Board of Directors
Photo credit: Risa Payant
“We are small but mighty here. We need to work together, across disciplines, to share resources - not just tangible resources like space but knowledge and networks - and keep pointing out how the arts make this a better place to be, a richer life, a stronger community.”
— Former Board Chair, Yvette Nolan —
Photo credit: Rammy Sohal
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
TENIELLE BOGDAN
Tenielle (she/her) is the Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, where she spearheads initiatives that strengthen collaboration, innovation, and economic growth across Saskatchewan’s business community. Previously, she spent three years as the Director of Development and Stewardship at the Saskatchewan Science Centre, where she led the organization's fund development and partnerships portfolio. Passionate about inclusion, community engagement, and educational growth, Tenielle excels at forging partnerships with government, corporate sponsors, and non‑profits. She continues to champion meaningful collaboration and drive systemic impact across Saskatchewan’s economic and social landscape. Tenielle has been with Common Weal since 2023.
Photo credit: Carli down
TREASURER
CARLI DOWN
Carli (she/her/they) is Director of Operations with Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) and has been working with the agency for over four years. She started her role as Peer Coordinator, a role that continues to mean alot to her because it upheld people or humanness first. As Director of Operations some of the things she is involved in are program design and implementation, policy, knowledge holder as a person with living experience, research initiatives, community initiatives, administration, human resources and finances. Carli upholds the strength of living experiences as primary, but also has a BA hons in Sociology from the University of Saskatchewan in 2006. Carli lives on Treaty 6 land where she spends a lot of their free time in nature with her heart and companion, Drift. Carli has been with Common Weal since 2022.
Photo credit: sonia stanger
SECRETARY
SONIA STANGER
Sonia (she/her/they) is a student and writer living and working on Treaty 4 territory. After spending most of her 20s working as an arts administrator with Regina’s Globe Theatre, Sonia is excited to be embarking on a new scholarly adventure and continuing her post-secondary education in the field of psychology. Sonia holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in English from the University of Regina and is grateful to have worked and volunteered with amazing community organizations like Regina Folk Festival, the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation, and the Regina Public Interest Research Group. She is passionate about intersectional social justice, mental health, and great books. Sonia can regularly be heard filling the role of gleeful queer/fat/feminist killjoy on 91.3 FM CJTR - Regina Community Radio, where she co-hosts Spoiler Alert, a weekly comedy show about film. Sonia has been with Common Weal since 2020.
Photo provided by Chelsa racette
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
CHELSA (REIL) RACETTE
Chelsa (she/her) is German, Irish, Chippewa, and Cree from the Nekaneet First Nation in Saskatchewan. In 2005, in an effort to introduce the excitement and presence of modelling and indigenous fashion into the community of Regina and area, Chelsa opened the Indigenous modelling agency Glacsy Model and talent Management Canada (Glacsy) and the business 306 Fashion Week Productions Inc. (FWP). Five years later, Chelsa launched the first National Aboriginal Fashion Week on Turtle Island. Through this exciting endeavour, Chelsa provided a platform for aspiring and established fashion designers, models, entertainer, hair and makeup artists, and Indigenous event planners to network and share their experiences within the fashion community. Since then, her events have expanded to an international stage, thus, the name change to International Indigenous Fashion Week Inc. (IIFW) in 2016, and most recently, has taken designers to NYC, Paris, London, Cannes. Chelsa has conducted business in the fashion industry for over 25 years, and during this time she found that the presence and influence of Indigenous fashion is growing rapidly. Chelsa has been with Common Weal since 2024.
photo credit: LARA BONOKOSKI
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
LARA BONOKOSKI
Lara (she/her) is a lawyer with Legal Aid Saskatchewan in the Regina City Office. Prior to entering a career in law, Lara worked for a number of years in the community development field, primarily as the Director of Community Initiatives at the YMCA of Regina. Lara has developed and supported numerous projects in the areas of housing, education, and employment. Lara has an undergraduate degree from the University of Regina in Gender studies. She lives in Regina with her child, Miles. Lara has been with Common Weal since 2020.
Common Weal Membership is made up of the Board of Directors, which has a minimum of four and maximum of ten members. The Executive consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. The board is committed to a governance model as outlined in the following statement:
The Board will govern with an emphasis on outward vision rather than an internal preoccupation, commitment to obtaining community input, encouragement and diversity in viewpoints, strategic leadership more than administrative detail, clear distinction of Board and Executive Director role, collective rather than individual decisions, future rather than past or present, and proactivity rather than reactivity.
Each member of the board also sits on a minimum of one of six committees (Communications and Marketing, Finance, Fund Development, Nominations, Personnel, Policy and Planning). Committees support the work of the staff and are governed by each committee’s Terms of Reference.
Interested in joining our board? Please contact Executive Director Danielle Richardson.
