Jo-Anne Polak appointed to Chair of the Board at Football Canada 

Ottawa, ON – 2 July 2025 – Football Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Jo-Anne Polak as Chair of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Polak assumes the position following her appointment to the Board in April 2024 and succeeds outgoing Chair Peter Baxter. 

Polak’s election comes at a transformative time for Canadian football. With Flag Football now officially included in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Football Canada is entering a new era of international opportunity and prominence in the national sport landscape. As Chair, Polak will guide the organization through this critical Olympic cycle, supporting the expansion of participation, high-performance development, and strategic collaboration across the country. 

Polak brings with her more than three decades of executive experience in communications and public affairs. She most recently served as Senior Vice-President of Corporate and Employee Communications at Canada Post, capping a 17-year tenure with the Crown corporation. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice-President of Corporate Communications at Hill & Knowlton Canada (now Burson) for 14 years. This corporate pedigree, combined with decades in public affairs, positions her to expand Football Canada’s commercial partnerships, strengthen stakeholder engagement, elevate the organization’s national profile, and enhance the way Football Canada defines and communicates its narrative across the country. 

A well-known figure in the Canadian football community, Polak made history in 1989 when she was appointed General Manager of the Ottawa Rough Riders, becoming both the first woman to hold an executive role in the Canadian Football League and the first female general manager of a professional sports team in North America. She was recently inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in the Builder–Builder category in recognition of her lasting contributions to sport in Canada. 

Jo-Anne Polak welcomed her appointment, stating: 
 
“Football is my passion. I am so grateful to have been embraced by Canada’s amateur football community at this very special moment in our sport’s history.  The 2028 Olympic Flag opportunity will show the world that football is accessible and can be enjoyed by everyone.   

I would like to thank Peter Baxter, who has done so much for our organization during his time as Chair.  He has strengthened Football Canada’s governance structure, ensuring we are appropriately positioned for the coming Olympic opportunity.”  
 
Football Canada also wishes to extend its sincere appreciation and thanks to Peter Baxter, who served as Chair with distinction during a period of organizational transition and stabilization. Under his leadership, Football Canada advanced its governance model and Board Member onboarding education while ensuring the organization was set for the future by leading an extensive organizational policy review. Baxter’s extensive career in sport administration, including 23 years as Director of Athletics and Recreation at Wilfrid Laurier University, has left a lasting impact on both Football Canada and the wider Canadian sport system and we thank him for his service to the sport of football and sport in general in this country.  

Peter Baxter, the outgoing Chair of Football Canada, remarked: 

“Jo-Anne Polak’s appointment as Chair marks a historic and exciting moment for Football Canada. Her lifetime of leadership in football, from breaking barriers in the CFL to shaping national narratives in boardrooms, reflects both her deep passion for the game and her exceptional ability to lead. I have full confidence that under Jo-Anne’s guidance, Football Canada will thrive as we enter a new era of opportunity for our sport. It has been a privilege to serve as Chair alongside a strong and dedicated Board Team and with new senior management leadership under Kevin McDonald, leaders who are fully committed to modernizing our organization and advancing the growth and development of football for all across Canada.” 

Football Canada Executive Director Kevin McDonald welcomed Polak noting: 
 
“Jo-Anne’s appointment comes at a time when strategic communication and relationship building is more important than ever in the sports world. Her experience leading national communications efforts will be vital as we work to elevate public awareness for both flag and tackle football and ensure Football Canada leads its own narrative heading into the 2028 Olympic Games. Jo-Anne has a long history of breaking new ground in this sport, and under her leadership we are excited to continue to move the sport of football in Canada forward in meaningful ways.” 

Polak now leads a diverse and committed Board of Directors whose collective focus is to advance Football Canada’s mission: to grow and improve the game from coast to coast to coast, from grassroots to high performance, while ensuring the sport reflects the values and diversity of Canadian communities. 

Media Contact 
Braydon Stachel 
Manager, Marketing & Communications 
Football Canada 
bstachel@footballcanada.com