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Vitalize 2015 - Session Speakers
Mirande Alexandre
Contact Information:
Phone: (780)988-1393
Email: [email protected]
Mme Alexandre a plus de 25 ans d’expérience en tant que directrice de
marketing, directrice commerciale, agente de développement social,
chef de projet et consultante. Elle détient un baccalauréat en
commerce, un diplôme en tourisme et un autre en beaux-arts. En 2001,
Mme Alexandre rejoint le ministère du Patrimoine canadien comme
coordonnatrice de subventions et contribution. Puis, en 2002, elle
devient agente de programmes pour le Programme des langues
officielles et, en 2004, pour le Programme du multiculturalisme. En
2008, elle se joint à Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada en tant que
consultante des programmes du multiculturalisme et d’établissement.
En 2009, 2010 et 2012, Mme Alexandre reçoit le prix des langues
officielles en reconnaissance de son travail et de son rôle dans le soutien
et le développement des communautés de minorités francophones en
Alberta. En 2010, elle reçoit le Alberta Federal Council Working
Collaborative Relations Award.
Ms. Alexandre has over 25 years of experience as Director of marketing,
Director of commercial, social development officer, project manager
and consultant. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, plus diplomas in
Tourism and another in Fine Arts. In 2001, Ms. Alexandre joined the
Department of Canadian Heritage as coordinator of grants and
contribution. In 2002, she became programs officer for the Official
Languages program and in 2004 for the Multiculturalism program. In
2008, she joined Citizenship and Immigration Canada as a consultant of
multiculturalism and facility programs. In 2009, 2010 and 2012, Ms.
Alexandre received the award of the official languages in recognition of
her work and its role in the support and development of francophone
minority in Alberta communities. In 2010, she received the Alberta
Federal Council Working Collaborative relationships Award.
Kim Arsenault
Contact Information:
Meridian Coaching
Phone: (780)909-8702
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.meridianlearning.org.
Kim models and teaches leaders how to design and facilitate processes
to get the best results from individuals and groups. Kim provides expert
facilitation, especially as a teacher and troubleshooter of these skills.
Kim combines academic achievement with practical experience as a
teacher, facilitator and manager in both public and private
organizations. She is known for her fun, dynamic and interactive
training style, and brings a sophisticated but down-to-earth approach
to her program delivery. As an educator and manager with more than
20 years of experience in training delivery, she possesses a wealth of
experience and knowledge. Kim has delivered hundreds of training
sessions in a variety of topic areas including leadership, effective
communication, teambuilding, conflict management, time and life
management, supervisory skills, instructional design, and train-thetrainer. Some of her recent clients include: The University of Alberta,
Faculty of Extension and School of Business, Enbridge Pipeline Inc.,
ATCO Electric, Alberta Motor Association, Alberta Health Services,
SINTRA Engineering and AUPE. Kim has a Bachelors Degree in Adult
Education from the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, and a Masters
Degree in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University in
Victoria, Canada.
Lorraine Behnan
Contact Information:
LimeLight Group Communications Group Inc.
Phone: (902)433-1986
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.limelightgroup.com
Lorraine brings to her audiences over twenty years of professional
speaking and consulting experience. Her passion and knowledge for
Communications and Personal Change Management is highly
contagious. Lorraine believes that transitions of change compel us to
tap into our talents and strengths and inspires to be innovation and
resilience. A former actor and writer with the famous Second City
Comedy Revue, Lorraine combines her theatre skills with her consulting
work to create keynote speeches and workshops that both educate and
entertain – a style that she calls "edu-tainment."
