Esther Elder

CEO

CEO of Calgary Meals on Wheels with more than 20 years’ experience in the social-profit sector. Esther has held several leadership positions and has a deep understanding of community challenges and opportunities. An energetic, hands-on strategic leader with a passion for building community and effecting social change.

Karen McKeogh

Philanthropy & Communications Manager

Karen started working at Calgary Meals on Wheels in April 2022 in the Philanthropy department and became the Manager in August.  She is responsible for guiding a team of four to achieving each year's fundraising goal through events, campaigns, grant applications and funding proposals. Her department provides all external messaging to the community to educate and engage with Calgarians about the work we do.  

Christine Hentschel

Community Builder and Development Manager

Christine oversees our involvement in community partnerships that support social connection for our clients, and contributes to our collaborative committees and projects in the sector. Christine is also our data guru and has more than a decade of non-profit experience.

Harjit Baumann

Programs Manager

Harjit Baumann joined Calgary Meals on Wheels in 2023 and brings a wealth of experience in leadership, operations, and project management as well as expertise and a strong commitment to advancing equity and inclusion. Harjit was previously the Executive Director at the Alberta Association of Midwives where she effectively and strategically led the organization. Her positive attitude, warm demeanor, and delightful sense of humor coupled with her commitment to collaboration, teamwork, and integrity, make her a driving force for positive change.

Kelly Gauthier

Facility and Logistics Manager

Kelly began volunteering with Calgary Meals on Wheels in 2019 and became a staff driver in March of 2020. A little over a year later, this Regina-born gentleman began working with us full-time as Operations Manager. When not at Meals on Wheels, Kelly spends time with his wife of 28 years, his two kids and his newly born grandson.

John Caramoan

Finance Manager

John came to Calgary Meals on Wheels in 2022 with 20 years of accounting experience and holds a bachelor's degree in accountancy. He is a tax professional and has extensive experience in SAP, JD Edwards, Oracle, MRI & Sage. John’s passion for serving others keeps his enthusiasm high, and he continually seeks opportunities to sharpen his skills and stay on the cutting edge. When not at work, you can find John outdoors camping, hiking, mountain biking, exploring the city and just traveling with his family. He is a travel & landscape photography enthusiast and makes a point to regularly travel to the Rockies to capture great scenery.

Karen Forster

Production Manager

As a SAIT graduate in Dietary Service Technology, Karen brings decades of experience in food and nutrition. Prior to joining Calgary Meals on Wheels in 2006, she worked with AHS in positions that utilized her expertise in clinical nutrition, production and retail management. She oversees our production department and has developed and mentored a strong and dedicated team of 18 who are passionate about combating food insecurity. Karen maintains our high-quality menu standards by developing standardized recipes, analyzing detailed nutritional data, and procurement of quality products at competitive pricing. Karen also established all our workflow processes for cook chill/cook freeze meal production, maintaining efficiencies and food-safety protocol in all areas of food service production.

Board of Directors

Log in to the Board information page here
(Note: this is a password-protected page intended for board members only)