Who We Are
Our Board of Directors provides skills and expertise that are vital to the governance of Global Gathering Place. We are grateful to each board member for their contributions. To apply to join our board, please fill out the online form here.
Gbenga David Rufai, Board Chair
Gbenga David Rufai has almost 15 years of experience working in the private, public (government), and non-profit sectors. He holds qualifications in Business Administration & Management, Human Resource Management, Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration. He is passionate about giving back to society and when he is not spending time with family, he is volunteering his spare time on different causes. He is excited at the opportunity to contribute to the important work being done at the Global Gathering Place.
Suresh Kalagnanam, Vice Chair
Suresh recently retired as an associate professor from the University of Saskatchewan’s Edwards School of Business. His work at the university provided the opportunity to collaborate with community organizations, understand issues pertaining to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and mentor students. Originally from India, he came to Saskatoon 37 years ago. Over the years, he has volunteered his time as a treasurer, educator, and mentor; he enjoys interacting with people.
Jane Calder, Secretary
Jane is excited to bring her professional expertise to the Board of the Global Gathering Place with over 15 years’ experience in Human Resources. In addition, she has lived in many different countries and knows firsthand the joys and struggles of relocating to a new country. With her family, she has now made Saskatoon her home and is passionate about welcoming other people to the City.
Nishit Gandhi, Treasurer
Nishit Gandhi is a CPA and an MBA from the University of Saskatchewan. He has been living in Saskatoon with his family for the last five years. He works as the Finance & Treasury Manager with the First Nations Bank of Canada.
Before immigrating to Canada in 2019, Nishit and his family lived in India, and he has worked with different international organizations in India, US, UK, Europe and Japan.
Nishit volunteers his spare time with CPA Canada as a financial literacy volunteer sharing basic financial knowledge with a cross-section of society.
Nishit is excited to be volunteer for Global Gathering Place, an incredible organization providing support to newcomers to the country.
Glen Kobussen, Board Member
Dr. Glen Kobussen has taught business and accounting faculty at the University of Saskatchewan (recently retired), Saskatchewan Polytechnic, St. Peter’s College, and First Nations University. Glen continues to teach at Cape Breton University as a Visiting Scholar and Sessional Lecturer. His educational background includes: a Doctorate from the University of New England); a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S); a Bachelor of Commerce from U of S, and studies in labour and business administration from U of S, with specializations in accounting and finance. Glen works with several local, national and international organizations as a special advisor/consultant in the areas of strategy, performance management and management controls. Glen also serves as a strategic and performance management advisor to the Boards and management teams of a multi-national automotive company and a global gaming entertainment organization.
Chanda Tannis, Board Member
Chanda Tannis completed her undergrad at the University of Guelph and Carleton University majoring in political science with a focus in comparative politics of development and underdevelopment. She went on to complete a Civil Law degree and Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa and spent the last semester of the Civil Law degree in a study abroad program in Tunisia.
She was called to the bar in Ontario in 2009 and in Saskatchewan in 2010. She has practised criminal and family law with Legal Aid Saskatchewan for the past 13 years.
Chanda has two beautiful children who are 5 and 9, two cats, and four fish, who take up most of her spare time.
Kelsey Ford, Board Member
Kelsey Ford is a dedicated arts administrator and community organizer, who was born and raised in Saskatoon. She currently works in post-secondary education, at the University of Saskatchewan in Alumni Relations. Previously, she supported international student enrollment and strategic planning at both USask and Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Kelsey brings seven years of experience in the non-profit arts sector, including leadership roles with Nuit Blanche Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan Printmakers Association. She has a strong background in event coordination, grant writing, fund development, and governance, and is committed to building meaningful community connections through creative collaboration. Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours degree with a minor in French from the University of Saskatchewan.
Manas Mambetsadykov, Board Member
Manas Mambetsadykov works as a manager in Admissions and Enrollment at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He is from Kyrgyzstan. His broad international experience in building understanding across cultures and has dedicated his career to international education. He studied leadership and management and has a Master of Public Administration degree. He was studying US foreign policy at the American University of Central Asia when 9/11 happened and saw the US foreign policy and the might of NATO firsthand as Kyrgyzstan hosted the transit airbase for the NATO troops. He then worked in Canada, traveled extensively for international admissions and recruitment first for the University of Saskatchewan and now SaskPolytech.