Jennifer Beyer
Contact Information:
Albert Culture and Tourism
Community Development
Phone: (780) 963-2281 Toll Free 310-0000
Email: [email protected]
Jennifer has been a Community Development Officer with the Ministry
of Culture since 2012. Prior to her current role, she was the Program
Coordinator for one of the Mental Health Capacity Building In-Schools
Initiatives. In addition to extensive experience working with nonprofit
social service agencies, she is also actively involved as a volunteer in
local nonprofits, at both governance and operational levels. Jen is
passionate about exploring innovative ways of doing our work, from
sharing information to engaging volunteers to raising funds, and sees
huge potential in social media for achieving this. Follow her on Twitter
@ChanginJen
Website: www.culture.alberta.ca
Desirae Bowlby
Contact Information:
Albert Culture and Tourism
Community Development
Phone: (403) 826-6136
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.culture.alberta.ca
Desirae is a Community Development Officer with Alberta Culture and
Tourism. In her role, she enjoys designing and facilitating processes
that help nonprofit groups and organizations build capacity and meet
their goals. For over a decade, Desirae has worked and volunteered in
various roles in the nonprofit sector, but the majority of experience has
been in healthcare. She holds a Masters of Arts degree specializing in
Organizational Development and Effectiveness. In her spare time,
Desirae enjoys adventure activities such as hiking, traveling, hang
gliding, scuba diving and motorcycle tours.
Bill Brandon
Contact Information:
Phone: (403) 670-0206
Email: [email protected]
Bill Brandon is a founding partner with Impact8 Inc. and has more than
twenty five years of experience working with organizations to build
capacity, increase effectiveness and implement change. He has worked
with more than 60 nonprofit organizations and also provides services in
the private sector. Bill has held many positions during his career
including running a start-up software company, an executive with a
national consulting firm, a leader in the nonprofit sector and a senior
manager in government. Since the 1980s, he has served on the Boards
of more than a dozen nonprofit organizations varying from startups to
national organizations.
Bill Carr
Contact Information:
LimeLight Group Communications Group Inc.
Phone: (902)433-1986
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.limelightgroup.com
Contact Information:
Phone: Toll-free: 1-855-850-6770
In Calgary: (403) 850-5589
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.worklifeenergy.com
Bill Carr is known as an actor, humorist writer and motivational speaker.
For over twenty years, Mr. Carr has been making people laugh at what’s
trivial while helping them think about what counts. His unique blend of
humour and insight inspires laughter and consideration, offering his
audience a fresh perspective on what they face every day. His thirtyyear career has seen him perform on stages across the country, most
notably in Nova Scotia at Neptune Theatre, Mermaid Theatre and the
Atlantic Theatre Festival. He has written and performed in numerous
radio dramas for CBC and has made appearances on countless television
programs, several movies and more advertisements than he’d care to
think about.
Michelle Cederberg
Health and productivity expert Michelle Cederberg galvanizes people to
blaze their own path and live a bigger life. An in-demand speaker,
author, health expert and life coach, she empowers clients to break
down the physical and emotional barriers that get in the way of growth
– in business and in life. She holds a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in
Psychology, a specialization in Health and Exercise Psychology, is a
Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP) and Certified Professional Co-Active
Life Coach (CPCC). She truly combines mind, body and practicality to
inspire change! A natural storyteller, Michelle transports delighted
audiences on a journey of truth and laughter that will empower them to
optimize energy and health, find better work-life balance and gain
momentum toward the personal legacy they long to create. Michelle is
the author of three books. Her latest literary spark plug, Energy Now!
Small Steps to an Energetic Life shares her philosophy in an eye-opening
and practical way, with methods that make a difference. But where did
all this energy and enthusiasm originate and what in the heck is she so
happy about? If you’ve met Michelle you know she’s upbeat, positive
and definitely has energy. It comes from the fact that she loves her
work, her husband, their dog Lilly and the active, always interesting life
that they lead (not necessarily in that order). If there is one thing that is
true about Michelle it’s that she walks her talk with health, productivity
and work-life balance.
Joel Christianson
Contact Information
Alberta Culture and Tourism
Board Development Program
Phone: (780) 415-8147
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.albertabdp.ca
Joel has been the Coordinator of the Board Development Program (BDP)
at Alberta Culture and Tourism since September of 2012 and has
worked as a Community Development Officer in the BDP office since
2007. His work with the BDP includes workshop facilitation, curriculum
design, community consultations and collaboration. Joel also chaired a
committee that revised the BDP workbook “Drafting and Revising
Bylaws” and has helped train over 150 volunteer instructors who
conduct the BDP workshops. Before his work with the BDP, Joel worked
on the executive team of a nonprofit organization in Alberta.
