Leadership & Governance

Board & Team

WHYI is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors and led by a CEO who bridges strategy and operations, with program and regional leads building the organization across Canada, the US, and internationally.

How We're Structured

Organizational Structure

WHYI's governance separates strategic authority (the Board) from operational execution (the CEO and team). The Youth Advisory Board connects directly to the Board, ensuring member voice shapes governance. The Executive Advisory Council provides external expert guidance without legal authority.

Member Voice

Youth Advisory Board

Member-elected. Advises the Board directly on youth priorities.

advises ↗
Governing Body

Board of Directors

Legal authority, fiduciary duty, strategic direction

External Advisors

Executive Advisory Council

Global experts. No legal authority or fiduciary duty. Informational guidance only.

advises ↖ (non-binding)
Executive Leadership

Chief Executive Officer

Board liaison. Operational authority delegated by the Board.

Program Operations

Speaker Series

Program Lead

WHYI Connect

Program Lead

Delegation Program

Program Lead

Annual Summit

Program Lead

Regional Leads
🇨🇦 Canada

Eastern

ON · QC · Atlantic

Western

BC · AB

Prairies

MB · SK

Territories

YT · NWT · NU

Indigenous Communities

First Nations · Métis · Inuit (cross-regional)

🇺🇸 United States

Northeast

NY · NJ · New England · Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

FL · GA · NC · TN & region

Midwest

IL · MI · MN · OH & region

South Central

TX · OK · LA · AR

Mountain West

CO · UT · MT · ID · WY · NV

Pacific West

CA · OR · WA · AK · HI

Native American Communities

Tribal Nations · Indigenous Peoples (cross-regional)

Governance Explained

Understanding WHYI's Governance Bodies

Governing Body

Board of Directors

The Board holds legal authority over WHYI under Canada's Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. Directors carry fiduciary duties of care and loyalty, approve budgets and bylaws, set strategy, and hold the CEO accountable. Decisions made by the Board are binding.

WHYI's board matrix spans expertise in legal, financial, governance, nonprofit programming, health diplomacy, and diversity to ensure well-rounded oversight.

External Advisors

Executive Advisory Council

The Executive Advisory Council is made up of global health experts, diplomats, and policy leaders who provide strategic guidance to the Board and CEO. Executive Advisory Council members have no legal authority, no fiduciary duty, and no vote. They advise - the Board decides.

This is the distinction: Board members are legally accountable. Executive Advisory Council members are trusted experts who help WHYI think better.

Member Voice

Youth Advisory Board

Member-elected and connected directly to the Board of Directors, the Youth Advisory Board ensures emerging professionals have a real voice in governance. YAB members advise the Board and CEO on programming priorities, member needs, and organizational direction.

Applications open to WHYI members at launch.

Governance Principles

How WHYI Governs Responsibly

D&O Insurance

Directors and Officers liability insurance is a founding priority. It protects board members and ensures governance decisions are made without personal liability risk.

NFP Act Compliance

WHYI is built to meet all requirements of Canada's Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, including AGM obligations, director term limits, and bylaw obligations.

Future-Proof Bylaws

WHYI's bylaws define spending thresholds, delegated authorities, and governance processes from the start - designed to scale without requiring constant revision.

Board Matrix

The Board is built across defined expertise areas: legal, financial, governance, nonprofit programming, health diplomacy, and equity and diversity - ensuring every major decision has relevant expertise behind it.

Indigenous Advisory

WHYI is committed to establishing an Indigenous Advisory process to inform governance decisions, particularly as they relate to programming in and for Indigenous communities across Canada.

Governing Board

Board of Directors

Mareyba Fawad, MPH

Mareyba Fawad, MPH

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Mareyba Fawad is a Canadian public health leader, policy professional, management consultant, speaker, and award-winning advocate working across health equity, government, gender equity, and systems change, with a career spanning both sides of the Canada-US border.

She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and dual bachelor's degrees from the University of Oklahoma. She has consulted for UN Women, completed a public health law internship at the CDC, led a Canada-based research team published in Nature Human Behaviour, and served as Head Delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She was a Global Health Systems Fellow under Chelsea Clinton and a Columbia International Affairs Fellow.

