Executive Team

Management Team

Client Success

Research

Sales and Marketing

Technology

Administration

Consultants

Dr. Doug Willms
President

Dr. J. Douglas Willms is the founder of The Learning Bar. He is a Member of the United States National Academy of Education, the Past-President of the International Academy of Education, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He recently held the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Literacy and Human Development for 14 years.

Dr. Willms has published over 200 research articles and monographs pertaining to youth literacy, children’s health, the accountability of schooling systems, and the assessment of national reforms. He developed the Educational Prosperity framework over the course of his career, which is used by jurisdictions in their capacity-building efforts and the development of educational policy. The model has been adopted by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) for Development, an initiative aimed at building capacity for low- and middle-income countries to monitor progress towards nationally-set targets for improvement. Dr. Willms and his colleagues have developed the questionnaires and the analysis plan for this international study.

Colette Wasson
Chief Executive Officer

Colette Wasson is the Chief Executive Officer of The Learning Bar, a senior executive accountable for the strategic success of the company, the success of our partners and clients, and the achievement of our vision “Giving all children the opportunity to thrive”.

Colette attained an MBA to complement her Computer Science degree. She brings over 25 years of business and management experience working with large public and private sector organizations in a variety of industries. Over the years, Colette has developed a solid reputation for delivering results by empowering teams and bringing heart and mind to every challenge.

Colette is a volunteer with the ELF (Elementary Literacy Friends) program and loves to read with Grade 2 students.

Colette is the proud mother of two children and has a passion for the well-being and success of all children; she values and recognizes the importance of a quality education to ensure that all children reach their full potential.

Allison Blanco
Managing Director

Allison is the Managing Director with responsibility for the growth and profitability of the Australian operation.  With a Master of Business Law from Southern Cross University, Lismore, in Business Administration from The University of Technology, Sydney and Risk and Governance qualifications from the Governance Institute of Australia, Allison has extensive experience in all aspects of project and operations management. 

Prior to joining The Learning Bar, Allison gained extensive experience during her 10 years at Mars, Incorporated as Chief of Staff and College Director for the Global Legal Function reporting to the General Counsel.  With excellence in operations, including business transformation and finance, Allison led the delivery of a number of global programs for the legal function in the area of finance and compliance.  Prior to that Allison was a senior intellectual property paralegal at the international law firm Baker McKenzie, managing a multimillion-dollar key account. Allison believes that expectations for success play a key role in children achieving their full potential and having the opportunity to thrive.

Fred Yeomans
Chief Technology Officer

Fred is the Chief Technology Officer of The Learning Bar. Bringing over thirty years of technology experience, ranging from satellite operations, military and aerospace, as well as both enterprise and internet software, on projects ranging from small to multi-billion-dollar, Fred applies a broad knowledge of software architecture, technology, and development processes to lead The Learning Bar’s technology team, and to drive a technology vision which solves real problems, and brings real value.

Ethan Young-Lai
Chief Product Officer

Ethan leads the Product Management and Client Success teams here at The Learning Bar. Their objective is to ensure that our products and services are continually evolving to better meet the needs of educators and that our customers receive the world-class service, training, and support required to achieve their goals. Ethan has over 15 years experience in building teams and processes that can help grow a business from start-up to industry leader. A proud father and project manager, Ethan’s commitment to The Learning Bar’s mission, vision, and values is why, after over a decade at The Learning Bar, he is still excited to come to work every single day.

Dr. Danielle Durepos
Chief Research Officer

Danielle leads a responsive research group, and is well experienced in providing a strong supporting role in provincial and state-level initiatives. Danielle and her research group are equipped to assist the Client Success team, often behind the scenes. Danielle frequently prepares responses to questions about the survey measures, underlying statistical methods, or other research techniques that periodically arise from various stakeholders. She provides information about any aspect of the data or findings, conducting statistical analyses, preparing reports based on the findings for meetings, or generally assisting where needed when questions arise.

