Our Team
Grace Li
President
Grace Li holds an M.A. in Communication from Peking University. She works at the MacEwan University and is a long-term volunteer with the City of Edmonton. Prior to MacEwan University, Grace worked at Cultural Connections Institute-The Learning Exchange as the administrator. Grace has taught oral English and Canadian culture at ICAN Seniors Association, where she has also volunteered for events and activities since the organization was initially formed.
Jane Cheng
Vice President
Jane Cheng had experience in teaching, training, HR and administrative management in China. She immigrated to Canada in 2003 and worked at the ASSIST Community Services Centre in various capacities for 15 years. She received her Career Development Diploma from the Concordia University and achieved her designation as a Certified Career Development Professional with her strong knowledge and rich experience in the field. She created ICAN Seniors WeChat Online Learning program in 2017 to help seniors with multiple barriers for their integration. She retired in 2018 and is currently volunteering with the ICAN Seniors Association.
Rachel Pu
Past President
Having spent almost one third of her life in Edmonton, Rachel is calling it home and has been volunteering with quite a few organizations as a board member. With years of media profession and government working experience, she brings her sense of social justice, scrutiny on details, and passion on community work to this association. Rachel worked as a Program Manager for ASSIST Community Services Centre before she joined the City of Edmonton. She is honored to serve the board of ICAN Seniors Association, manage its financial materials and seek funding opportunities to continue the offering of seniors programs and services which encourage the learning of new skills and exploration of the world with full curiosity. Together, we make life better.
Mei Lin
Secretary
Mei has over 15 years of experience in community and social services, providing direct customer service to diverse and vulnerable groups. Her expertise includes one on one counseling sessions, coordinating information sessions and workshops, collaborating with other organizations, managing program progress, answering clients' inquiries, and determining clients' eligibility for benefits. She worked in various positions at ASSIST Community Services Center and is currently working as a Support and Financial Services Coordinator for the Government of Alberta. Mei's passion for helping others and commitment to community service make her a trusted advocate for those in need, and she is dedicated to making a positive impact on her community.
Joyce Zhang
Treasurer
Moving to Canada 12 years ago and has been calling Edmonton home since, Joyce enjoys her life in Canadian way – camping in the summer and skiing in the winter. Joyce is currently the Controller at Salisbury Greenhouse, Salisbury landscaping & Salisbury at Enjoy. She brings 10+ years of financial management experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, with a focus on financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance. Joyce obtained her CPA, CMA designation in 2014. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve the organization and ensure it is financially healthy to continue serving more seniors.
Bruce Pickett
Director
Bruce was born, raised and educated in Edmonton, Alberta. He has graduated from the U of A, Athabasca University, NAIT, and MacEwan University, as well as holds numerous professional designations. Bruce works for the government of Canada and has worked in various departments including Employment and Immigration Canada, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, and the past 21 years with Indigenous Services Canada. Bruce has been doing volunteer work for the past twenty years and currently sits on three Boards including the ICAN Seniors Association. Bruce was in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Huangshan, etc.) in June 2017 and absolutely loves it there. He looks forward to going back someday.
Terry Harlin
Director
Terry Harlin left a legacy as a passionate innovator and community builder when he retired from the City of Edmonton after a service of 44 years. His role as a Resource Planning Manager positioned him as a leader with vision, a mentor with wisdom and a team player with empathy. Terry has been a proud volunteer for City of Edmonton Job Fairs, Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council and ASSIST Community Services for years. He is pleased to share his expertise in building strong, cohesive and effective teams with his exceptional computer skills, communication skills, resume building and interview training skills.
Dr. Haidong Liang
Advisor
Haidong Liang is a gerontologist who devoted all of his three degrees in Canada to Physical Activity, Recreation and Gerontology. He has also gained his reputation as an innovative practitioner who is dedicated to helping seniors achieve healthy aging in communities. As one of the very few immigrant senior centre Executive Directors in Alberta, Dr. Liang has brought 12 years of gerontology research expertise to the senior sector and has created a unique game changer “WeSeniors.ca platform” to actively connect seniors to services provided by the public, private and non-profit sectors. In 2019, Dr. Liang was named by Avenue Magazine as one of the Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40. Also, his organization Westend Seniors Activity Centre won the 2019 Minister’s Seniors Service Award, one of only two organizations Alberta wide to be so honored.
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