Abdi has extensive experience of the front line as well as leadership of the sector. He brings significant connections in the newcomer community, the three levels of government and a diversity of other stakeholders. He is well versed with federal and provincial immigration policies and is a well-regarded advocate for newcomers in Canada. He has served on numerous boards and committees and has been recognized for his work advocating for new Canadians. He has also been actively involved in a number of initiatives to bring positive change to the local community in Winnipeg as well as in Canada and internationally. Has lived in Winnipeg for the last 17 years since immigrating to Canada and been involved in local initiatives to bring about positive change to the community at a number of different levels.

Jana McKee is the Program Director of Seven Oaks School Division - Immigration Services (SOIS) and has been involved in MB Immigration sector for 20 years. She possesses a master's degree, and her strengths include policy and program development, research and evaluation, community and organizational building, Indigenous education, adult education, and fostering anti-racist approaches within teams. Jana was a MANSO board member from 2015-2022, and a member of the National Settlement and Integration Council from 2019-2022.
 

I first went down the path of settlement in Japan. There I taught English to Japanese citizens wishing to travel abroad for work or study. When I came back to Winnipeg I felt the need to continue on that path of helping newcomers succeed in Canada. I attended the University of Manitoba CTESL program and from there taught at, what was then known as the Victor Mager EAL program out of the Rene Deleurme Centre in St. Vital. After that I was fortunate enough to get hired on as a language assessor at WELARC. Working as a language assessor gave me a new perspective on what newcomers have to deal with when settling in Canada. Being on the Language Advisory Group with MANSO has given me a different angle from which to view settlement.

Karina is the Director of Community Development at West Central Women's Resource Centre. She has more than 20 years of experience working in Community Services with an approach of Gender, Equity, and Human Rights. She was born in Mexico City, where she studied Sociology and participated with different agencies designing, coordinating and implementing multiple projects focused in GBV, Human Rights, Women and Indigenous Rights, Discrimination and Anti-Racism. Furthermore, Karina is the founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit in Mexico, which supports indigenous women and their families, who immigrated from different indigenous communities to Mexico City. 

Karina came to Canada in 2012 and started to work at WCWRC in 2018, where she has held the positions of Settlement Worker, Gender Based Violence Worker, and currently Director of Community Development, coordinating programs including Employment, Settlement, and GBV programs directed mainly to immigrant women and gender diverse people.

Azarias has worked at NJH for 14 years as a Housing Advisor – excelling at both client supports and our lead in workshop development and facilitation. Azarias is very active in the local Rwandan community and this role often overlaps and strengthens his work at NJH. Azarias is keenly aware of what newcomers are experiencing as they make Manitoba their new home – both from his lived experience and as a housing advisor at NJH. Azarias has also been through the board training program with Volunteer Manitoba and is serving on the board of Winnipeg Children's Access Agency (WCAA). This has been a valuable learning experience, but he is ready to serve as a board member of a newcomer service agency.

With lived immigrant experience overcoming systemic barriers during apartheid South Africa, Enver is grateful to do work with a team and sector that creates generational impact for people and communities. With local and international experience in the non-profit and private sectors, strategic partnership development, and an MBA in Community Economic Development, Enver brings an innovative toolkit and unique perspective to address complex issues and implement strategy. Enver serves as CEO of Westman Immigrant Services (WIS), which includes a team of 80 staff over 9 locations supporting immigrant settlement, refugee resettlement, and temporary residents. Enver also leads the Rural Manitoba Immigrant Employment Council (RMIEC), which is part of a national network to help employers and communities attract, hire, and retain immigrant talent. He has served on the National RAP Employee Wellness Research Advisory Board, the Manitoba Immigration Advisory Council, and is a member of the Immigrant Employment Council of Canada. With a practitioner-academic interest in the economic and social inclusion of immigrants and newcomers, Enver is currently pursuing a PhD in Education and Social Justice. Enver is dedicated to helping immigrants, newcomers, and the sector as a member of the MANSO Board of Directors.

