Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is composed of Members in Good Standing. Board members are elected at our yearly AGM in September. If you are interested in running for the Board of Directors, you can fill out our nomination form or contact us for more information!

Jessica DeWitt

President | Saskatoon

Jessica DeWitt is an environmental historian of Canada and the United States, editor, project manager, and digital communications strategist. She earned her PhD in History from the University of Saskatchewan in 2019. She is an executive member, editor-in-chief, and social media editor for the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NiCHE). She is the Managing Editor for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is also a Girls Rock Saskatoon board member and a Coordinating Team member of Showing Up for Racial Justice Saskatoon-Treaty Six. 

Joey Donnelly

Vice-President| Herbert

Joey Donnelly is a folklorist, journalist and cultural consultant on Treaty 4 territory. He graduated with a MA in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland and lives on a farm near Herbert, Saskatchewan. Joey has a lot of experience working with non-profit organizations, including reviving Swift Current’s Lyric Theatre. For the past five years, he worked in the immigration settlement sector, building inclusivity with community programming. Last year, Joey contributed a piece to the special edition of Folklore Magazine, Covid-19 Culture: A Living Heritage Project of the Pandemic in Saskatchewan. He is currently preparing a report about Intangible Culture Heritage for the Museums Association of Saskatchewan.

hugh henry

Past-President | Swift Current

Hugh grew up in Shamrock, SK. He has worked in the museum sector, as a professional and a volunteer, for the past thirty years. He has also been a teacher and a carpenter, and has an active interest in the visual arts. Hugh has given numerous public presentations of the Baker slides and is convenor of the Historic Trails program. In 2015, Hugh initiated the first Trails Walk, an initiative to walk 350 km in 20 days along the Wood Mountain - Fort Walsh North West Mounted Police Trail. Hugh is a founding member of Southwest Cultural Development Group Inc. (Lyric Theatre) and is currently its Vice President.

Peace Akintade

Director | Saskatoon

Peace Akintade-Oluwagbeye (she/her) is an African-Canadian interdisciplinary poet, and workshop facilitator residing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She is interested in the intersections of storytelling, and created-spaces where literary and oral art, archival-memory, Black identity, and cultural inquiry can meet. Looking forward, Peace will be going back to University to continue her studies in Humanities and Fine Art. She just finished her term as Saskatchewan Poet Laureate, and is looking forward to the next step of her artistic journey.

Aydrian Alegría

Director | Saskatoon

Aydrian (they/she) is a Studio Art & Art History Double Honours student at the University of Saskatchewan. The first Canadian-born and raised member of their Salvadoran family, they have a deep interest in intersectional cultures, identities and how these focalizations are preserved, adapted, and passed along. Looking forward, Aydrian hopes to continue working with their passions in history and culture through the humanities and fine arts, and to dedicate graduate studies to these interdisciplinary endeavours. Aydrian finds peace and joy in libraries, archives, and all the creative ways that people document their experiences.

Belinda Betker

Director | Saskatoon

Belinda was born in Yorkton, Sask. but has lived most of her life in Saskatoon. Since retiring from a thirty-three-year career with the Saskatoon Health Region, Belinda has focused on her ‘writing life’ and volunteering.

She is a founding member of two long-running Saskatoon writing groups, Sisters' Ink, and The Obsessors. Previously, she was also a founding/Board member of both the Saskatoon Writers Collective, and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild.  Beyond writing, she is currently a Board member of both Spark Your Pride, and Queer Seniors of Saskatchewan.

Belinda's poetry and award-winning haiku are in various anthologies, literary journals, and chapbooks. Her poetry collection, Phases, was a 2020 finalist for two Saskatchewan Book Awards. A second edition of Phases was published in 2022.  Belinda contributed to, and edited, “Unapologetically Queer”, a 2025 special edition issue of SHFS. 

When she’s not writing, editing, mentoring, or volunteering, Belinda reads voraciously, especially poetry and memoirs. She lives in Saskatoon with her Australian wife and their rescue dog, a springer-spaniel/terrier cross.

Mandy Fehr

Director | Saskatoon

Mandy Fehr is a researcher, educator and facilitator with 10+ years of experience in community engaged research and intercultural work, particularly with Indigenous and Immigrant/Refugee communities. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Saskatchewan and currently works as a Public Engagement Consultant for the City of Saskatoon.

Simone Hengen

Director | Regina

Simone is an English language instructor and Trail Walker with an interest in the history of Saskatchewan.

Darren R. Préfontaine

Director | Saskatoon

Darren R. Préfontaine is an editor, researcher, and author with the Gabriel Dumont Institute’s Métis Culture and Heritage Department. Originally from Rockglen, Saskatchewan, he obtained degrees at the University of Regina (BA) and York University (MA), majoring in Canadian History. As a non-Indigenous settler, he feels that his understanding of Canada’s past has been greatly enhanced by the hundreds of Métis community people he has had the privilege of knowing over his 27-year career with the Gabriel Dumont Institute. During his tenure with the Institute, he has helped to develop dozens of innovative Métis-specific resources. His book, Gabriel Dumont: Li Chef Michif in Images and In Words won Book of the Year at the 2011 Saskatchewan Book Awards. The Institute also received Publisher of the Year for this book. He lives in Saskatoon with his wife, daughter, dog, and cats.

LEanne Tremblay

Director | Regina

Leanne Tremblay’s curiosity for heritage was a natural result of her family’s annual summer road trips throughout North America. She wondered how she could grow up to work at such interesting historic sites and protected natures areas… and ultimately found a way! After working at several national parks and historic sites with Parks Canada, Leanne has returned to Saskatchewan to continue working in heritage and outreach at the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan. Leanne is interested in the collection and preservation of stories and experiences that are not always found in written form. Being a part of the Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society only makes sense as her next endeavour!

Julie YU

Director | Saskatoon

Julie Yu is passionate about community building and is an experienced community organizer. Hailing from Regina over 10 years ago, Saskatoon is now home. Her background includes working in the immigrant serving sector, healthcare, and working with rural communities. She is active in the community and volunteers with the Chinese senior community and with newcomers to Saskatoon. 

Karleigh Wapass-Renz

Director | Saskatoon

My name is Karleigh Wapass-Renz and I am an Indigenous woman from Thunderchild First Nation. As a young adult I bring a unique perspective on many topics. I would like to assist my community to heal from the traumas still plaguing us by sharing my experiences and help people who may not know where to start to reconnect with our Indigenous cultural identities. I have 5 younger siblings who struggle to find a way to connect to our culture because of a lack of opportunities to learn.

I enjoy painting, beadwork, crafting, puzzles, camping, and the outdoors.