Anila Lee YuenConnecting Communities
Anila is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Newcomers, and has 25 years of experience in the settlement sector. During her tenure as CEO, she has spearheaded programming to include volunteer-led refugee supports; indigenous integration for newcomers; LGBTQ+ supports, domestic violence, homeless and mental health support services and broadened vulnerable youth programming and social venture opportunities.
An active community volunteer and leader, Anila is the Vice Chair of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA), Vice Chair of Ag Media at the Calgary Stampede and President-elect at the Rotary Club Millennium in Calgary.
Anila holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology (Behavioural Neuroscience) and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of
Management. She is an alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program and is a featured author in the International Museum of Women's anthology Imagining Ourselves: Global Voices from a New Generation of Women and the recipient of the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Person’s Case in 2001 for her work advocating for the rights of immigrant and minority women and children in Canada. In 2017 she was honoured with receiving the University of Calgary Alumni Award and Top 40 Under 40 designation. In 2019 she received the Woman of Wonder award and a Women of Inspiration Award.
