Jean-Pierre Bédard était jusqu’à récemment directeur général adjoint et directeur exécutif du Centre d’intervention pédagogique en contexte de diversité au Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys. Il occupe désormais la fonction de Directeur général au Centre de services scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.
Until recently, Jean-Pierre Bédard was Assistant Director General of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Centre (CSSMB) and Executive Director of the CCSMB Centre d’intervention pédagogique en contexte de diversité (Centre for pedagogical intervention in diverse environments, or CIPCD). He is now Director General of the Saint-Hyacinthe School Service Centre.
Arlene Morell is proud to serve the national parent voice as the President of the Canadian Home and School Federation. With over 15 years of experience serving education in numerous leadership capacities locally, at the district school level and at the provincial level, Arlene has successfully promoted partnerships with parents, school staff and the community, has established successful parent engagement initiatives, led community forums, and created resources related to parent inclusion and leadership. Through her extensive experience as a community builder and advocate in public education, Arlene has developed knowledge and leadership skills that enable her to be an advocate with a vision for innovative strategies that support student success and well-being. In addition, Arlene serves public education as a Trustee for the Thames Valley District School Board.
Eric is the National Leader of the Education Law Group. He practises in the areas of education law, labour relations and employment law. He advises employers on a range of labour relations matters, including the grievance procedure, certification, and the negotiation, interpretation and administration of collective agreements. Eric’s clients include a range of public and private sector employers, including school boards and independent schools. He advises on education law, including student discipline, human rights, freedom of information, teacher misconduct and special education. He also represents clients before administrative tribunals and labour relations boards, including the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Ontario Labour Relations Board and the Ontario College of Teachers.
Eric Roher est le responsable national du groupe chargé du droit de l’éducation. Spécialisé en droit de l’éducation, des relations de travail et du travail, il conseille les employeurs sur une variété de questions liées aux relations de travail, dont la procédure de règlement des griefs et l’accréditation, de même que la négociation, l’interprétation et l’administration des conventions collectives. Parmi les clients de M. Roher, on compte des employeurs des secteurs public et privé, y compris des conseils scolaires et des écoles indépendantes. Il les conseille sur des questions relatives au droit de l’éducation, comme la discipline scolaire, les droits de la personne, l’accès à l’information, les fautes professionnelles chez le personnel enseignant et l’éducation spécialisée. M. Roher représente également ses clients devant des tribunaux administratifs et des commissions des relations de travail comme la Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail, le Tribunal des droits de la personne de l’Ontario, la Commission des relations de travail de l’Ontario et l’Ordre des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’Ontario.
Doug Sheppard leads his Delta School District team in achieving some of the highest student success rates in B.C. Doug believes in the power of dedicated educators, whether in a classroom or behind the scenes, and that commitment and collaboration will drive innovative teaching and learner success.
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake has been the Executive Director of the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA) since 2018. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association, provincial government Senior Executive Director and as a Superintendent of Schools (CEO). Nancy is fluent in French and is passionate about democratic leadership at the local level.
Charlie Guy served as the Chief People Officer at World Vision Canada for ten years. Prior to this, he held the positions of Executive Director at International Child Care and Partial Load Professor at Mohawk College. Charlie also has extensive corporate experience with Bell Canada where he held a variety of senior management positions. He currently manages a leadership development consulting practice where he shares his broad expertise with not-for-profit organizations. In addition, Charlie holds the CHRE designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association. Charlie is passionate about education and is a lifelong learner who believes your quest for education doesn’t have to end at the classroom door.
David Allnutt has had a successful career in consulting, business, government and politics as well as the K-12, and in the higher education and technology sectors. David was as an education editor at one of Canada’s leading dailies, then as Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to three Quebec Education Ministers, then as an elected School Board Trustee in Montreal, and University Executive, university lecturer, and more recently, as a school board volunteer, coach and mentor. He is currently a member of the Global Advisory Board for the UK-based peer-review journal, “Industry & Higher Education”. David is passionate about education and believes that it is a national resource and requires constant nourishing and cultivation.
Mary Lynne Stewart has been the National Director of Fund Development and Communications with March of Dimes since 2004. Previously, Mary Lynne served as Director of Development for Christian Children’s Fund of Canada and established her own company (Mary Lynne Stewart & Associates Inc.) to work with many non-profit clients, including the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, the Hospital for Sick Children and the Canadian Liver Foundation. She has produced and directed a great number of short program commercials for television and over 20 major infomercial programs. She is recognized by her peers as one of the leading Canadian experts in the field of Direct Response TV. Mary believes that we can make a change every day as we journey in our lives, we need to have open hearts and be grateful for each day.
