Board of Directors

Manitoba Organization of Disc Sports (MODS) is run by a volunteer board of directors. Thank you to these individuals for sharing their time and talents with us. 

MODS Board of Directors

President

Daniel Plourde (2023) (He/Him)

President, Personnel Committee and Governance Committee 
Ultimate has been a significant part of Daniel's life for the better part of the last decade now. He's played on Winnipeg General Strike for the past seven seasons, including this last summer. He played MOFO the one year before that and also played on the University of Manitoba Ultimate Club for five years from 2011 to 2015. He's also been involved in coaching the provincial teams, having spent two years with Manitou, and this past summer with the national champion MOFO Boys team. Daniel is also involved in the running of WIMIUL and spent a summer as the MODS student employee during the year that Winnipeg hosted CUC, 2015. 
A recent graduate of the University of Manitoba in Mechanical Engineering, Daniel is returning to start his Masters in fall 2017.
Daniel is currently on the governance committee, helping bring mods policy back up to date.

Treasurer

Eric Robert (2024) (He/Him)

Eric began playing ultimate frisbee in 2006 with the first beginner’s league program that took place over the summer.  This league eventually formed a team and started regular league play that fall and continued from there.  Eric has played on several teams since then and has also joined up with parity and played several tournaments as well.

Eric has over 15 years of experience performing audit and review engagements for several Not-For-Profits around Manitoba.  This experience has helped Eric learn the roles and responsibilities of board of directors for NFPs and how they can be most efficient for the organization. Eric and his wife, Andrea, have 1 child, Soren, who, at 3 years of age, has a great love of music and people. Eric sits on the Chartered Professional Accountants Public Practice Review Committee and on the board of directors of his son’s daycare as treasurer. When he isn’t working, Eric enjoys spending time outdoors, with friends and family, travelling, camping, cycling or playing ultimate frisbee.

Member At Large

Francine Chartier (2024) 
Conduct Committee

Francine has been playing ultimate for over 10 years now. She joined MODS in the fall of 2011 where she since participated in various indoor and outdoor mixed and women's recreational leagues. In the summer of 2016 she moved to Burnaby, BC to pursue studies in forensic sciences where she promptly joined the Vancouver Ultimate League (VUL). It's in Vancouver that she began touring. Francine brings her experience from playing and volunteering in the VUL, including volunteering on the VUL Governance Committee and mentoring in the women’s league. She brought her experience as a volunteer with MODS this year, sitting on the governance committee and contributing her insight as MODS developed its new strategic plan.  ​
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Francine returned to Winnipeg in 2021, pivoted her career path and is currently studying Agronomy at the University of Manitoba. She brings with her experience in documentation and procedure writing from her previous work as a forensic drug analyst at Health Canada. 

Vice President

Kari Bergmuller (2023) (She/Her)

Junior Committee
Governance Committee


Kari started playing ultimate roughly fifteen years ago and over the years has played in both the mixed and women’sleagues at various levels and coached high school ultimate. During the summer of 2018, Kari was assistant to the Competition Tournament Director at the WorldMaster’s Ultimate Club Championships (WMUCC) held in Winnipeg. Her educational background includes a Master of Education in Educational Administration as well as a certificate in School Leadership. This fall, she has pivoted positions as a teacher in high school math to become the Senior Years Mathematics Consultant for the province of Manitoba. Currently Kari is serving on the MODS Sprit of the Game working group, the Women’s committee, and the Governance committee. She is dedicated to actively incorporating a better understanding of the Spirit of the Game ideals and practices for all players and coaches.

Member At Large

Nigel Batchelor (2023) (He/Him)

Communications Working Group
Nigel first started playing ultimate in 2003. He started by playing high school ultimate, has captained multiple coed recreational teams, is a longtime captain in MIUDL, and is an avid disc golfer. He has represented Winnipeg on the touring stage playing with Rebellion, Nonsuch, PBHG, Lit (Calgary), and at the C4UC level. Professionally, Nigel has worked in Sports Media and Marketing over the past eight years and is currently the head of the media department for the Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club. He cares about making strides in Spirit of the Game, Gender Equity and Inclusiveness across the Manitoba Disc Sport landscape.

Member At Large

Robin Mersaty (2024) 

Junior Committee (School & Provincial Team)                                                                                                                                                                            

Robin started playing ultimate frisbee in high school in 2004. She was introduced to competitive ultimate playing on the provincial junior team, before touring as a member of Fusion for 9 years. In 2014, she played in Italy at the World Ultimate Club Championships, and her playing career came full circle when she served as the assistant coach of the provincial junior women's team at the Canadian Ultimate Championships in 2016. Robin is hoping to use the perspective she has gained from playing ultimate over the years to improve the local experience of both competitive and recreational players. ​
Robin graduated with her Bachelors of Education 2014. She spent five years mentoring youth as a Student Parent Support Worker before transitioning into a role helping families access funds to help their children pay for post-secondary education. In her spare time, Robin enjoys cooking and spending time with her two cats.​

Board Secretary

Charlotte Thrift (2022) (She/Her)

My introduction to ultimate took place in 2007. I have since played in the various rec-leagues (indoor, outdoor, and parity) and have been a team captain since 2016. My interest in joining the MODS board stems from a desire to support and improve the leagues that have been vital to my mental and physical health. I have previous board experience, and I believe my skill set will be an asset to the board. My specific interests in MODS governance are policy development and growing disc sports in Winnipeg and Manitoba, particularly in underrepresented communities. As a transgender athlete, I also have a strong personal interest in making MODS, and the broader sporting community, more welcoming to trans athletes.

Member At Large

Serena Vandersteen (2023) (She/Her)

Women's Committee
Governance Committee
Serena became a MODS member the summer of 2008, where she started by playing on a mixed rec league team. She progressed through mixed rec leagues in increasingly higher tiers and has over the years had the opportunity to participate in the different women’s leagues (from developmental to invitational). She eventually found herself showing up to her first competitive touring team tryout in 2014, which lead to her playing with Wheat Queens. She later played on Nonsuch in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, Serena was seeking some new and interesting challenges and was drawn to the 4 on 4 format of Ultimate. She joined a team that went to 4 on 4 Nationals that year and has been heavily involved with that format ever since; playing at nationals several more times as part of Fortitude. In the 2018-19 season she took on a leadership role as a co-captain for the team and was one of the league coordinators and captains for the MODS 4 on 4 league. Serena also took time off work to volunteer full time as a manager at WMUCC 2018, and joined the MODS Communication Working Group. Her involvement in so many different areas of the Winnipeg ultimate community enables her to bring varied perspectives to the MODS Board.