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Kathryn Birks
Kathy has a long association with Foothills Academy Society. She has acted as a dedicated participant in major volunteer events as well as acting as an influential mentor to many of the students individually.
Garnered through a wide variety of vocations and community service, Kathy brings to the World Summit Committee her commitment to bringing about appropriate recognition of the challenges and achievements of young people with learning disabilities.
Kathy has previously worked with students in the counselling department of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, taught professional adults English as a Second Language in intense one-to-one programs, worked in the petroleum and financial sectors, and volunteered with agencies and programs for children.
Kathy’s primary focus is as a parent advocate for children who have learning disabilities.
Patricia (Pat) Curtis
Pat recently retired from a 32 year banking career with CIBC. She held many different position including facilitator, loans officer, and manager in both the retail and commercial banking sectors. Her most recent achievement has been achieving accreditation as a Certified Management Accountant as of 2005. Since her retirement, Pat keeps busy with volunteer initiatives, but she is always looking for challenges and opportunities. Her expectation is to rejoin the workforce in the near future.
As evidenced by her CMA designation in 2005, Pat if a lifelong learner. She did not join the 2008 World Summit volunteer committee because she has a personal connection to family members struggling with learning disabilities. Rather, she chose to become engaged with the Committee to be part of a team, dedicated to ensuring high-quality learning opportunities are made available to everyone. Pat believes strongly that learning is imperative to maintaining an edge in any environment.
Lorrie Goegan
Lorrie is the past President of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta, (LDAA), and is currently the Vice Chair of the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, (IDA). She co-chaired the 2003 National Conference on Learning Disabilities and has just completed work on the 2007 LDAA Provincial Learning Disabilities Conference.
Lorrie is a long time advocate in the area of special needs and has presented many workshops for educators, professionals and parents. Themes she has presented include: Advocating Effectively for Your Child, Parents as Partners, Working Collaboratively with Educators and most recently, Lessons Learned: A Family’s Journey with Learning Disabilities which she co-presented with her adult daughter Denise, diagnosed over 12 years ago with learning disabilities.
Brenda Martin
Brenda has professional experience as both the manager of international corporations, as well as an entrepreneur, owning and operating her own businesses. Brenda is currently the Coordinator of Estelle Siebens Community Services where she actively promotes the expertise of the Foothills Academy Society to the global community.
Brenda understands first hand the value of research and instruction in the field learning disabilities. Her fourth child experiences difficulties with short-term memory, organization, attention deficit and anxiety; in short, learning disabilities.
Brenda’s passion is self-evident when working with organizations engaged in research and advocacy of learning disabilities. Her personal goal is to halt the downward spirals and fragmentation of children experiencing learning disabilities.
Shawna Ogston
Shawna is a Mount Royal College Public Relations graduate. Her talents were honed while working at Volunteer Calgary, Theatre Calgary, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Calaway Park. She has lent her skills in a volunteer capacity to many committees including Vitalize, Leadership Calgary, AFP and the Our Millennium project.
Shawna is currently a partner with The Communicators – events & awareness inc. As a communications professional Shawna has more than 17 years public relations experience in Calgary, with an affinity for working in the nonprofit sector. She understands how crucial it is to exercise corporate, community, government and media contacts creatively, on a consistent basis within tight budgets and demanding timelines.
As a result, Shawna has built strong, professional relationships, which she will bring to the World Summit.
Tara Rihn
Tara currently works for Air Products Canada, a subsidiary of Air Products and Chemicals Ltd. She has held positions in the United States, Canada and China, (for all of Asia), specializing in Project Development Engineering. Tara’s passion has been working with organizations in different countries throughout the world to realize their project goals and develop their teams to play on a world business stage.
Tara volunteers her time to the development of the World Summit 2008. She has mild dyslexia that was not recognized while in school or university. Tara’s oldest child has short-term memory difficulties, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD. She understands firsthand how much learning disabled persons can contribute to the world.
Additionally, her work in Asia has shown a severe lack of acknowledgement and understanding of learning disabilities on the Asian continent. Tara hopes that the World Summit will help to increase awareness on the global stage. She believes that early recognition and intervention are key to success.
Chris Seger
Chris’ successful career as a civil trial lawyer and partner of a major Calgary law firm was prematurely cut short in the early 1990s when she was forced to retire due to on-going health concerns. Chris missed the challenges and rewards of advocating for those in need and then turned her focus to the volunteer sector where she accepted several positions in varying organizations including, Civil Practice Advisor for the Student Legal Assistance Clinic at the University of Calgary, and President and Chair of Public Awareness and Education of the Lupus Society of Alberta.
Chris and her husband have raised two sons, one of whom is challenged with learning disabilities. Chris is intimately aware of the importance of early diagnosis and individualized education in providing those with learning disabilities the opportunities to be successful. Chris believes that society as a whole benefits when all children, including those who live with learning disabilities, are provided with the tools they need to learn.
Joanne Toller
Joanne is presently a partner in The Communicators- events & awareness inc. A seasoned event manager and professional fundraiser, Joanne has developed meticulous organizational skills through her fifteen years experience as an entrepreneur. With her extensive network capacities in both the charitable and corporate sectors, coupled with her innate creativity and dedication to promoting client’s values, Joanne is committing herself and her company to delivering value-added relationships for the 2008 World Summit.
After many years of struggling in the public education system, Joanne’s nephew has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and a learning disability. Joanne’s objective is to promote learning disability awareness so that parents will receive the assistance they need when they need it.
Brenda Turley
Brenda is a long time advocate for those with Learning Disabilities as a parent and professional. Her degrees in psychology and art assist her in creative problem solving and people skills. Brenda has enjoyed working on the committee as the Exhibitor Chair and her enthusiasm is able to create a dynamic group.
Myrna Waddell
Myrna spent 12 years in an administrative management position with a large oil company. As her family grew, she chose to stay home and devote herself to working with non-profit organizations. She has been a board member with several organizations including Calgary Meals on Wheels and the Foothills Academy Society.
Myrna is a parent of a son with learning disabilities. The unique challenges she has faced with her son has motivated Myrna to educate herself and others about the struggles and gifts children with learning disabilities must manage throughout their lives.
Her organizational and management skills, coupled with her desire to educate families living with these special children, and those whose lives are touched by them, has motivated her to be part of the World Summit.
Marianne Winz
Marianne, a multi-linguist, is a graduate of the Business School of Commerce in Bern, Switzerland, and the Hotel Management School in Luzern. After immigrating to Canada in 1980, she successfully owned and operated multiple restaurants and a tour company. Since concluding her rewarding endeavours in hospitality and tourism, Marianne has retired and is now dedicating herself to the 2008 World Summit.
Marianne has two children and has personally experienced the impact of undetected learning disabilities with her son. She has also seen the tangible benefits that focused learning environments have upon children and their families. Her son, now a Foothills Academy graduate who is enrolled in his second year of college, is the inspiration for Marianne’s volunteerism. She is a proud part of the 2008 World Summit Organization Committee.