Muriel Agnes, MAEd, ThD, is an adult educator with 20 years of experience working in health promotion, community development and personal/spiritual growth. She has worked for government and community organizations, an adult learning centre of the United Church, Red River College and a national continuing health education institute. Her key interests have been transformative learning and leadership as tools of empowerment. In 2002 Muriel completed a doctorate in spiritual counseling. She is also certified as a psychosynthesis therapist, a qigong teacher and an acupuncturist. Besides teaching adult education courses for the University of Manitoba, Muriel has her own continuing education Institute teaching acupuncture and qigong to health professionals.

Ben Akoh, M.Ed., MSc, B.Tech, has over 20 years experience in international development in the Information and Communication Technology field. He has experience in project design, development, implementation and management in research, policy analysis, capacity building and training on ICTs, media and internet policy; in creating open societies and in ensuring sustainable development. Ben’s research interests are in exploring the nexus of education, culture, and the internet for sustainable growth and development. As an instructor at the University of Manitoba, he has designed and delivered several technology based courses on emerging technologies, open education resources and digital literacy; he has supported various pro-democracy and open dialogues in media and internet initiatives globally. Ben has worked in the private and non-profit sectors and for the United Nations. He is widely traveled and has lived and worked in Africa and North America.

Teresita Chiarella, MEd, BA, has over 20 years experience in the Human Resource field. Her career development involved concentrated periods in several key Human Resource areas: Recruitment and Selection, Training and Development, and Organizational Change. Her employment experiences have been in the health care, municipal and educational sectors. Over the years, Teresita has developed and delivered programs and seminars to various groups and organizations. Her passion for learning continued after her undergraduate studies when she completed certificate programs in Human Resources, Labour Studies and Adult and Continuing Education. Her Master’s Degree in Education specialized in Adult Education and Teaching English as an Additional Language. Teresita currently assists new comers to learn about the workplace and become contributing citizens of Canada.

Marc Renald Desrosiers, MBA, ABC (Accreditation in Business Communication); Certificate in University Management; Post graduate certificate in Institutional Educational Management (Harvard); and PMgr (Professional Manager designation from the Canadian Institute of Management). In addition to teaching in Extended Education at the University of Manitoba, Marc teaches for The Salvation Army Booth University College, and the Winnipeg Police Service Training Academy. He has extensive senior management experience in several sectors, is an award-winning marketing and philanthropy practitioner and consultant, and - in his spare time - is an appointed Manitoba Marriage Commissioner.

Jacie Foy, MDE, has taught for approximately 16 years in post-secondary and secondary settings including at Brandon University, the University of Manitoba and Assiniboine Community College. Within the adult education field she has taught at Sioux Valley and Canupawakpa Dakota Nations. She has also worked as a curriculum designer, indigenizing K-12 curriculum. As a private consultant, she develops curriculum for both face-to-face and online delivery.

Chris Higgins, PhD, has instructed adults in basic education, career education and life skills in Winnipeg’s inner city for more than 10 years. Currently she is a program facilitator who develops curriculum and instructs single parents preparing for post secondary studies at Taking Charge! Christine’s professional experience also includes writing curriculum for, and instructing, New Canadians and refugees who are transitioning into Canadian education and employment. Christine has particular expertise in infusing curriculum with social justice and empowerment themes through arts based and community focused methodologies. Christine has taught in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and developed and delivered workshops for a variety of audiences throughout Manitoba. Her recent research inquires into links between education and wellness, professionalism as an ethical imperative, and education reform across North America.

Irene E. Karpiak, PhD, is Associate Professor of Adult and Higher Education at the University of Oklahoma. Her professional background includes years of development of continuing education programs at the University of Manitoba. Irene’s scholarly interests encompass adult learning and development, the mid-life transition, the teaching/learning environment for adult learners, and program development for adult education. In recent years she has focused her research on student autobiographical writing and has conducted follow-up research with some who have written their life stories in the U.S. and Canada.

David Kirby, PhD, is the former Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Development at the University of Manitoba. Previously he has worked at Memorial University, The University of Calgary, Royal Roads University and Queen’s University, holding a variety of academic and administrative appointments. Dr. Kirby has considerable experience in the field of distance and online education, having conducted research and evaluation in both national and international contexts, as well as consulting for a number of government agencies. His current research interests include online learning communities, and institutional communities. Over the course of his career he has taught in teacher preparation programs as well as adult education and higher education programs, and has supervised graduate students in all these areas.

Genella Macintyre, MA, is the president of Partners in Discovery Ltd, a training, coaching and consulting company committed to improving the quality of personal and professional living. Genella has over 20 years experience in management, coaching, counseling and training. Her background includes working and training in a variety of settings including the Manitoba Government, DND, non-profit centres, health authorities, universities and colleges, as well as local, interprovincial and Fortune 500 companies. Genella holds a Bachelor of Arts (Specialist) degree from Brandon University and a Master of Arts degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan.

Carol Paul, MEd, is the Director of Training at the Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MCSC). She holds a Masters in Adult Education from the University of Manitoba and is a certified Essential Skills profiler. Carol is past chair of the Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Network. She facilitates courses for the University of Manitoba, Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education Program and has taught courses for the University of Winnipeg, Faculty of Education. At MCSC, Carol is responsible for research, curriculum development and coordination of program delivery.  She develops and facilitates interactive blended learning experiences using digital media platforms such as the Articulate E-learning Software Tool.  Carol regularly speaks at national conferences and industry training events on adult education, facilitation, coaching for industry leaders and leveraging differences in the workplace.

Anne Poonwassie, MAEd, has 25 years of experience in the field of adult education as a program administrator, planner and facilitator.  Her work experience includes 9 years at Continuing Education, U of M, as Program Director. Currently, Anne is the Director of Continuing Education and Development, an independent firm that provides community and agency- based educational and training programs in the areas of social services, counseling and psychotherapy. Anne has published extensively in the field of adult education and specializes in participatory program planning and implementation.

Anna Schmidt, MAdEd, has been an educator for over 20 years. Anna is Director of Organization and Staff Development with the Manitoba Civil Service Commission. Previously, she spent seven years with the Adult Learning and Literacy branch of Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy, where she helped to develop and implement legislation governing the operation of Adult Learning Centres and Adult Literacy Programs in Manitoba. Anna was the first President and founding member of the Adult Secondary Education Council (ASEC), an association that has provided quality professional development to Manitoba’s adult educators for over a decade. Anna participated in the development of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) initiatives at both the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba. She has a particular interest in transformational learning and the development of learning organizations.

Kathy Snow, M.A., BEd, BSc, has been working with students, teachers and technology for over 10 years. She has worked in all areas of technology impacting schools including network administration, curriculum and program design, staff training and support as well as instructional design. She is currently employed at the University of Manitoba as an Instructional Designer for the Distance Education area. Kathy started her career working with SOS children’s villages in Ghana and travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America supporting teachers in the improvement of their approach to technology implementation. This included the use and development of Open Educational Resources and capacity building through critical pedagogy. Currently a student herself, Kathy’s doctorial research includes the application of blended-learning models for marginalised student populations in Higher Education as a means to support persistence.

Jacqueline Warrell, BA Psych, MEd in Adult and Workplace Learning, has worked as an adult educator in a variety of settings and roles, including workplace, government, post-secondary, and community learning. Currently, she works in Accessibility Services at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, does research at the University of Calgary, and enjoys consulting for businesses to develop their social media and learning strategy. Before discovering her passion for the adult learning field, she worked social services in the City of Toronto for a number of years.