Little Warriors would not be what it is today without the hard work and compassion of our dedicated board, clinical team, clinical oversight council and staff.

Supported by our precious donors, volunteers and supporters, our tight-knit team makes it possible for children, adolescents and their families to get the treatment and support they need to cope with the effects of child sexual abuse, as well as teach adults how to prevent child sexual abuse.

Our board

Founder & Chair
Vice Chair
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director

Glori Meldrum, B.Comm

Founder & Chair

Founding Little Warriors has been a lifelong dream for Glori Meldrum – she just didn’t know it. Her “Ah-Ha” moment occurred nearly 24 years after being abused. Glori had a dream to do something to help prevent child sexual abuse, and Little Warriors is the realization of that dream.

Glori is a successful entrepreneur, and it is her business knowledge, strong vision, and willingness to take risks and dedication to self-improvement that makes Glori an asset to the Little Warriors Board of Directors.

In addition to being a Little Warrior herself, Glori is a business owner, mother, wife and philanthropist. She owns and operates a successful advertising agency and web development company. Glori is also involved in a number of projects for local not-for-profit organizations including Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation, Adeara, Cornerstone Counselling, and Capital Region Housing.

Glori’s work has not gone unnoticed. She has received a Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) award, one of the highest in the country, that was granted by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada. She was one of the 10 National Nominees for the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth and was named the 2020 National Honouree. She was one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network, an Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and she was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee. She was also named one of the Top 40 Canadians Under 40 by Caldwell Partners International.

You can learn more about Glori or book her for a speaking event on her website here. 

Jason Pincock

Vice Chair

Jason is currently the Chief Executive Officer of DynaLIFEDx, one of Alberta’s largest private healthcare organizations.  At over 1100 employees DynaLIFEDx is Canada’s most regarded multidisciplinary clinical laboratory organization and is recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. DynaLIFEDx provides clinical diagnostics to support physicians, patients, hospitals and other health providers from central Alberta through the Territories. DynaLIFEDx is internationally accredited for quality and is routinely listed as one of Albert’s Best Workplaces.  Its dedication to the community includes sponsorships and fundraising for a variety of charities and paid days off for all employees to participate in community/charity events.

Jason is a Certified Management Accountant, a graduate of the Queens Executive Program and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Jason works with an ownership board, including Borealis Infrastructure (OMERS) and Laboratory Corporation of America (publicly traded) as well as a board of senior policy advisors. With a decade of experience at the executive level his background includes roles such Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Business Development/Government Relations. Although his professional background is financial, he is regarded for his transparent and accountable leadership style, as a creator and driver of innovation and strategy, and a trusted and supportive partner to both government and industry. Jason participates in various bio-tech related industry groups, works with Economic Development and on various community committees and serves on the Board of the Bissell Centre.

On a personal level, Jason lives in St. Albert with a family that includes six active children. In between work and kids he is an active outdoorsman with passions from sailing to skiing, motorbikes to mountains, and loves to spend time with his family or behind the boat at their cabin near Athabasca.

Dwayne Stang, CA, CFP

Treasurer

Dwayne Stang is the Managing Partner of a local accounting firm, Stang LLP Chartered Accounts.  Dwayne graduated from the University of Alberta with Distinction in December 1999 and received his designation as a Chartered Accountant in October 2002. During his professional career Dwayne has focussed his attention on providing services to owner managed companies and not-for-profit organizations.

Tim Kirby

Director

Tim practices in all areas of taxation law with an emphasis on estate/succession planning, corporate and personal tax planning and purchases and sales of businesses.

Tim is a graduate of the University of Alberta where he received numerous academic awards including the Canadian Petroleum Tax Society Award for the highest mark in Corporate Taxation and the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association Prize for excellence in Evidence. Tim is an active author and lecturer with organizations such as the Canadian Tax Foundation, Canadian Bar Association, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta and the Federated Press. He is presently a Director of KidSport Edmonton, a non-profit organization promoting organized sport participation.

Tim is married and has 2 beautiful daughters. He is a past board member of KidSport Edmonton, avid rugby fan and former avid rugby player.