Nicki Brett
Chief Marketing Officer

Nicki manages the marketing team at The Learning Bar. She brings over 20 years international experience in the management and implementation of marketing and communication plans and strategic analysis. She is responsible for ensuring the vision and messaging of the company is represented clearly in our internal and external communications at the highest standards.

Chris Allen
Senior Director of Business Development
Chris Allen is the Senior Director of Business Development at The Learning Bar. Leading and managing the business development team, Chris is responsible for identifying new business opportunities, driving revenue growth, and meeting sales targets for the company. In his role, Chris actively builds and maintains strong relationships with clients and educational partners, monitors market trends, and plays a critical role in informing the company about the needs of educators and system leaders working in K-12 school districts.
Chris brings over 25 years of experience working in education, holding senior management positions with industry leaders in educational publishing, professional learning and educational technologies. Along with his expertise in business development, Chris brings previous experience in marketing, product development, partnerships and acquisitions, offering unique insights to his role at The Learning Bar.
Susan Strickland
Senior Executive Assistant

Susan is a highly skilled administrator with a background in not-for-profit and hospitality; she holds a Masters of Business Administration in International Business, and is service-oriented. Her work experiences include outreach services at the Salvation Army, assistant to the chief executive officer of a rescue mission, and leadership roles in the hospitality industry.

Simon Ketcheson
Product Director, Confident Learners
Claire Watton
Product Manager, EYE

Claire leads the Product Delivery team for the Early Years Evaluation (EYE). This team supports Early Years Evaluation clients both during and following their Early Years Evaluation implementations: from setting up their sessions in the Early Years Evaluation online data entry system, to producing all client deliverables once their evaluations are complete. This team also works closely with the Early Years Evaluation Account Success Management team and the Early Years Evaluation Application Development team to drive improvements to Early Years Evaluation user experience based on client feedback and ongoing educational research. Claire brings both an education and a research background to the Early Years Evaluation team, having completed a B.A. (Contemporary Studies) and a B.Ed. (Junior/Intermediate Math and Social Sciences) in 2012, and an M.A. (Sociology) in 2014.

Stephanie Richardson
Director of Professional Learning and Engagement

Stephanie is the Director of Professional Learning and Engagement and has been on the Research team for over 6 years. She holds a Masters of Applied Health Services Research from the University of New Brunswick, and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). She finds it especially rewarding to support others to understand and interpret their data, and enjoys having conversations about how school context can help explain results. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys trying new recipes and playing soccer.

Shauneen McBride
Human Resources Director

Shaun McBride is the Human Resources Manager at The Learning Bar, a senior Canadian Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) accountable for the full cycle Human Resources (HR) administration, HR project management, coaching & talent development, and employee communications.  Her key objective is to give all The Learning Bar employees the opportunity to thrive.

Shaun has certificates in Business Administration, Negotiations, and Strategic Workforce Planning and has over 20 years experience in the field of Human Resources Management, working with large private sector organizations in a variety of industries. Over the years, Shaun has earned the respect of other Human Resources professionals through one-on-one mentorship.  She is passionate about helping managers and employees perform at their best. Shaun is guided by her intuition and authentic desire to help others in her work.

Shaun is a volunteer Board Member for the Provincial Canadian Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) Fredericton Chapter.

Shaun is a proud mother and grandmother and has a very large extended family who rely on her to hold it together even when the going gets rough.  Her free time is spent in the kitchen making her family’s favorite meals, or baking cookies to be included in the next parcel that will go to the grandchildren who live out west.

Ola Obembe
Product Manager, OurSCHOOL and TTFM

Ola is an experienced product manager with a proven track record of delivering successful products that meet customer needs and drive business growth. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Ola has developed a deep understanding of product development and management, as well as market trends and consumer behavior.

Ola works with cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, marketing, research, and sales, to ensure OurSchool and Tell Them From me continues to fulfill the product’s commitment to educators by continually evolving. He is skilled in product strategy, road mapping, and agile development methodologies.

