HCBN Staff

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 Karl serves as the Executive Director of the Hamilton Community Benefits Network.  He also formerly served on the HCBN Executive Committee as VP - Community.  He is also a former member of the Board of Directors.  He brings into the organization a lifetime of grassroots community activism.  Politically active at protests and community benefits from a very young age, he is also the proud son of the late Kate Andrus, a well-respected Hamilton Community Leader.  He served as the Co-Chair of the Stinson Community Association, one of Hamilton's 11 code-red neighbourhoods.  He has lived and real lived experience in poverty and understands firsthand the challenges of mental health and employment.  He helped organize Hamilton's First Transgendered Job Fare and was instrumental in helping organize the Hamilton Transit Rider's Union.  Serves as part of the national Keep Transit Moving Coalition (a national organization of unions and transit activists)—a proud member of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, assistant in their Caremongering COVID-19 mutual aid relief.  Was a leading organizer of the Hamilton #yesLRT activist groups.  Proud of his contributions to the #JustRecoveryHamOnt coalition and policy paper.   Sits on the Board of Directors for City Housing Hamilton.  Is a member of the City of Hamilton's LRT subcommittee and Vice-Chair of the City of Hamilton Community Benefits Committee.  He is well known for his policy and advocacy work around community benefits, tenant rights, public transit, decent work and affordable housing.  His works on poverty and politics are well-published in Raise the Hammer, the Spectator, and various blogs and podcasts.  Hee has appeared in many advocacy roles on local radio, television, and printed media.

Jacqueline M. St.Pierre brings a deep-rooted commitment to equity, justice, and community building to her role as Community Outreach Coordinator at the Hamilton Community Benefits Network. With a background in Communication Arts from Seneca College and over two decades of grassroots advocacy, she has cultivated a career at the intersection of storytelling, harm reduction, and social change.

Her early work with the AIDS Committee of Windsor in harm reduction set the foundation for a lifelong focus on uplifting equity-seeking communities. From collaborating alongside Anishinaabe Grandmothers in anti-human trafficking initiatives—where she seamlessly navigated roles in communications, project management, event coordination, and executive support—to amplifying voices through journalism, Jacqueline's work bridges divides and fosters connection.

As a staff journalist for the Manitoulin Expositor and a contributor to outlets such as the Hamilton Spectator, Turtle Island News, Anishinaabek News, and Reckoning Press, she centers Indigenous sovereignty, 2SLGTBQIA+ rights, women’s rights, and eco-justice with clarity and conviction. A visual artist as well, Jacqueline believes in the power of creative expression to galvanize dialogue and strengthen communities.

She is driven by a single truth: when communities speak for themselves, transformation takes root