Our Board

GAIL LANGLAIS

Chair

Gail Langlais has worked in the field of career development for over 22 year. She has worked with a broad range of client groups including individuals with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, EI recipients, social assistance recipients and individuals with mental health challenges.  In 2006, she commenced work on Manitoba’s career development portfolio. In this role, Gail managed the Government of Manitoba cross-departmental strategy through which horizontal partnerships were developed between departments and community groups to facilitate a seamless integrated career development system within Manitoba.
 Over her years working in career development, she has participated on a variety of committees and working groups including the Manitoba Association for Career Practitioners, Forum of Labour Market Ministers Career Development Services Working Group and the Advisory Board of the Let’s Get to Work Conference.  She has also led numerous working groups related to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of career services through resource development, practitioner professional development and evaluation.
  Gail has been fortunate to have had a variety of experiences at the provincial and pan-Canadian levels within the field of career development and at present she is the Director of Career Services at the University of Manitoba.

KATE SWALLOW YEE
(she/her/hers)

Vice Chair

​​Kate views the world through a lens that looks at many sides of a situation in order to be able to understand consequences of action/non-action. This view does not slow her down, as she is driven to action and outcomes. She employs a holistic practice when dealing with people, understanding that choices will affect outcomes; and that the person must make intentional choices when they are ready in order to avoid ricocheting through life. Kate has been involved with MACD since her return to Canada in 2014, sitting as the inaugural Secretary, then as a Member-At-Large and the Co-Chair of two successful Let’s Get To Work (LGTW) Conferences (2018 & 2019). In the role as Vice-Chair she wants to increase the reach of MACD into the rural parts of Manitoba in order to expand the career development practices to many populations including rural entrepreneurs, Indigenous communities, and the agricultural industry. In addition, she wants to see greater communication and sharing of career and employment information between practitioners. Manitoba can be better with intentional career choices and development in order to maximize every individual’s potential within the borders of this great province.

STEFANIE BOOKS
(she/her)

Secretary

​I have always had a desire to help people and became a Registered Social Worker because of this. In 2012 I became involved in career development, which includes meeting people where they are at in their career journey. Currently I am employed as a Career Consultant at the University of Manitoba where I support students with career planning/ decision making and employment, through individual meetings, workshop facilitation and resource development.  I also have experience in Academic Advising. Besides my on-campus experience I have been involved in various community support agencies.
 
I am excited to be a part of the MACD Board, to help raise awareness of our profession in Manitoba!

REBECCA BALAKRISHNAN
​(she/her)

Co-Secretary / Member at Large (currently on leave)

Since 2011, I have worked with post-secondary students at University of Manitoba on all aspects of career exploration, planning and job search.  This takes a variety of forms, including one-on-one appointments, facilitating workshops, and writing resources. I am deeply passionate about career development and want to continue to work with MACD to raise the profile of our profession and create a meaningful space for us to learn and grow. I’ve been involved with MACD since 2016.  In my spare time, I write a career development column called The Work Life. I have a psychology degree and I’m working towards my Master of Education in Counselling Psychology.

 

TARA ORCHARD

Treasurer

​Tara Orchard is a Career Coach and Business Consultant, Trainer and Freelance Writer who has a passion for helping people and organizations develop actionable strategies to navigate change.
For over 20 years she has provided timely, tangible and insightful information, strategies and coaching to 1000’s of individuals and numerous organizations across Canada, the US and beyond.
Tara is the founder of her own career coaching and business consultancy (Career-Coach Canada and formerly ‘The Training Edge”) and has worked with numerous partner organizations including Canadian HR Solutions, NextJob Inc, Typefocus Inc. and lead the coordination of Career programs at a top Canadian University.  She has been a featured writer for two business magazines (the “HR Insider” in Canada and Latin Business Today in the US).
Tara offers coaching and training for individuals and organizations, including on career development, brand creation and management, organizational policy development, employee management, and social networking support and more.
Tara is a member of the Manitoba Association for Career Development, a Mentor with the Canadian Futurepreneur program and was previously a member of the Advisor Board for the Career Professionals of Canada.
Tara holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Psychology and is certified in numerous personality and psychology assessment tools. 
To contact or learn more about Tara just Google her or you can find her at:
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/taraorchard
www.Career-coach.ca
www.Quora/Profile/TaraOrchard

AHNIKO HANDFORD

Member at Large

​Ahniko transitioned from a 20-year career in IT to discovering her passion for providing people with the tools they need to get the jobs they want. Through both working one-on-one with clients and extensive facilitation of job search workshops, Ahniko has years of broad experience ranging from assisting at-risk youth entering the job market to guiding clients through mid-life career transition. Presently, she is delighted to offer career services in the field of vocational rehabilitation at Veritus Disability and Career Management. Her core belief: all human beings have a right to the dignity of gratifying employment suited to their values, skills, and gifts.
Completing her Rhetoric and Communications Degree, Ahniko took her post-graduate Career Development Practitioner (CDP) Certificate, her certification for Personality Dimensions Level 1 Facilitator, and earned her Career and Employment Coach Certificate (CECC). Becoming a facilitator herself for the CECC workshops, she recognized the need for a professional association for CDPs to support each other and thus better serve their clients. In 2016, Ahniko was presented with Manitoba’s Leadership in Career and Workforce Development, Individual Achievement Award for leadership in founding the Manitoba Association for Career Development (MACD).