Stuart Clark
Contact Information
Albert Culture and Tourism
Community Development Unit, South Region
Phone: (403)-382-8931
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://culture.alberta.ca/
Stuart is a member of Alberta Culture and Tourism’s Community
Development Unit and is based in the Lethbridge office. Stuart has a
passion for designing, coordinating and facilitating inquiry and process
solutions for groups and organizations that enable them to build and
sustain their programs and communities. His background is in
facilitation, leadership training and teambuilding, wilderness-based
experiential education, youth and children services, organizational
consulting and community development. Most recently, Stuart has
played a lead role in the Community Development Unit in developing
workshops and learning events that promote financial literacy in
nonprofit organizations. Stuart has an MBA in Executive Management
with a Specialization in Leadership from Royal Roads University. For his
final MBA major project, Stuart worked with a national charity to
develop a sustainable funding plan, a project that involved extensive
research on nonprofit funding and finance in Canada.
Pieter deVos
Contact Information
Albert Culture and Tourism
Community Development
Phone: (780) 914-1064
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://culture.alberta.ca/
Pieter is a facilitator, documentary photographer, and academic. He has
completed over 240 projects with public sector organizations and
nonprofits of varying sizes and complexities in Canada and abroad. His
assignments have ranged from supporting the integration of mental
health services for refugees, to facilitating workshops across the
province on sustainable development, to working with schools to
improve Aboriginal parent engagement, to undertaking research to
better understand the role of voluntary sector organizations in Alberta.
He has extensive community development experience. Pieter has a PhD
in Anthropology from the University of Alberta. His research focuses on
using narrative and visual methods to explore community
understandings of home and belonging in an informal settlement in
South Africa. He is currently advancing the use of participatory
photography and digital storytelling to amplify the voices of
marginalized communities. He has facilitated workshops on these
methods in Kenya, Sweden, Tanzania, Pakistan, Haiti and the USA
(Louisiana). These community-based projects have animated the
dialogue on poverty and homelessness, HIV/AIDS, sexual identity,
childhood injury, and gender and race relations. For more information
see www.pieterdevos.ca
Jennifer Esler
Jennifer is a communications professional who joined Volunteer Alberta
in 2014. Her professional history spans an assortment of sectors
including energy and hospitality, where her diverse experience all share
a common theme: working with and helping people. Jennifer’s
volunteer work includes sport related activities with a current focus on
youth sports in her community. Jennifer brings an innovative and
energetic approach to building great relationships and valuable
networks to Volunteer Alberta and Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector.
Contact Information
Albert Culture and Tourism
Community Development
Phone: (780) 482-3300 ext. 238
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://volunteeralberta.ab.ca/
Julie Friesen
Contact Information:
Albert Culture and Tourism
Community Development
Phone: (403) 529-7004
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://culture.alberta.ca/
Julie brings a wealth of diverse experience and longstanding
commitment to her community over many years and across many
sectors, having demonstrated leadership in the nonprofit, voluntary,
and public sectors for her entire career. As a Community Development
Officer with Alberta Culture and Tourism, Community Development Unit
in the Southern Region, she assists communities in building enhanced
capacity in leadership and skill development, strategic planning, board
governance, regional collaboration and partnership building, facilitation,
organizational development, and public engagement/consultation to
name a few. Prior to assuming responsibilities with the Province of
Alberta, Julie designed and administered Health Canada Prenatal
Nutrition and Early Childhood Intervention programs and was
instrumental in the development of regional collaborations in
Southeastern Alberta. A longstanding community volunteer, Julie cites
her most recent involvements as an elected Council member for the City
of Medicine Hat, Past President of United Way of Southeastern Alberta,
and active member of many community organizations, including the
Police Commission, Housing Foundation and Watershed Alliance.
