Safe Haven Foundation Board of Directors

As Co-Founder and now Board Chair of Safe Haven Foundation, John Sherbut’s unwavering dedication to supporting Calgary’s homeless and at-risk teenage girls continues to be a cornerstone of the organization’s mission. A visionary with an unbridled philanthropic spirit, John’s long-term financial and personal commitments to Safe Haven Foundation remain a way of life. His steadfast championship of the cause nearest and dearest to his heart has profoundly shaped the foundation’s impact on the fabric of Calgary’s community.

John is the President of Britgary Properties, a real estate development company he established in 1982. Over the decades, he has successfully spearheaded new shopping center developments, the redevelopment of retail complexes, and Britgary’s diversification into residential properties and start-up ventures. Now mentoring two of his sons as they transition into managing the company, John continues to impart his entrepreneurial spirit, sound financial management, and solid business ethics—values that have ensured Britgary’s success and also strengthen Safe Haven Foundation’s leadership.

In his role as Board Chair, John remains passionately committed to advancing Safe Haven Foundation’s vision of empowering Calgary’s vulnerable young women to achieve brighter futures.

A less than ideal childhood and upbringing ultimately prepared Karen Sherbut for the role of her life as a role model, mentor and humanitarian . . . a role that would ultimately change the lives of many young women, their families and loved ones and impact the Sherbut family immensely.

Karen’s dream of providing for homeless teenage girls what she so desperately had once needed, came to fruition in 1996, when Karen and her husband founded The Safe Haven Foundation of Canada.  In a volunteer capacity at the helm of the Foundation, Karen’s steadfast commitment to Safe Haven Foundation continues to shape a better and brighter future for all of us.

With over 40 years of senior marketing, management and leadership experience, Karen’s  extensive involvement at both grass roots and national levels in the development and implementation of strategic plans, financial planning, results-oriented programs, public relations and award-winning campaigns provides an enviable advantage at no cost to the Foundation.

Karen’s passion remains visible and reflective through the time she dedicates only to Safe Haven Foundation but also to the many boards and advisory roles she has undertaken over the years.

As the Vice President at Britgary Properties, Karen leads the marketing and public relations strategies for the company.  In recent years Karen’s expertise has expanded to include operations and strategic planning of some of the Britgary’s newest endeavours.

Maria is currently the HRVP for Shell Canada, accountable for all facets for Canada’s people agenda. With over 18 years with Shell, she has held various global and local roles and projects – in support of various businesses across the organization. Previous to her current role, she was the Policy & Benefits Manager, responsible for setting overall Employee Value Proposition for Canada through development, delivery and administration of all policy and benefits. Subsequent to her role in Calgary, she and her family lived in Edmonton, Alberta where she held the role of Scotford Upgrader HR Manager responsible for partnering with business to provide strategic & operational HR advice. Prior to joining Shell, she worked at a manufacturing company in a HR generalist role.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA with a specialization in Leadership. Maria is married with two children. Outside interests include spending time in nature, hanging out at the hockey rink, softball field, reading on self-development and dinner parties with family and friends.

Damon is the Executive Vice President for Brookfield Properties’ Western Region, overseeing the commercial office portfolio in Calgary. Since joining Brookfield in 2005, Damon has held leadership roles in office leasing and asset management across multiple markets, including Toronto and Los Angeles. His professional expertise is matched by his personal commitment to Safe Haven Foundation’s mission, which he shares with his family. Together, they are dedicated to supporting initiatives that empower young women in Calgary to build brighter futures.

Olivia Dixon is a corporate and commercial litigation lawyer with a primary focus on energy litigation, construction litigation and international commercial arbitration. Olivia obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan (2007, with distinction), and a Master of Laws from Columbia University (2011, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar). She has been a member of the Alberta bar for over 15 years and is a Partner in the Litigation Department of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Calgary.

Olivia first learned of the Safe Haven Foundation through one of her law partners and was excited about the opportunity to become involved with a charitable organization that focuses on the advancement of women and includes education as part of its core values. Olivia is looking forward to advancing the mission and vision of Safe Haven, and enabling at- risk girls to grow into confident, independent, and self-sufficient young women.

Carley George is a marketing and advertising professional with over 19 years of experience, currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at a growing consumer electronics company. Previously, she held the role of Executive Vice President of Client Services at an independent national advertising agency, where she developed a strong foundation in strategic planning and leadership. Recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Executives by The Globe and Mail in 2021, Carley brings a combination of lived and observed experiences that have cultivated her deep empathy and commitment to meaningful change. Her professional expertise and personal perspective position her to support Safe Haven Foundation in its mission to empower equity deserving young women in Calgary to reclaim their futures with pride and confidence.

