Most charities in Canada are governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. This group of individuals is legally responsible for overall governance. Generally speaking, this means that staff are responsible for day-to-day operations and decision making, while the Board provides leadership, direction, and oversight through, for example, the development of long-term strategic plans and organizational policies. They’re also responsible for making some of the bigger decisions such as approving the budget.
Our 9 Board Members are talented, generous, and dedicated volunteers that meet once a month. We have diverse members who each bring their experience, insights, and even expertise to help ensure that our day-to-day work stays on track as we keep an eye on future direction. To do this properly, especially in a highly collaborative organization like ours, we need to have a Board that actively engages and is ready to learn and get their hands dirty. Our Board does this beautifully and we’re lucky to have them!
Establish and hone governance framework – from bylaws, committee constitution, and budgets, to Board recruitment processes;
Develop long-term plan and objectives;
Support the organization’s financial stability through careful monitoring and even participation in fundraising;
Cultivate positive relationships, attend events, be spokespeople, and contribute to organizational life and culture;
Ensure that governance at the Roulant (including the Board) reflects our personality and aspirations;
Select, evaluate, and work with the Executive Director
If you want more info about the role of a Board, you can consult our bylaws on the publications section of our site.
Camille De Grandpré
Board member – Homecare Nutritionist, CLSC
I grew up on the North Shore of Montreal and in the countryside in Lanudière. Nature has always been important in my life but it was while crunching my first fresh and local vegetables that I had a revelation. I am then more interested in the subject of local agriculture, I see that we must change our food system, for out health and that of our environment. At the same time, I have years of experience as a dietitian in the health network. I work primarily with elders in the community and I am constantly confronted with food insecurity in all its forms. As part of my work, I therefore often call on the neighborhood foo aid and meals-on-wheels services, including Santropol Roulant. Today, I am particularly proud and excited to join its board of directors. It is a pleasure to share my knowledge and discover more about this unique organization! Apart from all that, you will find me in a BIXI or on foot walking the streets of the Plateau under the sun or the snow. In the spring, I also like to green my neighborhood and plant flowers everywhere! And in my spare time? I escape to the mountains on skis or by bike!
Claire Aubert
Chair – Economic Development Commissioner, City of Montreal
On a bike ride in July 2016, shortly after my arrival in Montreal, I came across the idyllic place of Santropol Roulant. It’s love at first sight and I started enrolling to volunteers shifts in the kitchens, while becoming a happy client of the organic baskets … and finally being one of the lucky few to take care of the gardens in Roy street. Being there, every Thursday from 4 PM, learning the foundations of gardening, felt like sheer joy and empowerment. I strongly support the mission of Santropol Roulant and am very proud to join the Board of directors, bringing my knowledge and enthousiasm for everything related to organisations development to the table.
David Ouellet
Board member – Union Representative and Advisor, SEOM
I’m very excited to share with Ville-Marie’s community (my neighbors), Plateau’s and the central boroughs community healthy and energetic food. With almost a decade of experience working for the union movement including two years as legal staff of a Little Italy’s non-profit for injured workers, I contribute to the Roulant my knowledge of labour law and administrative law. During the day, I am proud to advise teachers and to contribute to their essential mission in solidarity. Also, I’m partial to pizza, cookies and I’m a big fan of Brave my rescue dog.
Emilie Poitout
Vice-Chair – Family Doctor
Delivering meals by bike for Santropol Roulant is how I got to know the streets of Montreal, so I am thrilled to now be on the Board of Directors. As a Family Doctor I hope one day to be able to prescribe food. Many of the chronic diseases that affect my patients could be prevented or better managed with access the healthy nutrition. Santropol Roulant’s mission echoes strongly in my values for those reasons.
Florence Chaussé
Board member – Capital Markets Associate
I initially joined the Roulant as a volunteer because I was yearning for a community of like-minded individuals with similar values. And here, at the Roulant, we value a sustainable food system, we believe in meeting the basic needs of all people and we share in a way that is inclusive and accessible to all. Our board should not only reflect these values but also understand the needs of its community and the people it serves. That is why I wanted to join the Board of Directors: To contribute in a manner that reflects my commitment to our values and our community.
Lorenzo Daieff
Board member – Consultant, Energy Transition
Hailing from Germany / Switzerland / France via the UK, I moved to Montréal in 2012 and to right around the corner from Santropol shortly after. Intrigued by the mysterious garden rooftop building, I stepped in one day to discover friendly faces and soon after began to volunteer, mostly in delivery (foot, bus, car – even on a bixi!). I then joined the board in 2019, having developed a profound sense of respect and enthusiasm for this rich community. In my day job, I advise organizations big and small on how to measure and structure their social impact, be it monitoring UNICEF’s education work in Western Africa, evaluating the World Food Programme’s partnership strategy, or reflecting on capacity development with community groups in Montréal. Outside of that, I love a good game of soccer, the sunny streets of the Plateau, and my office plant – the only plant that has so far survived my attempts to look after it. Thank you for stopping by and reading this, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to the board for any thoughts or questions!
Noémie Desbiens Riendeau
Secretary – Organizational development consultant and human resources manager
Even though I first got immersed in the Roulant’s unique culture thanks to my agricultural background and my deep love for food, it is while taking on the intern and then the urban agriculture program manager roles that I developed a special fondness and passion for group dynamics and the human processes that help teams work better together. It is hence highly inspired by my 5 beautiful years spent as a Roulant employee that I started my current professional path as an organisational consultant and HR manager. My personal and professional missions are to cultivate life in all of its forms, whether it is with plants or people! It is with this double expertise and love for food and relationships that I hope to support the Roulant as a board member. And as the line between giving and receiving often blurs in such a special environment as the Roulant, I also hope to continue to absorb and inspire myself from its inner ways of working, and inadvertently share my learnings into all the spheres where I gravitate.
Olivier Rénald
Treasurer – Accountant
It was during one of my many family walks with my little dog Émile that I discovered the Roulant,
a few days after moving into the neighborhood. Immediately, I felt the call for collaboration. Le
Roulant combines two pillars in my values: positively influencing my community and developing
awareness on everything surrounding food, from agriculture to processing, including education
from an early age. It is therefore as a chartered professional accountant that I am joining the
Roulant Board of Directors and that I am committed to sharing my skills in finance and
governance of non-profit organizations, acquired while serving similar organizations as a partner
at Demers Beaulne. In my free time, you will see me navigate between my two passions: music
and cooking!
Sophie Papineau-Wolff
Board member – Commercial Lawyer
The place that Santropol Roulant occupies in the community bridges two causes that are very dear to me: promoting local food accessibility and breaking social isolation for individuals. In my professional life as an attorney, I help companies navigate their corporate and commercial legal needs. I want to put that expertise to good use as a member of the board of directors of Santropol Roulant to help the organization serve its members as effectively as possible. In my personal life, you can find me strolling or jogging the streets of my beloved city, and I could not be more excited to get involved with an organization that strives to make Montreal even more vibrant than it already is.
