ASPECT BC - Speaker Bios 23

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OPENING KEYNOTE | TERRY SMALL

Terry Small

Terry Small, B.Ed., M.A., is a master teacher and Canada's leading learning skills specialist. He is the author of the Brain Bulletin with over 34,000 subscribers worldwide.

Terry has presented on the brain for over 33 years to organizations around the world. His knowledge, warmth, humour and dynamic presentation style have made him a much sought-after speaker at workshops and conferences. Terry often appears on TV, radio, and in the press. He recently appeared on BCTV, Global, CKNW and Student Success. He has presented his ideas to over 301,000 people in 23 countries on 5 continents.

His clients include IBM, TEDx, Ford, IMD, JTI, UBS, Hitachi, Bayer, Bosch, CRA, RCMP, Telus, and many schools and universities. His presentations are engaging, humorous, practical, and all based on the latest brain science.
Terry believes, "Anyone can learn how to learn easier, better, faster, and that learning to learn is the most important skill a person can acquire."

Terry's wealth of teaching experience and extensive involvement in applied neuroscience make him an outstanding resource of the business and educational communities. He resides in Vancouver, Canada, where he is a frequent lecturer at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 8:30 - 10:30 AM, Opening Keynote

WELCOME ADDRESS | HONOURABLE SHEILA MALCOMLSON, SDPR

Sheila Malcomlson

Sheila Malcolmson was first elected as MLA for Nanaimo in 2019. She previously served as minister of Mental Health and Addictions, working to improve mental health services and address the ongoing toxic drug crisis, and as parliamentary secretary for the Environment, working to protect the environment and clean up coastal waters.

Sheila was elected four times to the Islands Trust Council, serving six of those years as chair, where she championed fair ferry service, marine safety and oil spill prevention. She signed a government-to-government protocol between the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Islands Trust – establishing a relationship of respect and cooperation in planning, land-use management and heritage conservation.

In 2015, Sheila was elected as a federal member of parliament (MP) for Nanaimo-Ladysmith.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 7:30 - 8:30 AM, Welcome Address

NOAH ARNEY

Thompson Rivers University

Noah Arney is a Career Development faculty member at Thompson Rivers University and a Certified Career Development Professional. Noah has worked in higher education for 14 years. His research focuses on work-integrated learning and skills.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Skills for Success: Assessing Transferable Skills

JP BAKER

Vantage Point

JP Baker is Vantage Point's Planning Consultant, ready to support organizations strategize the most effective ways to reach their goals. JP has extensive experience as a facilitator, consultant, researcher, and writer. As a consultant, he is sought out for his expertise in governance, organizational culture, strategy, process design, and change management. Over the past ten years, he has done strategic planning with a wide variety of not-for-profit organizations and university departments and led the development of several community-wide plans.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Strategic Plan Implementation

SCOTT BARILLARO

Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction

Scott Barillaro holds a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration. Since 2000, Scott has held BC government positions in health, energy, environmental and economic development policy and programs before joining the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Consultation: Informing the Care Economy Workforce Working Group

DONNALEE BELL

Canadian Career Development Foundation

Donnalee Bell is the Managing Director of the Canadian Career Development Foundation and co-author of In Motion and Momentum+. Donnalee has led a wide range of award-winning pan-Canadian, provincial, and territorial career initiatives. Her work has been featured in Canadian media, including a CBC documentary on Generation Y. She has presented at several conferences worldwide and was honoured to be the opening keynote of the Premier of Manitoba’s Skills Summit in 2013. Donnalee is passionate about the career development field and works to bring its potential to the workforce development goals of governments, employers, communities, and individuals.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Preventing the Spin Cycle: In Motion & Momentum+

KAREN BLACKMAN

Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills

Karen Blackman is the Assistant Deputy Minister Employment and Labour Market Services Division in the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Ministry Update

ROBERTA BORGEN

Life Strategies

Dr. Roberta A. Borgen has more than four decades of professional experience in career counselling, corporate consulting, adult education, and entrepreneurial endeavours. Dr. Borgen holds degrees from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia in Canada. She is the co-founder and co-developer of the Career Management Professional Program, an innovative facilitated e-learning program providing professional development opportunities to career development professionals around the world. She is the president of Life Strategies Ltd., through which she provides consulting and research services, workshops, and presentations on a broad spectrum of issues related to career development. As an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Borgen teaches graduate students in counselling psychology.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Career Development Professional Centre Training: A Fireside Chat

PAUL BRINKHURST

Futurworx

Paul Brinkhurst applies his naval, engineering, and teaching experience to support learners and practitioners develop and assess social emotional skills through the creation of ESAT and curriculum resources.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Assessing Social-Emotional Skills for Workplace Success

