Our Team

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.

Ben Allinson is a Product Owner for the Early Years Evaluation (EYE) team. His work focuses on the development, validation, and implementation of evidence-based screening tools that support early learning and literacy outcomes across various school systems. With a strong background in data analysis and research methodology, he contributes to the ongoing evolution of assessment solutions within the EYE suite, supporting product development, pilot studies, and stakeholder engagement. 

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.

Carlos has been with the Learning Bar since 2017 with over 8 years as part of the client success team. Carlos has participated in Training and assessment projects in Ecuador and Saskatchewan respectively. “In my CS role, showing Empathy to my clients makes a big difference in that relationship. It shows our human side, and clients appreciate it” 

Carlos has over 20 years teaching-experience combined in Mexico and Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Education from Universidad Autónoma del Carmen (UNACAR) and a New Brunswick’s Teacher Certificate. In addition, Carlos has completed Professional Learning Courses such as Online Teaching (UNB) and Project Management (Coursera). 

Carlos lives in St. Andrews, in Southwest New Brunswick, He aligns his teaching and Soccer skills as a Soccer coach in Charlotte County. Carlos has coached not only Recreational Teams but Competitive ones that ranked in the top 5 in the province including a U13 Provincial Championship. 

Chris Piro has recently retired from the Director of Student Services role at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Schools. She brings extensive experience in inclusive education, both as a teacher and school administrator. With a deep commitment to fostering student success, wellness, and engagement, Chris has dedicated her career to identifying and removing barriers for learners of all backgrounds and abilities.

Chris holds a Master’s degree in Administration and a Bachelor of Education with a major in Inclusive Education. Her commitment to lifelong learning is evident through her continued professional development—she is a certified trainer in VTRA Level I, SIVA, and Psychological Safety.

In retirement, she continues to advocate for inclusive practices and remains passionate about supporting educators and school systems in creating welcoming, responsive learning environments for all.

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’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.

Connie Freeman is an 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.

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.

Dr. J. Douglas Willms is the founder of The Learning Bar. He is the President of the International Academy of Education, a Member of the US National 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 OECD for 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.

Ellie works within the Australian Client Success Team to build long-term customer relationships by ensuring that clients have a positive experience with Tell Them From Me and Early Years Evaluation. 

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.

Erin is a Intermediate 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.

Grigory is a QA Lead with The Learning Bar and is responsible for contributing to the achievement of our company’s vision by ensuring the quality and reliability of our products. He plays a key role in the testing process, working closely with cross-functional teams to support the development and delivery of effective, user-focused solutions.

He is particularly motivated by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful products that support learning and development.

Grigory holds an Electronics diploma, Industrial management diploma, industrial QA diploma, Business Admin – Accounting diploma and IT: Programmer Analyst diploma (graduated in 2022).

In his spare time, Grigory enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling the world, playing sports, and riding his motorcycle.

Jennifer Morgen is the Manager of Data and Analytics at The Learning Bar, where she leads work related to data and report deliverables, and supports the ongoing development of new content for the The Learning Bar’s survey tools. She has been with TLB since 2016, contributing to the growth and delivery of data-informed solutions that support meaningful change in education.

Jennifer holds a BA with first-class honours in psychology and brings over 10 years of university-level teaching experience as a lab instructor. Her academic and teaching work focused on neuropsychology, research methods, and statistics. She also has a decade of experience in addiction research, contributing to applied research initiatives.

Jennifer is proud to be part of an organization committed to data-driven decision-making and research-based tool development. She is passionate about empowering users at all levels of data literacy understand and use their data to improve outcomes for students.

Joel Henderson is a Research Associate at The Learning Bar. As a member of the research team, he works closely with school districts across Canada to support their needs, with a particular focus on assisting school leaders as they understand and explore their OurSCHOOL data. Joel holds a master’s degree in education and his expertise extends to the areas of instructional design, e-learning, and curriculum development.

Jonathan is the Client Success Director for The Learning Bar’s Australian Team. Jonathan’s role is to drive the adaptation and implementation of TLB’s literacy products to meet the unique needs of the Australian market. Prior to working at the Learning Bar, Jonathan was a teacher and principal for 30 years, working in a diverse range of schools in terms of size and socio-economic status. His school piloted the Tell Them From Me survey when it was first introduced in Australia.

Jonathan’s passion for ensuring students have a strong start when transitioning to school led to his involvement in the inaugural network of schools implementing the Early Years Evaluation in Australia. Jonathan recognised the value of The Learning Bar’s work and was eager to join the organisation, contributing to its efforts to support schools across Australia.

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.

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.

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.

Kerry Zinkiewich is an Instructional Literacy Consultant with The Learning Bar. Kerry is a dedicated educator with over three decades of experience in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. Over her 33-year career, Kerry served in a variety of roles including primary, junior, and intermediate classroom teacher, literacy consultant, and ultimately, Principal of a Kindergarten to Grade 8 school.

Kerry’s passion for literacy and teacher development extends beyond the K-8 classroom. She continues to contribute to the field of education as an instructor in Reading Additional Qualification courses at Trent University where she supports educators in deepening their understanding of literacy instruction and pedagogy.

