CORCAN advisory board

Simon Bonk is the former Chief Information Officer for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). A role he held for more than six years and retired from that position after almost 30 years in the Canadian Public Service. On his retirement, he joined Telio as their Chief Research Officer and Director New Business Development, where he creates and implements strategic approaches in new markets, and builds relationships with jurisdictions, researchers, and other stakeholders to advance thought leadership in the correctional space. Simon is currently the Corporate Chair of the Corrections Technology Association and previously served as Secretary. In addition, he is the Chair of the IT Network for the International Corrections and Prison Association as well as member of the Technology Committee at the American Probation and Parole Association. He serves as an Advisory Board Member to the SAW Project which is dedicated to creating a worldwide data-sharing platform designed to bring positive change to the global supervision industry through international collaboration.

Paul M. Bourassa currently serves on both the Alberta Public Health Appeal Board and the Alberta Parole Board. Previously, he had a distinguished career with the Government of Canada, where he worked as a Federal Crown Prosecutor and Justice Counsel.

During his tenure with the Government of Canada, Paul took a leave of absence to serve as a consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In this role, he lived in Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and Botswana, mentoring prosecutors and investigators in combating financial crime and corruption.

In addition to his legal career, Paul was an elected official for seven years with the Conseil Scolaire FrancoSud, a school board dedicated to promoting both Catholic and public Francophone education in Calgary and southern Alberta.

In recognition of his dedication to education and the protection of minority language rights, Paul was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2023.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian Studies and History from the University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean, which included an exchange program at Université Laval. He earned his law degree from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, where he became a member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, a distinction he continues to hold.

Gerard d’Entremont is the Director of Training for E360 Institute, a member of the LMMW Group of companies in Nova Scotia. With over 27 years in post-secondary workforce development, Gerard has developed the E360 brand, specializing in sustainable energy management, facility optimization, and renewable energy courses. E360 also delivers topic-focused, flexible programming on a custom basis to suit specific learning objectives. 

He is currently a Doctoral candidate in the Community College Leadership program at Old Dominion University in Virginia. His research interests are focused on the development and value of micro-credential programs. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, a Bachelor of Education degree from Mount Allison University, and a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from the University of New Brunswick. Gerard and his wife, Becky, live in Kentville, Nova Scotia, and enjoy raising their grandchild, Serena.

Gerard’s interest in CORCAN stems from his long history of post-secondary training and development of incarcerated individuals within Dorchester, Springhill, and Nova Institutions. His belief in providing the skills necessary to become employable citizens supports reintegration into society and provides individuals with the support required to become active participants within our society. Given today’s labor challenges and new sustainable energy sector occupations, individuals entering the workplace have more opportunities to excel and thus reduce recidivism.

David Henry is a Director General and criminologist.

David holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science, a bachelor’s degree in criminology and a diploma from a graduate microprogram in social administration and is a member of the Ordre professionnel des criminologues du Québec, Quebec’s professional association of criminologists. From 2005 to 2009, he worked in the forensic psychiatry network for an intermediate mental health in-patient resource and as a worker responsible for the monitoring of offenders under provincial jurisdiction in the community who have serious and persistent mental health issues.

Between 2009 and 2024, he worked within the Quebec Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies (QASRA), where he was appointed Director General on October 17, 2016. The QASRA brings together 80 community not-for-profit organizations who work with people who are in conflict with the law. The QASRA works to promote crime prevention through community intervention (parole, community service, halfway houses, conditional sentencing, youth delinquency, etc.) and every year, in Quebec, its members offer services to over 35,000 people who are subject to judicial control.

Since November 25, 2024, he holds the position of Director General and Secretary to the Ordre professionnel des criminologues du Québec.

Anissa Kherrati is a renowned and experienced developer. Anissa has been working in the fields of entrepreneurship and consensus building for 27 years. She is also specialized in the coaching and financing of businesses and has mentored many women leading private businesses and social economy organizations. She developed projects based on the collective knowhow of her entrepreneurial ecosystem and has established communities of practice, which she coordinates. She is an active member of the mentoring network of the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship and a member of the Alliance de la féminisation du leadership. She works with vulnerable groups (women, people subject to judicial control, refugees) to ensure better professional integration. She also developed and hosted entrepreneurship and leadership in international cooperation workshops for women as well as a qualifying training in entrepreneurship (business planning) recognized by the Ministère de l’éducation, Quebec’s education ministry. She is the chair of the Correctional Service of Canada’s Regional Ethnocultural Advisory Committee and a member of its National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee.