Ola holds a Master of Business Administration, B.Tech (Agricultural economics), A certified Scrum Product owner, Scale Scrum master and Scale product owner/ Product Manager.

Fiona Dyke
Program Manager, Projects and Operations
Thomas Verghese
Director of Client Success

Thomas Verghese is the Director of Customer Success and Client experience, and has been with the learning bar since 2022. He has a bachelors of engineering in computer science, and has been working in the Edtech sector for over 12 years. Thomas is responsible for driving the Learning Bar’s mission for achieving Educational prosperity for clients through strategic and thought leadership initiatives. He is passionate about grooming and building up the customer success team into becoming trusted advisors who are able to constantly drive value for their clients, and create unique client experiences as they journey with us. One of his strategic objectives is to position the Learning bar as a Strategic trusted Partner to clients as opposed to being just another software vendor.

Adeniyi Ojo
Scrum Master
Stephanie Guignion
Senior Client Success Manager

Stephanie holds a BA in History from Bishop’s University and a B. Ed from St. Thomas University. She has completed several professional development courses over the years including project management and adult learning.

Stephanie Guignion brings her 10+ years of classroom teacher experience to The Learning Bar and uses this experience to support educators implementing the various solutions across the company. Her interests include resource development, process improvement & documentation, and early literacy.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading and gardening, and volunteers with several local community organizations.

Melissa Morgan
Senior Client Success Manager/Product Delivery Manager

Melissa is the Senior Client Success & Product Delivery Manager. She has worked at The Learning Bar since 2015 and can always be counted on to bring her positive, adaptable, and collaborative working style to any project. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and continuously works to enhance her skills through professional development courses and mastering new challenges in a variety of roles here at The Learning Bar.

Today, she manages a large client portfolio that includes many of The Learning Bar’s top accounts all while overseeing the delivery and support of customers across our diverse product lines.

Janette Desharnais
Client Success Manager

Janette has worked with the Client Success team at The Learning Bar since 2017. She has also worked in the field of literacy for over a decade: training teachers and tutors, delivering workshops, and creating resources. She has spent many summers delivering math and literacy camps in Indigenous communities in New Brunswick. Through her forestry and science background, she has also worked in the fields of outdoor education, outreach, and research. Janette grew up in a small francophone community in Manitoba, and later lived in various communities in northern Ontario and Quebec; she now lives near Fredericton, New Brunswick. Her passion for helping others has been a great asset in her work building strong and collaborative partnerships throughout her career. During her spare time, Janette likes baking goodies for friends and family, as well as camping and hiking.

Carlos Rodriguez
Client Success Manager

Carlos is the Account Success Manager for Early Year Evaluation (EYE) Latin America (2017-2019) and OurSCHOOL / EYE Canada from 2019 to present. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Foreign Language (English) / Education and a Portfolio Based Language Assessment (PBLA) Certified Instructor by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks. He currently holds the position of Customer Success Management Level 1 Certification. His teaching experience in Mexico and Canada is with individuals with different cultural background and he was part of the Training Team when EYE was introduced in Ecuador.

He has been a Volunteer as the Jr NBA program coach with Fundy Minor Basketball Association and a soccer coach with Soccer Chaleur. He is currently with Charlotte County United Soccer Club. 

“Every time I have time and the opportunity, I share/teach sport skills (basketball/soccer) with children. My best advise to them (including my 2 sons) is “Practice will make you better”. I like music, and mixing music. I do mobile DJing for private functions.

Jennifer Caporas
Product Delivery Specialist

Jennifer Caporas is a Product Delivery Specialist at The Learning Bar. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in IT Business Analysis from NBCC (New Brunswick Community College).

