OUR TEAM

CEO of HomeSpace Society since 2016, Bernadette has more than 20 years of experience within the affordable housing development and property management sector. She has held leadership positions at several organizations within the sector. Bernadette helped create Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and played a key part in the creation of the HomeSpace Society. Her strong background in leadership, strategic planning, and building collaborative business relationships have enabled her to lead HomeSpace to become one of Calgary’s leading affordable housing providers.

Marvin Aranez is Director of Acquisitions and New Developments at HomeSpace. He brings over a decade of experience and a commitment to creating vibrant, inclusive communities. With roots as a first-generation Filipino-Canadian, Marvin understands the value of resilience and the power of building supportive communities. His mission goes beyond building homes; he’s dedicated to creating safe, sustainable, opportunity-rich spaces for all Calgarians, shaping a more inclusive city one project at a time.

Brightness is our Project Administrator at HomeSpace. She offers crucial support to our Director of Acquisition & Development team, to help ensure our projects advance smoothly! Brightness brings extensive experience in property management and working in the non-profit sector to HomeSpace. She says she’s proud to work at HomeSpace because she sees the leadership our organization has demonstrated in proactively finding solutions to challenges faced by communities in Calgary.

Our Chief Financial Officer Karen Chen brings over 20 years of accounting experience to HomeSpace. She is responsible for overseeing our finances, Information Technology, plus the administration of our Legal and Insurance activities. Karen says she’s passionate about HomeSpace because she loves helping people and finds the work challenging.

As an Accountant at HomeSpace, Beth oversees all payroll processing and accounts receivables. She loves details and numbers -- bringing over 9 years of financial experience, including a Diploma in Accounting to HomeSpace. Beth is passionate about contributing to housing vulnerable people in our beautiful city. Making a difference makes her job even more rewarding and she loves coming to work every day knowing she is a part of the HomeSpace team. 

As Senior Accountant with HomeSpace Yuming provides full cycle accounting, financial reporting, as well as preparation and analysis of management and compliance reports for our organization. As a Chartered Professional Accountant Yuming uses his expertise to find efficiencies and ensure the credibility of our financial operations. He’s passionate about providing affordable and specialized housing to our vulnerable community members.

Victor is the Junior Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Coordinator at HomeSpace. Recently earning a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, he handles processing all payables including vendors, contractors, and employees. Victor values and admires this industry's efforts to reduce homelessness and improve the quality of life for vulnerable and low-income individuals and families. 

Emily is the Communications Director at HomeSpace, crafting strategic communications across media, government, community, and donor relations. She oversees HomeSpace's on and offline presence, collaborating with sector partners to uplift vulnerable Calgarians. A former journalist, Emily brings expertise in public messaging and media, and government relations, positioning HomeSpace as a leader in affordable housing.

Jordan is the Communications Coordinator at HomeSpace. He is responsible for managing social media channels, preparing newsletters, applying for grants, and assisting with communications and marketing strategies. Jordan is passionate about his role with HomeSpace because it allows him to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families who need it most. Prior to HomeSpace, Jordan worked at multiple non-profits specializing in children and families living with disabilities. He brings communications experience and a strong understanding of the importance of supporting vulnerable people.

Sasha is the Housing Manager at HomeSpace, where she oversee our Housing Liaisons. She holds a master’s degree in counselling psychology and has worked in the homelessness serving sector for over 5 years after starting out her journey in a front-line role at a 24/7 supportive housing building. At HomeSpace, she focuses on maintaining strong, collaborative working relationships with our agency partners and responding to resident grievances if they arise. Through her master’s degree, Sasha has gained a deep of the developmental, mental and social barriers that individuals face in their ability to maintain stable housing. She fundamentally believes that our society has a duty to protect our most vulnerable, and she has seen first-hand that a housing first approach can have a positive impact on peoples lives. 

Leslie Lewis is a Housing Liaison with HomeSpace. She helps residents understand and sign their leases, conducts inspections, and communicates with our partner agencies to ensure our residents are supported with the goal of retaining housing long-term. Leslie brings 25 years of experience in the homeless serving sector to HomeSpace with great knowledge of how shelters, housing, and support agencies can work together to help our residents succeed. She joined HomeSpace because she loves the organization, culture, mission, and the sense of compassion we bring to housing vulnerable Calgarians.

Rex is part of the Housing Liaison team at HomeSpace, bringing 15 years of property management in affordable housing to this role. He manages the day-to-day activities with our residents, providing support and continual education on lease obligations to ensure successful tenancy. Rex feels fortunate to be a part of this organization that helps provide support to the most vulnerable in our community during times of need. He values his work and finds it rewarding to help people experiencing homelessness to find secure housing. 