Merge Gupta Sunderji
Contact Information:
Telephone: (403) 605.4756
Email: [email protected]
Website:
http://www.turningmanagersintoleaders.com/
Merge turns managers into leaders. A highly-respected leadership
expert and columnist, Merge gives people specific and practical tools to
achieve leadership and communication success. Over 65,000 managers
in eight countries have attended her fun, content-rich keynotes and
facilitated workshops. A leader at one of Canada’s premier oil and gas
companies and a Board leader at a Credit Union for a combined total of
over seventeen years, Merge offers a unique blend of realism and
humor that consistently engages and entertains her audiences!
Previously, she was the well-known voice behind the national CBC radio
column The Softer Side of Business. She’s an award-winning author,
writing for many well-known publications, including a regular column for
Canada's The Globe & Mail and the very popular Merge’s Monthly Mega
Minute. Her first book Why Does the Lobster Cast Off Its Shell? is now in
its second edition. Merge is the author of over 75 articles and a
complete series of educational audio CDs, and recently released her
second book Generations Exposed: Unexpected Insights Into the People
You Work With.
David Irvine
Contact Information:
The Lavin Agency for more information
Phone: (855)558-4109
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.thelavinagency.com/
As the Leader’s Navigator™, David is a connector and a communicator.
He has dedicated his life to building productive, engaging and vital
cultures through authentic leadership. He has a unique ability to create
a trusting learning environment through the power of his authentic
presence. David inspires and guides leaders in all walks of life to connect
with their authentic self, so they may, in turn, inspire and guide those
they serve and love to find their authentic voice, thus enabling
greatness within the culture around them. David is an international
authority on the human dynamics of business leadership. He tackles the
toughest problems today’s leaders face, proposing unique strategies to:
Build trust, Sustain high performance, Engage people in meaningful
ways, Build loyalty and morale, Deal with change, Develop leadership
capacity, Implement accountability, and Find personal balance. As one
of Canada’s most respected voices on leadership and personal
development, David has more than 30 years of experience as a family
therapist, workshop facilitator, professional speaker and advisor.
Gary McDougall
Contact Information:
Spellbinders for more information
Phone: (866) 494-0445
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.spellbinders.biz
Gary is a retired police officer who served with the Calgary Police
Service for 25 years. The last 8 years of his career, Gary was a member
of the Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team. He served as both a Team
Leader and training coordinator for the Calgary Hostage Negotiation
team. Upon retiring in 2006, Gary formed a company called Conflict
Solutions. He is currently on the speaking circuit, delivering training in a
number of disciplines which include effective negotiation skills, conflict
management, dealing with difficult clients, ethics in the workplace and
workplace violence issues. Gary is both a graduate of the FBI Hostage
Negotiators Training School and has also served as an instructor at the
FBI Training Academy in Virginia, assisting in the training of new FBI
Hostage Negotiators.
Kelly McKean
Kelly McKean has been staff at the Board Development Program (BDP)
at Alberta Culture and Tourism since November 2012. She also served as
a BDP Volunteer Instructor from 2008 to 2010. Kelly’s work with the
BDP includes volunteer management, curriculum development and
community collaboration. Kelly has over 15 years’ experience serving on
nonprofit boards in the immigration, human service and condominium
housing sectors.
Contact Information:
Phone: (780) 427-0028
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.albertabdp.ca
Dr. Ian Montgomerie
Contact Information:
Phone: (780)420-1646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.imistrategics.ca
Dr. Montgomerie has been consulting in the area of strategic
management for over 15 years, establishing a record of success in
challenging and demanding circumstances. He has developed proven
experience in supporting senior management in the theory, techniques
and application of the concepts of strategic management and public
involvement in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Dr.
