Board Members
Meet MARL’s board members and see what they are passionate about!
Larry Paetkau
President
Larry Paetkau is a retired school teacher whose career took him from Thompson, MB to Chongqing, PRC in the 80s, to College Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, where he taught English Language Arts, History, and Global Issues for 25 years. During his career he organized social justice clubs and activities, and served as Lead Teacher for the school’s UNESCO project. He was responsible for regular trips to Bolivia, where his Global Issues students met, studied, and worked with national NGOs. He participated in writing the Global Issues: Citizenship and Sustainability curriculum and was an educational consultant for ERIM’s project for countering radicalization to violence in Manitoba schools. He currently volunteers at IRCOM putting his teaching and carpentry skills to use.
Jordyn O’Dunn-Orto
Vice President
Jordyn O’Dunn-Orto has been involved with MARL for the last decade, when she first learned of the organization through her studies in Conflict Resolution at the University of Winnipeg, in affiliation with the Menno Simmons College. Her passion for education and advocacy led her to work first in the careed education department at the Winnipeg School Division and now for the non-profit Career Trek, which offers career education and exploration programming to equity deserving youth. She has served on the MARL Board of Directors for the last two years and is looking forward to continuing with the organization.
Alex Rana
Secretary
Alex Rana is a student at the University of Manitoba going into his final year of a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Linguistics with a minor in German. Within his degree, he is particularly interested in the areas of critical theory, queer literature, and sociolinguistics. At the U of M, he enjoys serving as Co-President of the Rainbow Pride Centre, Vice President of the Arts Student Body Council, and an executive on the Racial Equity and Inclusion Alliance. Outside of campus, he organizes with the MB 2SLGBTQIA+ Student Action Coalition and Prairie Asian Organizers, and volunteers as Sustainability Coordinator for Pride Winnipeg. He looks forward to becoming more involved with MARL to share his passion for queer and racialized advocacy and advance human rights in Manitoba.
Rominpreet Kaur
Treasurer
Rominpreet Kaur is from the Punjab and came to Canada in 2017. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Manitoba. She has worked in the childcare industry for the past seven years taking on various roles within the field, which helped her acquire valuable experience in fostering a nurturing a stimulating environment for children. This hands-on experience has enabled her to develop a deep understanding of the needs and rights of children, and she is passionate about advocating for their well-being and growth. Rominpreet is deeply committed to children’s rights and liberties and continuously striving to raise awareness and create positive change in this area. Every child deserves a safe and supportive environment that enables them to develop their full potential.
Landon Sanderson
Board Director
Landon Sanderson is a student at the University of Toronto entering the faculty of Social Sciences. He has a passion for politics, human rights, and advocacy. He has contributed to several organizations and held numerous positions within his community including being the Manitoba Youth Liaison to Senator Marilou McPhedran, Chairperson of Vote16 Manitoba, Founder & Executive Director of Walk The Rainbow, and Co-Chair of the MARL Youth Advisory Committee. All of these experiences underscore his commitment to championing equity within Manitoba and beyond, and he looks forward applying what he has learned to the MARL Board of Directors.
Dr. Sam Krishnan
Board Director
Sam holds an MD (2024) and BSc (2020) from the University of Manitoba and is currently a resident physician with the unviersity’s Department of Family Medicine. He is interested in the intersection of medical ethics, health law, and human rights, particularly where policy, systems, and lived experience shape access to care. He hopes to use his expertise to advocate for equitable and evidence-based health policy to increase access for marginalized populations. He has previously held a position on the board of the Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba (PARIM) and has also served as an editor for the University of Manitoba Journal of Medicine.
Elizabeth Andrea
Board Director
Elizabeth Aluk Andrea lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where she co-founded Manitoba Women for Women of South Sudan (MW4WSS) and serves as its current president. She holds a degree from the University of Winnipeg in Urban Inner-City Studies and Conflict Resolution Studies. Using her Con-flict Resolution education, she and a group of diaspora women and men initiated local peace dialogue among the ethnic communities in Rumbek, South Sudan. Supported by UNMISS, the dialogue had good participation by politicians, youth, men, women and religious leaders from Lakes State. It has had the positive benefit of reducing violence. In November 2016, MW4WSS hosted a Women’s Peace Table Campaign on South Sudan in Winnipeg. In October of 2016, she made a presentation to the Su-dan/South Sudan Mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the status of women in the conflict in South Sudan. She is a member of Dialogue for South Sudan, a volunteer organization based in Winnipeg which promotes dialogue among South Sudanese and is a former representative of women in the Winnipeg Chapter of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement.
Kaylin Lazaro
Board Director
Kaylin holds a BA in Criminology from the University of Manitoba. Kaylin is passionate about mental health awareness and youth empowerment. She blends advocacy with action, championing mental health initiatives within her personal and professional life. Kaylin has aimed to create spaces that encourage open dialogue about mental health and elevate the voices of young people, particularly those from marginalized communities. She is focused on fostering a world where mental health is treated with the same respect as physical health, and where every young person has the opportunity to thrive—free from judgment and full of potential. Kaylin is thrilled to bring these values to the MARL board and to work towards greater social justice in Manitoba
Ed Braun
Board Director
Ed is a retired educator with 30 years of experience in Frontier School Division in Northern Manitoba, a career he describes as life-altering, challenging, and immeasurably rewarding. During that time, he served in a wide variety of roles both in schools and the community, including High School Guidance Counsellor, Classroom Teacher, Project Director, Curriculum Development Officer, Drama Instructor, Department Supervisor, Town Councillor, and even a failed dog musher. These experiences taught him how to accomplish a great deal with scarce resources and limited funding, while the PEOPLE he worked with instilled the importance of flexibility, collaboration, humor, and humility.
Since leaving the North and public schooling, Ed has never stepped away from public service. His post-retirement work includes contracts with the University of Winnipeg, numerous pro bono consultations and workshops on Indigenous Education and Drama, and extended volunteer commitments with organizations such as the United Way and MARL. These experiences have reinforced his identity as a relentless teacher and lifelong learner. Aging, he says, has taught him the value of loyalty, community, and the serenity of gratitude. Ed looks forward to bringing enthusiasm and an eclectic array of knowledge and skills to the MARL team, and when needed, he is more than willing to stack chairs, mop floors, and turn out the lights.
Feden Cheway
Board Director
Feden’s background is in social work, she is a Registered Social Worker with the Manitoba College of Social Workers. Much of her professional and academic work has centered on human rights, anti-racism, and systemic change in education. During her degree at UBC, she focused heavily on policy, curriculum reform, and anti-oppressive practice, and she also developed and facilitated workshops such as “Active Witness,” which has been used in community organizations and courses at UBC.
Feden is particularly passionate about the intersection of human rights and education, and how early education in equity, diversity, and inclusion can address systemic racism and build stronger, more just communities. This is very much in line with MARL’s mission to promote social justice and civil liberties through education and advocacy, which is why she feels such a strong pull toward contributing at a governance level.