2022-23 Board of Directors

	Richard Dowsett President and Treasurer	president AT hp-hc DOT ca AND/OR treasurer AT hp-hc DOT ca
	Supporter of Humanism as a positive, ethical life-stance and lens through which I view the world. Community and Communication are fundamental to happiness and peace; bad things begin where community and communication end. Striving to be Open, Honest & Authentic.
	George Cordahi Vice-President	vice-pres AT hp-hc DOT ca
	Born in Egypt to observant Syrian Orthodox parents, then joined siblings in Canada as a teen. Seeds of freethought germinated while still in Egypt, but sprouted in my early twenties from reading Ayn Rand. While never a follower of Ayn Rand she must be credited for clearing cobwebs from my mind.
	Jerry Bakker Membership coordinator	membership AT hp-hc DOT ca
	Over the years I have worked and became friends with people from around the world. I would ask questions about their cultures and religions because I am interested in how others live their lives. But I was also questioning my Catholic upbringing and looking for something that reflected my personal values without all the things I objected to in the church. My search led to Humanism
	Cameron Soltys Secretary and Event Organizer	secretary AT hp-hc DOT ca AND/OR events AT hp-hc DOT ca
	Born in London, Ontario and raised Roman Catholic until he made the mistake of trying to learn more about his faith through reading the Bible. Now a proud Humanist working towards a better world through science-based decision making.
	Kelly Bogart Director at Large
	I have been an atheist since birth. I have a deep appreciation for what mankind has achieved through science and reason. I believe all ideas should be open to criticism.
	Kostas Tsembelis Webmaster	eratosthenes AT hp-hc DOT ca
	Born in Greece at the height of the military junta, he remained a human rights proponent ever since. At the age of 19, he left Greece for the UK and got a First Class degree in astrophysics and a PhD in space sciences. In 2006 he crossed the Pond and now lives in Ottawa. His turn to irreligion was very gradual but in the end, logic prevailed. Like many new atheists he went through a phase of being very polemic to theism and religion but now tends to leave theists in peace unless they want to impose their views on him and, especially, on the legal framework of the country. This is where he makes his stand. "I expect and demand equal rights and freedom of expression and beliefs for all."
	Mohammed Al-Naib Director at Large
	Born in Nairobi, Kenya to Iraqi diplomat parents, I spent most of my childhood in Baghdad. Completed my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering in Iraq, then my post graduate degree in Jordan. I started questioning my Islamic faith in my early 30s while in Dubai and finally came the realization that the presence of an all-knowing creator didn’t make sense to me. As Sam Harris said, “It's simply untrue that religion provides the only framework for a universal morality."