Montgomerie has demonstrated experience in the areas of strategic,
business, and policy planning; public involvement; survey and research
methodology; facilitation; service quality and alternative service
delivery; cross-organizational initiatives; and organizational change. In
1994, he completed a Ph.D. in Educational Administration at the
University of Alberta. His research concentrated on the management of
the public policy process, with a dissertation addressing the role of
public consultation in the formulation of public policy. He is a Past Board
Chair of the Canadian Cancer Society, Alberta/NWT Division and
member of the National Board. Dr. Montgomerie instructs courses on
Strategic Management, Public Consultation and Communication, and
Public Policy for the University of Alberta School of Business, Executive
Education. Dr. Montgomerie offers demonstrated abilities in public
involvement, strategic management, policy development, research
design, and group facilitation, as well as highly developed conceptual
and communication skills. He brings a proactive, collaborative, and
client-centered approach, with an orientation toward quality results.
Graham Neil
Contact Information:
Phone: (780) 486-9274
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @grahamneilCTV
Graham has earned a Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Sports
Management, and is a popular, charismatic International Award
Winning Senior Television Reporter at CTV Edmonton. He has over 25
years of experience in the broadcast industry, covering everything from
city politics to arts and entertainment. Graham is the recipient of a
prestigious Edward R. Murrow Journalism Award and his reports have
been featured on CTV National News, E! Talk, Canada AM and CNN.
Some of his most memorable interviews include U2, Tom Cruise and
Grover from Sesame Street. Off the television screen, Graham is an
accomplished stand-up comedian, sharing the stage with people
including Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond, Judah
Friedlander from 30 Rock and Gilbert Gottfried. Graham is also the cofounder of the Edmonton Comedy Festival. When Graham's not out in
the community covering a story or event, he helps out with several
charities across the city. The nearest to his heart is the charity he started
in his late-brother Don’s name to raise money for cancer-research in
Alberta. At the end of the day, Graham likes to spend time with his wife
and three children.
Noreen Onofryszyn
Contact Information:
Phone: (403) 342-9200 ext. 29803
Email: [email protected]
Noreen brings both a nonprofit and a corporate perspective to every
sponsorship discussion. She comes from rural Alberta and has been
involved in many organizations over the years including 4-H, the Youth
and Volunteer Centre and a number of major event host committees.
After spending 15 years in the exhibition industry as Marketing and
Events Manager with the Westerner Exposition Association, she moved
into management consulting and worked in fund development and
business planning. She joined the Credit Union system in 2005 and
holds the position of Community Investment Manager for Servus Credit
Union. Noreen is an active volunteer in Red Deer, where she resides,
and among other interests, sits on the Board of the Red Deer Hospice
Society.
David Papp
Contact Information:
Speakers’ Bureau of Alberta
Phone: (866) 420-3338
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.speakersalberta.com
Technology is key to getting business done! David is a tech pioneer
specializing in Social Media & the Internet, CyberSecurity & Privacy,
and Technology Management. He is well-recognized in all things
tech. With a degree in Computer Engineering and numerous
industry certifications, he has established his reputation over 25
years of professional field experience. He spends his time helping
organizations and individuals embrace technology to thrive in the
online world. His popularity as an everyday “tech guy” have made
him a popular media resource and garnered him over 250,000
Twitter followers. He brings an engaging and passionate perspective
to the podium to educate and entertain. David is an author and a
member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and
the Speakers’ Bureau of Alberta.
Laurie Pederson
Laurie Pedersen joined the GAIN Program as the Program Supervisor in
2008 and has travelled extensively throughout the province. She enjoys
meeting volunteers and serving Alberta’s charitable organizations by
providing gaming information to assist volunteers in delivering their
programs to their communities.