Marcie Kiziak

Director

Marcie Kiziak is the President of NOVA Cannabis, an ALCANNA company. Marcie moved into this role after two years as the SVP, Human Resources for Alcanna and 15 previous years in the oil and gas and construction sectors focused on HR leadership, business optimization/transformation, M&A, and integration. Marcie has a degree in Management from the University of Lethbridge with a Major in Human Resources as well as a strong educational and practical background in both project management and change management. Marcie is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources holding designations both in Canada and the United States. In addition, she has been a strong supporter of post-secondary education and continues to serve on program advisory committees for NAIT and Norquest College as well as mentors and guest lectures regularly particularly programs fostering the development of women in leadership and human resources.

Currently, she is the past Chair of the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (Alberta) Board of Directors as well as a Board Director and HR Committee Chair for both the Safety Codes Council and Little Warriors. Marcie is actively engaged in working with the young women in the program at the Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch in the area of employment and leadership skills.

Monica Bradley

Director

Monica is currently the Director of Technical Services for the First Nations Technical Services Advisory Group Inc. (TSAG); an organization dedicated to the technical services and training for Alberta First Nations.  As a proud member of the Treaty 6 Michel First Nation, Monica’s dedication and commitment to First Nations is prevalent in her work and ensuring to always deliver quality programs that foster personal development and personal growth.

A continual learner, Monica has spent much of her professional experience in senior accounting roles with additional roles cultivating her skills in event management, recruitment, marketing, training and program development.  She is currently the Vice Chair of the Amiskwaciy Cultural Society Aboriginal Head Start and believes strongly in volunteering with organizations that mandate themselves in transparency and growth.

Monica lives in St. Albert with her family and spends much of her time golfing, travelling and spending as much time as possible supporting her step children, nieces and nephews as they peruse their goals and aspirations.

Kirsten Hayne

Director

Kirsten is an experienced labour and employment lawyer with Brownlee LLP where she works with employers of all sizes and structures, including private/public corporations, not-for-profit organizations and school boards.  Prior to returning to private practice, Kirsten served as the Vice President of People Services & General Counsel for Northlands, where she oversaw over 3,500 dynamic staff and volunteers in addition to the legal, governance and regulatory matters.  Kirsten believes strongly in volunteering within her community, and instills these values in her three children.

Lee Funke

Director

Over a 30-year professional career, Lee has worked in a number of senior positions advising Premiers, Ministers, Mayors, and CEOs on public policy and media issues.

Lee resumed his consulting practice after spending several years as an advocate for Alberta’s oil sands industry as the Interim Executive Director of the Oil Sands Community Alliance (OSCA) and the National Communications Director, Oil Sands for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).

Lee also served as the most senior communications professional in the Alberta government for three years. In the role of Managing Director of the Public Affairs Bureau, Lee was as a member of Executive Council and provided strategic media relations counsel to all Deputy Ministers, Cabinet members as well as Premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford on public policy issues.

Prior to his role in government, Lee spent 10 years as a successful government relations and public relations consultant. He worked on a wide-range of issues including land use planning, environmental management, infrastructure, public health and education. As a consultant Lee worked with Alberta Pork and provincial health officials on the detection of H1N1 in Alberta’s swine herd – the first known case of the virus transferring from humans to swine. Lee assisted Alberta Pork address worldwide media attention from international broadcasters including BBC, CNN, and Reuters.

Early in his career, Lee was the Communications Director for Alberta Environmental Protection and spent eight years with the department. He was the primary spokesperson for the department and conducted media interviews on a wide range of issues including employee fatalities, enforcement actions, regulatory approvals and environmental emergencies.

Lee is a committed business and community volunteer. Lee has served as Chair of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce’s Federal-Provincial Finance Committee. In addition to the Little Warriors board, he is on the board of St. Mary’s University in Calgary. Lee has also served as a member of Strathcona County’s Community Health Council and served on the local Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.

Samantha Kernahan

Director

Samantha Kernahan is Associate Counsel at the Edmonton office of DLA Piper (Canada) LLP (formerly Davis LLP) where she specializes in corporate/commercial law with a sub-specialty in intellectual property and information technology law.

