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Silvia Acevedo Spanish Silvia Acevedo has over 20 years of experience in education and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology. After several years of teaching biology, she edited a series of Natural Science books Viva la Ciencia issued in Colombia and exported to Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica. She also coauthored Enciclopedia Tematica, a Biology encyclopedia. Read more about Silvia . . . Michelle Baynes Sewing Michelle’s technical background is in fashion design. She did her schooling at Kwantlen College, in Richmond, British Columbia, and then worked in the design/pattern department in a factory in Edmonton. She continued to work for a few more years as a freelance designer for a bridal company before starting her current business, Dream Dress Designs, where she designs and makes wedding gowns and formal wear. Read more about Michelle . . . Bill Bewick Drawing, Painting & Sculpture Bill joined the Canadian Army’s Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in April of 1963. He served in a wide variety of command and staff positions in Canada, the United States and overseas. In 1994 Bill organized and conducted a visit to a war zone in the former Yugoslavia for a group of artists from the Calgary area. Read more about Bill . . . Joy Carlson Business Writing Joy Carlson has been involved in training for more than 25 years, including 15 years with Chinook Learning Services, where she teaches proofreading to the general public and to Corporate Training clients at their worksites and offices. She is also a full-time Training Instructor for Rogers Wireless. Read more about Joy . . . Marjorie Copithorn Complementary Health Dr. Marjorie Copithorn is an acupuncturist and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine practicing in Calgary for the past 5 years. She specializes in the treatment of stress and stress-related disorders, chronic pain and women’s health. Marjorie is a graduate of ACATCM in Calgary and also holds a BA (Sociology) and a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology. Marjorie is a lifelong learner who continues to pursue studies in her areas of interest. Read more about Marjorie . . . Debra deWaal Child, Youth & Family Debra deWaal is a former Calgary Police officer and is now the owner of Safe & Sound Safety Training & Consulting Ltd. Debra’s 10-year career with the Calgary Police Service included three years working undercover in auto theft, stolen property and vice. Debra also spent numerous years working on the street as a uniformed officer. Read more about Debra . . . Debbie Elicksen Personal Writing People from across North America come to Debbie Elicksen to ask about book publishing. She works with authors and companies that produce books. She believes that to market a book, you need a professional product to sell. Debbie has authored Self-Publishing 101 (Self-Counsel Press) and five sports books. Read more about Debbie . . . Carrieanne Fonger Personal Well-Being Carrieanne Fonger is a Feng Shui consultant and spiritual energy specialist with more than 35 years experience. A graduate of the Feng Shui Institute of Canada, and Nancy Santo Pietro and Associates Feng Shui Consulting in New York City, her background includes extensive training in Remote Viewing, Matrix Energetics and Usui and Karuna Reiki. Read more about Carrieanne . . . Doug Gablehaus Access | Accounting | Excel | PowerPoint | Publishing & Multimedia | Windows | Word Doug Gablehaus works full-time as an accountant and develops management systems for businesses in many industries. This allows him to bring practical knowledge to the classroom which ensures the students are getting current and relevant information. Doug has been teaching for 19 years, the last five years exclusively for Chinook. Read more about Doug . . . Jan Gale Personal Well-Being For 30 years, Jan Gale was a leader and manager in the financial arena of the Oil and Gas Industry until realizing, that to best heal and support her authentic self, she needed to follow her path to support others in their healing and growth. Her gifts of intuition and insights into healing have proved valuable to others as they explore their own well-being. Read more about Jan . . . Don Hansen Instrumental & Vocal Arts Don is quite literally a natural-born singer. He began his career as a performer at the age of three, when he sang at a community Christmas concert in the now-gone village of Ensign in Southern Alberta. Don was proudly accompanied by his father on the banjo. Over the years the two of them performed together at many such concerts. Read more about Don . . . Doris Harvey Complementary Health Doris is a graduate of the massage therapy program at Mount Royal University. She has been practicing the art for ten years within various clinics around the city. Her specialty involves working with pre and post natal women and their families. She is also very knowledgeable in the area of rehabilitation from motor vehicle associated injuries. Read more about Doris . . . Doug Haslam Do-it-Yourself Doug Haslam is a full-time practising professional artist working primarily with wood. He designs and builds furniture for clients as well as creates functional and sculptural forms for galleries. He originally trained at the Sheridan College School of Crafts and Design (SOCAD). Read more about Doug . . . Yvonne Jobin Personal Well-Being Yvonne Jobin is Cree First Nations originally from High Prairie, Alberta and now residing in Calgary, Alberta. Yvonne’s considerable knowledge of traditional native culture and spirituality is reflected in her art work. Whether her work is for traditional use, collectors, museums or major motion pictures, all of her art reflects a respect for the gift of nature, the land and humankind’s need to live in balance with creation. Read more about Yvonne . . . Bruce Lee Management & Administration | Skills Development | Child, Youth & Family Bruce is a strategist, speaker, productivity coach and MC. His passion is working with individuals and organizations to enhance their leadership and individual productivity. Bruce believes that through strategic planning