Sumayra is one of the Housing Liaisons at HomeSpace. She brings a bachelor's degree in Sociology where her research focused on employment precarity and housing insecurity among newcomers. Sumayra helps our residents understand their lease, conducts unit inspections, and works alongside our partner agencies to help residents maintain stable housing. Her research has taught her how critical it is to have access to safe, affordable housing, which motivates her to help make housing more accessible to every person.

Jasmine is one of the Housing Liaisons at HomeSpace. She worked for 15 years in the oil and gas industry before pivoting to frontline work. Since then she's worked in shelters and intensive case management to support Calgary's vulnerable populations. Jasmine works alongside our tenants and agency partners to address concerns and provide guidance. At HomeSpace, she combines her interest in property management with the impact of supporting tenants on their housing journey, which is incredibly rewarding.

Tiffany is a Housing Liaison at HomeSpace. She works closely with community agencies to help vulnerable individuals and families access safe, affordable housing. With 10 years of experience as a Residential Leasing Agent, Tiffany brings extensive housing knowledge and a strong commitment to supporting people in need. Passionate about recognizing the person behind every story, Tiffany is an advocate for vulnerable individuals. She is determined to help residents find stability, security, and a place they can proudly call home.

Jennifer is our Office Operations Coordinator at HomeSpace. She supportd the board and senior leadership, manages team culture, leads hiring and onboarding processes, and oversees internal communications to keep the organization running smoothly. Jennifer brings nearly 10 years of experience in real estate and leasing coordination to HomeSpace which has given her invaluable skills to be an effective and empathetic communicator. She is passionate about ensuring everyone has a place to call home and says she is proud to work at an organization like HomeSpace that is creating essential and positive community change.

Jeric is a Property Administrator at HomeSpace. He offers crucial day-to-day support to our Property Management team to ensure smooth operations between our team and our partners. Jeric recently moved to Calgary and brings with him over six years of administrative experience including experience in a federal government office and background in residential leasing. He’s passionate about contributing to an organization that takes pride in providing housing solutions for low-income families and making a meaningful impact in our community. 

May is a Property Administrator at HomeSpace. She brings a strong understanding of leasing and property administration including, move-ins and move outs, work orders and a variety of adminitrative tasks. At HomeSpace she supports our Property Management team to coordinate operations between us our partner agencies. Through her work, May hopes to help make life easier for vulnerable folks.  

Sandy is the Property Administrator at HomeSpace. In this role, she provides crucial day-to-day support to the Property Management team to ensure operations run smoothly. Driven by her passion for helping others, Sandy takes pride in identifying housing solutions for vulnerable Calgarians. She has experience supporting seniors at a long-term care facility in Victoria, BC, and working as an Assistant Property Manager for both residential and commercial properties in Alberta.

Stan Milshin is Asset Manager at HomeSpace, overseeing maintenance and building operations across its housing portfolio. He brings experience in residential property management, team leadership, and coordinating building improvements, with a practical approach to solving problems and supporting his team. Working closely with staff, contractors, and agency partners, Stan focuses on keeping homes safe, well maintained, and welcoming while planning for their long-term needs. His work supports HomeSpace’s commitment to providing quality housing for Calgarians.

Paspuraj is a Maintenance Technician with HomeSpace taking care of HomeSpace properties and performing day to day repairs. He has experience starting off in the hospitality industry, doing maintenance in hotels. Raj brings knowledge and kindness to his role at HomeSpace, and loves to help people. He is passionate about taking care of our residents.

Kushodhaj Datta is a Maintenance Technician at HomeSpace. He takes pride in fixing things and making homes better for people who have experienced homelessness. He has worked in the non-profit sector serving homeless Calgarians for over 7 years doing maintenance work in shelters and believes everyone in our community deserves a home. He’s proud to provide permanent housing for people with so few resources.

Sisay Ejigu is a Maintenance Technician with HomeSpace. After 10 years in the construction industry doing general carpentry Sisay brings specialized skills to the HomeSpace team including drywall, electrical, asbestos and mold management skills. He joined HomeSpace for the healthy work environment, welcoming community, and takes pride in connecting with our residents.

Bishwo Bhandari is a maintenance technician with HomeSpace. He handles minor plumbing and electrical projects as well as repairs at our properties and takes pride in having great communication with our residents. Biswho has experience from the non-profit and private sectors and joined HomeSpace to serve the community. He believes everyone needs some help occasionally and takes satisfaction in contributing to the greater good.

Joelle is a Maintenance Technician with HomeSpace. He started in the private sector, gathering 10 years of maintenance experience doing routine repairs and preventative maintenance to ensure the safety and comfort of residents. He now makes sure our buildings are safe and well-maintained by responding to maintenance requests and preparing units for new residents. Joelle believes affordable housing provides people with stability and dignity and he takes pride in making sure everyone has a nice place to call home.