ABOUT
Our Board
Kemoh B- Mansaray
CHAIR
Kemoh B- Mansaray
Chair
Kemoh Mansaray is a community leader, educator, and an advocate who is committed to transforming services for immigrant and refugee families in our Edmonton community. He works tirelessly to build connections for Edmonton's newcomer communities with various agencies, programs, and supports.
Mansaray served in various board positions for many organizations that includes Edmonton Multicultural Coalition, the Claireview Multicultural Centre as the Founding Board Chair, and the Sierra Leone Association of Alberta, among others. He has also served as a community representative on the Advisory Committee to the City of Edmonton’s Council Initiative on Public Engagement advocating more inclusive public engagement practices for all Edmontonians.
Mansaray is married with two children. He came to Canada in 2002 and studied Nursing and Human Service Administration at MacEwan University with a diploma and bachelor's degree respectively. He is currently working in Lloydminster as the Lloydminster Local Immigration Partnership (LLIP) Supervisor, an initiative by the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Mansaray is Africa Centre's Chairperson and co-chair of the community engagement committee.
Mansaray continues to promote empowerment and advocates for systemic change that can bring a voice to the communities that are being served. Mansaray is the 2016 winner of Obsidian “Future Leader" award for his dedication and the work he does in his community and the African community at large.
Dr. Philomina Okeke- Ihejirika
VICE CHAIR
Dr. Philomina Okeke- Ihejirika
Vice Chair
Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika is a Full Professor at University of Alberta’s Women’s and Gender Studies department, and the Director of its research consortium – Pan African Collaboration for Excellence. She has carried out over 40 research projects on gender issues in African and African immigrant populations. She works with a vast network of Canadian service providers and policymakers. She is a Killam scholar, Carnegie fellow, a member of the college of mentors for African Universities, and a collaborating researcher with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. Dr. Okeke-Ihejirika also exerts her presence as a community-based researcher. Currently, she is Africa Centre’s Vice Chair and a member of Norquest College board of governors.
Cedric Naoussi
TREASURER
Cedric Naoussi
Treasurer
Cedric Naousi is a Chartered Professional Accountant currently working in fiscal planning with the provincial government . In his role, Cedric works with various levels of stakeholders to support the financial management of the operating and capital budgets. Building strong, dependable, and mutually beneficial value-adding relationships has been a constant theme in his professional life.
Cedric is currently the Treasurer for the Africa Centre where he provides guidance from a governance perspective on financial matters impacting the organization.
The opportunity to serve on the Africa Centre’s Board of Directors – and contribute to supporting and enabling the advancement of African Canadians in Alberta – is a significant personal and professional milestone for Cedric. His first-hand personal experience as an African immigrant (and now Canadian Citizen) who has called Edmonton home since 2007 provides him with a unique perspective and strong affinity for the Africa Centre’s core mission.
On a personal note, Cedric is a soccer enthusiast and has strong ties with the Edmonton soccer community. He actively plays throughout the year and obsessively follows the major professional leagues and competitions.
Noora Badr
BOARD SECRETARY
Noora Badr
Board Secretary
Noora Badr identifies as an Egyptian, African, Arab, and Muslim woman. She is a second-generation member of Canadian Society and holds a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from the University of Lethbridge.
Noora is an advocate for developing positive mental health, personal growth, and community building in all individuals. She has a passion for eliminating homelessness and combating the devastating effects of poverty and seclusion. Her goals are rooted in the desire to support the skillset and knowledge base of the African diaspora in Edmonton.
After finding great success working in sales, Noora decided to focus her efforts on supporting the non-profit services of Edmonton. She works with the Housing First sector in Edmonton, coordinating high-intensity clinical services, permanent supportive housing, and sector-wide training.
Noora believes all individuals can create sustainable change and improvement in their lives, with the right supports, and works with the services that are utilized by people and communities to lift each other up out of poverty, seclusion, homelessness, and lack of hope.
Tony Agbonkhese
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Tony Agbonkhese
Board of Director
Tony Agbonkhese is the Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Nerdia Connect Incorporated; an international trade and business development firm that specializes in the seamless expansion of foreign firms into Africa and African companies into international markets. The company was birth from his passion for the development of our motherland - Africa. Through Nerdia Connect, he has been able to create international partnerships for African firms, opportunities for international firms on the African continent, attract investors to finance African initiatives, and vice versa into international markets. Today, Nerdia has amazed a network of high-profile private sector leaders and government relationships which is leveraged for the benefit of clients.