Throughout her career, Kerry has been a strong advocate for literacy, believing that a solid foundation in reading and writing is essential for lifelong learning and student well-being. She believes that it is through literacy that we can work towards a more equitable society- one in which every child has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of background or circumstance.
Kerry lives in Peterborough, Ontario and enjoys being outside on the water, reading and playing board games with her family.

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 principle 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.

Lorna is a member of the Client Success 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).

Schools have increasingly diverse communities, with families from a range of backgrounds. Meghan coordinates translation and support other research projects to ensure the data you need is available & accessible for community stakeholders. She believes helping engage all families and community members can help all students achieve success at every level.

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.

Melissa Morgan is the Director of Client Success at The Learning Bar, where she has been a valued team member since 2015. She is known for her positive, adaptable, and collaborative approach, and plays a key role in ensuring strong client outcomes across the organization.

In her role, Melissa manages a portfolio that includes many of The Learning Bar’s largest accounts, while overseeing the delivery, implementation, and ongoing support of clients across the company’s product lines. She works closely with both clients and internal teams to ensure a seamless experience and meaningful impact. 

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and is committed to continuous learning and professional growth. 

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.  

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.

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. 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 2 children, and volunteering in her community. 

Sarah is a Client Experience Associate with over 20 years of customer service experience, dedicated to delivering exceptional support and building strong client partnerships. She is also an emerging project manager with a diverse background in client experience, team leadership, educational program development, and data-informed decision-making. 

She manages product delivery with care and provides timely assistance with any challenges, from password recovery to resolving application-related issues. Known for her responsive and thoughtful approach, Sarah is committed to exceeding expectations and delivering solutions that make a meaningful impact.  

She is especially passionate about disability and inclusion in education and is driven to support equitable learning environments where every child has the opportunity to thrive, as their success is our success.

Stephanie is the Product Director for Confident Learners and has worked across research and product leadership roles for more than ten years. She holds a Master of Applied Health Services Research from the University of New Brunswick and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Stephanie is passionate about collaborating with colleagues and learning from clients to better understand their experiences, needs, and challenges. She leads product strategy and development for Confident Learners, combining team expertise with client feedback to guide continuous product improvements that support schools and contribute to positive outcomes for students.

Outside of work, she enjoys trying new recipes, exploring different cuisines, and travelling to experience new places.

Tania Sterling, Ed.D., is a Leadership Coach with The Learning Bar, bringing over three decades of expertise in educational leadership, equity-focused facilitation, and strategic school improvement.

She holds a Doctor of Education from Walden University, a Master of Education from OISE/UT, and multiple specialist and leadership certifications. As an educational consultant and former Superintendent of Education, Tania has led transformative initiatives across Ontario, including Indigenous education partnerships, digital learning strategies, and leadership development frameworks. She has taught graduate-level courses at Niagara University and contributed to provincial policy reform and reconciliation-focused training.

Passionate about equity, student voice, and community engagement, Tania mentors emerging leaders and facilitates professional learning to foster inclusive, high-impact educational environments.

Her volunteer work with Youth Without Shelter reflects her commitment to empowering marginalized youth through education and advocacy.

Travis works at The Learning Bar as the Manager, Sales Operations. He has worked with The Learning Bar for over 8 years and has worked in sales for over 12 years. Travis coordinates our sales efforts, oversees proposal development, and manages our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Travis joined The Learning Bar upon graduating from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2018. 

Wendy Holierhoek is an Instructional Literacy Consultant with The Learning Bar, bringing over 34 years of experience in education. Throughout her extensive career, she has served in a variety of impactful roles including Principal, Vice Principal, Board Special Education Administrator, Special Education Resource Teacher, and Classroom Teacher. Her leadership across these roles has been defined by a commitment to inclusive education and evidence-based practice.

Wendy’s foundation is firmly rooted in Special Education, holding a Specialist Additional Qualification (AQ) in the field. She is widely recognized for her ability to build strong, collaborative teams and for her thoughtful approach to supporting both students and educators. Her work is deeply informed by the belief that all students can learn, and this core conviction aligns closely with the Science of Reading—a framework she integrates into her literacy work to drive equitable outcomes in classrooms.

In her current role, Wendy works with educators, school leaders, and districts to implement research-based literacy practices, analyze student data, and create environments where every learner can thrive. She believes firmly in The Learning Bar’s Confident Learners Program and has seen firsthand the meaningful impact it has on both classroom instruction and student learning.

Wendy is a lifelong learner, frequently engaged in professional development and knowledge-sharing with others in the field. Her career has been guided by a clear vision: to ensure that every child, regardless of background or ability, has access to high-quality instruction and the opportunity to succeed.

Yessica Enriquez is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Consultant at The Learning Bar in Fredericton. She has expert knowledge of TLB mapping processes and technologies; leads the production of all mapping deliverables for TLB clientele, ensuring that all mapping deliverables meet TLB’s high standards of accuracy, quality, and timely delivery.

Yessica 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.