Our Board and Staff

“My name is Cathie McFarlane, and I’m the Board Chair with the Community Foundation of Portage and District. The Foundation is important, because it’s an organization where people wanting to donate to causes within our community can do so—and then the earnings from those donations are used for various projects in the community that are important.”—Cathie McFarlane, Board Chair

“My name is Stephanie Verhoeven, and I am proud to say I have been involved with
CFPD for about 10 years. I love how the Foundation helps address so many diverse areas of need, through grants to our community partners to implement a wide range of projects and plans, and with bursaries to help people achieve their goals and dreams. I also love that people giving to the Foundation have so much choice in how their donation benefits the community, by donating to the general “Smart & Caring Community Fund”, or one of the many named funds dedicated to grants or bursaries. The interest earned off these funds is used according to how the fund was established, and the fund will exist forever. It’s been amazing to see the growth of the Foundation and know that the funds will be here forever to address the evolving needs of our community. Portage is a great place, with many strengths, and CFPD is just one of the reasons I love being part of this community!”—Stephanie Verhoeven, Vice Chair

“A Few Words Coming Soon”—Doug Pedden, Treasurer

“Hi, my name is Ken Brennan. I’ve been on the board of directors with the CFPD for about seven years. I would like to make a request: if you belong to a large company with a large staff, or if you belong to or own a small company, or if you’re just an individual, if you would give us a consideration, have a look at what we’ve done in the community in the last three decades and talk to us. Come and see us, and let’s see if we can all work together to make Portage la Prairie and district a better place. Thank you.”​​​​​​​​​—Ken Brennan, Director

"I have enjoyed seeing firsthand the impact the Foundation makes in the community. Being involved with and connected to other like-minded community volunteers has been thoroughly enjoyable. I'm constantly reminded of the founding words, "we believe in the power of generosity to create lasting change, and we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of those in our community!” Over and over again, the generosity of our community is humbling!"—Warren Neufeld, Past Chair

“The Community Foundation of Portage and District has become a cornerstone organization for our community. It exists solely to improve the quality of life within our community—not only just for today, but for the future. I am so grateful to be part of this growing and lasting endeavour.”—Pat Nodrick, Director

“My name is Sherrie Palmer, and I’m excited to be a part of the Community Foundation Board. As a trusted organization with a long history in Portage and District, the Foundation allows those who give to have an everlasting impact in our community. The community endowment model—investment income from gifts—allows us to provide grants each year that benefit many worthy organizations. So many needs would go unmet without the support of the Foundation and the generous contributions from our community members.”—Sherrie Palmer, Director

“My name is Garry Wright, and I am proud to serve as a volunteer on the Board of our Community Foundation. Foundations follow a wonderful model for community support, and the CFPD is no exception. I think of two words when I think of the work that our Foundation does: ‘community’, and ‘forever’.”

“The Community Foundation of Portage and District is a pillar of strength, support, and generosity. The Foundation's work is about more than just donations—it's about a legacy of care and collaboration, by connecting donors with the causes that matter most. The Community Foundation's work helps turn individual generosity into collective progress. The Foundation is building a future of hope and opportunity.”—Barry Greenberg, Director

“The Community Foundation of Portage and District is a community organization for generous donors and deserving grant-seekers. This charitable organization is managed and operated by local volunteers to create ongoing and never-ending resources to nourish the local community. The Foundation helps the donors to create bursaries and endowment funds in a simplified way for the benefit of local organizations—striving to succeed for the betterment of our community. This is the community's foundation: by community for community, today and forever. I am honoured to be part of this organization.”—Divjot Divjot, Director

“A Few Words Coming Soon”—Aaron Pierre, Director

“I consider it an honour to be a part of the Community Foundation of Portage and District. I am consistently amazed at the many community projects and education bursaries that the Foundation funds. Each project or cause has their own unique ways that make our community such a great place to live. And the great thing about those funds, is the way the Foundation is structured (with our endowment fund), and that the money that is invested will continue to be there for generations to come and will continue to benefit Portage and area in perpetuity. It is a privilege to be a part of this board of directors that operates with such a high level of integrity, prudence, forethought, and diligence. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve our community.”—Amy Chappellaz, Director