Our Board
The Association is a registered not-for-profit under the Northwest Territories Societies Act. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board’s primary role is to govern and provide leadership and direction for the Association in pursuit of its Mission. The Board believes that good governance is vital to the effective and efficient operation of the Association. This requires making a distinction between the functions of the Board and those of management and the establishment of Board structures and processes which provide effective accountability, transparency, and oversight.
The Board is governed by the Yellowknife Day Care Association’s Bylaws (updated in spring 2019); a document that is owned by the Membership. The Board’s Governance Policies outline the Board’s collective responsibilities, the responsibilities of individual directors, and sets out the Executive Limitations Policy. At each Annual General Meeting, a minimum of four director positions will be up for election.
Current Members
President
Sarah Madsen
Originally from a small town in Ontario, I moved to Yellowknife in 2007 for four months! As many Yellowknife stories go, it is now fourteen years later, and I am married to a born and raised Yellowknifer with a toddler in day care and a baby at home. My background is in Social Work and I have spent several years working and volunteering with children including with the YWCA, the Foster Family Coalition, Girl Guides of Canada, and the Territorial Treatment Centre. I have also worked in the field of Mental Health and Addictions and was a member of the Coalition Against Family Violence for five years. I currently work for the Government of the Northwest Territories where I spend most of my days reviewing policy and legislation to ensure they are easily understood by NWT residents. I have completed various leadership programs and I look forward to bringing my experience to the team as we work together on behalf of the membership to provide safe, quality, affordable childcare.
Vice-President
Laura Stott
Laura moved to Yellowknife in May 2019 with her partner, Andrew and dog, Tilly. In 2020, they welcomed their son, Aspen.
Laura earned her Bachelor of Recreation Management and Community Development from the University of Manitoba in 2007. She transitioned her career in 2011 to begin her training in massage therapy, and has been a Registered Massage Therapist for 12 years. She has been self employed for those 12 years and has had other businesses alongside massage therapy.
Laura brings previous board experience to the YKDA, serving on the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba board of director as 2nd Vice President and chair of the Education and Continuing Competencies committee.
Secretary
Stephen Verhaeghe
I'm an economist in the public sector that has worked for provincial and territorial governments. My spouse and I have been in Yellowknife for eight years. I've been on a condo board in the roles of President, Past-President, Vice-President, and Treasurer and on a provincial board for economists as the Treasurer. I bring experience interpreting financial statements and building budgets and the ability to connect the big picture issues with the everyday issues of our ultimate clients, our children.
Director at large
Director at large
Dana Harris
Director at large
Dana was born and raised in Yellowknife. She has a background in environmental sciences and biology and currently works as a biologist for the Government of Canada. Dana brings some previous board experience having served on the Graduate Student Association board during her time in university and as a co-chair of the Occupation Health and Safety committee at the Gahcho Kue Mine site. Dana’s love for her home and northern families is what drew her into becoming a member of the board.
Sarah Arngna'naaq
Sarah has lived in Yellowknife since 2013 and has been in the north for most of her life. She is a lawyer who works for Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Sarah considers herself to be community minded and enjoys volunteering as a way to give back to the community. When her son joined the YKDA in 2021 and then positions on the board became available in 2022, she saw an opportunity to contribute to an important organization in Yellowknife. In addition to her legal training, Sarah brings previous board experience to the YKDA. She is the current Chairperson for the Nunavut Law Foundation and a director on the board for FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth).
Melissa Syer began a seventeen-year military career in 2001 as naval warfare officer. While working as a military recruiter in both Calgary and Vancouver, Melissa earned a Master of Arts in Professional Communication and was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her excellence and leadership in this field. Melissa's military career culminated at Joint Task Force North with a move to Yellowknife in 2016, where for three years she led a team in planning and executing operations in Canada’s North. Retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Melissa transitioned to civilian life in 2019 as the Capital Planner for the Department of Infrastructure with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Having spent her career living and visiting cities across Canada, Yellowknife is where she and her husband, Tim, have decided to put down roots. In 2020, they added a daughter, Madeline, to the fray after testing their parenting skills with two Northern Special dogs from the NWT SPCA. In 2021 she took on the role of Executive Director for the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce as the exciting next step in a career full of challenge and reward.