Our Vision
A region where homelessness is rare, brief, non-recurring, and everyone has a clear, supported pathway home.
Our Mission
Illuminating the pathway home for those experiencing homelessness by guiding collaboration, innovation, and shared action to reduce homelessness in central Alberta.
Board of Directors
Our volunteer Board ensures strong governance, strategic focus, and fiscal accountability.
Dan Ouwehand
With a background in the home-building industry, a sociology degree, and professional experience in land use planning and business licensing for both the City and County of Red Deer, Dan Ouwehand brings a unique perspective to the complex issue of homelessness. His career path has provided first-hand insight into the intersections of housing, community design, and economic pressures that contribute to homelessness. Having seen the impacts of homelessness across Red Deer’s downtown and trail systems, he is committed to applying his knowledge of land use, economic impacts, and social factors to help guide the Foundation in shaping practical, compassionate, and effective responses for the community.
Doug Doran
Doug Doran brings a wealth of leadership, governance, and community experience to the Red Deer Homeless Foundation. With a career spanning senior IT leadership roles, including Chief Information Officer at Red Deer Polytechnic, and more than six years of volunteer board service with United Way Central Alberta, Doug has developed strong skills in governance, policy creation, and strategic planning. He recognizes that homelessness is driven by overlapping issues such as unemployment, the lack of affordable housing, mental illness, addiction, and intergenerational trauma, particularly among Indigenous peoples.
Jim Cramer
Jim Cramer has lived in Red Deer for most of his adult life, including more than a decade in east side of the downtown core where impacts of homelessness are visible. With a lifelong career in construction and property development, Jim brings extensive experience in high density residential, commercial, low density land subdivision and community revitalization. Jim is committed to leveraging his professional expertise and community knowledge to help expand transitional and affordable housing solutions, supporting the Foundation’s mission to create practical and lasting responses to homelessness in Red Deer.
John Young
John Young is a Red Deer–based Senior Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor with RBC Wealth Management who brings more than two decades of corporate and family wealth experience to the Homeless Foundation’s Board, where he serves as Vice President and Secretary. A lifelong Red Deerian, John has paired his financial expertise with hands-on community leadership—supporting legacy projects for the 2019 Canada Winter Games and fundraising through local initiatives such as the Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off—reflecting his commitment to downtown vitality and social impact. His combination of governance experience, capital-markets perspective, and deep local roots helps the Foundation strengthen partnerships, steward resources responsibly, and advance practical housing solutions for the region.
Kathy Lacey
A lifelong Red Deer community builder and philanthropist, Kathy Lacey has helped lead the city’s recent homelessness response as Vice-Chair of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce Homelessness Taskforce and a member of the Transition Team that established the Red Deer Homeless Foundation. Kathy’s civic leadership spans education, health, and community events. She has served on the Westerner Park Board, with the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools, and was among the founding volunteers of the Festival of Trees—while also supporting international development through A Better World Canada. In recognition of her decades of service, she was named Red Deer’s Citizen of the Year (2011) and has been awarded both the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025). Kathy and her family are long-time champions of local healthcare and education, including major gifts that helped establish Red Deer Polytechnic’s Donald Family Institute for Health-tech Innovation and accelerate cardiac care at Red Deer Regional Hospital.
Linda Yargeau
Linda Yargeau brings decades of leadership and community service experience to the Red Deer Homeless Foundation. Her career has spanned senior roles in government and community organizations, including Director of Change Management and Stakeholder Engagement with Alberta Supports, Acting CEO of Central Alberta Child and Family Services, and Director of Constituency Affairs with the United Conservative Party. She is passionate about addressing homelessness, with both rural and urban perspectives, and is recognized for her collaborative approach, facilitative leadership style, and ability to manage complex community challenges
Lyn Radford
A lifelong Red Deer advocate and seasoned community leader, Lyn Radford has made her mark through decades of volunteerism, civic leadership, and event-building. As Chair of the Red Deer 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society and a current Board member of the Canada Games Council, she brings deep experience in large-scale project coordination, legacy planning, and stakeholder engagement. Lyn has helped lead the community’s homelessness response, serving as chair of the Red Deer Homelessness Task Force which led to the to the taskforce’s final report and recommendations that Red Deer would be well served by a Homeless Foundation. Her recognition for community service is reflected in numerous honours: she was named Red Deer Citizen of the Year (2009), inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame as a multisport builder (2023), and is slated to be invested into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2025. Lyn’s leadership unites sport, culture, civic engagement, and social impact — making her a vital voice in shaping Red Deer’s pathways toward reducing homelessness.
