Board of Directors

Steven Grossick

Interim Chair

Steven Grossick brings extensive leadership experience spanning facilities management, communications, government relations, consulting, and the non-profit sector. He spent over a decade managing the Residence Facilities Maintenance Department at the University of Calgary, where he helped oversee the opening of new residence buildings and played a key role in emergency housing responses during the 2013 southern Alberta floods and the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires. His career has also included senior consulting, marketing, and public affairs roles, as well as operating his own renovation and building services business.

Originally from northern England, Steven has called Alberta home since 1980. He has served in a variety of political, community, and volunteer leadership roles, including with the Cochrane Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, Cochrane Chamber of Commerce, Cochrane & Area Victim Services Society, and the Cochrane Planning Commission. A graduate of the University of Lethbridge and Northumberland Agricultural College in England, Steven remains connected to his agricultural roots and has been a guest lecturer at Olds College.

Karen Powley

Vice Chair

Karen has a wealth of worldwide corporate experience in both Corporate Relations and Human Resources in the property development, non-profit and oil and gas sectors. Her experience has been gained in London, UK, Hong Kong, France and Canada. Karen moved here with her family almost 20 years ago and since then she has focused on Human Resources and spent 6 years as Head of People & Culture for a Calgary based company within the oil and gas sector, before retiring 18 months ago. As a Cochranite she welcomes the opportunity to give back to her community by volunteering as a board member with the Cochrane Society for Housing Options.

Lyle Balmer

Director

Lyle spent 40 years working in the forest products industry. He has built and maintained manufacturing facilities across North America. He managed work teams and built cooperative systems that encouraged active participation by all employees. He received his designation in Business Administration from Gordon College in Georgia.

Lyle has a wife, two children, four grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. When Lyle retired, he returned to Cochrane because of all it had to offer and because of family ties.

Lyle gets involved. He has volunteered as a Junior Forest Warden leader, a cadet trainer, football coach, Habitat for Humanity and Alberta Winter Games volunteer. Since moving to Cochrane, Lyle has served as a member of the Cochrane Planning Commission, the Cochrane and Area Hospice board, and as a volunteer with Home Reno Heaven, Helping Hands and the AHS Mental Health Clinic.

In his spare time, Lyle enjoys woodworking and electronics.

Dylan Bakker

Director

Dylan Bakker brings a strong foundation in construction, governance, and risk management to the Cochrane Society for Housing Options. With experience across oil and gas, residential development, and large-scale infrastructure projects, he has led teams through complex builds, strengthened organizational programs, and supported effective procurement and execution processes.

Dylan specializes in developing practical, scalable systems that improve compliance, project planning, and operational execution. He joined CSHO with the belief that his construction and risk expertise can support the continued growth of affordable housing in Cochrane, contributing to solutions that are safe, sustainable, and aligned with the community’s long-term needs.

Dylan is passionate about thoughtful development, meaningful collaboration, and creating housing opportunities that help more people call Cochrane home.

Anna Martin

Director

Anna Martin is the Finance and Operations Manager at the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, a membership based national non-profit whose mission is to strengthen the community housing sector through advocacy, research and partnerships. Her professional background has spanned administration, events, finance and compliance in New Zealand, Europe and now Canada, and her most recent work has focused on supporting strong organizational systems and contributing to meaningful, community-focused initiatives that are driven in equal parts by data and the people they aim to serve.

Since settling in Cochrane in 2024, Anna has been eager to become more involved locally and offer her housing-sector experience to a community that is experiencing significant growth and change. She is excited about the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other professionals dedicated to strengthening Cochrane’s future.

Margaret Stevens

Treasurer

Margaret is an Executive & Finance Assistant with 25+ years of experience supporting the energy industry, senior leadership, and managing financial operations. She is currently employed with the Government of Alberta, Department of Energy and Minerals. Margaret has a wealth of non-profit experience, including being past president of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), and a volunteer for Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, a non-religious, non-political, grassroots volunteer-driven organization that is committed to alleviating conditions of poverty in Afghanistan through programs that advance education and educational opportunities for women and their families in Afghanistan. Margaret has served as the past chair of the Tapestry of Women, as well as the Cochrane and Area Child Care Program, through the Town of Cochrane’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). She has volunteered with the United Way Committee and the Town of Cochrane FCSS. She has also served as treasurer for the Cochrane & Area Hospice Society to ensure that Cochrane and the surrounding area is a community with all palliative, end of life, and bereavement care services and supports available.

Maria Zacharias

Director

Maria Zacharias is a lawyer with 6 years of litigation experience. She currently serves as in-house counsel with Definity Insurance. Her legal career spans both private practice and in-house roles. Prior to her current role, Maria worked in private practice for a municipal law firm, where she advised municipalities on employment and labour issues as well as governance, bylaw and policy development, and regulatory compliance. Earlier in her career, Maria advised non-profit organizations on employment and labour, human rights, governance, regulatory compliance, collective bargaining, and organizational risk.

Maria is interested in contributing to the Cochrane Society for Housing Options in order to support vulnerable individuals and families in accessing safe, stable, and sustainable housing. Prior to her legal career, Maria worked in various roles with Northern Haven Support Society in Slave Lake, AB, a women’s emergency shelter and community support organization. In that capacity, she supported women and children fleeing domestic violence and individuals facing housing instability and crisis. This work shaped her appreciation for the importance of stable housing as a foundation for safety, dignity, and long-term independence. It also fostered a strong respect for the role that community-based organizations play in ensuring responsible stewardship, sustainability, and effective service delivery.

Steven Sinclair

Director

Steven Sinclair brings more than 15 years of experience in municipal government, housing policy, strategic planning, and government relations to the CSHO. He currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Executive Leadership Team at the Town of Canmore. His previous roles with the cities of Calgary and Toronto, and as Vice-President of Government Relations and Policy at REALPAC, have focused on advancing public priorities, strengthening partnerships, and supporting housing and community development.

Steven’s housing experience includes helping coordinate Toronto’s housing strategy, advocating for federal investment in Calgary’s downtown revitalization, and advancing rental housing policy nationally. As a CSHO board director, he supports strategic planning, municipal partnerships, and the organization’s long-term financial sustainability.

A Cochrane resident, Steven is committed to applying his experience locally to help expand access to non-market housing and strengthen the partnerships that make this work possible.

Councilor Laura McDonald

Town of Cochrane Council Representative

Laura is a local non-profit leader, volunteer, small business lover, disability advocate, and a Councillor for the Town of Cochrane. In her day job, Laura is lucky enough to serve as Executive Director to Community Futures Centre West, a non-profit dedicated to rural economic development across the beautiful foothills corridor.

Laura is thrilled to be a Council representative on the CSHO board, working alongside such terrific volunteers and staff to improve housing options for Cochranites. Outside of work, you’ll find Laura at one of Cochrane’s dog parks, camping with her family, and learning to play the drums.

Councilor Marni Fedeyko

Town of Cochrane Council Representative

Get Involved

we’re looking for new board members and if interested, to please contact us