Sincerely,
The Ottawa & District Chapter Board
Events
HRPA Events
Keep up to date with the latest HRPA events.
Membership
At the Human Resources Professionals Association, we believe that better HR makes business better. Our goal is to ensure human resources professionals are recognized as an essential part of business success, and that our profession is as valued by organizations as those of other major professional associations.
We do this by equipping our members and students with the knowledge and tools that allow them to be specialized strategic thinkers relied upon to safeguard and futureproof Ontario businesses.
Interested in becoming an HRPA Member or joining as a Student? Learn more about member and student benefits and how to register.
Mentoring
Mentoring: The HRPA Mentorship Program encourages career growth and development by providing students – and HR Professionals who are early in their careers – with the opportunity to receive one-on-one coaching from more experienced Human Resources Professionals
Learn more about our HRPA Mentoring Programs
Volunteering
Volunteering at HRPA is a rewarding membership experience and volunteers are critical to the association’s continued success.
With the expertise and involvement of members, we create awareness of workplace issues, promote excellence in human resources management practices and provide services that support the HR community, knowledge-sharing and continuous professional development.
HRPA members and students are involved in a variety of volunteer service opportunities including:
- Board of Directors
- Committees
- Annual Conference & Trade Show
- Mentoring
- Local HRPA Chapter Board’s and Chapter Committees
Register as a Volunteer:
The first step to volunteering at HRPA is registering in our volunteer services database. If your registration is accepted, you receive a notification. When an opportunity that matches your preferences and/or skills becomes available, you may be contacted directly with more information about the available volunteer role.
About Leadership

Karley Paulin
Chapter Chair
Karley is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), with a graduate degree in Industrial Relations (MIR), and degrees in Biology and Psychology. Karley has focused her career on public sector labour relations and currently works in Labour Relations at the City of Ottawa. Karley has been an active volunteer with the Ottawa Chapter since 2013, having led both the Student Liaison and Regulatory Committees.

Dr. Carol Ann Samhaber
Chapter Past Chair & Chair, Chapter Regulatory Discussion Group
Carol Ann is a full-time Professor and Academic Coordinator responsible for the Business Administration Human Resources Advanced Diploma and Human Resources Management Graduate Certificate Algonquin College School of Business.
She holds a Doctor of Education, having completed doctoral research centred on Canadian college faculty teaching and learning professional development. She also holds a Master of Science. Carol Ann possesses several professional designations, including a Registered Professional Recruiter, Registered Professional Trainer, Certified Human Resources Leader, Chartered Professional in Human Resources, Global Professional Human Resources, and Society of Human Resource Managers-Senior Certified Professional. She is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the Human Resources Professional Association Ottawa.
Her professional passion is human resources management, fields she regards as central to both organizational strategic success and operational best practices. “I really do view human resources as essential to an organization’s success – and an effective means to safeguard stakeholders’ best interests, whether it’s the employee, the organization, or the broader community.” Carol Ann is devoted to her teaching, whether developing courses and student assessment strategies, or advising students. “It is a privilege to prepare students for their careers as well as becoming proactive members of their communities.”
Most recently, Carol Ann is the co-author with Joseph Martocchio of a book entitled Canadian Edition Strategic Compensation: A Human Resource Management Approach that maps out the strategic significance and application of employee compensation. The book is due to be published 2020-2021 by Pearson Publishing. She has also written an online employee recruitment and selection simulation designed for Canadian colleges and universities.

Sarah Eaton
Chair, Chapter Mentorship
Sarah Eaton is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with a degree in Communications and Marketing with 10+ years of HR experience in the technology sector.
Sarah is a bilingual HR Consultant who coaches and advises business managers and senior leaders. Currently working with Adobe, Sarah has lived in Ottawa, New York City and Sydney, Australia. Her passion is Employee Relations and currently supports matters in Canada, the United States and Latin America. Personally, Sarah enjoys travel and has been fortunate to visit over 35 countries to date.
Sarah has been an active volunteer with the Ottawa Chapter since 2017, having previously led the Programs/Professional Development Committee

Maurice Le Maire CHRL, SHRM-SCP
Chapter Secretary/Treasurer
With close to 20 years of HR leadership and consulting experience globally, in diverse industries (technology, manufacturing, retail, sales and services and public sector) for Fortune ranked companies, and Canadian top 100 employers. Always striving to find the strategic balance between Human Capital and Business Performance, his focus are HR and Business Transformation, Talent Management Strategy as well as Governance.
Perfectly tri-lingual (French, English and Spanish), he positions himself as a resource to people, enabling their contributions by creating strong relationships, developing and coaching talent as well as finding opportunities for innovation an strategies that add long term value.
He holds a B.Comm from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, and a certificate in Industrial Relations from Université Laval. He is a CHRL from HRPA (ON), and SHRM-SCP from SHRM (U.S.)

Priti Gidda
Chair, Chapter Programs
Priti Gidda is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with over 15 years of human resources management experience in the technology sector.
Priti is a passionate HR Leader with experience in a variety of HR functions, including, employee engagement, labour relations, leadership coaching and talent management. She is currently the Senior Human Resources Manager at Fortinet Technologies. Outside of work, she has been an active volunteer with the Ottawa HRPA Chapter since 2015. She also enjoys playing piano, cooking, travelling and yoga.

