Our People

Sheri McConnell (Executive Director)

How long have you been with Mary’s Meals? Since March 2, 2020

Why did you choose to work with Mary’s Meals? My personal WHY - I live my life for creating local and global transformative change, which brings hope, love, peace and sustainable life to the world’s most vulnerable.

Pablo Picasso said that – “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”.

Why Mary’s Meals – It is a community and mission which calls me back to my roots of pioneering and building a world class movement every day, with some of the finest, compassionate and gifted leaders. Our hearts are to serve some of the world’s most vulnerable, the hungry child in their place of learning who will in turn discover hope, meaning and purpose in their life because of our faithfulness and the generosity of all who join the Mary’s Meals community.

What is a fun fact about yourself? I am a proud owner of the original 1970 Wonder Woman TV series and adopted the cutest 7-pound puppy, named Oliver off the streets of Mexico in 2021.

​Keli Marshall (Director, Operations & Engagement)

How long have you been with Mary's Meals? Since February 2021

Why did you choose to work with Mary's Meals? The desires of my heart are to make an impact in the lives of those around me, here in Canada and around the world.

I am honoured to join the Mary’s Meals Canada team and excited to invest in the building of the organization across Canada. I look forward to applying the skills I have learned in both for-profit and non-profit so that more children will have the food that they need while attending school – together we will make a difference! 

What is a fun fact about yourself? I can be found either on her dirt bike at the cottage in Muskoka, surfing at a beach in Mexico, or out for a hike with my Hungarian Vizsla, Rogan.

Adrienne Harrop (Director, Marketing & Communications)

How long have you been with Mary’s Meals? Since March 2024

Why did you choose to work with Mary’s Meals? After two decades in the for-profit world, I realized I wanted my work to contribute to something deeper, something that truly changes lives. I joined Mary’s Meals because I believe no child should have to face the barriers that come with food insecurity. Being part of an organization that combines nourishment with education allows me to use my experience to help create real, lasting change.

What is a fun fact about yourself? I love the water, whether boating, sailing, snorkelling, or fishing. Anything on the water, and I’m happy.

Trish Phillips (Director, Operations)

How long have you been with Mary's Meals? Since October 2025

Why did you choose to work with Mary's Meals? For more than a decade, I’ve dedicated my career to creating meaningful, sustainable change through nonprofit leadership — building programs that nurture dignity, community, and opportunity for those most in need. Mary’s Meals reflects everything I value: compassion in action, integrity in leadership, and the belief that small acts of good can create a global ripple of hope.

As Desmond Tutu beautifully said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” That spirit perfectly captures why I’m drawn to this movement — a community of people working together to feed hungry children and open the doors to education and possibility.

Fun Fact? I love lifting weights, hiking, and paddleboarding — especially when my four dogs, Lucy, Beatrice, Indigo, and Kali, are close by. My greatest joy in life is my amazing family — my husband and our three incredible daughters — who inspire me daily to lead with love, strength, and gratitude.

​Jill Mowser (Administrator, Donor Relations and Operations)

How long have you been with Mary's Meals? Since 2012

Why did you choose to work with Mary's Meals? I strongly believe in the mission, vision and values of Mary's Meals and want to be part of the global movement.

What is a fun fact about yourself? I lived in New Zealand for 4 and a half years, in the sunny Bay of Plenty.

Ciaran McGeown (President)

Ciaran McGeown is a Senior Manager, Corporate Donor Relations at United Way Greater Toronto. Ciaran made the move to the not for profit world in 2017, after 20 years in financial roles in the corporate sector and hasn’t looked back.

He has a passion for fighting poverty, whether locally or internationally and has served on the Board of other international development charity before joining Mary’s Meals. 

He first became aware of Mary’s Meals through a good friend in Ireland and was taken with the simplicity of the approach and the huge impact of Mary’s Meals work.

David Ward (Vice President)

Founder / Chief Executive – Keats William Management Ltd.

Over the past 30 years, David has led his consulting firm, which specializes in providing services focused on leadership development and organizational strength. He has helped a wide range of businesses, charities, and non-governmental organizations navigate change and adapt the structure of their operations towards delivering their products and services more effectively.

David has served on business and charitable boards for many years. He currently sits as the board chair of two Canadian charities and advises a charitable foundation on its strategic giving.

David and his wife, Nola, have four children and live in Vancouver, BC., Canada.

Clay Imoo (Director)

Clay has worked for 21 years for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver, predominantly in youth ministry, young adult ministry, children’s ministry, and Communications. He currently serves as an Associate Director of the archdiocesan Ministries and Outreach Office and a Content Creator for the archdiocesan Communications Office.

Clay graduated from the UBC Sauder School of Business in 1996 (major in accounting) and is currently working towards a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. Prior to the Archdiocese of Vancouver, he worked for six years in audit and human resources for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Clay is a skilled and gifted communicator. He has spoken at many national and international youth rallies and conferences and he has a YouTube channel with over 10,000 subscribers. His hobbies include speaking, vlogging, writing, playing music, and bowling.

Since being introduced to Mary’s Meals in 2022, Clay has been a huge supporter of the movement and he looks forward to helping the movement grow. Clay was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, and together with wife Gail they have three young adult children. They are parishioners of St. Paul’s Parish in Richmond, BC.

Maria Dal Cin (Director)

Maria has over 30 years of P&C insurance business and information technology experience, with over 10 years at the executive level. She has a demonstrated record of planning, managing and delivering high quality solutions to meet strategic objectives. 

While on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina, in the fall of 2019, Maria attended a presentation by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, who told the story of Mary’s Meals.  After reading Magnus’ book “The Shed That Fed A Million Children”, she was inspired to become more actively involved, and her retirement in April 2022 provided that opportunity. Maria cites Mary’s Meals' values, which align so closely to her own, as a key element in drawing her to the organization, and she is honoured to assist in any manner to fulfil the vision and mission of Mary’s Meals. 

Maria and her husband Tony live in Richmond Hill, Ontario. They have four grown children and love spending time with their extended family of seven.