In 2023, she was a finalist for the influential leadership award presented during the Prix Femmes d’affaires du Québec competition.

Lesa Lacey is a Business Manager at Lacey Construction. Lesa is active in the community including the Board of Governors at University of the Fraser Valley, Vice President of the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) in British Columbia (BC), Past Chair of BC Construction Safety Alliance, Skills Canada BC and Mission Association for Community Living. Lesa is also Founding Member at Fraser Valley Women in Construction Group and CHBA Fraser Valley Boot Bank. She is the recipient of President’s Award from Mission Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Year Award from CHBA BC, and President’s Award from CHBA Fraser Valley. In her volunteer roles, Lesa is passionate about volunteering to support women in trades and trades as meaningful careers – including volunteering with Skilled Trades BC and the Correctional Service of Canada. Lesa enjoys spending time volunteering in corrections in the United States with Hustle 2.0 and Defy Ventures.

Luketa M’Pindou is the Executive Director of Alliance Jeunesse-Famille de l’Alberta Society (AJFAS), a not-for-profit francophone organization that he founded in 1999. Luketa has close to three decades of experience working in cultural support and correctional issues with the francophone ethnocultural communities in Canada. Through AJFAS, he has been working with youth of African descent to prevent their involvement in crime and in developing a strategy for combatting racism, discrimination and hate in the community.

Actively involved in the community, Luketa has served on a number of boards and advisory committees, including: member of the French Collaborative Team of the Ministry of Children and Family Services and Multicultural Health Brokers; member of the Edmonton Racism Free Committee; Western and Northern Canada’s Board member of the Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada; member of the National Steering Committee of the Francophone Minority Communities in Canada of Citizenship and Immigration Canada; member of the Sectoral Commission of Natural, Social and Human Sciences of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Luketa served also as the Vice-President of the Association Canadienne-Française de l'Alberta. He served with Orders-in-Council as Chair of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees of the Alberta Regional.

On correctional issues, Luketa served as Chair of the Correctional Service of Canada’s Regional Ethnocultural Advisory (REAC) Committee for the Prairie Region, and as a member of the National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee. He was also a community member for the Parole Board of Canada.

His contribution and exceptional involvement in the community have received recognition both provincially and nationally .  He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Canada); the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta); and the Sovereign Medal for Volunteers. Luketa holds a Management Bachelor’s degree from Montreal School of Business at the University of Montreal.

Brunilda Reyes is the co-founder and director general of the social economy organization Les Fourchettes de l’espoir since it was established in Montréal-Nord in February 2001. Brunilda is rightly considered an accomplished leader in the Montreal community-based sector. Promoting food security for people without essential economic wealth and social resources, along with supporting the academic journey and first work experience of teenage girls, as well as the reintegration of marginalized youths. All are examples of initiatives which benefit thousands of Montrealers through the programs offered by Les Fourchettes de l’espoir. Building on the success of this experience, and as a true social entrepreneur, Brunilda founded the project Un Rayon de Soleil, an ambitious social housing initiative offering a living environment conducive to academic success for young single mothers who go back to school. Les Fourchettes de l’espoir and Un Rayon de Soleil are two compelling examples of the social economy which Montreal is fortunate to have.

Brent Augustine:  is from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick. At the age of 29, he decided to return to education in 2012 and has been committed to learning since then. Brent holds a degree in Political Science, a degree in Social Work, and is set to receive his Master's in Organizational Management by April 2025. Brent’s career has been dedicated to working with Indigenous communities, where he has served as a Cultural Support Worker, Addictions Counselor, and in roles related to Restorative Justice and Social Work Support for Elsipogtog Administration.

Currently, Brent proudly serves as the Nation’s Administrator. His deep passion lies in community safety and wellbeing where he believes that community welfare includes supporting those who have made mistakes but deserve a second chance to become providers for their families. He practices a strength-based, holistic approach to empower individuals to find their rightful place in the community. Brent actively participates in cultural ceremonies such as the Sweat Lodge, Four-day Fast, and Sundance.

Brent believes that learning is an everyday journey, and that healing arises through hope, meaning, and purpose. He is honored to be part of the CORCAN Advisory Board, where he can continue to help to and learn from this work.