Director
Master of Science, 1998

Michael graduated from Lakehead University with an M.Sc. in Geology in 1998. Michael is a Professional Geologist with over 30 years of experience in domestic and international gold exploration and mining that includes a broad range of deposit types within North and South America, Africa, Asia and... More information about Michael Michaud

Linda Henderson

Director
Honours Bachelor Physical & Health Education, 1982
Masters of Science, 1985
Bachelor of Education, 1985

Linda was born in the city of Toronto and grew up in Mississauga. After high school graduation from Clarkson Secondary School, Linda chose to attend Lakehead University because of its renowned Physical and Health Education Program. She also went on to complete a Master of Science Degree... More information about Linda Henderson

Nancy Luckai

Director
Bachelor of Science in Forestry, 1981

Dr. Luckai began her career at Lakehead just over 40 years ago when she enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree.As a member of the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, she developed the Forest Resources and Soil Testing laboratory and served as Chair of the Honours Bachelor of... More information about Nancy Luckai

Jamie Dennison

Director
Civil Engineering Technology, 1995
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 1999

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and now residing in Oakville, Ontario, James joined Great West Life in 2016 and is the Vice President & Global Head of Operational Risk. James has worked in the financial services industry since graduating from the Bachelor of Commerce program at Lakehead University in 1999, and has since held various roles in risk management and regulatory organizations including the Bank of Montreal and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)... More information about Jamie Dennison

Annette Butikofer

Director
Bachelor of Administration, 1985

Ms. Annette Butikofer began her information technology career in 1985 working as a programmer/analyst for Telecom Australia as part of the university work exchange program, AIESEC. Upon her return to Canada, Annette worked as a programmer/analyst for Woods Gordon Consulting and the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1991, Annette joined the Information Technology Branch of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as a Senior Programmer Analyst. She has held progressively challenging positions since then and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program (EXDP). Since 2002, Annette has occupied a number of executive positions. In October 2015, Annette assumed the role of CIO and Assistant Commissioner, Information Technology Branch... More information about Annette Butikofer

Carmen Pekkarinen

Director

Carmen was born and raised in northern Ontario and has lived and worked in Finland since 1998. She currently works as a Documentation Specialist at Trimble Solution in Espoo, Finland. She also holds an Honours Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (Laurentian, 1997) and an MA in Integrated Studies (Athabasca, 2013)... More information about Carmen Pekkarinen

Jouni Kraft

Director
Honours Bachelor of Science, 1970

I graduated with an honour’s bachelors of science degree in chemistry from Lakehead in 1970. Next, I obtained a medical degree from U of T in 1977. My internship was at St. Joseph’s Hospital on the Queensway in Toronto. For the next 40 years I enjoyed a career in family practice at the Port Arthur Health Centre. I was on active staff at the Port Arthur General and St. Joseph Hospitals. Currently I am retired from the medical scene; however, my interests are numerous... More information about Jouni Kraft

Nathan Lawrence

Director
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 2007

Born and Raised in Thunder Bay, Nathan earned his Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 2007 at Lakehead University and continues to call Thunder Bay home.

Nathan is a dedicated member of the community and proud local business owner. He is a Managing Partner with Royal LePage Lannon Realty and a Mortgage Broker with DLC Mortgage Excellence... More information about Nathan Lawrence

Mark Tilbury

Director of the Annual Fund and Alumni Engagement
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 1994

Mark Tilbury believes that you get out of something what you put into it. Following this philosophy has made him an exceptional Lakehead supporter for 27 years.From the moment he set foot on the Thunder Bay campus, Mark has epitomized the spirit of volunteerism.“Lakehead was my first choice,” he... More information about Mark Tilbury