Riet Scheerlinck
Client Success Manager

Riet joined the Client Success Team in November 2021, supporting clients in achieving their educational goals. Every day she is building customer loyalty and fostering long-term customer relationships by ensuring that customers have a positive experience. Her day is good when she can make her clients happy by actively listening, pinpointing, and solving the issues they encounter. She strongly believes in The Learning Bar’s mission that quality education should be a right for all children. She has a Master’s in Language Arts, specializing in German and English, and a teaching degree from the University of Ghent, Belgium. At the University of Antwerp, she got a degree in International Politics, a field that very much interests her.

Riet lives in rural New Brunswick and combines working from home and in the office. She loves the outdoors, and in her free time, she is busy in her garden, experimenting in the kitchen, making maple syrup, doing yoga, reading, playing with her toddler, and volunteering in her community.

Micah Carey
Client Experience Specialist
Josée Hebert
Client Success Manager

Josée worked for 20 years in Telecommunications, In progressive roles from sales rep to Manager of the Onboarding solution team. Josée has a background in building strong relationships with clients. She obtained a diploma in Teacher Aid from Stratford Career Institute recently. Josée takes pride in volunteering at her son’s school and being part of the Parent School Support Committee. She enjoys walks in nature, reading, and crocheting in her spare time.

Angela Laurent
Implementation Analyst

Angela works within the Australian Implementation Team to deliver the Tell Them From Me and Early Years Evaluation products.

Ashleigh Welch
Implementation Analyst

Ashleigh works within the Australian Implementation Team to deliver Early Years Evaluation products and support single school clients with Tell Them From Me.

Esther Wiredu
Learning Specialist

Esther brings about 12 years of experience in education to The Learning Bar. Prior to joining The Learning Bar as a Learning Specialist, she worked in various roles in education serving the needs of teachers and students. She has a background in literacy and reading education, and worked as a reading specialist with the public school in the State of Virginia. She holds a master’s degree in Education and Human Development in Curriculum and Instruction from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. Esther is passionate about books and reading, and loves to transfer her passion for reading to students. What truly keeps her motivated is that every child can learn.

Ellie Parsons
Implementation Analyst
Lorna Cameron
Learning Specialist

Lorna is a member of the Research and Engagement Team. Lorna and the team empower educators by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to collect, review, interpret, share and action their data in meaningful ways. Lorna’s passion is to inspire educators as they collaborate in school planning to activate the power of students’ voices by including students as participants in the school planning process and change-makers in their learning journey. Prior to joining The Learning Bar in 2017, Lorna was an educator and administrator for twenty years. She keeps a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the field of education by maintaining relationships with former colleagues and connecting with educators as part of her current role. Lorna has a BA with first-class honours in Psychology from St. Thomas University (1995) and a B.Ed. with a concentration in Home Economics from the University of New Brunswick (1997).

Lorna has presented two webinars for The Learning Bar. Watch them here!

Gabrielle Gravesande
Program Manager
As a Program Manager, Gabrielle is responsible for ensuring the continued success of clients who use The Learning Bar’s Educational Prosperity suite of products. She works to ensure that clients achieve their intended outcomes in supporting their students’ learning journeys.
While attaining her BSc in Psychology from Queen’s University, she became interested in the field of education and its intersection with child development. This led to her work with students in a variety of capacities, and later, her attainment of a MEd in Developmental Psychology & Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Her continued interest in these fields and their correlation with the Educational Prosperity framework is what drives her work at The Learning Bar.
Classifying herself as an avid reader and lifelong learner, Gabrielle is passionate about supporting student success and is motivated by the opportunity to help students thrive!
Dr. Alma López-Garcia
Research Associate

Alma holds a master’s degree in Educational Research from the University of Aguascalientes, Mexico; a Diploma of Advanced Studies, obtained at the University of Madrid, Spain; and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies, from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. She has 18 years of experience in educational evaluation, which includes evaluation projects in Mexico, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Canada. She has specialized in the development of evaluations, validity studies, and recently in the evaluation of the foundational skills for learning to read. Alma is an optimistic person, and believes that evaluation is a key piece in constructing a better education system.