Before returning to private practice seven years ago, Samantha served as in-house counsel at two post-secondary institutions in Alberta, where her mandates included governance and decision-making, policy drafting, public procurement and management of intellectual property.

Currently Samantha advises both private and public sector clients with respect to corporate organization and governance, commercial matters and intellectual property protection. Samantha has long advised clients on sound decision-making in accordance with policy frameworks and the rules and theory of administrative law.

Ben Dutton, MBA

Director

Ben is a Civil Engineer with an MBA.  He is married (Brandy – married 20 years) with two children; he is a member of YPO Alberta and active in the Edmonton / Alberta community with professional organizations (NAIOP) and charities (Stollery).

Ben currently serves as the COO for Pangman Development Corp, working with Kevin McKee and John Day to enhance the City of Edmonton’s built environment by delivering first-class real estate development projects.

Prior to joining Pangman, Ben moved from Phoenix, Arizona to take over as President and CEO of the Casman Group of Companies, an industrial and commercial contractor based in Fort McMurray, delivering services to Oil Sands producers, commercial / residential developers and municipalities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the Edmonton Metro area, the Calgary Metro area and Victoria, BC.  Ben and his family lived in Fort McMurray from 2011 to 2015, moving to Edmonton in June 2015 to grow Casman’s presence outside of Fort McMurray. While in Fort McMurray, Ben served in various roles (including President of the Board) for United Way of Fort McMurray, as well as serving on the boards of UDI and the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce.

Ben and his family lived in Phoenix from 1997 to 2011.  He began his career as a Civil Engineer designing heavy civil infrastructure for State and Municipal DOTs, before gaining his MBA and joining the Pulte Homes Land Development team.  Ben directly led Pulte / Del Webb’s Master Planned Community Development projects (including individual projects up to 5,000 acres), ultimately assuming leadership for all of Pulte Del Webb’s land development activity in Phoenix (delivering 7,500 lots per year).  Outside of Pulte / Del Webb, Ben was active in the community, participating in professional organizations, serving on municipal advisory boards (including development impact fee and design standards), and sponsoring text amendments to County / City standards.

Ben completed his undergraduate degree in the UK, and served in the Army reserves whilst attending University in Leeds.  He graduated in 1996 and emigrated to the United States, having met his wife, Brandy, in Leeds.

David Wilson

Director

Originally from Renfrew Ontario,  David graduated with his degree in social work from Laurentian University in Sudbury. David came to Alberta in 1982 and worked for the Alberta Government in children’s services until his retirement in September 2018. David worked in many different, progressively more senior roles throughout his career in child intervention, which included 4 years with Saskatchewan Social Services as Family Services Program Manager in Saskatoon. David served as a Governor with the Portage College in Lac La Biche as well as other volunteer activities that served families and children.

Included in his career was being Chief Executive Officer of the former Region 5 (East Central Alberta) Child and Family Services Authority, Senior Project Manger implementing a new provincial practice model and the Provincial Director of the Child, Youth & Family Enhancement Act. David retired from Children’s Services after 36 years with his last position in the Edmonton Region as Associate Director for Service Delivery. In retirement David has set up his own consulting business and is working part time as Executive Director for a child group care agency in Edmonton, HF Resources. In his spare time David enjoys yoga and meditation and travel.

Our clinical team

Our clinical team is comprised of staff with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, including psychology, social work, early childhood development, expressive art therapy and recreation therapy.

Clinical Director, Be Brave Ranch
Trauma Therapist - Registered Psychologist
Trauma Therapist - Registered Psychologist
Art Therapist
Registered Psychologist
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Registered Provisional Psychologist
Facility Trauma Dog

Dr. Wanda Polzin, MA, RSW, EdD

Clinical Director, Be Brave Ranch

Dr. Wanda Polzin has over 25 years of counselling and clinical experience working with children, youth and families across various domains including Health/Mental Health and Addictions, Children and Family Services, as well as Education.