Prior to Nerdia Connect, Tony was employed by the City of Medicine Hat in several capacities which includes a Project Manager role, a Manager of the Electric Smart Metering & Customer Advocacy Group, and the Accounting Lead for the City’s Power Generation and Distribution Utilities. Some of his major accomplishment while at the city includes leading the deployment of
several strategic initiatives for the City’s Commissioner group – i.e., a citywide Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system, a Maintenance and Work Management system, and the electric utility Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
Tony is a graduate from Acadia University’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) with a certificate in Project Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with specialization in Strategic Management. He has over 17 years of work experience in corporate finance, strategic consulting,
international trade, business development, operations, and project management. Known as a change agent, Tony strives for continued excellence.
Imad Satti
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Imad Satti
Board of Director
Mr. Satti is the president of the Sudanese Community in Edmonton (Sudanese Cultural League of Edmonton). He has been serving the community since 2007 when he arrived in Edmonton. Satti is a founding member of the Sudanese Canadian Communities Association (SCCA). He led the Sudanese communities in Canada to raise funds to support Sudan fight Covid-19 and raised about $500,000. He also led many initiatives to support his native country.
Mr. Satti Came to Canada in 2002 (Toronto then moved to Edmonton) and he is married with three children. Mr. Satti studied civil engineering in China and obtained a Master of Science in Engineering from Canada. He also has certificates in project management and construction estimating from George Brown College in Toronto. He has been working as a construction project manager for many years. Mr. Satti speaks several languages (Chinese, Arabic, English and his mother tongue Nubian Language). Through his project management expertise he has transferred his community into a major player in Edmonton. He joined the Africa Centre as he believes in the advancement of African Canadians in Alberta
Dr. Edna Wakene
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Dr. Edna Wakene
Board of Director
Dr. Edna Wakene is a multi-lingual Doctorate level Therapist and Clinical Manager, a Registered Professional Counsellor and a Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling. She is the founding member of Zeeltbek Counselling & Wellness. She has ample experience in research and data analysis and specialized in child development and well-being research focusing on attachment and trauma. She was awarded the 2011 Gold Medal Award of King Harald V of Norway for outstanding research and contribution to the field study literature. She had the privilege to work with diverse population affected by trauma focusing on the well-being of children and youth and other marginalized community members, and is involved in regularly providing trainings in diverse mental health topics, clinical supervision and consultation to service teams. She has experience working for not-for-profit organizations in Canada and across many countries; namely The Family Centre of Northern Alberta, Doctors Without Borders-Belgium and Save the Children. She is an active member of the community and is pleased to serve as a Board member of the Africa Centre.
Joseph Luri Kichere
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Joseph Luri Kichere
Board of Director
Joseph Luri Kichere, commonly known as Joseph Luri, is a respected natural community leader. He is one of the original members who founded the Africa Centre and made Edmonton his home in 1998. Joseph is a true community-minded individual with a passion for community development. He is a founding member of the Sudanese Christian Fellowship and the South Sudanese Community Association in Edmonton.
Joseph Luri enjoys soccer, watching hockey, and football. He has supported students while working in schools as a settlement practitioner between 2007 and 2014. With a background in business, Joseph holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and a Diploma in Social Work. He has been honoured with numerous awards, including the Provincial Crime Prevention Award twice and the Men of Honour Award.
Andrew Owusu
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Andrew Owusu
Board of Director
Andrew is a dedicated community-based occupational therapist with a profound commitment to improving the lives of the individuals and families he supports. His expertise spans the fields of pediatrics and mental health, where he empowers individuals to overcome barriers and access essential services, enabling them to actively participate and engage in everyday activities and their communities.
Having called Edmonton home for almost a decade, Andrew has embedded himself in the very fabric of this vibrant city. His passion for service and community-building has led him to the Africa Centre. Andrew brings a wealth of experience and a deep sense of pride to his role on the board of directors.
He is enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve the community by listening and amplifying voices. He is committed to fostering an environment of inclusivity and equity within the Africa Centre, ensuring that the organization continues to uplift and celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures and communities it represents. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys playing soccer, live music and spending time outdoors.
Firmin Guelade
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Firmin Guelade
Board Director
Firmin Guelade is fully fluent in French and has many years of experience in building and maintaining relationships within a team.
In addition to a Bachelor's degree in Education, Firmin also has a Master's degree and a Doctorate in Educational Technology (Education Science), as well as a certificate in Psycho-Education and a diploma in Multimedia. He also has strong research skills and experience in developing face-to-face and online teaching programs, customized training, formulating teaching objectives, writing criterion-referenced assessment questions, and resources for courses.
Our Partners & Funders