Jennifer Morgen
Research Assistant

Jennifer Morgen is a Research Assistant at The Learning Bar and works primarily on data and report deliverables. Jennifer has a BA with first-class honours in psychology and has over 10 years of teaching experience as a lab instructor at the university level. Her studies and teaching were focused on neuropsychology, research methods, and statistics. She also has 10 years of research experience working in an addiction research lab. She is proud to be part of a company that focuses on data-driven change and research-based tool development. She believes in The Learning Bar’s commitment to helping users at all levels of data literacy leverage their data to make meaningful change in the lives of students.

Ben Allinson
Research Assistant

Benjamin is a Research Assistant at The Learning Bar and works primarily on data and report deliverables for the OurSCHOOL and Early Years Evaluation product lines. Ben has a BSc with first-class honours in psychology and his studies focused on cognitive psychology. In addition to his research experience, he has over 10 years of technology support experience and is a certified Scrum Master.

Joel Henderson
Research Associate
Meghan Hadley
Research Assistant
Meghan Bell
Research Assistant
Christine Hole
Business Development Director

Christine completed her dual honours degree in Psychology and Criminology at Saint Mary’s University, and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Personality Psychology from the University of Manitoba. Prior to attending graduate school, Christine taught elementary school children in South Korea, ages 4 – 13, for two years, focusing on English as an additional language. This amazing experience served to strengthen her respect and admiration for teachers and solidified her passion for improving the life chances for all children. Christine has also been fortunate enough to work with children with special needs, in addition to a number of Speech-language pathologists (SLP’s), Occupational therapists (OT’s), Physical therapists (PT’s) and Speech pathologists (SP’s), while working with the Halifax Regional School Board and the Calgary Board of Education.

Clayton Crane
Multimedia Developer

Clayton Crane’s diverse background includes production experience with audio and video editing, animation, and database programming as well as extensive experience in web and new media application development, User Interface (UI) and graphic design.

He has mastered many professional tools of the trade in his 20+ years in the e-learning sector and brings a broad range of skills to every project.

Melissa Foote
Senior Graphic Designer

For over 19 years, Melissa has been turning companies’ important visions into vibrant and engaging design. A decade of printing industry experience has provided her with a deep perspective in creative problem solving, print production, and project management. As part of The Learning Bar’s marketing team, she collaborates with multiple departments to create meaningful high quality design assets, strategic marketing collateral, and on-going brand development.

When she is not pushing pixels, you’ll find her with her camera, or on her next travel adventure.

Yessica Enriquez
GIS and Media Specialist

Yessica Enriquez is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Media Specialist at The Learning Bar in Fredericton. She has expert knowledge of The Learning Bar mapping processes and technologies; leads the production of all mapping deliverables for The Learning Bar clientele, ensuring that all mapping deliverables meet The Learning Bar ’s high standards of accuracy, quality, and timely delivery. She collaborates with the web design and multimedia production in the marketing department; developing material for animations and graphics. She holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree, both from prestigious institutions and Universities in Mexico. She brings over 20 years experience in web design and development; multimedia and visual art production.

Travis Bonnell
Sales and Marketing Analyst

Travis works at The Learning Bar as a Sales and Marketing Analyst and works with several departments across the organization. He has worked with The Learning Bar for over 5 years and has been involved in sales for nearly a decade. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick.

Tess Thurston
Sales Consultant

Tess Thurston is the Sales Consultant for The Learning Bar’s Australian Team. Working under Aaron Burns and Allison Blanco, Tess’s role is to prospect potential schools and introduce them to The Learning Bar’s product lines and solutions.

Tess comes from recruitment, marketing, and sales background having worked as a Talent Manager and Sales & Marketing Coordinator.

Tess holds her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota where she focused heavily on sales and marketing. Tess joined The Learning Bar’s Team with the hopes of improving children’s school experiences.