As a former resident of Haven’s Way, Louisa knows firsthand the struggles faced by at-risk youth in Calgary. Her experiences during a less than ideal childhood, challenges faced in the foster care system, and her positive experiences with Safe Haven have not only shaped her perspective but have also fueled her passion for advocacy and change. Louisa embodies the spirit of resilience and determination that defines our community. After overcoming significant challenges, Louisa has achieved remarkable success in her career. She is currently a dedicated paralegal at a prestigious law firm. Her professional journey is a beacon of hope, proving that with determination and support, a difficult beginning can lead to a thriving future. Louisa is deeply committed to community service and dedicated to assisting those facing challenges in their lives.

You don’t have to spend more than a few minutes in a room with Keli to know her well of creativity runs deeper than most. She has the computer skills but is also a staunch advocate for stepping away from the screen — pottery, photography, and most recently painting fuel her seemingly endless spring of inspiration. Add to that a formidable work ethic and the kind of personality that rallies a team, and you have a true creative powerhouse. Her resume evidences this fact. It features a who’s-who of clients – WestJet, TELUS, The Calgary Stampede, Shaw, and Bow Valley College, to name a few, alongside the awards and industry accolades to fill many a trophy case. These days she focuses on helping up-and-coming creatives earn their brass. Keli currently leads the creative team at Daughter while doing a tremendous amount to support Calgary’s creative eco-system. During the pandemic, she organized a much-loved outdoor public art show featuring Alberta artists and illustrators.

Flash back to 1999, Safe Haven Foundation was just a vision, and we were introduced to a creative genius who truly got us.  She developed our logo, our brochures and produced award winning campaigns. We were in bus shelters and media outlets throughout the city at no cost to us…Keli Pollock put us on the map.  And she planted the seed as she created an image of a child going from darkness into light, a halo around the girl’s head, and thus was born Haven’s Angels.   Fast forward to July 2017 when our Co-Founder, Karen Sherbut, sat down for a coffee with Keli. She had barely sat down when Keli said, “Karen, you know it is time to update your logo”. And since it was created in the 90’s she was right! Keli created not one but three new logos for Safe Haven Foundation, Haven’s Way and Haven’s Angels, all which was what was needed to propel Safe Haven forward and reenergize our presence and brand in the community. Keli was inducted into the Haven’s Angels Hall of Fame in November 2017 and has been instrumental in providing guidance and creative expertise in many areas since then. Most recently Keli and her team at Daughter Creative have been working tirelessly on Safe Haven Foundation’s 25^th Anniversary campaign and are doing this project entirely pro-bono. Once again it is a shining example of Keli’s commitment and generosity, and Safe Haven Foundation is immensely proud to be sharing this campaign with the public. Keli joined our Board of Directors in January 2020 and she is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Trisha was introduced to the Safe Haven Foundation in 2017. As a Landlord in Calgary’s affordable housing arena working with many housing agencies under Calgary’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness (2010-2018), she was truly impressed with Safe Haven’s comprehensive program that provided a long-term home-like environment (with all the necessary supports) for girls who would otherwise be calling the streets ‘home.’ The progress Safe Haven Foundation has made to end homelessness is beyond an inspiration to her. “Collaboration is really key. We need more support for community-based organizations like Safe Haven to increase the supply of supportive housing – affordable housing with health & social supports on site, because that really is the recipe for success when it comes to making an impact on the ground. People that are homeless aren’t homeless because they want to be homeless. They’re dealing with challenges, like with mental health and drugs and maybe violence in the home. Safe Haven’s program and counselling services have proved to be crucial supports for girls transitioning out of homelessness.”

Growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan in an entrepreneurial family laid the foundation for Trisha to work hard for herself in business, discover a real estate passion and give back. She graduated from the University of Regina with a degree in Kinesiology & Health and moved to Calgary. She entered the real estate market in the early 2000’s flipping properties with her father. By the early 2010’s she was accumulating multi-residential apartment buildings and helping end Homelessness. Her company, Arise Housing Services effectively manages multi-residential apartment buildings in Calgary’s inner-city communities and provides tenants with an affordable place to reside.

For the past three years Trisha has been the organizer of The Calgary Women’s Group, a meetup group in Calgary that plans events to get women (of all ages) out having fun, trying something new and meeting friends in the process as she strongly believes social support systems are critical for everyone to have. But two of the [little] women who have had the most profound impact on her life are her daughters. “I am really grateful for these girls, and I consider it such a joy and privilege to be raising women.” As a single mother, Trisha believes it is her job to raise strong, independent women who will contribute to society, and there’s no better way to do this than to lead by example.