About Us

Paul Popo-Ola

President
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 2010

Paul Popo-Ola is originally from London ON, and a proud Alumnus of Lakehead University, who chose Lakehead University to pursue both his academic and athletic career. Paul graduated from the H.B. Commerce Program in 2010, and while attending Lakehead University he played for the Thunderwolves. More information about Paul Popo-Ola

Mike Walton

Vice-President
Honours Bachelor Outdoor Recreation, 1983

Landing in Thunder Bay from Toronto to start at LU in 1979, Mike fell in love with the idea of wilderness and Lake Superior. He has spent his life hiking, paddling and camping in some of the most beautiful places in Canada, including the north shore of Lake Superior... More information about Mike Walton

Jamie Dennison

Vice-President
Civil Engineering Technology, 1995
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 1999

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and now residing in Oakville, Ontario, James joined Great West Life in 2016 and is the Vice President & Global Head of Operational Risk. James has worked in the financial services industry since graduating from the Bachelor of Commerce program at Lakehead University in 1999, and has since held various roles in risk management and regulatory organizations including the Bank of Montreal and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)... More information about Jamie Dennison

Annette Butikofer

Treasurer
Bachelor of Administration, 1985

Ms. Annette Butikofer began her information technology career in 1985 working as a programmer/analyst for Telecom Australia as part of the university work exchange program, AIESEC. Upon her return to Canada, Annette worked as a programmer/analyst for Woods Gordon Consulting and the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1991, Annette joined the Information Technology Branch of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as a Senior Programmer Analyst. She has held progressively challenging positions since then and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program (EXDP). Since 2002, Annette has occupied a number of executive positions. In October 2015, Annette assumed the role of CIO and Assistant Commissioner, Information Technology Branch... More information about Annette Butikofer

Yolanda Wanakamik

Past-President, Board of Governors Representative
Honours Bachelor of Arts, 1998
Master of Education, 2020

Yolanda has over twenty years of progressive experience within education, social services, healthcare, and private sectors dedicated to integrating structure, policy, and programs that most effectively influence a... More information about Yolanda Wanakamik

Linda Henderson

Director
Honours Bachelor Physical & Health Education, 1982
Masters of Science, 1985
Bachelor of Education, 1985

Linda was born in the city of Toronto and grew up in Mississauga. After high school graduation from Clarkson Secondary School, Linda chose to attend Lakehead University because of its renowned Physical and Health Education Program. She also went on to complete a Master of Science Degree... More information about Linda Henderson

Carmen Pekkarinen

Director

Carmen was born and raised in northern Ontario and has lived and worked in Finland since 1998. She currently works as a Documentation Specialist at Trimble Solution in Espoo, Finland. She also holds an Honours Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (Laurentian, 1997) and an MA in Integrated Studies (Athabasca, 2013)... More information about Carmen Pekkarinen

Mark Tilbury

Executive Director, Alumni Association
Honours Bachelor of Commerce, 1994

Mark Tilbury believes that you get out of something what you put into it. Following this philosophy has made him an exceptional Lakehead supporter for 27 years.From the moment he set foot on the Thunder Bay campus, Mark has epitomized the spirit of volunteerism.“Lakehead was my first choice,” he... More information about Mark Tilbury

Zack White

Director
Eng.Dp'08
BEng'10

Born and raised on Prince Edward Island, Zack came to Thunder Bay in 2006 to attend Lakehead University. During his time at Lakehead, he was a member of the Men’s Varsity Basketball Team as well as the Steel Bridge Competition Team... More information about Zack White

Debbie Balika

Director
HASEd.'11
MSc'14

I moved to Conservation Ontario in July 2020, to the role of Drinking Water Source Protection Manager. Previously, I worked at Kawartha Conservation, in Lindsay, Ontario, in the role of the Water Quality Specialist, for 5 years, but have been working in the field of water quality since 2008. Other experience includes teaching at Lakehead University in Orillia as a Laboratory Instructor and Contract Lecturer... More information about Debbie Balika

Cameron Holmstrom

Director
BA/BEd.'02

Cameron was born and raised in Kenora, Ontario, he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in French with a minor in History, and a Bachelor of Education through the Concurrent Education program at Lakehead University. He is a... More information about Cameron Holmstrom

Chris Blueman

Director
BA'99

Graduating from Lakehead University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and born in Toronto, Christopher Blueman is an entrepreneur at heart with experience in finance, adult education and local politics. Currently advancing an independent & diverse team of highly skilled Financial Assurance Professionals, Christopher has... More information about Chris Blueman

Masoud Manzouri

Director
MSc '19

Masoud, an international student from Shiraz, Iran, earned his Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Lakehead University in 2019. During his time at Lakehead, he actively served the student body, including a term as the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) president. He also sat on the Alumni Association Board as a Director from 2019 to 2020... More information about Masoud Manzouri

Liz Murray

Director
HBSc.'88

Liz is an accomplished life sciences researcher and safety co-ordinator at Earthmaster Environmental Strategies Inc., a consulting firm in Calgary, Alberta that offers multi-disciplinary environmental services and is a world leader in plant-based soil remediation solutions. Liz was always interested in medical science and obtained a Bachelor of Science and an Honours Bachelor of Science in biology from Lakehead. She continued her studies... More information about Liz Murray

Faraz Khorsan

LUSU President
MSc. 2024

LUSU's President is the Chief Executive of the student union, serving as the voice of students to Lakehead University, the community, and government. The President is responsible for the general oversight and strategic direction of the corporation. They lead LUSU’s campaigns and advocacy work, are in charge of coordinating LUSU’s communications strategy, and serve as the union’s primary liaison with media.

Therese Lim

Director
HBScN'91 / BA'93

Nancy Luckai

Director Emerita
Bachelor of Science in Forestry, 1981

Dr. Luckai began her career at Lakehead just over 40 years ago when she enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree.As a member of the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, she developed the Forest Resources and Soil Testing laboratory and served as Chair of the Honours Bachelor of... More information about Nancy Luckai