Contact Information:
Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission
Gaming Information for Charitable Groups
Phone: (780) 447-8600 ext. 7425
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.aglc.gov.ab.ca/default.asp
Andrew Phung
Contact Information:
Phone: (403) 266-5448
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.youthcentral.com
Andrew is a unique character with a full tank of energy. While attending
Bishop McNally High School, Andrew became a volunteer at the Loose
Moose Theatre Company (LMTC). Taken under the wing by many of his
improv heroes, Andrew developed a love for the stage. To him the
theatre was the one place where he fit in and could be himself. It is at
the Loose Moose Theatre where Andrew learned to fail and to get back
up again. Through failing, Andrew learned and has adopted this
philosophy in everything he does. He’s taken the opportunity to mentor
young improvisers and be a positive influence in their lives. Andrew
consistently teaches at various high schools and junior high schools
around Calgary. Since 2010, Andrew has been a resident artist at Central
Memorial High School where he teaches improvisation to their PVA
Performing Arts Program. Andrew is a graduate of the University of
Calgary (BA Econ) and is currently the Director of Special Projects at
Youth Central. His job allows him the opportunity to speak to and work
with young people. From 2008-2015, Andrew has spoken/presented to
over 22,000 students. Andrew speaks on the topics of volunteerism,
community engagement and youth voice. Each time Andrew presents,
he looks to develop a connection with the students through honesty and
humor. In 2011, Andrew presented a Ted Talk titled “The Obvious Secret
to Engage Youth.” In 2012, Andrew won the inaugural SVP Fast Pitch
Calgary event. In 2009, Andrew was named one of Avenue Magazines
“Top 40 under 40.”
Dr. Gregory Powell
Contact Information:
Phone: (403)516-3553
Website: www.stars.ca
Dr. Powell is an internationally recognized leader in critical patient care,
air medical transportation and emergency medical training and
education. Dr. Powell is the founder of STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue
Society) and the STARS Foundation (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service
Foundation) and held the position of Chief Executive Officer until April
2012, spanning a twenty-seven year history with the organization. In
2006, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, in
recognition of his contribution to the community and Canada. His career
spans 35 years of clinical emergency and aviation medicine, teaching,
research and administration both in Montreal, and for the greater part
of his career, in Calgary. Since 1999, Dr. Powell was a Full Professor at
the University of Calgary until he retired in 2013. He attained his initial
medical training at the University of British Columbia, post-graduate
family practice training at University of Calgary and subsequently,
completed his emergency medicine residency at McGill University
through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. Dr. Powell
completed his Certificate of Executive Leadership Excellence at the Banff
Centre for Management (now The Banff Centre) in 2001. Throughout his
career with STARS, Dr. Powell has been extensively involved in
community fundraising in support of the vision and mission of this
organization. He led the organization through two very successful
capital campaigns. His compassion, commitment and connectivity with
the community, donors, patients and their families are renowned.
Linda Powell
Contact Information:
Phone: (403)516-3553
Website: www.stars.ca
Linda has been involved for 24 years in the establishment and
development of STARS, a volunteer supported, nonprofit charitable
organization providing aeromedical transport for the critically ill and
injured, with the supporting pillars of specialized pre-hospital medical
education, research and advanced emergency communications. In 2012
she transitioned from her role as Vice-President, Governance & External
Affairs, and STARS, providing strategic leadership in the areas of
governance, external affairs and government relations. In her current
role as Ambassador & Special Advisor, she is involved in the areas of
fundraising and community engagement. With a firm commitment to
supporting and guiding governance practices, Linda has been actively
involved in the community: former Director and Vice-Chair, Board of
Directors, Heritage Park Foundation; former Chair, Health Policy
Committee, Calgary Chamber of Commerce; a Board Trustee and ViceChair of the MedEvac Foundation International based in Washington,
DC; a member of the Government Relations Committee of the Calgary
Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) and for many years has
been a Calgary Exhibition & Stampede volunteer on the Royalty
Selection Committee. She is currently a volunteer on the Governance
Committee of Momentum, a charity committed to poverty reduction
and economic development in Calgary and a volunteer on the “I am
Powerful” Council, Calgary with CARE Canada. Linda and her husband
Greg live in Millarville, one of many beautiful rural communities in
Alberta and where they raised their three children. Golf has become a
serious passion!