Chloe Wasson
Junior Project Administrator
Stephen Wood
Senior Developer
Deepa Nambiar
Product Delivery Specialist

Deepa is a Product Delivery Specialist at the Learning Bar. She is part of the delivery team providing technical support and guidance to The Learning Bar’s employees and clients. Deepa is an all-round product expert, responsible for delivering reports and services that meet client expectations. She has a strong working knowledge of the OurSCHOOL product and is well experienced with responding to problems instantly, managing and delivering products and services.

She also has considerable experience working with various departments within the company to help identify and develop process improvements to better serve TLB clients. Deepa is passionate about The Learning bar’s vision and mission of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Kala Thiru Meganathan
Senior Developer
Adam Gavin
Senior Developer
Matthew Rothenberg
Junior DevOps Specialist

Matt is a Junior Dev Ops Specialist and works primarily with the OurSCHOOL platform providing support and creative solutions to the rest of the team. Matt has a diploma as an Information Technology Programmer-Analyst at New Brunswick Community College and has 8 years of programming experience. Matt especially enjoys dabbling in Structured Query Language (SQL) and also has enjoyed learning new skills in Amazon Web Services, deployment strategies, and also helps to make valuable contributions to the research team. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and son enjoying a healthy lifestyle by engaging in physical fitness and exploring the outdoors.

Phoebe Nguyen
Junior Developer
Phoebe Nguyen is a talented and dedicated Junior Developer at The Learning Bar. With a passion for technology and a drive to innovate, Phoebe brings a unique blend of skills and expertise to her role.
Phoebe holds degrees in Economics, Business Analysis, and IT: Programmer Analyst. This diverse educational background has equipped her with a solid foundation in both business and technology, allowing her to excel in her role as a programmer analyst. In her role, she works on developing and maintaining software applications that support OurSCHOOL product.
Phoebe is always eager to take on new challenges and expand her skills. She works closely with other members of the development team and other departments to ensure that the software applications are efficient, user-friendly, and meet the needs of the organization.
Evan Kennedy
Intermediate Developer
Ben Stilwell
Developer

Ben Stilwell works at The Learning Bar as a Web Application Developer for the Early Years Evaluation team. Ben brings over 15 years of IT and Development experience. When not at his desk staring at code, Ben enjoys spending time experimenting and creating in his kitchen, or out trying to keep up with his dog, Koa.

Grigory Libin
Junior Developer
Erin Pond
Junior Developer

Erin is a Junior Developer with The Learning Bar and is responsible for contributing to the achievement of our company’s vision by participating in the research and development of The Learning Bar’s products. Erin has always been interested in technology, teaching herself to code and enrolling in Computer Science electives while studying Psychology. Eventually she made the decision to change educational paths and completed her diploma in Information Technology Programmer Analyst from New Brunswick Community College in June 2021. As a mother, Erin was drawn to The Learning Bar and the meaningful opportunity to help children thrive through her work as a developer. In her spare time Erin enjoys reading, video games and spending time with her partner, son and two rescue cats.

Nathan Hubbard
Junior Developer
Nishanth Chillarige
Staff Software Engineer

Nishanth Chillarige is the staff software engineer of the learning bar, responsible for leading and mentoring a team of developers as they execute the technological product development activities, make design decisions to build scalable and maintainable software solutions, drive technical initiatives, and ensure our products adhere to industry best standards.

 

Nishanth attained a Master’s in organizational management, which adds to his profound technical experience. Nishanth worked with large Multinational companies as a Technical lead and a Senior Research Engineer in Research and Development Centre’s in various industries, such as Automotive and Industrial automation. A deep understanding of software development principles and broad technical knowledge enabled him to provide robust software solutions for products that manage industrial time-series data and derive data analytics.

 

Nishanth takes pride in his contribution to constantly strengthening industries and aspires to design their work environments updated with present-day technologies that serve humanity.