She earned the Georgia A. Pecagli Leadership Award from the American Public Health Association - an early career leadership award for public health professionals, selected from 25,000 members. She has served as Conference Director and Health Policy Chair for the Oklahoma Public Health Association and Vice President of the Southern California Public Health Association.

A Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and Lead Research Analyst at Acumen LLC, Mareyba's federal health projects have impacted over 11 offices within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is a member of the Canadian Association for Global Health and founded WHYI to bring the next generation of Canadian and international health leaders to the center of global decision-making.

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Board Announcement Coming Soon

Director

Formal board announcements are forthcoming. Check back for updates on WHYI's full governing board.

Formal board announcements coming soon.
Follow us on LinkedIn or join our list to be notified.

External Advisors

Executive Advisory Council

The Executive Advisory Council brings together global health experts, diplomats, and policy leaders who advise WHYI's Board and CEO. Council members carry no legal liability and hold no voting authority - their role is to provide expertise, open doors, and help WHYI think more strategically.

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Executive Advisory Council Announcements Coming Soon

Interested in advising WHYI? Reach out.

Member Voice - Connected to the Board

Youth Advisory Board

Unlike the Executive Advisory Council, the Youth Advisory Board connects directly to the Board of Directors. Member-elected, the YAB ensures the people WHYI serves have a real governance voice. YAB members advise the Board and CEO on programming priorities, member experience, and organizational direction.

Applications Open to Members at Launch

Join free now to be eligible when applications open.

We Are Building

Join the WHYI Team

WHYI is actively recruiting program leads and regional leads across Canada and the US. All positions are volunteer-based at launch, with compensation planned as the organization scales. We want passionate emerging leaders who want to help build something that matters.

Apply via Google Form

Program Leads

Program

Speaker Series Lead

Coordinate quarterly speaker events, manage speaker relationships, and oversee content distribution across podcast and YouTube channels.

Program

WHYI Connect Lead

Manage monthly committee meetings, mentorship matching, and peer cohort cycles across all WHYI Connect committees.

Program

Delegation Program Lead

Lead the competitive delegation selection process, pre-delegation training, and logistics for WHO and UN delegations.

Program

Annual Summit Lead

Drive planning and execution for the two-day hybrid flagship conference, including the WHYI Awards and networking gala.

Canada Regional Leads

Regional · Canada

Eastern Canada Lead

Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador). Build WHYI's largest member base in Canada's most populated corridor.

Regional · Canada

Western Canada Lead

British Columbia and Alberta. Grow WHYI's network in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton through pop-up events and member engagement.

Regional · Canada

Prairies Lead

Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Build WHYI's presence in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, connecting emerging health professionals across the Prairie region.

Regional · Canada

Territories Lead

Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Advance WHYI's reach into Canada's North, with particular attention to the unique health challenges and leadership needs of northern communities.

Indigenous · Cross-Regional

Indigenous Communities Lead

A cross-regional role focused on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across Canada. This lead ensures WHYI's programming is grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems, sovereignty, and self-determination in health, and helps establish a dedicated Indigenous Advisory process.

US Regional Leads

Regional · US

Northeast Lead

New England and Mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME, DC, MD, DE, VA). Home to major health policy and UN hubs.

Regional · US

Southeast Lead

Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, and West Virginia. A high-need region for public health equity leadership.

Regional · US

Midwest Lead

Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and the Great Plains states. Strong public health academic and research institutions throughout.

Regional · US

South Central Lead

Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Arizona. A diverse region bridging US and Latin American health priorities.

Regional · US

Mountain West Lead

Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada. A growing region with emerging public health infrastructure and policy communities.

Regional · US

Pacific West Lead

California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. Home to major global health institutions and one of the most internationally connected health professional communities in the US.

Cross-Regional · US

Native American Communities Lead

A cross-regional role representing Tribal Nations and Native American communities across the US. Engages health equity issues specific to Indigenous peoples and sovereign tribal health systems.

Ready to help build WHYI from the ground up? Fill out our interest form and we'll be in touch.

Apply Now via Google Form