CPI Staff

Derek Cook

Director

Derek Cook joined the Canadian Poverty Institute in 2015, bringing over thirty years of leadership experience in the government, academic and non-profit sectors. Derek holds an M.Sc. in Rural Planning and Development and a Certificate in Knowledge Mobilization from the University of Guelph, a B.A. in Political Studies from McGill University, and is a Registered Social Worker with the Alberta College of Social Workers. Derek’s work includes extensive experience in social research and policy development at The City of Calgary and in community development with various organizations across Canada. Previously he served as the Executive Director of the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative, leading the Mayor’s task force on poverty reduction. Currently, Derek is a member of the Commission on Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches, serves on the Board of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta, and is an Honorary Fellow at the Institute of Poverty Research and Management (InsPeK) at the University of Malaysia - Kelantan.

Telephone: 403-410-2913
Email: Derek.Cook@ambrose.edu

Dr. Rita Yembilah

Senior Researcher

Dr. Rita Yembilah's academic and research experience are in poverty; vulnerability and marginalization; resiliency building, gender studies; as well as interrelated topics in social problems, social inequality and social justice. She brings a critical and decolonizing lens to her work, and is particularly passionate about including lived experience voices in research, policy and practice. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Development Studies at the University of Calgary with teaching and research involvements in gender, community engagement, mental health promotion, and international studies from an interdisciplinary lens. Dr. Yembilah specializes in evaluation and gender-based analysis, having completed a number of evaluations in Calgary and internationally. Dr. Yembilah is also an evaluation consultant with Washington-based Collaborating for Resilience (CoRe) and with the Institute of Peace and Development (IPD) in Ghana. She obtained her PhD and Master’s degrees from the University of Calgary and a BA, First Class Honours in Geography with Sociology from the University of Ghana, Accra.

Email: Rita.Yembilah@ambrose.edu

Rudo Makoni

Researcher

Rudo Makoni serves as an economic inclusion researcher for the Canadian Poverty Institute and project coordinator for the Fair Access to Insurance Roundtable and the New Economy Roundtable. Rudo Makoni is an eminent economist with a passion for unraveling the intricate workings of economic systems. She holds both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Zimbabwe, where she honed her analytical and research skills. She has contributed significantly to the economic field through her insightful research, policy development, and publications, focusing on areas such as deposit insurance, the financial services sector, macroeconomics, international trade, and economic development. With over 5 years of involvement in deposit insurance and financial sector development, Rudo brings a key practice approach to her work on economic inclusion issues. She is not merely an economist but a tireless advocate for a fairer world, championing the cause of those most in need. She recognizes that poverty is not just an economic challenge but a complex web of social, political, and economic factors, and she determinedly works to address these root causes. Rudo's dedication extends beyond academic research and into the realm of real-world impact, where she strives to turn economic principles into tools for social progress.

Email: Rudo.Makoni@ambrose.edu