Kim Rowe
Contact Information:
Alberta Culture and Tourism
Community Development Unit
Phone: (780) 644-6987
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://culture.alberta.ca/
Contact Information:
Alberta Culture and Tourism
Community Development Unit
Phone: (780) 644-6987
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://culture.alberta.ca/
Kim has been working with nonprofit groups in Alberta for over 20
years as a volunteer, staff, board member, and facilitator. She has
experience in facilitation, training, program development, event
coordination, and supporting relationships to build community. She
is a Competent Toast Master and a Leadership Calgary 2004
graduate, but her best education has been from her children and
their questions. Since 1998 her family has been building their home
and community in the foothills west of Cochrane, Alberta. In
addition to her work as a citizen, Kim has been a Community
Development Officer with Alberta Culture and Tourism for over five
years.
Marci Scharle
For the past 17 years, Marci has been a Community Development
Officer with Alberta Culture and Tourism, based out of the Stony
Plain office. Marci works extensively as a facilitator and trainer with
nonprofit groups and other government departments in the areas
of strategic planning, board development and public or
stakeholder participation. She brings to her group facilitation
expertise and a passion for seeing people and communities creating
their own images of a desired future, while working together by
using their collective strengths and gifts. Marci’s background
includes an undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition, where she
discovered that she enjoyed working within the area of community
nutrition and overall wellness. Through working with a group of
dietitians doing community development work in the area of health,
she found out that community development was the field for her!
Over the past 17 years, she has developed her facilitation and
communication skills while working with a wide variety of groups
and complexities of issues. In 2007, Marci became a certified
“Technologies of Participation” facilitator through ICA Canada
(Institute of Cultural Affairs).
Angela Schreiner
Angie has worked with the nonprofit/voluntary sector since 1998.
She has extensive experience working with grant programs such as
the Community Lottery Board, Major Communities Facilities Program
and currently with the Community Initiatives Program and the
Community Facility Enhancement Program. As a Community Liaison
Officer with Community Grants, she advises and supports community
groups with their project proposals in rural Alberta.
Contract Information:
Alberta Culture and Tourism
Community Grants
Phone: (780) 422-9578
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.culture.alberta.ca
Patricia Sproat
Contact Information:
Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour
Phone: (780)427-9507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.AlbertaCanada.com/jobgrant
Patricia is the Acting Director, Industry Engagement Unit in the
Workforce Initiatives branch at Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour with
the Government of Alberta. The role of this unit is to collaborate with
industry to identify emerging labour force trends and foster shared
responsibilities for workforce solutions. Industry’s perspective is
gained to help guide the development of labour force government
policy. She is currently facilitating the work with provincial industry
and labour organizations to develop targeted initiatives and support
the implementation of sector-led industry workforce strategies to
address labour force challenges.
Billy Strean
A former NCAA athlete and coach, Dr. Billy Strean has a doctorate in
Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Illinois. He is also
a Certified Somatic Coach (Strozzi Institute), a Certified Laughter Yoga
Teacher and a Certified Professional Co-active Coach. It is precisely
this eclectic range of disciplines and fields of study — somatics, sport
psychology, laughter and play, and his 25 years of teaching experience
— that is the foundation of Dr. Strean’s success both in the classroom
as well as outside the classroom as keynote speaker and workshop
facilitator.
Contact Information:
LimeLight Group Communications Group Inc.
Phone: (902)433-1986
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.limelightgroup.com
Contact Information:
Volunteer Alberta
Phone: (780) 482-3300 ext. 235
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://volunteeralberta.ab.ca/
Katherine Topolniski
Katherine’s eclectic professional history is fueled by creativity and
innovative approaches. In 2014, she brought her dynamic energy and
vision to Volunteer Alberta. She is a professional photographer and
works as an event manager, and has a past in marketing and
communications. Katherine earned a diploma in Photojournalism,
from Loyalist College, pursuing her desire to help enhance the
nonprofit sector through photography and story-telling. Katherine
believes in the power of engaged, creative communities and is actively
involved in volunteerism in the province and community building in
her hometown of Banff.
Tina Varughese
Contact Information:
Speakers’ Bureau of Alberta
Phone: (866) 420-3338
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.speakersalberta.com
Described as a “dynamic, engaging, energetic and fun” speaker, Tina is
the President of tWorks – a Calgary-based company specializing in crosscultural communication and work-life balance seminars, relocation and
settlement. A combination of Russell Peters meets “Mocha Oprah,” she
brings an authentic “get real” approach to her interactive workshops.
