Toronto, ON- At the 2023 Lacrosse Canada Annual Meeting 3 new Board Members were elected, along with 3 Directors being re-elected into their roles and one appointment to finish a term. These meetings concluded last weekend in Toronto, and we could not be more excited to announce our new board members.
Suzanne Belanger will be taking over the role of LC Director of National Championships, previously held by Ahmed Johma, whose term ended at the AGM. Suzanne will bring a new perspective to the role, and we are thrilled to have her joining our board.
"I am excited to join Lacrosse Canada as a director, and I look forward to helping championships host teams plan great events," said Belanger.
Abby Macdonald was elected to the role of director at large (small MA). Paul Lehmann was the former director at large whose term also ended at this year’s AGM, where Abby will now look to continue that work, he has done over the past few years. Abby is from PEI, and we are thrilled to have a board member from a province that is starting to see lacrosse grow again. We know Abby's visions will help across all provinces and we are excited to get started with her.
"I'm honoured to be given the opportunity to represent Small MAs on the Board of Directors. I'm excited to work with this remarkable group to continue to advance the Creator's Game across Canada”. Macdonald said of her new role.
Sean Aggus is currently the President of Alberta lacrosse, and he now steps into an even bigger role by joining the board as a director at large (large MA). Gerry Van Beek’s term ended at this year’s AGM, and we can't thank him enough for his time with the LC board. Sean looks to continue his work with Alberta lacrosse and now use his knowledge on a larger scale here as a board member.
"I am looking forward to getting started as a board member here with Lacrosse Canada, this is a great opportunity to represent large MAs, and help grow the game across Canada" stated Aggus.
The final new member is Matthew Shearer. Matthew's background includes being the senior VP with Under Armour North America, and the president of Under Armour Canada.Matthew has been appointed by the Board of Directors as the Director of High Performance & International Relations for one year to finish the term vacated by Jason Donville recently. Matthew brings tons of experience at high level positions, while also being a member of the NLL for 10 seasons as a player. Matthew will surely help LC make strides in the right direction moving forward.
Shearer stated "I could not be more pleased to step into this role, lacrosse has been a big part of my life. I am always looking for ways to give back to this great game, and this role gives me the chance to do just that. I can’t wait to get started".
President Shawn Williams was re-elected into his current role and will continue to use his experience and visions to grow the game across the country, along with Marisa Di Bari, and Kevin Sandy being re-elected into their positions. Marisa returns as the LC Director of Marketing & Communications, a role that she has excelled in since her arrival. We could not be happier with Marisa being re-elected and look forward to continuing our work together. Kevin Sandy returns as the Indigenous Director for LC, after being voted back into his position. Kevin has many years of expertise with lacrosse and his knowledge of the creator’s game will continue to help us grow the game and share the rich history that comes with lacrosse. We would like to formally welcome all three of these members back.
Lacrosse Canada Executive Director Jane Clapham had this to say:
“I am looking forward to working with our new Board members. They each bring valuable knowledge and skills to Lacrosse Canada to help move the game of lacrosse and our organization forward. I would also like to thank AJ Jomha, Paul Lehmann, Jason Donville and Gerry Van Beek who have given countless hours to this game”.
Thank you to Ahmed Johma, Paul Lehmann, Gerry Van Beek, and Jason Donville. Your countless hours of work and dedication to the sport of lacrosse in Canada do not go unnoticed, and we can't thank you enough for your time, dedication, and love for the sport. We wish you all the best in your future with lacrosse.
With these new members Lacrosse Canada is ready for the next chapter, as we look forward to an even more successful 2024 calendar year.
About Lacrosse Canada
Founded in 1867, Lacrosse Canada is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 11 Member Associations representing nearly 85,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. Lacrosse Canada’s mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. Lacrosse Canada oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by World Lacrosse. Lacrosse Canada is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - Nike, CoachThem, Gait, Cascade, Normatec, Zoll, Signature Lacrosse, and Baron Rings - as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation.
For more information, please contact:
Kealan Pilon
Communications Coordinator
Lacrosse Canada
Email: kealan@lacrosse.ca