DEANNA ENGLAND

TROY MERCER

Member at Large

Past Chair,
​Member at Large

​Deanna England holds multiple credentials from The University of Winnipeg including a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree with a major in Psychology, and an Master of Arts in Cultural Studies.  She has worked at the University of Winnipeg since 2008, first in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, moving to Academic and Career Advising in 2018.  She also holds a Career Development Practitioner Certificate from the University of Winnipeg (PACE) and is a board member of the Manitoba Association for Career Development (MACD), including acting as co-chair for the annual "Let's Get to Work" career development conference. In addition to her work with UW and MACD, she also facilitates an online Career Development course with Red River College and is a member of Career Trek's Career Development Advisory Group.

I’m a previous Chairperson for MACD. I’m employed with the Province of Manitoba as the Manager for Training and Employment Services in Selkirk, Manitoba. I have been involved in the field of career development for the past twenty-years in different capacities such as a front-line Intake Worker, Employment Counselor, Project Officer, and most recently as a Manager.  I’m also a graduate of the Career Development Practitioner Certificate Program (2014) from the University of Winnipeg. I sit on the organizing committee for the Let’s Get to Work Conference, Manitoba’s preeminent Career Development event of the year. I continue to be passionate about my work and my involvement with MACD allows me to work with other people passionate about career development to make Manitobans more aware of the contributions career development makes to our Province.

DAVID DRIVER

Member at Large

​David has been in the career counselling field since 2010. Having been with the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) since 2012, David has been central in the development and delivery of the Workskills Series, a collection of 4 mandatory, built-in workshops designed to develop industry-specific work skills and career development skills for students at MITT. In addition to providing 1-on-1 career services to prospective students, current students and alumni, David has implemented regular employer engagement events at MITT, including guest speakers, employer panels and networking events, for students to connect with their industry. David is passionate to help others put themselves in the best position to succeed their goals.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manitoba, a Career Employment Coach Certificate and Facilitation Fundamentals from Winnipeg Transition Centre, and a Career Educator Certificate from the Canadian Association Of Career Educators And Employers.

RUTH STARGARDTER

Member at Large

In her role as a Secondary School Counsellor for 27 years, Ruth believes that career education has the ability to increase resilience and empower students in their career life decision making.

For Ruth, the path to resiliency/persistence is by helping students and clients to understand themselves as well as develop the tools and capacity to find the resources that build their personal health and well-being. She believes that as educators, families, communities and government we must help to engage citizens in experiencing activities that create “hope”. One technique for building hope is to help students to see purpose and opportunities and to help them acknowledge the skills they have, and want to develop, to set goals and to help empower them to move in the direction of their goals, dreams and aspirations. We must support people to help them to develop and identify the skills and tools to help them choose the life they want to live and to create the world they want to live in to build a healthy society.

Ruth’s piece of the puzzle is to help all learners throughout their lifespans to become more self aware, explore pathways and career options, plus other critical information such as financial literacy (can we really believe in a path if we don't know how we can access the resources we need to get there?)  If they identify an interest, the “village” around them can reach out to Manitoba Association for Career Development for valuable support including resources, professional learning and training opportunities as well as mentorship and a passionate learning community. 
​

KRYSTLE PASKARUK

JOANNE STRUCH

Member at Large

Member at Large

​Krystle Paskaruk is the Coordinator for Career & Work-Integrated Learning at University College of the North (located in Northern Manitoba) and has been instrumental in the conceptualization, planning and development of the Centre for Career & Work-Integrated Learning (CCWIL) at UCN; she has led the implementation of a comprehensive institution-wide career development framework, which has become cornerstone to the UCN student experience. With over 18 years of experience in adult education, training, and community development, Krystle brings a wealth of knowledge, creativity and expertise to lead the CCWIL team, and has received national recognition for her work. She is passionate about supporting students to achieve career success and seeks to ensure the highest degree of professionalism and excellence through client-centered program delivery.
 
In addition to her duties at the Centre for Career & Work-Integrated Learning, Krystle has been an active participant with CACEE (Canadian Association for Career Educators & Employers) and CEWIL Canada, where she served two consecutive terms on the National Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Manitoba/Nunavut.
 
Krystle is a life-long resident of Northern Manitoba and outside of her role with UCN, she devotes her time to Love Button Collection, her hobby-driven business which has been inspired by her love for crafting and baking!

Joanne has been involved in career-related training for a number of years, including as a senior leader at Robertson College, where she oversaw work-related program development and shaped the delivery of programs to ensure learner success in finding employment and transitioning smoothly to the workplace. Currently, she is an instructor in the Department of Rhetoric at The University of Winnipeg. Joanne is committed to facilitating positive and consistent learner experiences by incorporating adult learning principles, evidence-based educational planning, and instructional design practices with just, equitable, and inclusive educational practices.

Joanne’s background and experience is in education; she has worked in education in a number of contexts, including in a high school overseas, and in post-secondary institutions in Canada, including the University of Winnipeg, and most recently, Robertson College. Her formal training includes a PhD in Education (University of Manitoba), an MA in English Literature (McMaster University), a B.A. in English (University of Winnipeg), and CerTESL (University of Saskatchewan).