Megan Pitcher
Finance Officer
Hayley Yarnold
Finance and Administration Officer

Hayley is the Finance and Adminstration Officer for the Australian business. Working closely with the Managing Director, Hayley is responsible for the management of all aspects of Finance and Operations in the Australia business.  She has worked at The Learning Bar since Feburary 2021. Hayley holds a certificate in Accounting and Bookkeeping.

Kay Laird
Accounting Technician
Kaitlyn Gallant
Administrative/HR Assistant

Kaitlyn Gallant is a recent graduate student from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource. While obtaining her degree she found an interest in psychology of childhood development and education. Her hobbies include reading, relaxing on the beach, exploring, and spending time with family and friends.

Juliana Luiker
Projects and Research Assistant
Dr. Norma St. Croix
Senior Literacy Mentor
Neil Debassige
Indigenous Education Consultant

Neil is a former principal and a member of the M’Chigeeng First Nations, located on Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron. Neil has held principal positions at Kashechewan, Mikwemikong and M’Chigeeng First Nations.

He was awarded the prestigious Meritorious Service Medal by Governor General for service supporting Indigenous Education and is now working as a consultant at The Learning Bar.  

Neil has presented a webinar for The Learning Bar. Watch it here!

Megan Strong
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Megan Strong is a passionate educator with over seven years of experience in education. Megan started teaching in northern Saskatchewan, her years teaching in Saskatchewan have shaped her beliefs in education and relationship building. She has taught a variety of grades and subjects. Recently she has stepped out of the classroom to support teachers with instructional strategies and professional development in the areas of Science, Technology, Arts, and Math and Literacy.

Megan has experience using Learning Bar programs in her own classroom and as a professional support to other educators. She brings diverse experiences to the team.

Megan currently resides in the prairies and is happiest when she’s spending time on the water. When she’s not on the lake, she spends a lot of her time at the hockey arena, golfing, or out for walks with her two dogs.

Karen Power
Leadership Development Consultant

Karen is a consultant and former teacher, principal, superintendent, and senior advisor for professional learning and leadership. She has won multiple awards and authored books related to her work which focuses on leadership coaching in schools and districts, building collaborative practices through Professional Learning Community (PLC) implementation, district strategic planning, and developing effective instruction, assessment and evidence-based decisions for long-term sustainability.

Karen is now working as a consultant with The Learning Bar to support leadership development within schools and districts.

Edwin Corey
Chief Finance Officer
Dianne Debassige
Instructional Literacy Consultant
Connie Freeman
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Connie Freeman is the Senior Instructional Literacy Consultant at The Learning Bar. She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education and over a decade of experience in the classroom. Connie’s philosophy of education is grounded in a fundamental belief in the importance of equitable education for all and the critical role literacy plays in ensuring success for all students. As a literacy support specialist, Connie has experience supporting students and teachers in the classroom, as well as building professional learning communities in schools.

A proud mother of two, Connie is an environmental advocate and a nature enthusiast. In her free time, she can be found raising and releasing Monarch butterflies and volunteering with her therapy dog, Bear. Connie makes her home on beautiful Mnidoo Mnising/Manitoulin Island, in the heart of Northern Ontario.

Connie has presented a webinar for The Learning Bar. Watch it here!

Laurie Gatzke
Instructional Literacy Consultant
Christine Vernon
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Christine Vernon is an Instructional Literacy Consultant for the Confident Learners Program. In her role, Christine advises and provides knowledge and expertise regarding the Confident Learners Program and analyzes and reports on student literacy data.

Christine has taught in elementary classrooms for approximately 15 years. She holds a Reading Therapist Certification and is currently completing a Masters of Science in the area of Special Education.

Throughout her career in education, Christine has seen how difficult it can be to try to meet students needs without the appropriate tools and mentorship. This has motivated her learning and interest in helping other teachers to successfully meet the learning needs of their students.