sessions and hands-on workshops on business acceleration, companies can improve the bottom line, increase market share and loyalty & retention. Read more about Bruce . . . Gordon Kempthorne Hobbies Gordon developed his interest in jewelry early in his life, working in a jewelry store in North Battleford, Sask., under the mentorship of a jeweler who taught him the tricks of the trade in jewelry/watch repair. After moving to Calgary in the late sixties, Gordon’s career took a turn to the steel industry and he became a journeyman machinist and enjoyed many years in that industry until his retirement in 2008. Read more about Gordon . . . Jan Markley Personal Writing Jan is a writer living in Calgary. Dead Frog on the Porch is her debut novel for middle grade readers. It is a comedic mystery adventure and the first in the Megabyte Mystery Series. Jan previously worked as a print and broadcast journalist. She writes creative non-fiction and has had humourous personal essays published in the Globe and Mail and West Word (Magazine of the Writers Guild of Alberta). Read more about Jan . . . Barrie McCombs Instrumental & Vocal Arts Barrie McCombs was a Family and Emergency Room physician for 20 years. He's retired from clinical medicine, and is now Medical Information Service Coordinator for The Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan. This part-time position gives him time to explore his interest in folk music and the fiddle. Read more about Barrie . . . Shenaaz Nanji Personal Writing Shenaaz Nanji was born on the ancient island of Mombasa, one of the oldest settlements on the East African coast, and grew up amid a fusion of cultures: Bantu-Swahili, Arabic, colonial British, and East Indian. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She has written seven books for children that have won several awards. Read more about Shenaaz . . . Steven Ockey Child, Youth & Family Steven Ockey was told in grade school that his reading wouldn’t get past a Grade 3 level, that high school would be difficult, and that university would be pretty much out of the question. His mother was determined to find help. They tried other systems but it wasn’t until they found Brain Gym that Steven’s learning took off! Read more about Steven . . . Vern Pauls Professional & School-Based Training Vern has been teaching in our Workplace Training area for more than 10 years. He successfully completed Train the Trainer courses at NAIT to be able to instruct in both our Warehouse Level 1 Exam Prep course and Forklift Training - Sit Down and Narrow Aisle. Read more about Vern . . . Dagmar Pitzschler Floral, Gardening & Landscaping Dagmar joined Chinook Learning Services in 2007 after moving to Calgary from Germany. Dagmar has over 24 years experience as a floral designer and for 10 of those years she taught classes in Germany. Dagmar has a master florist diploma and has experience in all aspects of floristry including wedding bouquets, holiday arrangements, floral pictures, dry and silk creations, and every day floristry. Read more about Dagmar . . . Karl Plesz Beginner Computing | Comedy & Drama | Excel | Web Based | Windows | Word Karl has been steering back and forth between technologist and training roles for more than 30 years, 20 of those in the military. He has taught everything from productivity applications, computer diagnostics and how to use various Internet resources like eBay to highly advanced communications system troubleshooting. His audience has been right across the spectrum from absolute beginners to engineers and management. Read more about Karl . . . Kim Poon Sign Language Kim has worked for Chinook Learning Services for over four years as a Sign Language instructor, where his classes reveal his instructional talent of the deaf world for reaching both the novice and the professional learner. He has taught courses from beginner to Level 4. For over 20 years Kim has travelled throughout North America communicating with people in sign language and learning more about their culture in the deaf world. Read more about Kim . . . Drew Price Communication | Management & Administration | Skills Development Drew Price taught junior high school in Calgary for 10 years and then worked in training and education for an additional 27 years with Achievers Canada, the Strategic Coach, Custom Learning Systems, Fred Pryor Seminars and founded his own company, Drew Price Seminars. For the past 15 years, Drew has taught internationally in 12 countries, including the U.S., Mexico, England, Europe, and the Middle East. Read more about Drew . . . Micheline Rae Child, Youth & Family Micheline is a former international model, who possesses significant experience across all facets of the modelling and acting industry. She has been involved in the modeling/acting industry for over 25 years, and has worked in Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Taipei, Hong Kong, New York, LA, Arizona and throughout Canada. Her credits include film, print, runway and TV. She is the owner/director of MAG Models since 1995. Read more about Micheline . . . Darlene Readwin Business Writing | Communication | Management & Administration Darlene has been a corporate trainer for the past 20 years, developing and customizing courses for the corporate sector as well as for most of Calgary's post secondary institutions. Darlene's vast knowledge and experience have provided her with a strong background to provide dynamic learning opportunities for her participants. Read more about Darlene . . . Doug Reeh Accounting | Management & Administration Doug Reeh, a Chartered Accountant for over 25 years, works full-time as an Associate Broker primarily representing business owners who are interested in selling their businesses and individuals and corporations looking to buy a business. Prior to becoming a member of the Calgary Real Estate Board he worked for the Canada Revenue Agency for 23 years. Read more about Doug . . . Martha Romeo Spanish Martha has an MBA with a major in tourism. Her high proficiency in languages together with her education have provided her with diverse opportunities around the world, working in Germany, Switzerland, Argentina, the U.S. and the Caribbean. She has provided services for the government of Canada; Missions of the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as for Team Canada Business Missions to South America. Read more about Martha . . . Simon Rose Personal Writing Simon was born in Derbyshire, England. He graduated from university with a degree in history and has lived in Canada since 1990. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature of West Redding, CT. Simon and his two children, dog and cat live in Calgary. Simon’s first novel for young readers, The Alchemist’s Portrait, was published in 2003 followed by The Sorcerer’s Letterbox in 2004 and The Clone Conspiracy in 2005. Read more about Simon . . . Ellen Sears Professional & School-Based Training Ellen worked for the Calgary Board of Education for 25 years as a teacher-librarian and area school library consultant. She retired in 2006 after working in elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. During her retirement, she has set up several school libraries, organizing and enhancing their collections. Ellen has also worked for the Calgary Catholic School Board for five years as school librarian in their Teachers’ Resource Centre. Read more about Ellen . . . Linda Shantz-Keresztes Professional & School-Based Training Linda Shantz-Keresztes is an education graduate with expertise in school libraries. She holds a Diploma of Education and a Bachelor of Education. In her 30 years of teaching, she has worked with the Calgary Board of Education as a classroom teacher, teacher-librarian and district school library specialist and consultant. Read more about Linda . . . Allen Smith Sign Language Allen has been deaf since birth but grew up learning in a hearing school environment. He managed by reading lips and with abundant help from family members. For over 15 years Allen has been teaching sign language to the Calgary community for Chinook Learning Services. He tries to show people what it is like for deaf people and how they adapt to communicating in a hearing world. Read more about Allen . . . Estelle Stensby Cooking & Entertaining Award winning sugar artist, Estelle Stensby, has over 20 years experience in creating edible masterpieces. Raised in Australia, Estelle ran her own successful wedding cake business and has won many ribbons in various Australian cake decorating competitions. In 2001, she immigrated to Canada and has continued that success. Read more about Estelle . . . Sue Styles Management & Administration Be inspired by a highly motivating instructor who has been in your administrative shoes! Having successfully worked her way up in many administrative roles she is now the Business Manager for one of the most successful entrepreneurs in real estate. Since 1989, Sue has also been an adult educator spending eight years teaching prenatal classes in Vancouver, B.C. Read more about Sue . . . Lynne Thornton Communication Trained as a classical actor, with a minor in English and journalism, and a master’s equivalent in speech, Lynne’s career travels have been far and wide. She soon discovered a life in theatre in Canada didn’t always pay the rent or put a roof over her head. That’s when her ingenuity kicked in. She played most of Shakespeare’s women on stage, then found a niche in Neil Simon’s comedies. Read more about Lynne . . . Mohammad Toghraei Professional & School-Based Training Mohammad Toghraei has been involved in helping integrate new immigrants into their Canadian workplace for nearly 3 years. His willingness to help internationally trained engineers understand Ethics and Law - a crucial component to gaining a Professional Engineer designation from APEGGA – has earned him praise from the industry. Read more about Mohammad . . . Romina Torta Italian Romina Torta obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Modern Languages from London South Bank University in England and has earned certifications in teaching Italian as a second language from the University of Siena, in Tuscany, Italy. Italian is her first language however Romina is also fluent in French and English. Read more about Romina . . . Sandra Valchi Spanish Sandra holds a teaching degree from Argentina with specialization in Spanish as a foreign language and certification as a court interpreter and translator. Spanish is her first language and she is also fluent in English and Italian. Sandra is a lifelong learner who continually upgrades her knowledge and skills, despite having more than 20 years of experience. Read more about Sandra . . . Debra Ward Drawing, Painting & Sculpture For the last 15 years, Debra Ward has enjoyed teaching a wide array of art courses to adult learners and children. A graduate, with a scholarship award, from the Alberta College of Art, Debra is a working artist who teaches traditional and contemporary painting skills. Debra enjoys introducing people to art and watching each individual unfold to a new way of seeing. Read more about Debra . . . Trevor West Hobbies Trevor started taking courses in silversmithing in 1995 and at his second session was asked by the instructor to help teach the class. When the instructor retired in 2003, Trevor took over the main teaching role. During this time he has participated in two Fine Art Festivals for Chinook Learning Services, demonstrating jewelry projects and techniques. Read more about Trevor . . . Marsha Wieler Child, Youth & Family Marsha has over 15 years administration management experience as a professional and an entrepreneur helping others manage their priorities and organizing their space. Marsha Wieler’s daughter was diagnosed in 1995 with cognitive challenges, so she knows the importance of developing an orderly environment, positive self-esteem and self-reliance for her daughter to be the best she can be in life. Read more about Marsha . . . Sharon Lynn Williams Drawing, Painting & Sculpture Sharon began her art education in 1979 but soon had to set it aside to raise her four children. In 1992 she resumed her art education by taking classes at the University of Calgary, Red Deer College and Alberta College of Art and Design. She has also attended over 40 workshops by top Canadian and American instructors. Read more about Sharon . . .