Dr. Polzin has a Doctorate of Education (Ed. D) in Counselling Psychology, a Masters Degree (MA) in Counselling Psychology and is a Registered Social Worker.  Dr. Polzin’s clinical training is multi-faceted, with specialization in Attachment, Trauma, EMDR, AAT, Neurobiofeedback, Family Therapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy, and Concurrent Addiction and Mental Health interventions. She has a deep passion and energy for working with children and caregivers, particularly in the area of attachment-based caregiving, trauma and trauma-informed care, family systems, complex case needs (dual diagnosis), evidence-based practices, supporting resiliency, and promoting wellness.

Melanie Jonkman, M.Ed

Trauma Therapist - Registered Psychologist

Melanie is a Registered Psychologist specializing in Child Trauma and Attachment. She is a certified Hakomi Therapist and TCI (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention) trainer. She has previously worked in children’s mental health at CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health as the Clinical Lead for the Trauma Program and Trauma and Attachment Group Program.

Allison Boudreau, M.Ed

Trauma Therapist - Registered Psychologist

Allison has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alberta and is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. She has received extensive training in Self Regulation Therapy (SRT) which is a psychophysiological approach aimed at diminishing dysregulation in the nervous system resulting from traumatic events.

Allison has previously worked at the Edmonton Young Offender Centre, AHS Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health, and CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health. Allison has a special interest in working with children and adolescents with concerns related to abuse and other traumas. She employs principles and techniques of SRT in working with issues of stress, depression, anxiety, anger, and parenting and relationship issues.

Cheryl Horn, MPS-AT

Art Therapist

Cheryl completed a Masters of Psychotherapy and Spirituality Degree specializing in Art Therapy at St. Stephen’s College, and is a member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.  She brings with her over ten years of experience directing and facilitating children’s programs in her community.

Cheryl has training in Trauma-Informed and Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy, as well as in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.  She is always amazed at how working through a creative process with these psychotherapy theories in mind helps facilitate self-exploration, which often opens up new perspectives on the issues we are facing.

Deborah Johansson, MSc., MFT, R. Psych

Registered Psychologist

Deb is a Registered Psychologist and a Masters trained Marital and Family Therapist. She has over 30 years of experience in the helping professions, all of it working with children, youth, and their families. She works from a Bowenian Family Systems perspective, but brings in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, and other pertinent interventions as required given the nature of the difficulties experienced by clients.

Deb has a special interest in working in the areas of trauma including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, grief and loss, work-related stress including vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout.

Dr. Bina Nair, MD, FRCPC

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Dr. Bina Nair MD, FRCPC is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta.  After graduating medical school at the University of Saskatchewan, she finished her Psychiatry residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry training at the University of Calgary.  She then went on to do an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Nair specializes in working with youth who are struggling with trauma, addictions and mental health concerns and practices from a compassionate, evidence-based, trauma-informed lens.  In 2012, she developed and was the Medical Lead of the Concurrent Addiction & Mental Health Program (CAMP) in Edmonton until 2020.  Currently she is the Consulting Psychiatrist to the Mental Health Supports for Teen Parents Program at the Terra Centre in Edmonton (a non profit organization supporting teen parents and young families).

Dr. Nair also has an interest in medical education and physician health.  She is the Region 1 representative on the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Specialty Committee in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is the Co-Chair of the University of Alberta Resident Wellbeing Committee.

Kayla Lucas

Registered Provisional Psychologist

Kayla has a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta and is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Kayla specializes in child trauma/attachment and has received training in trauma-informed practice, sand play therapy and bilateral stimulation. Kayla has previously worked with families who were experiencing homelessness, as well as children and adolescents at high risk within a school setting. Kayla has a special interest in intergenerational trauma and the impacts this has within families and communities.

 

Rugby

Facility Trauma Dog

We are so lucky to have Rugby on our Clinical team as our facility trauma dog at the Be Brave Ranch.  As co-therapist, Rugby supports individual therapy, group therapy, as well as family sessions. He enhances our Trauma-Informed healing environment through providing relational supports, sensing and supporting positive emotional regulation, providing healthy touch and therapeutic play opportunities. 

