29 Apr Welcome the AHKGA President-Elect – Dr. Leigh Vanderloo!

Following a formal nomination process, the AHKGA is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Leigh Vanderloo as the AHKGA President-Elect!

The President-Elect serves in a traditional leadership role, shadowing the AHKGA President to gain knowledge of the AHKGA’s governance, operations, and strategic priorities in preparation for assuming the AHKGA President role at the conclusion of the one-year term.

Leigh is currently the AHKGA Treasurer and North American Representative on the Board of Directors. We invite you to read Leigh’s introductory message below.

I am honoured and excited to step into the role of President-Elect of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance.

My involvement with AHKGA over the past several years has provided me with a detailed understanding of the organization’s governance, partnerships, and global impact. Serving as Treasurer, North American Representative, and a member of the Executive Committee has allowed me to contribute to financial stewardship, strategic planning, and organizational sustainability. These experiences have reinforced my commitment to AHKGA’s mission and prepared me for this next stage of leadership.

In my current role as Scientific Director at ParticipACTION, I lead multidisciplinary research and knowledge mobilization efforts that engage partners across sectors. This work has strengthened my ability to integrate scientific evidence with strategic decision-making, while maintaining a focus on long-term impact. I bring this same approach to my work with AHKGA.

Looking ahead, I am particularly focused on supporting four key priorities: strengthening the Global Matrix and its evolving indicators, advancing knowledge mobilization and impact evaluation, reinforcing organizational sustainability through strong governance and operational continuity, and expanding partnerships to enhance AHKGA’s global reach and influence.

AHKGA has built a strong global foundation by connecting countries around a shared goal of improving movement behaviours among children and youth. I am committed to helping sustain and grow this foundation by supporting equitable participation, fostering collaboration, and enabling meaningful contributions from diverse global partners.

I look forward to working closely with colleagues across the Alliance to continue advancing this important work.

Sincerely,

Dr. Leigh Vanderloo