The former CEO of the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation is ready to pass on his non-profit knowledge and executive experience through a new role with Homeward Public Affairs.
David Gourlay, who left the foundation in November, announced on LinkedIn earlier this week that he has stepped into the position of strategic partnership adviser with the public policy and government relations firm.
Founded in 2024, the organization works with clients whose work focuses on housing affordability, the rising cost of living and Indigenous reconciliation, among other issues.
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Gourlay said the new role is a natural extension of his work in the charitable sector.
“I spent the last five-and-a-half years working with the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation, really learning about human dignity and the role that organization plays in the community for those who are experiencing homelessness,” he told OBJ on Thursday. “So for me, this is really that evolution of now working with non-profit clients.”
As an adviser, Gourlay said he’ll be helping clients improve their fundraising strategies, revenue generation models and creating plans to continue delivering programs and services sustainably.
“Not just here in Ottawa, but also across the country,” he said. “Homeward has clients all over Canada, so it’s an exciting time for me to be able to put some of that learning to use with those clients.”
The bulk of Gourlay’s time with Shepherds took place under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. He joined the organization as director, then became vice-president of philanthropy in 2020, before taking on the role of CEO in 2023.
He said that in addition to gaining foundational knowledge about the charitable sector and executive leadership, his time with the organization also opened doors and allowed him to build a network of donors, supporters and other charitable leaders.
“My time at Shepherds was so, so important to me, important to my growth, important to my career,” he said. “And I just felt it was a good time to pursue other opportunities.”
The opportunity to work with Homeward came through conversations with founder and CEO Jacob Gorenkoff.
“I was really inspired,” Gourlay said. “The firm is fairly young, so for me, there’s an opportunity to bring some value. You’re working with clients who are doing their very best to improve the lives of others and improve the lives of communities. I felt that that was a really good alignment for me based on what I’ve been doing in my career.”
While he added that the work is different, he said storytelling is always at the centre of what non-profits do, especially in the age of artificial intelligence.
“AI should never replace the human touch when it comes to fundraising, because it’s such an important connection,” he said. “I want to work with these organizations to help them understand the opportunities and risks.”
Homeward, he added, has ambitions to continue expanding and taking on new challenges.
“Homeward is in growth mode,” he said. “It’s exciting to be with an organization that is very authentic about its growth and understanding where opportunities lie.”
Other people on the move
Altis Recruitment has a new CEO. Erin Campbell, who has been with the organization for 17 years, has taken on the role after the departure of Andie Andreou in September. Campbell first joined the organization as a recruiting and placement consultant in 2009 and began taking on managerial and director roles in 2012. Over the years, she has been director of people and culture, vice-president of human resources and people strategy, and chief revenue and people officer. Since 2024, Campbell, who is based in Toronto, has been the company’s chief operating officer.
William Rowntree has been appointed market director of sales and marketing at The Westin Ottawa and Delta Hotels Ottawa City Centre. Rowntree has more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, having held roles at hotels and resorts in Canada, the United Kingdom and France. Since 2017, he has been director of sales and marketing at St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, the St. Regis Toronto and Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel.
Ottawa-based communications firm Syntax Strategic has added Emily O’Connor to its team. In a LinkedIn post, Syntax founder and CEO Jennifer Stewart said O’Connor will work with clients on matters ranging from media relations and integrated communications to campaign strategy and issues management. O’Connor’s communications and public relations experience has included roles as senior communications manager and partnership communication specialist with UNICEF and UNICEF Canada over the past seven years. Before that, she was a communications adviser at the Department of National Defence from 2016 to 2019, then spent seven months on Chrystia Freeland’s 2019 campaign.
Hats off!
Ottawa nurse and health advocate Sonia Emuan was recognized for her leadership and community impact in the National Capital Region by the Global Community Alliance. In February, the founder of Sonia Foot Care received the GCA Business Achievement Award at the Black History Month Gala, which is organized annually by the Ottawa-based organization. In a press release, GCA said Emuan’s business has become one of the city’s highest-rated foot health practices, helping 5,000 people improve mobility and reduce pain. Now with a team of six nurses, the business provides low-cost and free services to underserved clients and partners with organizations across the city.
