Mark Petersen
Director | President & Treasurer
Mark is a licensed financial services professional for close to 5 years, starting shortly after transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Mark has a passion for sustainability, the environment, and helping anyone and everyone accomplish their financial goals. It is with these combined passions he has made impact in the community through Socially Responsible Investments (you may have already worked with him, or at least heard him go on and on about it). Mark has served the VegOttawa board in the past, greatly looks forward to the future of this organization, and is proud to serve once again.
You can reach Mark at info@vegottawa.org or treasurer@vegottawa.org
BRIANA PETERSEN
Director | Vice President
Briana is an environmental advocate who went vegan for the planet. She was a vegetarian for most of her life (for the animals!) but made the dive into veganism 8 years ago. During the day she is a financial professional and in the evenings she spends her time advocating for the planet and teaching people to garden through her social media. Briana, her partner and their two fur baby cats recently moved to Ottawa from the GTA. She is looking forward to getting to know Ottawa better and exploring the many outdoor activities that there is to offer.
You can reach Briana at vicepresident@vegottawa.org
Sarah Stadnyk
Director | Secretary
Sarah is a dedicated environmentalist who is vegan for the planet and the animals. Her passion for sustainability led her to a career in renewable energy and she now joins the VegOttawa Association with over 6 years experience with member-based not-for-profits. Before returning to her hometown of Ottawa in 2021, Sarah was living in Toronto and spent time volunteering for environmental and vegan organizations. She is pleased to join the enthusiastic team at the VegOttawa Association and support the mission to promote, support and inspire veganism in Ottawa. Sarah is currently enjoying rediscovering Ottawa and the many vegan restaurants and bakeries in the city.
You can reach Sarah at secretary@vegottawa.org
Camilla Jastrzebski
Director | Membership Coordinator
Ever since January 2022, when Camilla discovered the cruelty of the animal agriculture industry and its devastating effects on the environment, she has been tirelessly working to spread the vegan message wherever she can. She is a new member of the VegOttawa board in 2023 and hopes to help create a clean, sustainable future where animals live out their lives free of exploitation.
She has a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and currently works in software consulting. She is a cancer survivor, enjoys fitness, nutrition and being outdoors, and plays an ancient Chinese instrument called the GuZheng. She lives with her husband, 2 cats and a dog.
You can reach Camilla at memberships@vegottawa.org
LIZ WHEELER
Advisor | Policy & Strategic Action
Liz Wheeler is a passionate animal advocate who is dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our community. In the past five years, her enthusiasm for connecting people and animals together has led her to a career as a professional fundraiser. She has completed a certificate in Animal Welfare from Thompson Rivers University and a certification in Anthrozoology at the University of Windsor. Liz is the philanthropy officer at Faunalytics. She is the founder of Secondhand Stories, a non-profit bookshop that has raised and donated $22k for her local farm animal sanctuary. She is a cat mom and dedicated feline enthusiast. When she’s not busy advocating for animals, she enjoys snacking on delicious vegan food and reading in her backyard hammock with her husband. Liz is the former board president of VegOttawa and has stayed on with VegOttawa as our Policy & Strategic Action Advisor.
You can reach Liz at advisor@vegottawa.org
Are you interested in becoming a member of the board? Send us an email at info@vegottawa.org!
VegOttawa Association 