Marta Albinowski
Chair, Chapter Communications
Marta Albinowski is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) with years of experience in human resources, research and development, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance.
Marta holds a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Social Sciences, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management. Marta currently works as a Director of People & Culture in the health and fitness industry, and has experience working in both the public and private sector.
Outside of work, Marta serves as a volunteer with Dress for Success, helping women to attain economic independence through interview coaching and mentoring sessions.

Vanessa Herman
Chair, Chapter Student Liaison
Vanessa Herman is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL). She holds a BA and MA in Political Science with a focus on international development and a graduate certificate in Human Resources Management. A true “people person”, Vanessa has focused her career on employee engagement, labour relations, and relationship management. Building on her extensive professional experience in the non-profit sector, Vanessa is currently the Human Resources Manager for the Ottawa Humane Society.

Karley Paulin
Chapter Chair
Karley is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), with a graduate degree in Industrial Relations (MIR), and degrees in Biology and Psychology. Karley has focused her career on public sector labour relations and currently works in Labour Relations at the City of Ottawa. Karley has been an active volunteer with the Ottawa Chapter since 2013, having led both the Student Liaison and Regulatory Committees.

Dr. Carol Ann Samhaber
Chapter Past Chair & Chair, Chapter Regulatory Discussion Group
Carol Ann is a full-time Professor and Academic Coordinator responsible for the Business Administration Human Resources Advanced Diploma and Human Resources Management Graduate Certificate Algonquin College School of Business.
She holds a Doctor of Education, having completed doctoral research centred on Canadian college faculty teaching and learning professional development. She also holds a Master of Science. Carol Ann possesses several professional designations, including a Registered Professional Recruiter, Registered Professional Trainer, Certified Human Resources Leader, Chartered Professional in Human Resources, Global Professional Human Resources, and Society of Human Resource Managers-Senior Certified Professional. She is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the Human Resources Professional Association Ottawa.
Her professional passion is human resources management, fields she regards as central to both organizational strategic success and operational best practices. “I really do view human resources as essential to an organization’s success – and an effective means to safeguard stakeholders’ best interests, whether it’s the employee, the organization, or the broader community.” Carol Ann is devoted to her teaching, whether developing courses and student assessment strategies, or advising students. “It is a privilege to prepare students for their careers as well as becoming proactive members of their communities.”
Most recently, Carol Ann is the co-author with Joseph Martocchio of a book entitled Canadian Edition Strategic Compensation: A Human Resource Management Approach that maps out the strategic significance and application of employee compensation. The book is due to be published 2020-2021 by Pearson Publishing. She has also written an online employee recruitment and selection simulation designed for Canadian colleges and universities.

Sarah Eaton
Chair, Chapter Mentorship
Sarah Eaton is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with a degree in Communications and Marketing with 10+ years of HR experience in the technology sector.
Sarah is a bilingual HR Consultant who coaches and advises business managers and senior leaders. Currently working with Adobe, Sarah has lived in Ottawa, New York City and Sydney, Australia. Her passion is Employee Relations and currently supports matters in Canada, the United States and Latin America. Personally, Sarah enjoys travel and has been fortunate to visit over 35 countries to date.
Sarah has been an active volunteer with the Ottawa Chapter since 2017, having previously led the Programs/Professional Development Committee

Maurice Le Maire CHRL, SHRM-SCP
Chapter Secretary/Treasurer
With close to 20 years of HR leadership and consulting experience globally, in diverse industries (technology, manufacturing, retail, sales and services and public sector) for Fortune ranked companies, and Canadian top 100 employers. Always striving to find the strategic balance between Human Capital and Business Performance, his focus are HR and Business Transformation, Talent Management Strategy as well as Governance.
Perfectly tri-lingual (French, English and Spanish), he positions himself as a resource to people, enabling their contributions by creating strong relationships, developing and coaching talent as well as finding opportunities for innovation an strategies that add long term value.
He holds a B.Comm from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, and a certificate in Industrial Relations from Université Laval. He is a CHRL from HRPA (ON), and SHRM-SCP from SHRM (U.S.)

Priti Gidda
Chair, Chapter Programs
Priti Gidda is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with over 15 years of human resources management experience in the technology sector.
Priti is a passionate HR Leader with experience in a variety of HR functions, including, employee engagement, labour relations, leadership coaching and talent management. She is currently the Senior Human Resources Manager at Fortinet Technologies. Outside of work, she has been an active volunteer with the Ottawa HRPA Chapter since 2015. She also enjoys playing piano, cooking, travelling and yoga.

Marta Albinowski
Chair, Chapter Communications
Marta Albinowski is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) with years of experience in human resources, research and development, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance.
Marta holds a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Social Sciences, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management. Marta currently works as a Director of People & Culture in the health and fitness industry, and has experience working in both the public and private sector.
Outside of work, Marta serves as a volunteer with Dress for Success, helping women to attain economic independence through interview coaching and mentoring sessions.

Vanessa Herman
Chair, Chapter Student Liaison
Vanessa Herman is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL). She holds a BA and MA in Political Science with a focus on international development and a graduate certificate in Human Resources Management. A true “people person”, Vanessa has focused her career on employee engagement, labour relations, and relationship management. Building on her extensive professional experience in the non-profit sector, Vanessa is currently the Human Resources Manager for the Ottawa Humane Society.