Christine has a dynamic family life with her two children and her husband Teddie. She has a distinct interest in literacy and working with educators to develop programs for students within the exceptional (neuro-diverse) community. “I am a life long educator, but also a life long learner, excited to be upholding the vision of The Learning Bar – Giving All Children the Opportunity to Thrive”.

Ericka Sutherland
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Ericka Sutherland is a learning consultant in the Confident Learners program at The Learning Bar. Ericka completed master’s degrees in Literacy and Curriculum Studies from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax, NS, and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, NS, with a focus on professional learning communities and teacher professional development.

Ericka taught with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education for 31 years as an early elementary classroom teacher, Literacy Coach, Literacy Consultant and a Reading and Writing interventionist. Regardless of whatever roles she took on, her heart was always in the early elementary classroom with students at the beginning of their literacy journeys. She believes that a strong, early start to literacy learning creates a solid foundation for all future learning and social-emotional well-being.

Most recently, Ericka has taught in the master’s of Education program at Mount St. Vincent University developing and delivering courses on Literacy Learning and Teaching and Reading Popular Culture. Throughout her studies and career, Ericka has pursued her passion for student literacy success through quality teacher training in the areas of literacy curriculum and instruction and collaborative professional learning.

Ericka lives in Nova Scotia with her husband and two grown children. Ericka firmly believes that through building collaborative educational relationships between all educational partners, students, families, teachers, school and district staff, every child can thrive and succeed.

Talia Ritz
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Talia Ritz joins the team as a literacy coach, directly supporting schools and teachers with tools and strategies to help students thrive in their learning environment.

Talia brings with her 15 years of teaching experience from all over the world, both in early childhood and post-secondary. She holds master’s degrees in change leadership and inclusive education and is working toward a PhD in educational sustainability. She believes that every child deserves to be equipped for success through their education and is passionate about evidence-based literacy education.

Talia is an advocate for active lifestyles and enjoys leading forest school programs as well as exploring Canada’s amazing provincial and national parks. She volunteers with animal shelters and enjoys singing in local musical productions when she has the chance.

Lori Bryden
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Dr. Lori Bryden is an instructional literacy consultant with The Learning Bar. As a former teacher, coordinator of special education, and principal of 37 years, Lori believes in the power of education!

Lori holds a Doctorate in Education in Curriculum and Special Education; a Masters’ of Education in Curriculum and Instructional Technology from Acadia University; a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University; and a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University. In addition to her principal’s qualifications, Lori has also earned her Supervisory Officer’s Qualifications.

Lori’s areas of research include the science of reading, teacher questioning, inclusion, equity and trauma-informed leadership. In addition to her work at The Learning Bar, Lori is an Assistant Professor for students in the Professional Masters’ Degree Program. Her work includes supervising capstone projects and instructing literacy courses. Lori is also a course instructor and course writer with the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario. Lori enjoys writing and reviewing curriculum for school districts, universities, and other professional educational organizations throughout Canada.

Lori strongly believes that all children can achieve at a high level when provided with appropriate support. She is passionate about assisting school teams to create the best learning environments for their students.

Lori enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and their many rescue animals at their homes in Ontario and New Brunswick.

Vicki Den Ouden
Instructional Literacy Consultant

Vicki Den Ouden is a Literacy Coach with The Learning Bar. In this role, she supports and empowers teachers in northern and remote communities by collaboratively discussing and comprehending the curriculum, planning effective lessons and teaching strategies, and analyzing student data.

Vicki’s educational background is in elementary reading curriculum and instruction. She also holds a graduate diploma in educational technology and an M.Ed. degree with a focus on UDL and reflective practice from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. She has over 30 years of teaching experience in public and independent schools as a classroom teacher, Learning Assistance teacher, and Reading Intervention teacher. In addition to this, she has been a consultant for an international ed tech company and a sessional instructor for several universities in BC.

Vicki is passionate about her creative interests, such as knitting, sewing, writing, photography, and acting.

Andrew Willms
Project Assistant