DESIREE CARLSON

Life Strategies

Desiree Carlson is an experienced existential counsellor skilled at developing and implementing change management projects and capable of collaborating with career leaders, community stakeholders, and service providers to uncover and meet shared goals. Desiree is licensed as a counsellor, psychotherapist, and existential coach.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:00 PM- 4:30 PM, Relational Effectiveness: The Client as Your Compass

JOHANNA CURRIE

Community Futures North Okanagan

Johanna Currie joined WorkBC in the spring of 2022 as a Business Advisor specializing in employer support. Johanna leverages over 25 years of management experience, as well as education in adult learning, business, and human resources.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:00 PM- 4:30 PM, Employer Support: The Pathway to Job Seeker Success

FRANCESCA DE BASTIANI

Francesca de Bastiani has over 30 years' experience in employment and training with a focus on Indigenous adult learners. Francesca is a Skills for Success practitioner and holds a Master's of Education in curriculum development and diversity.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Indigenous Skills for Success Journey

TERRY DEAKIN

INEO Employment Counselling Inc

With combined education in social, business, and community and 25-years of experience in program development and facilitation, Terry Deakin brings a multi-faceted approach to success for individuals who are experiencing multiple barriers to employment.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Set-Up for Success

CATHERINE HAJNAL

Life Fundamentals

Dr. Catherine Hajnal facilitates an understanding of trauma, loss and grief including their transformative potential. Catherine is committed to creating learning environments that foster a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Our Role in the Social Determinants of Mental Health

ARDEN HENLEY

Green Technology Education Centre

Arden Henley is the Executive Director of the Green Technology Education Centre (GTEC). Prior to GTEC, Arden was Vice-President of City University in Canada. Arden has published numerous articles, five book chapters, a book, and several op-eds.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Reimagining Organizations in a Climate Change Disrupted World

CANDY HO

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Dr. Candy Ho is an international award-winning career development educator and scholar whose expertise is recognized globally through keynotes, consulting, and other engagements. Candy has been featured in BNN Blomberg, The Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Canadian Business, and CTV News. She is the inaugural Assistant Professor, Integrative Career and Capstone Learning at the University of the Fraser Valley. In this unique capacity, she teaches courses that help students consider their educational and life experiences and how these experiences can enable them to achieve their aspirations, ultimately helping them design the life they want to live. She also holds teaching positions in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Educational Studies department and in Douglas College's Career Development Practitioner Program. Finally, she currently serves as Chair of CERIC, a Canadian charitable organization that advances education and research in career counselling and career development, in order to increase the economic and social well-being of Canadians.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Career Development Professional Centre Training: A Fireside Chat

DANICA ISHERWOOD

Douglas College

Danica Isherwood holds the CCDP and Vocational Rehabilitation designations and is passionate about Skills for Success. As a firm believer in lifelong learning and continuous up-skilling, Danica supports others to build skill and career efficacy.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Indigenous Skills for Success Journey

COREEN JENNER

OTDC

Coreen Jenner is a certified facilitator is fully qualified to present quality workshops. Coreen is a First Nation from the Okanagan Territory and when facilitating cultural awareness workshops she tells her story and encourages participants to discuss their culture and what is important to them. When people tell their own story they can relate where it will fit in the Medicine Wheel. Her teaching of the Medicine Wheel comes from her own culture and Sun Bear.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:00 PM- 4:30 PM, Medicine Wheel - How to Use for Job Search Activity
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Friday, November 3, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Color Spectrums - Personality Styles Workshops

INGRID KASTENS

Consultant

Ingrid Kastens, BSW, MSW, spent four decades working in community and government, most recently as CEO of a large non-profit, as well as teaching at multiple colleges and universities. Ingrid is recipient of several awards.

Session: Friday, November 3, 2023 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Reimagining Organizations in a Climate Change Disrupted World

PAM KHINDA

Vancouver Community College

Pam Khinda is a Certified Career Development Practitioner who currently works as Manager at Vancouver Community College’s Partnership Development Office and is one of the instructors in SFU’s Career Development Practitioner Certificate program.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Assessing Social-Emotional Skills for Workplace Success

TONY KIRSCHNER

Leaders International

Tony Kirschner brings a comprehensive range of business, management, human resource and consulting experience to the Leaders International Executive Search’s Vancouver office. Tony first became active in executive search in 1988, when he was hired by a major U.S. recruitment firm out of Chicago. He lived and worked in the U.S. where he also completed his Ph.D. before returning to Canada in 2003. Prior to joining the firm, Tony held senior HR management positions with several B.C. health authorities, as well as with a North American environmental assessment company.

Session: Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Sector Sustainability: Leader Mentorship Discussion