Christian Michalik is the Superintendent of the Louis Riel School Division (LRSD), a Division encompassing 41 schools with over 15,500 students in the south-east quadrant of Winnipeg, where he champions a journey of truth, reconciliation and the integration of Indigenous cultures in schools. Christian believes relationship is at the heart of learning and collaboration at the heart of leadership. He believes that building trust, promoting diversity, nurturing inclusion and championing equity are key values that a leader must always promote and nurture via shared decision-making, building a collective vision and purpose, and finding common ground with all members of the learning community helps to facilitate this positive change.
Christian Michalik est directeur de la Division scolaire Louis Riel, qui réunit 41 écoles et plus de 15 500 élèves du secteur sud-est de Winnipeg, où il préconise la recherche de la vérité, la réconciliation et l’intégration des cultures autochtones au sein des écoles. M. Michalik est d’avis que la qualité des relations est essentielle à l’apprentissage et que la collaboration est au cœur même du leadership. Il croit qu’un leader doit toujours bâtir la confiance de la population, promouvoir la diversité et l’inclusion et défendre l’équité. C’est en partageant la prise de décisions, en créant une vision et un but communs, et en trouvant un terrain d’entente entre tous les membres de la communauté d’apprentissage que l’on pourra mettre en place ces changements positifs.
Claire Guy is an experienced education systems leader, a champion for mental health and inclusion. She brings a wealth of experience supporting Indigenous, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), English Language Learning, Diverse Abilities and Disabilities, and Anti-Racism education. Claire brings this lens to all her leadership activities as she works to promote equity, focusing on the high impact strategies she initiated as Assistant Superintendent in her former school district in Langley B.C., and now from a provincial perspective from her role as Executive Director for the BC School Superintendents Association (BCSSA).
Chef de file chevronnée des systèmes d’éducation, Claire Guy a à cœur la cause de la santé mentale et de l’inclusion. Elle possède une vaste expérience dans différents domaines de l’éducation, dont le soutien aux personnes autochtones, l’orientation sexuelle et l’identité de genre, l’apprentissage de l’anglais, les capacités et les incapacités diverses, ainsi que la lutte contre le racisme. Mme Guy applique sa perspective unique dans toutes ses activités de leadership, que ce soit pour promouvoir l’équité, faire appliquer les stratégies efficaces qu’elle a mises sur pied dans le cadre de ses fonctions de directrice adjointe de son ancien district scolaire à Langley, en Colombie-Britannique, et maintenant dans un contexte provincial, dans son rôle de directrice générale de la BC School Superintendents Association (BCSSA).
Curtis Brown is the Superintendent for the South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC), was named Canadian Superintendent of the Year (2011) by the Canadian Association of School System Administrators, and is a recipient of the Governor General’s Polar Medal (2019).
Vani is the Executive Director of the Daymark Foundation, a new philanthropic vehicle for Michael McCain and his family to have a transformative impact in the area of mental health. Prior to this, Vani was a Program Director at the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation for eight years, where she led the Foundation’s wellbeing and K-12 education portfolios. Vani is passionate about systems change and has brought this big-picture thinking to roles in philanthropy, corporate social responsibility. mental health and medical education. Her greatest learning comes from raising her two young boys.
Elwin was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in January 2023. He served as Associate Deputy Minister when he joined the Department in September 2022.
Elwin has been a key leader in the Nova Scotia public education system for decades – serving as a teacher, principal, and school board executive – leading Nova Scotia’s largest education region for most of the last 10 years.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree (mathematics and computer science) from St. Francis Xavier University as well as a Master of Education (Administration) and a Master of Arts (Education) from St. Mary’s University.
Elwin is an experienced and results-focused educational leader, dedicated to working collaboratively to create an equitable and inclusive environment for high-quality student experiences and achievement.
His experience leading through the complexities of public education in recent years has been an incredible and humbling experience. Through deep and complex change, Elwin is guided by questions that focus on ensuring students thrive in learning and wellbeing.
Elwin has served on the Board of The Learning Partnership, a former Canadian charity connecting business, educators, and strategic partners to design and deliver education programs for students focused on essential skills and competencies needed in tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and problem solvers. He is a founding and alumni member of the C21 Canada CEO Academy, a pan-Canadian network of school system leaders focused on increasing system influence on student achievement and well-being through accelerated and effective integration of 21st century skills in competency-based teaching practices.
