Parent Advisory Council (PAC)

A family tradition of service, combined with a Jesuit and Irish Christian Brothers education, excites James about serving as Chair of the Parent Advisory Council. He has over twenty years of global development, tech & innovation, and consulting experience on four continents, and studied at the London School of Economics. Now Principal at CARE Impact Partners, James previously built an AI/SaaS venture for college, accelerated start-ups, created jobs in Africa, and advised executives on changes. James is thrilled to leverage this background to support the CWA community in all possible ways. When not working, he enjoys Cold War espionage and walking with his yellow lab.

Mario is a professional in the financial services industry with over 24 years of experience in commercial banking. Currently, he is with RBC as Director, Leverage and Infrastructure Finance. Mario looks forward to bringing his leadership and business skills to the PAC. He and his wife, Alexandra, have two children at CWA. They enjoy hiking, skiing, and traveling as a family. Mario and Alexandra are boisterous attendees at the boys' volleyball and basketball games. The family is thrilled to be part of the CWA community. Mario is also a strong supporter of the local community, playing a leadership role with Junior Achievement, and Empowering a Family and Habitat for Humanity Calgary.

Gerardo and his wife, Barbara (CWA business manager), are the parents of Adriano (Grade 10), who started at CWA in kindergarten. In addition to Adriano, Gerardo has three grown children and two grandchildren. He is a member and treasurer of the Knights of Columbus at St. Peter's parish and has been a scout leader for 13 years. Gerardo and his family love traveling and spending time at their cottage in BC. Having CWA recommended to their family was, and continues to be, a blessing.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

This will be Karen's first year working with PAC. Karen holds a Master's in Industrial Relations from Queen's University. Before becoming a stay-at-home mother, she worked as a Human Resources Professional. Karen and her husband, Tom, have one son in Grade 2 at Clear Water Academy and a daughter who will join Kindergarten next year. Karen loves the academic standards the school provides her child and feels blessed to be part of this special community. Karen is typically outdoors with her family in her free time, and you can usually find her on a mountain, bike path, or golf course. 

Our family has been part of CWA for the last four years. My husband, Joseph, and I have enjoyed the sense of roots and connection we have been part of through the years. I hope to offer a sense of continuity and depth to what we are already creating at the school. For the interest in our school, I want to bring a more collaborative approach with the parents that leverages the talents, passion, and expertise of everyone in our school community to create successful outcomes for all our students. When not traveling, I enjoy gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and friends, and look forward to being a part of PAC and serving the school. 

Christine has been working with children and youth for 6 years. Her experience working in Calgary Catholic School District as an Education Assistant has developed her skill, deep knowledge, and understanding to work with children. Her main tasks would be assisting the children in learning, with children with special needs as her focus. Christine was driven to further her passion for helping and assisting others by volunteering at Sacred Heart Church, starting as the altar server coordinator, youth programs, and hospitality coordinator. Getting to know parents and their children and assisting in their development programs has always been her passion. She would enjoy spending her extra time building relationships with the community.

Teresa and her husband, Steven, have been part of the CWA community for 12 years. They are the parents of Nicholas (Alumni Class of 2022) and Christopher (Grade 12) and have been a part of the CWA community for 11 years. Teresa is pleased to see her children learn solids academics and, more importantly, grow in the Catholic faith. Teresa is a lawyer with Legal Aid Alberta and her favourite activities are travelling, cheering on the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and taking walks with her four-year-old Labradoodle, Daisy. 

Ramel and his wife, Christine, have four children at CWA in grades 5 (Roman), 7 (Rayna), and 10 (Carter & Lauryn). Clear Water Academy has been a blessing for their family. They are grateful for their children's formation at the school and for the friends they have connected with since their older kids started at the Junior Kindergarten level. Ramel and Christine were raised in Winnipeg but have called Calgary home for 20 years. When Ramel is not working at his wife’s dental clinic, he enjoys talking sports with anyone who will listen.

 

Mr. Forrester has been with Clear Water Academy since 2009. He holds three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts from McGill, a Graduate Teaching diploma from McGill, and a Master’s of Education from the University of Calgary (and partial completion of a Ph.D.). Mr. Forrester has led and taught (in English and French) in other private schools in Calgary. Darren says, “I love Clear Water Academy because it has been the second home to our family as our children have grown up. It has provided a safe, caring place for all the children in the school to grow up at their pace without the pressure to do so more quickly than necessary. Clear Water Academy truly loves and teaches the whole child.”