Scott has worked in the education sector supporting newcomers and refugees for the past five years, serving as Chair within Red River College Polytechnic’s LINC program. In this role, he has engaged closely with many members of the MANSO Board and contributed to sector-wide collaboration. He currently serves on the WELARC Board and has previously held a position on the TESL Manitoba Board, with all of these roles focused on advancing English language learning opportunities that support newcomers in achieving their personal and professional goals.

Prior to his work with RRC Polytech, Scott was Program Manager for the University of Winnipeg ESL Teacher Certificate Program, where he worked closely with partner organizations across the language training sector. Through his leadership roles in LINC programming and broader ESL initiatives, he has built strong relationships within the settlement and language training community and remains committed to reducing barriers and fostering inclusive, responsive learning environments for newcomers.

Rhoda has extensive experience in the sector in Language programming, currently leading a program that includes federally and provincially funded assessments, LINC, employment related language training, English at Work, and an Adult Literacy Program for a combined 1,000 clients annually. She also supervises the CNC Coordinator and program at Regional Connections. 
As well as 20 years of experience as a certified LINC Instructor and Program Director, Rhoda has served on the Adult Secondary Education Council board and various committees and advisory committees within MANSO and the PNT and national IRCC language program. 
Rhoda brings her unique experience and perspective as a rural, multi-site service provider who is attuned to the unique needs of settlement and resettlement clients in communities across the province. 

Maureen Keelan is an experienced leader in the settlement sector, with over 25 years of experience supporting newcomers to Canada. She currently serves as Manager, Senior Immigrant Settlement Services at A & O: Support Services for Older Adults, where she oversees programs that support the social, emotional, and practical needs of older newcomers. As a person with a disability, Maureen brings a valuable lived perspective to her work, strengthening her commitment to accessibility and inclusive service delivery.

Maureen has an extensive background in language assessment and instruction, having worked as a certified IELTS Examiner and language Assessor, as well as an Adult EAL Instructor and Language Development Specialist. Her work reflects a strong commitment to accessible, inclusive programming and a deep understanding of adult learning, language acquisition, and the unique challenges faced by newcomer populations. She recently co-presented on Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA ) at the Pathways to Prosperity Conference, highlighting the importance of intersectional approaches in settlement services.

In addition, Maureen has contributed to several boards and committees, including co-chairing the MANSO Health Committee, the Manitoba English as an Additional Language Organizations (MEALO), the Winnipeg Transit Plus Policy Advisory Committee, and the City of Winnipeg Human Rights Committee of Council. She brings valuable governance experience, a collaborative approach, and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion in all aspects of her work.

Aric Goodbrandson is the Employment and Mentorship Program Manager at Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services (N.E.E.D.S. Inc.) and has worked at NEEDS since January 2021. In this time, Aric has led the development of remote volunteer programming to ensure continued support for newcomers through the pandemic, and helped coordinate the Ukraine Response Initiative which created a community-minded volunteer network to support Ukrainian newcomers during periods of significant displacement. Aric holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Winnipeg and an Applied Counselling Certificate from the University of Manitoba, and combines hands-on experience with a person-centred approach in his work in the settlement sector. Aric is currently a member of the MANSO Employment Committee.

Amie Membreño has always had a world view when it comes to life and career. Born in Winnipeg, she lived in Manitoba and Saskatchewan working a variety of jobs while pursuing her passion which was volunteering in construction projects in El Salvador and Bible education work in rural areas of Nicaragua. She also worked as an English Teacher in Managua, Nicaragua.

In 2010, after returning to Canada, she started volunteering as a Conversation Group Facilitator at Immigrant Centre Manitoba and was soon hired as an Employment Facilitator. In 2016 she was promoted to Manager of the Employment Services Department and since then the Employment Department has grown and taken on a variety of new contracts and expanded its services to ensure even newcomers with little to no English skills are able to find employment or get set up on the right track to reach their career goals.