Facilitators' Biographies
ARNIEL, (Chef) Bob
Chef Arniel is a certified, award-winning Chef de Cuisine. He offers food service consulting services, training and food styling for individual and corporate clients and his work has been featured in local and national media.
BECKETT, Tom
Tom Beckett joined the Opimian Society, the wine society of Canada, in 1976. Three years later, he took on the task of organizing wine tastings for the six members of the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter. In 1991, When he retired from organizing, there were 245 society members scattered throughout province. Tom enjoys reading and writing about wine and touring vineyards in which enjoyable products are crafted. Tom particularly enjoys structuring wine tastings to allow comparative analysis and value for money comparisons.
CRICKARD, Don
Don has been facilitating training for the Division of lifelong Learning for more than three years. He has facilitated workshops and seminars in time management, dealing with difficult people and facilitation skills to name a few. He brings 31 years of progressive management experience in sales and marketing with a leading global communications manufacturer. Don also possesses entrepreneurial skills with the successful founding and operation of Crickard Communications Inc.
CURNEW, Shannon B.Eng. (Computer Engineering), M.A.Sc. (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Shannon has instructed labs and tutorials for computer technology classes. He has a wide array of computer skills and qualifications, ranging from computer programming, web development, software design and using a variety of operating systems.
DAWSON, Peter
Peter has more than 30 years' experience in the horticultural field. He has developed and taught numerous courses in landscaping, gardening, and turf management as well as managing horticultural projects for the Quidi Vidi Rennies River Development Foundation, C. A. Pippy Park and the East Coast Trail Association.
DILLON, Dan
Dan has a diploma in business management (three-year marketing program), a post-secondary instructors certificate (Department of Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador), a diploma in post-secondary education (Memorial University), and bachelor of education (post-secondary) also from Memorial. He is now working on his master of education (post-secondary). Dan also has over 15 years' experience in sales, service and marketing as well as five years' experience in teaching business courses at the post-secondary level including courses in marketing, sales, business communications and customer relationship building. He has been teaching for Memorial's Division of Lifelong Learning since 1998.
GOUGH, Frank
Frank is employed as a French instructor with the Association for New Canadians and has taught in the Federal Government 's Language Training Program. He has been teaching French to adults for many years.
HARNETT, John
A registered psychologist and registrar for the Newfoundland and Labrador Psychology Board, John spent almost 35 years as a Counsellor with the College of the North Atlantic from Canada to Qatar. John has held a variety of leadership roles in national and provincial student services organizations and international service Clubs. He loves teaching and has facilitated many workshops in the area of personal development as well as lecturing at Memorial in the Faculty of Education for a number of years. He is also qualified to conduct workshops with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and Personality Dimensions and is currently the only Personality Dimensions Trainer in the province.“
HAYNES, Darryl
Darryl has been cooking and/or teaching cooking, commercially (The Cellar, Djangos) or for public sector institutions, e.g., Marine Institute, since 1986. He has extensive experience in food preparation, hotel/motel restaurant operations and has advance training in food safety. He holds his third-year commercial cooking inter-provincial red seal.
KAVANAGH, Ed
Ed Kavanagh grew up in Kilbride, Newfoundland and Labrador. He has worked as a writer, actor, musician, theatre director, university lecturer, and editor. In addition to the Amanda Greenleaf series of children’s books, Ed has also published The Cat’s Meow: The ’Longside Players Selected Plays, 1984-1989 (co-author and editor), and released a cassette tape of his children’s songs: Alison Gross and Other Wickedly Wonderful Songs. His first adult novel, The Confessions of Nipper Mooney, won the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Fiction, was a finalist for the Winterset Award, and was also nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. In 2004 Ed released the CD Weaving the Wind: Music from Newfoundland Performed on Celtic Harp. Since the publication of his first book in 1986, Ed has travelled widely, visiting many schools and libraries. As a musician and writer of children’s songs, he adds variety to his visits with musical selections on guitar and Celtic harp. He has performed extensively throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as in Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Ireland.
KELLOWAY, Rowena
Bio not available.
LEAR, Michele B.A. (Hons.), B.Ed., M.A., TESL Cert.
Michele’s passion for music has led her to study, perform and teach in a wide variety of areas, from singing to instruments such as piano, violin and bouzouki. Michele has been a member of a range of bands and choirs, including the Lear Family Band. She also has an extensive and diverse background in teaching English as a Second Language.
LOMOND, Ted
Bio not available.
MURPHY, Ian
Ian has a unique combination of educational, personal and professional music experience. His playing experience includes everything from solo acoustic shows and large jazz ensembles, to fronting an original rock band. He has taught guitar since 2000, to students of all ages and levels. His teaching experience has allowed him to develop an introductory guitar program that has proven very effective in providing his students with a sturdy foundation towards the realization of their music goals.
MURPHY (Bragg), Kathleen, B. Ed., (Post-Secondary)
Kathleen is an avid acrylic painter. Her work on various subjects, including seascapes, landscapes and still life have been shown in private and public exhibitions. Her work has also been featured in local media. She thoroughly enjoys painting vacations which has taken her to France and the United States. Kathleen is an active member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Art Association.
NEGRIJN, Jan (Captain)
Captain Jan Negrijn is an instructor at the Marine Institute who has over 30 years seafaring experience operating a wide variety of vessels on Canada's east and west coasts as well as the Arctic. He currently divides his time teaching in the classroom and on the institute's 14m training/research vessel Mares. Jan has been teaching navigation courses through the Division for 5 years.
