Our Current Working circle
Colin Jackson
Having retired after a career in the performing arts and broadcasting, Colin volunteers in support of education, poverty relief, and community building organizations. He admires the wisdom of First Nations author, Thomas King, who says that "we are the stories we tell."
As a proud Calgarian, Colin wants to be part of revealing, then telling, a story of our city as a place of deep connectivity, remarkable kindness, and selfless compassion.
Jason Grelowski
Jason is a business executive and entrepreneur, with over 20 years’ worth of experience advising and leading organizations. He assists corporations and businesses, in both the private and public sectors, to re-invent and re-position themselves to be stronger and more effective. As a native Albertan and proud Calgarian, he has lived and enjoyed cities across Canada and has developed a strong commitment to his community and the arts.
Jason is a creative thinker and strategist, with an infectious passion and positive outlook. He is committed to Calgary On Purpose’s desire for positive dialogue, supplemented by fact-based policy discussions.
Julie Barton
Julie has had a career as an educator dedicated to art, artists and artmaking. She has been a fierce advocate for arts education throughout her career, imagining and designing the arts as a core subject both provincially and locally. She passionately believes the arts should not only be recognized as valuable as a distinct discipline with specific knowledge and skills, she believes the arts should be recognized as a way to build and share intellectual, social and emotional understanding. Creative and innovative competencies are in demand and should be part of every student’s learning experience. Unfortunately, many schools do not have trained arts teachers, so it is crucial to know who our artists are and where we can connect in this city. Arts partnerships have the potential to interrupt routine, challenge tradition, strengthen skills and offer a way to share our voice. Julie continues to look for opportunities to network, align, collaborate and connect within the arts.
Vanessa Cunningham
Vanessa (she/her) is from Moh’kinstsis (Calgary) and has called this place home for more than 25 years. Although she has lived and worked in many different places across Canada and traveled internationally, she feels most connected to the incredible landscapes and diverse communities that make their home here. Vanessa is passionate about community-driven initiatives, and understands how the power of collective action can drive meaningful change. She has a background in environmental and social sciences, and has worked on many inspiring community projects, such as understanding lived experiences of food insecurity in postsecondary institutions, supporting co-management of fish and marine mammals in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (NWT), producing multimedia stories told by rural Ontarians, and contributing to home construction projects using all natural materials in Oaxaca, Mexico. Wherever she goes, she brings with her holistic and intersectional lenses to understand complex problems, curiosity, and an ability to form trusting, care-based relationships. Vanessa is committed to creating a world that is kinder, equitable, and more compassionate. She knows that Calgarians already embody these qualities, and is excited to be a part of shaping this into a larger movement.
Brenda Kenny
Brenda brings extensive experience in sustainability, innovation, energy and environment. Her work and leadership has spanned government, industry, civil society and academia. For Brenda, the intersections, gaps and “creative collisions” are what matter most in times of crisis and conflict. Her career has navigated those gaps seeking to connect people and ideas toward innovative solutions and deeper trust.
She sees as crucial the many new ways of engaging and seeing our city and our world, and draws inspiration from thoughtful citizens such as Parker Palmer, understanding “By the tragic gap I mean the gap between the hard realities around us and what we know is possible — not because we wish it were so, but because we’ve seen it with our own eyes.”
Evan Spencer
Evan is the City Councillor for Ward 12 and a lifelong community builder committed to helping Calgarians connect with purpose. With a background in volunteer leadership, Evan has spent over a decade shaping local neighborhoods through grassroots initiatives like the Abundant Community project and through local community associations. His collaborative approach and community experiences inform his work on Council, where he advocates for policies that empower residents, strengthen local connections, and build a more resilient, caring Calgary.
Kelli Stevens
Kelli has professional experience in both corporate communications and social work. She has worked in the energy industry, post-secondary sector, and with various non-profit and charitable groups. She’s now lived in Calgary for longer than anywhere else, though her perspectives about the city are also shaped by her upbringing in a small, northern Alberta town and experiences in travel and living abroad.
Micky Ahn
Sangwook (Micky) Ahn is a lifelong learner with a passion for community-building, environmental action, and public engagement. With a background in ecological research and a knack for saying yes to “just one more project,” Micky has juggled many roles, from launching sustainability initiatives to mentoring students and running hands-on workshops for learners of all ages. He’s especially interested in helping bridge the gap between knowledge and action, making complex ideas more approachable, and supporting others in becoming more engaged citizens. Whether hiking sand dunes to photograph horses, catching snails in stormwater ponds, wrangling spreadsheets, or teaching people about insects, he’s always looking for new ways to learn and connect with the world around him.
Past Contributors
Thanks to the many folk who have contributed to Calgary on Purpose over the years, including artists and those listed below. (If we’ve missed you, please let us know!)
Nicole Bradford
Steve Brierly
Danika Dinko
Daranne Harris
Kristofer Kelly-Frere
Andrew Ng
Philippe Reicher
Garret Smith
Josephine Tsang