 

Associated professionals

Equine Therapist - Registered Psychologist - Owner and Founder of Dreamcatcher Association
Music Therapist - Owner and Founder of Music Therapy 42
Yoga instructor
Yoga Instructor

Eileen Bona, M.Ed.

Equine Therapist - Registered Psychologist - Owner and Founder of Dreamcatcher Association

Eileen is a registered psychologist and the owner/founder of Dreamcatcher Association, who provides equine therapy to children attending the Be Brave Ranch. Her goal is to provide a fun, therapeutic setting in which people are supported to heal through the unconditional love of animals.

Eileen has been formally working with people with disabilities, behavioral concerns and mental health issues since 1988 but, having grown up with a brain-injured brother, she is able to draw on a lifetime of personal experience and valuable learning to support individuals in need and their families.

Prior to founding Dreamcatcher in 2003, Eileen spent many years studying horses and training with equine facilitated counselling professionals to eventually become an internationally recognized expert in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT).

Over the years, Eileen has been instrumental in the design of Western Canada’s first college-accredited course in AAT, while also having contributed to the development of the first-ever master’s level certificate in AAT. She currently chairs the national task force for developing standards and certification for AAT in Canada, and regularly teaches the concepts and techniques of AAT to organizations worldwide.

Fleur Hughes, MMT, MTA, MT-BC

Music Therapist - Owner and Founder of Music Therapy 42

Fleur completed her Master’s in Music Therapy degree at the University of West England. She is currently working on a PHD focusing on improvisation, mental health and wellbeing. Fleur works from a holistic, humanistic perspective. Within this approach the focus is on the individual: sense of self, free will and unconditional positive regard. Her favorite part of music therapy is how the music speaks for people when words can’t. Fleur has presented at various national and international conferences and also volunteers on the board for the Music Therapy Association for Alberta (MTAA) as the ethics director.

Jennifer Steed, RMT, RYT

Yoga instructor

Jennifer Steed, RMT, RYT has been a practitioner in the field of massage therapy, life and nutritional coaching, yoga teaching and related healing or expressive arts for 35 years.  Also trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Teens and families, Jennifer brings knowledge and plenty of life experience to her classes adding humour and a sincere desire to share skills and tools for living a healthy life.

Coming Soon, Coming Soon

Yoga Instructor

Coming Soon

Our Scientific and Clinical Council

The Scientific and Clinical Council is a standing committee established by the Board of Directors of Little Warriors to provide assurance to the Board that appropriate and effective clinical governance systems are in place throughout the organization.

The Council’s directive is to advise and provide oversight to the Board of Directors on clinical matters pertaining to Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch programming. The Scientific and Clinical Council provides feedback and supports the clinical team so that programs operate in accordance with leading clinical best practices and all applicable regulations.

Chair

Dr. Peter Silverstone

Chair

Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Centre for Neuroscience at the University of Alberta

Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business

Dr. Silverstone trained in psychiatry at the prestigious Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry in London, UK, and then at Oxford University, where he completed his Doctoral Fellowship. He then joined the University of Alberta in 1992. He is an active researcher and teacher, having published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and has given more than 200 national and international presentations. He was independently funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) for the period 1994 – 2013, as well as receiving funding from multiple national and international agencies for his research.

His current research focus is on prevention of mental health disorders, particularly in children and youth, and has carried out two successful programs in Alberta involving approximately 10,000 students in Grades 6 – 12.

Previous major research interests focused on mood disorders, psychopharmacology (drugs and the brain), and the use of brain imaging studies to better understand mood disorders. He also recently completed a program to help police forces and other first responders improve their interactions with individuals who have mental health issues, and to improve the mental health of police and other first responders.

He also has a diverse range of other interests, having previously worked in business, including being a Senior Vice-President at a billion dollar pharmaceutical company, starting several health-care companies, and serving as the inaugural Scientific Director for the Strategic Clinical Network for Addiction and Mental Health within Alberta Health Services. He is has also been active as a board member of multiple organizations in a wide range of areas.