Matt Cassidy
Matt Cassidy is a community-minded business leader and the CEO of Beyond Insurance, an award-winning brokerage he founded in 2017. Under his leadership, the firm was recognized nationally as Small Brokerage of the Year (2021) and provincially for Outstanding Community Service (2024), while expanding operations across Alberta and into British Columbia. Matt has also dedicated extensive time to volunteer leadership, serving as President of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce (2022–23), President of Against the Wall Theater Society, and an active member of service clubs including Rotary and the Piper Creek Optimist Club. His interest in serving on the Homeless Foundation Board stems from a strong belief in creating measurable, long-term solutions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Red Deer. He sees an opportunity to strengthen housing infrastructure, improve collaboration among service providers, and establish a framework for mid-sized cities to address socio-economic challenges in a focused, sustainable way.
Pat Moore
Pat Moore, a lifelong Red Deer area resident, has been deeply engaged in the formation of the Red Deer Homeless Foundation, serving on the Transition Team that created the Foundation, and in community-based outreach efforts supporting it. Her passion for addressing homelessness stems from both personal and hands-on experience, including involvement in church street ministry and grassroots service initiatives where she has connected directly with those living on the streets. Pat understands the wide range of factors contributing to homelessness—rising living costs, lack of affordable housing, employment challenges, addictions, and fear of rejection or judgment—and brings a compassionate, practical perspective to board discussions. She is committed to advancing the Foundation’s vision by supporting collaboration among agencies, expanding transitional and permanent housing, and ensuring effective programs and funding strategies that bring hope and meaningful change to individuals and families in need.
Ryan Krutzfeldt
Ryan Krutzfeldt brings more than 20 years of financial and operational leadership to the Red Deer Homeless Foundation. As Vice President of Operations & Finance at Collicutt Energy Services, he oversees budgeting, forecasting, mergers and acquisitions, and the implementation of enterprise-wide systems across Canada and the U.S., while leading large teams and driving efficiency improvements. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA), Ryan has been active in community service through roles with the CPA Central Alberta Chapter Board, the Red Deer Homelessness Taskforce, and other local organizations, His experience on the Taskforce deepened his commitment to addressing homelessness, which he recognizes as an issue affecting not only those struggling with addiction or mental illness but also individuals and families living paycheck to paycheck. Ryan is passionate about leveraging financial stewardship, data, and collaboration to ensure resources are used effectively, helping expand housing solutions and reducing homelessness in measurable ways.
Management
Darcy Mykytyshyn
Darcy Mykytyshyn serves as the inaugural CEO of the Red Deer Homeless Foundation, bringing decades of leadership, governance, and community-building experience to the role. He has held senior leadership positions in as Dean of the Donald School of Business at Red Deer Polytechnic, Vice President of Governance and Strategy with Community Credit Union, and Managing Partner with True-Line Homes and is a seasoned board member with experience at Servus Credit Union, Westerner Park, the Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada, and the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. Darcy is also a deeply engaged community volunteer. He is an active Rotarian, currently serving as District Governor Nominee (2026/27). Locally, he has twice served as President of the Rotary Club of Red Deer and remains involved with youth, sport, and cultural initiatives through the Red Deer Ski Club. Known for his expertise in governance design, policy development, and community engagement, Darcy has had his hand in shaping collaborative solutions to complex social and economic challenges. His commitment to servant leadership and community impact guides the Foundation’s vision to reduce homelessness and build lasting solutions for Red Deer and the surrounding region.