Welcome Cheryl Hotchkiss - Managing Director

Cheryl’s passion is to motivate and enable Canadians to be active participants in local, national and international communities working to ensure full well-being for the least of these. She is now living out her passion as Managing Director at Graf-Martin Communications where she helps non-profit organizations and values-driven clients attract and retain critical support for their mission-driven work. Cheryl grew up in Southern Ontario and spent her teenage years supporting the family’s dairy and beef farm. Following this formative experience, she has worked  in the social justice advocacy field for over 26 years with experience ranging from local community advocacy projects to international advocacy campaigns.

Starting her career with a local anti-violence organization, Cheryl then spent 15 years working with Amnesty International Canada where she was the lead campaigner in thematic areas including; women’s human rights, human rights in Asia and business and human rights. A key highlight of her time with Amnesty was her involvement with the team that released a report in 2004 on patterns of racialized violence committed against Indigenous women in some of Canada's major urban areas. 

In 2008, she moved to World Vision Canada to help build their public advocacy campaigning practice. In her eleven years with World Vision, she provided leadership to Public Relations, Communications, Creative and Brand teams, and led national campaigns on child health, protecting children in conflict and the ending the worst forms of child labour.

Through this, she was humbled and motivated by the hope she discovered in her conversations with dozens of women leaders in developing contexts around the world fighting for the well-being of their children and communities. With a breadth of international and national marketing, communications and advocacy experience, as well as team leadership experience in the non-profit sector, Cheryl brings deep proven knowledge and insights to the Graf-Martin team. Cheryl’s experience on both the client and agency side of work, brings proven value and insight to the clients we serve. 

Cheryl has an Honours BA in History and Political Science from Carleton University and an MA in Human Systems Intervention from Concordia University. Cheryl is married and a parent to two university aged children. She loves hiking, biking, roller-blading – anything that gets her outdoors. 

We are excited you are part of our team!

Connect with Cheryl: LinkedIn | Email

Tune in to The Change Makers Podcast to listen in as Cheryl and Ellen discuss mentorship, authenticity, collaboration and more!