Dr. Andrew Greenshaw

Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Alberta

Currently a Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of Alberta and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Dr. Andy Greenshaw trained in Europe and Canada. He joined the University of Alberta in 1986 as a Heritage Medical Research Scholar.

A Fellow of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP), for which he served as President from 2000-2002, and a Fellow of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum (CINP), Andy has served as University of Alberta Associate Vice President (Research) and has served on national and international boards including the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation, the Institute of Health Economics and The University of the Arctic. From 2006 until 2015 he served as founding Co-Chair of the Alberta Addictions and Mental Health Research Partnership Committee.

Andy is the Research Director for the APEC Digital Hub for Best Practices in Mental Health, a digital hub that will serve the combined APEC population of 2.7 Billion people in the Pacific Rim, including indigenous stakeholders.

With extensive experience on Canadian Medical Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant panels since 1989, Andy was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the CIHR Institute of Neuroscience Mental Health & Addiction from 2012-2016. He is the director of the Alberta-based node of the national Canadian Depression & Research Intervention Network (CDRIN), which focusses on engagement of people with lived experience of mental disorders as partners in patient-oriented research, he is also Chair of the CDRIN Depression Hubs National Advisory Panel and a member of the CDRIN Board. Andy is also a member or the Scientific Advisory Board of The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research in Ottawa and of the Research Advisory Board for Little Warriors, a national organization committed to the awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse.

With broad interests in biological and psychosocial areas in biological psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience, his active research includes the application of machine learning and data-mining to prediction of differential diagnosis and treatment responses in mental disorders. He is part of a collaborative computational psychiatry group that includes researchers from the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute and the IBM Centre for Advanced Study at UAlberta, the IBM TJ Watson Centre in New York, West Sichuan Hospital in Chengdu and NIMHANS in Bangalore.

Dr. Vincent Agyapong

Clinical Professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta

Edmonton Zone Clinical Section Chief for Community Mental Health

Dr. Agyapong is an expert in Global Mental Health. He is currently a Clinical Professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta and the Edmonton Zone Clinical Section Chief for Community Mental Health. His research and leadership roles are primarily focused on expanding access to quality mental health services. Utilizing collaborative approaches to identify barriers to access, safety and quality care as they relate particularly to human resources, organizational changes, and analyzing reform and restructuring in healthcare to identify learning and effect transformational change are the main focus of his research and leadership.

He won Alberta Health Services’ Spirit of Excellence Award in 2016 and the EZMSA 2018 Physician Innovator of the Year Award for the development of the Text4Mood program, a daily supportive text message system for patients with depression and anxiety which currently has about 20,000 subscribers across Alberta. The program has been recognized by WHO’s Mental Health Innovations Network.

Dr. Agyapong founded the annual inter-medical school public speaking competition in Ghana to promote psychiatry as a fulfilling career option for Ghanaian medical students. Currently in its eighth year, the competition which has ongoing sponsorship from St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services in Dublin and has offered fully sponsored elective placements to nineteen Ghanaian medical students at two leading Irish mental health institutions.

In addition, Dr. Agyapong has been involved in extensive mental health advocacy in Ghana for more than a decade and played a strategic role in the advocacy that led to the passage of Ghana’s mental health law in 2012. Between 2010 and 2012, he was the country lead in Ireland of a 5 country multi-center project funded by the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Program of the European Commission that explored innovative ways to reduce racism and discrimination against migrant women living in Europe. He has over 70 publications in peer reviewed journals and has made over 50 research presentations at national and international conferences in 16 countries across four continents.

Dr. Yifeng Wei, MA, PhD

Dr. Wei has worked as a researcher and school mental health lead with the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health team at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre since 2008. She is currently the assistant professor with the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University and the interim director of the Chair team. Her research interest has focused on promoting mental health literacy in schools (both secondary and post-secondary settings) to help students achieve better understanding about mental health and mental disorders, reduce stigma against mental illness, obtain and maintain good mental health and enhance help-seeking behaviors. She has played a key role in school mental health research and program development, and has made significant contributions to the work of the team. Dr. Wei has received funding from various agencies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, RBC Foundation, Medavie Foundation, Carthy Foundation and MaxBell Foundation.