Chef de file très respecté, Normand Lessard a consacré plus de 33 ans à sa carrière dans le monde de l’éducation au Québec. Avant d’accepter son poste actuel de secrétaire général de l’Association des directions générales scolaires du Québec (ADGSQ), il a occupé pendant 13 ans le poste de directeur général du Centre de services scolaires de la Beauce-Etchemin, où il a mis en place un programme d’innovation ambitieux afin de répondre aux besoins de chaque élève.
Normand Lessard devoted over 33 years of his career as a highly respected education leader in Quebec. Prior to his current role as Secretary General for l’Association des directions générales scolaires du Québec (ADGSQ), he was Director General of the centre de services scolaire de la Beauce-Etchemin for 13 years, where he implemented an ambitious innovation agenda to champion the needs of every student.
Jacques Cool est natif du Nouveau-Brunswick et y a travaillé dans le système d’éducation publique pendant 31 ans ; enseignant de sciences, spécialiste en évaluation au CMEC, responsable provincial de programmes d’études et de la formation à distance au secondaire, coordonnateur en leadership des élèves, gestionnaire en e-learning à l’Université de Moncton, technopédagogue au Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick. De 2015 à sa retraite en 2021, il a dirigé l’organisme CADRE21, spécialisé en développement professionnel pour le personnel éducatif, à partir de Montréal, QC. Depuis avril 2023, il est avec Vireo Éducation à titre de catalyseur d’innovations pédagogiques. De plus, il a livré plus de 50 ateliers et conférences au Canada et dans le monde francophone. Il a siégé au comité éditorial de la revue Éducation Canada et maintient une veille active sur les réseaux sociaux. Il se définit « apprenant en mode beta perpétuel ».
Jacques Cool is a proud New Brunswicker, where he worked in public education for over 30 years as a high school science teacher, department head, provincial and national science assessment coordinator, assistant director for curriculum, e-learning developer and manager, student leadership coordinator, educational technology specialist, online assessment advisor and community schools advisor. He has also worked for the NB Department of Education, the Université de Moncton and the New Brunswick Community College. From 2015 until his retirement in 2021, Jacques directed the development of CADRE21, a pedagogical innovation organization devoted to teacher professional development in Quebec and Francophonie education systems across Canada. He is now working as a Pedagogical Innovation Catalyst with Vireo Education. He has given more than 50 conferences and workshops in Canada and elsewhere.
Anne MacPhee est directrice nationale, Finance et opérations, de l’Association canadienne pour la santé mentale. Elle possède plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans des rôles de leadership et de planification stratégique et opérationnelle, où elle a su élaborer des mesures du rendement utiles, produire des résultats et améliorer la performance opérationnelle pour les secteurs à but lucratif et sans but lucratif.
Eugénie Congi, M.Ed, oeuvre dans le domaine de l’éducation depuis plus de 30 ans. Elle a débuté sa carrière en tant qu’éducatrice spécialisée pour ensuite exercer les rôles d’enseignante aux paliers élémentaire et secondaire, professeure universitaire, thérapeute en counseling éducationnel, direction d’école, surintendante de l’éducation et direction de l’éducation. Naturellement rassembleuse, sa passion et ses priorités sont l’apprentissage, le bien-être, l’engagement et la réussite de chaque élève dans un monde en perpétuel changement. Eugénie a influencé plusieurs professionnels de l’éducation notamment dans les domaines de la vision stratégique, l’enfance en difficulté, la transformation de l’expérience d’apprentissage, le développement des compétences du 21e siècle, l’intégration des nouvelles technologies, l’écocitoyenneté et l’apprentissage en profondeur. Elle a fait des présentations en français et en anglais en Ontario, au Québec, au Nouveau-Brunswick ainsi qu’aux États-Unis. Eugénie a participé au sein de divers organismes et associations professionnelles afin de contribuer à l’essor du secteur de l’éducation en Ontario.
Eugénie Congi, M.ED, has worked in the field of education for over 30 years. She began her career as a special education technician and went on to become an elementary and secondary school teacher, university professor, educational counsellor, school principal, superintendent of education and director of education. A natural gatherer, her passion and priorities are the learning, well-being, engagement and success of every student in an ever-changing world. Eugénie has influenced many education professionals, notably in the fields of strategic vision, special education, transforming the learning experience, 21st century skills, integration of new technologies, eco-citizenship and deep learning. She has presented in Ontario, Quebec, New-Brunswick and in the U.S. in French and English. Eugénie has participated in various organizations and professional associations to contribute to the development of the education sector in Ontario.
Sharon Friesen is a professor and President of the Galileo Educational Network at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. Her research interests include the ways in which K-12 educational structures, curriculum, and pedagogies need to be reinvented for our contemporary society.