Prior to tWorks, Tina worked with Alberta Employment, Immigration
and Industry. She primarily worked with and counselled business class
and skilled immigrants from all over the world – many of whom she met
on international recruitment missions that she spearheaded. Most
recently, she worked with Alberta Innovation and Science where she
was the Ministry Specialist for Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program. In
2008, Tina was chosen to be part of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty –
representing diversity in beauty. She has spoken at the national
conference level. She is a contributing writer for the Human Resource
Institute of Alberta’s Network magazine, Calgary Real Estate News,
AMBA Matters, the Mompreneur Magazine and has a monthly column
in Home to Home magazine. Tina is the proud daughter of first
generation immigrants. A ‘comfortable with chaos’ married mom of
two, she recently started taking hip-hop classes.
Ben Weinlick
Contact Information:
Think Jar Collective
Phone: 780-918-5608
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://thinkjarcollective.com/
Ben is always looking at how he can help diverse disciplines and
domains to collide because he sees it is through this: that powerful
insights and relevant innovations can emerge. Having experience with
leading strategy to develop innovation culture in organizations,
facilitating human centered service design, disability service leadership,
dabbling in the arts and community building startups and a bit of
motorcycle design has provided a unique perspective on challenges
facing organizations today. Currently, Ben is the Senior Leader of
Research and Social Innovation at SKILLS Society in Canada. In this role,
Ben mentors staff and regularly facilitates a think tank lab using design
thinking and processes he developed with a research group during his
graduate studies. He also regularly writes for the New York based
Creativity Post, gives keynotes, curates content for Think Jar Collective
(www.thinkjarcollective.com) and consults throughout North America.
In 2013, he was awarded both the MacEwan University distinguished
alumni award and the Avenue Magazine, Edmonton Top 40 under 40
award.
Dr. Kristopher Wells
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @KristopherWells
Website: www.iSMSS.ualberta.ca
Kristopher is an Assistant Professor and Director of Programs and
Services, Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services, in the
Faculty of Education, University of Alberta. His doctoral research, which
focused on sex, sexual, and gender differences in K-12 education,
received several national and provincial awards including a Killam
Doctoral Fellowship, a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada Graduate Scholarship, Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate
Prize for Research, Alberta Teachers’ Association Doctoral Fellowship,
and the Alberta Award for the Study of Canadian Human Rights and
Multiculturalism. Dr. Wells’ research and community service work has
also been recognized with more than 60 awards, including an Alberta
Centennial Medal.
Wendy Wilton
Contact Information:
Wilton Consulting Inc.
Phone: (780) 619-9343
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wiltonconsulting.org
Wendy is a training consultant and Certified Executive Coach with
Wilton Consulting Inc. specializing in the development/delivery of
customized face-to-face and online training. Wendy has developed
courses for a variety of clients in diverse fields including health care,
finance, energy and education. Through her facilitation, Wendy has
been privileged to meet thousands of people and she continues to learn
and develop with each course/workshop session taught. A personal
philosophy that learning should be fun and engaging has brought
accolades from participants across the continent touting Wendy as
teacher who inspires the best in others.
Donovan Workun
Contact Information:
Phone: (780) 995-3663
Email: [email protected]
Donovan is an award-winning actor and improviser in several media. He
is a founding member of the wildly successful Atomic Improv Co. As part
of that group, he created North America's first two-man improv show,
which played sold-out shows across North America, and won both the
Just For Laughs Improv Festival, and the World Improv Championships in
Los Angeles, competing against the likes of Brad Sherwood and Wayne
Brady from ABC TV's Whose Line Is It Anyway. If you've turned on your
TV in the last 15 years you've probably seen Donovan selling products
from Alberta livestock and pizza to furniture and banking. His voice work
has been featured in two animated series. He has starred in feature
films alongside Tim Curry, Tom Green and Patrick Swayze. Donovan is
tired of name-dropping. Oh ya, Mike Myers. Donovan is done.