Dr. Wei has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and one book on school mental health. She has lead/co-led more than 30 school mental health projects, locally, nationally and internationally. She has also presented at the local, regional, national and international scientific meetings and conferences. Dr. Wei was awarded the Canadian Institute of Health Research Doctoral Research Award in 2011and the Dalhousie University President’s award in 2011 and 2012.

Dr. Hannah Pazderka, PhD

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta

Dr. Hannah Pazderka received her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Alberta in 2004, looking at indices of drug and alcohol craving. Since then, she has worked in a number of roles, including creation of public policy, research, and advocacy. Her primary research interests are in the regulation of impulsive and risk-taking behaviour via the frontal lobes and subcortical reward structures. She has worked with a number of different methodologies, including structural equation modeling, electrophysiology (ERPs and skin conductance), neuropsychological assessment, and epidemiology.

She is currently consulting with the PAXIS Institute out of Tucson, Arizona, helping validate a program designed to improve the resiliency and self-regulation of school-aged children. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. Dr. Pazderka is a local business owner, and is currently working on a nonfiction book about the neuroscience of aesthetics.

Matthew Reeson, B.Sc.

Matthew Reeson received his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) from the University of Alberta and is currently a PhD student in the Department of Psychiatry. Matthew has spent the last four years researching ways to improve mental health outcomes for youth, with a particular interest in the effect that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and early-life trauma have on the developing mind. His current research aims to develop a more thorough and efficient way to assess treatment response in youth psychiatric treatment programs, as well as developing an enhanced understanding of the factors that predict successful outcomes and promote resilience. Long-term, Matthew intends on becoming a registered psychologist with a specialty in trauma-focused care.

Resource Committee

Our Resource Committee is a group of dedicated volunteers who work hard to help us solicit material donations so we don’t have to purchase them with our fundraising dollars. This helps us immensely to keep our operating costs down. This amazing group of connected people are an invaluable resource to us at Little Warriors.

Neil Campbell, Committee Chair Regional Operations Manager Flaman Group of Companies
Kelsey Watt, Committee Vice Chair Public Speaker & Cannabis Educator, Kelsey Cannabis
Barrie Bridgeman, Facilities Committee Chair Retired – Director of Procurement & Strategic Initiatives, PCL Constructors Inc.
Committee Members:
Bill Rolfe
Bob Nolan
Christopher Goodrick
Derrick Meyer, President, Digital Link
Domenic Gallace, CEO & Managing Partner, Pathfind
Dominique Lafond
Guy Mersereau
Jenn Broda
John McCaffray
Mark Manning
Paul Taylor
Randy McDonald, Journalist/Producer, CBC Edmonton
Sean Rayner, President & CEO, Vets Group
Sheryl Smith, Property Manager, Midwest Property Management
Tim Boston
Tim Kirby
Tony Vetro
Trixie Rowein, VP, Portfolio Manager, PAX Portfolio Advisory of Raymond James Ltd.

 

Our staff

Chief Executive Officer: 
Laurie Szymanski laurie@littlewarriors.ca

Clinical Director, Be Brave Ranch:
Dr. Wanda Polzin wanda@littlewarriors.ca

Communications/Events/Donations:
Shannon Phelan shannon@littlewarriors.ca

Manager of Philanthropy
Jeremiah Woods jeremiah@littlewarriors.ca

Prevent It! Program Coordinator:
Jane Waldron jane@littlewarriors.ca

Operations Support/Human Resources:
Miranda Nazarali miranda@littlewarriors.ca

Administration Coordinator:
Karen Brown karen@littlewarriors.ca

Accountant:
Leila Steenhuisen accounting@littlewarriors.ca

Assistant to Glori Meldrum, Founder and Board Chair and Special Projects: 
Mary Anne Nguyen maryanne@littlewarriors.ca

For Be Brave Ranch information and intake, contact info@littlewarriors.ca

For Prevent It! workshop inquiries contact preventit@littlewarriors.ca