MEET OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Canadian Board of Directors
Richard Beattie, Chair
Richard studied in Ghana in the 1960s. He was posted there with the Canadian government in the 1990s and became – and has remained – involved with OCLF.
Janice Tye, Treasurer
Janice has held senior positions in corporations and has served on several non-profit boards. In 2001, she volunteered in Ghana with OLF.
Lyn Beattie, Secretary
Lyn is a graduate of University of Toronto’s Library Science Faculty and has worked in various library settings. She is a founding board member.
Kathy Knowles, Program Director
Kathy worked as a nurse before moving to Ghana in 1989. Soon after, she started reading to neighbourhood children, the beginning of OLF/OCLF.
Attah Boame, Member
Attah is a graduate of KNUST, Ghana, and the University of Manitoba. He works as a Senior Specialist at CMHC and teaches at Carleton University.
Sally Bleecker, Member
Sally is a graduate of Queen’s University and the London School of Economics and is a retired family therapist. In 2014 and 2015, she volunteered in Ghana with OLF.
Ghanaian Board of Directors
Ronke Ampiah, Chair
Ronke is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, USA, and Cambridge University, UK. She cofounded Smiles for Christmas, a charity which provides gifts to disadvantaged children in Ghana.
Kafui Dei-Tutu, member
Kafui is a Chartered Accountant and is a member of the FCCA. She works at Ecobank Ghana Ltd. She loves to uncover new worlds through stories with children.
Martin Adjei-Legend, Secretary
Martin went to the Nima Library as a boy and is now the theatre director at the Nima Centre. He is a prolific playwright and inspires young performers on stage.
Kathy Knowles, Program Director
Kathy is a founding member of OLF/OCLF Boards. She enjoys writing for children and sharing her enthusiasm for reading. She lives in Canada and visits Ghana two or three times annually.
Joana Felih
Joana is OLF’s longest serving librarian. Since 1990, she has witnessed its growth from a garden setting to a network of nine freestanding libraries. In 2010, she received an award from the International Board on Books for Young People. [IBBY]
Barbara Bram annor
Barbara is a graduate of the University of Ghana and Warwick Business School and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She is passionate about sustainability, youth development and inspiring others.
cynthia Atua-Ntow, Member
Cynthia, an alumna of the University of Ghana and the University of Pretoria, is a Health Librarian at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. She has a passion for books and particularly enjoys engaging with children.