O'BRIEN, Susan
Susan is a graduate of Memorial's School of Music (1984). In addition to teaching in the K-12 system, she is very active in choral performances, musicals and dinner theatres. She has taken choral conducting courses in Banff, New York and Mexico and is one of six choral conductors accepted for graduate work at this summer's (2005) Festival 500. She has conducted the St. John's Choir for several years and has won several conducting awards for her work with school choirs.
RING, Randy
Randy is no stranger to the music arena. He has played with a number of musical groups and has launched a variety of albums/CD’s highlighting Newfoundland’s rich traditional and folk music. He plays an array of instruments including the guitar, fiddle, mandolin, tin whistle, Irish drum and accordion. He has been teaching accordion for 25 years through O’Brien’s and Hutton’s music stores as well as independently.
RODRIGUEZ, Maria Angeles
Maria is from Barcelona, Spain. She is a native speaker of Spanish and Catalan. She is a lecturer in Spanish at the department of French and Spanish and a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University. She received a BA and a graduate diploma in post-colonial literatures from the University of Barcelona, Spain, as well as an MA (English) and MEd. (second language education) from Memorial.
ROY, Ruth
Ruth is a native French speaker from Quebec but has lived in Newfoundland since 1983. Ruth has a BA (French) and a B.Ed. (French education). She teaches French at many levels from Primary school to business executives.
RYAN, Patricia
Pat Hayden Ryan, BA, BA (education), MA (art education), is an art education instructor at Memorial University's Faculty of Education. Pat is a member of the Art Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (AANL), the Visual Art Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (VANL), the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and the Burin Peninsula Art Association (BPAA). Her commissioned works hang in private residences and businesses throughout Canada and the USA, and her work is displayed in several local galleries.
RYAN, Rob, CCNA, CCNP, CCAI
Rob has been teaching in both the private and public sector for eight years, mostly in the information technology, computer, and accounting areas. He has attained several industry certifications such as Cisco's CCNA, CCNP, and CCAI. Other certifications include Microsoft's MCP, MCSE, MCT, as well as CompTIA's A+ and Network + designations. Also, Rob has a diploma from CONA in accounting, as well as a diploma and bachelors degree in post-secondary education from Memorial University. Presently Rob is working on his master of education (post-secondary studies) while continuing to maintain his industry certification through on-going study and training.
SHEA, Judy
Prior to retiring this year, Judy used and instructed American Sign Language (ASL) in her teaching position at the Newfoundland School for the Deaf. She continues to teach ASL to adult learners through Lifelong Learning, as she has done for several years.
SLANEY, Deborah
Deborah has a broad background in payroll administration and accounting, having provided those services to several public- and private-sector organizations, which included unionized systems as well as setting up payroll departments, processes and staff training. She is currently payroll administrator for the Charles R Bell group of companies. She obtained her payroll manager designation in 1996, from the University of Waterloo.
SQUIRES, Gerald
Gerald Squires, R.C.A., studied at the Ontario College of Art and the Artist's Workshop in Toronto. After ten years as a newspaper artist in Toronto while participating in major juried and solo exhibitions , he returned to Newfoundland in 1965 to devote himself full-time to his work as an artist, adjudicator, and teacher. A founding member of the Oshawa Art Gallery (now the Robert McLoughlin Gallery), Oshawa, Ontario and the Artist's Coalition of Newfoundland & Labrador, he has also served on the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, juried for the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador's Art Procurement Program, adjudicated the Annual Arts and Letters Competition in St. John's and acted as juror for the Canada Council Arts `B` Awards (1987). He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Newfoundland and Labrador Ted Drover Award (1984), a Canada Council Arts `B` Award (1987), was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from Memorial University of Newfoundland (1992), received the Order of Canada (1999), and was made a Member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts (1999). Gerald Squires has lived and worked in Holyrood, Newfoundland since 1983.
STUDENT CONNECTIONS
Specially trained and certified university and college students, funded under an Industry Canada youth employment initiative. Student Connections promotes small business development by providing low-cost, customizable e-commerce and Internet training based on the needs of industries, businesses, government agencies, municipalities and community organizations.
SUMMERS, Gary
Gary is a trained physiologist and a practising stress management and relaxation counsellor, He understands the relationship between the physiological and psychological implications of stress. Gary has also developed a program for youth called Discover the Magic Within You where he teaches youth about the dangers of smoking, drinking and drugs, along with helping them make sound lifestyle choices. The program has received the support of the provincial departments of health and education as well as the RNC, RCMP and the Home and School Federation. He has been presenting this program to the province's school children since 1996.
SWAIN, Darrell H. B.A., B.Ed., FCIP, CRM, CPIB
Darrell is presently Manager of Corporate Risk with Johnson Inc. Darrell was elected as VP of the Insurance Institute of Newfoundland in 1988, and in the next year elected as President. In 1991 he completed a FIIC (Fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada) in Underwriting. He continued on to complete Fellowship Continuing Education Certificates in Claims (1993), Risk Management (1994), and Brokerage/Agency Operations (1997). He completed the Canadian Risk Management program in 1994 and the Canadian Professional Insurance Broker program (Honours) in 2003.
Darrell served as member of the National Examinations Committee of the Insurance Institute of Canada and the National Academic Committee. He was elected President of the Insurance Brokers Association of Newfoundland in 2003, Atlantic Vice Chair of the Insurance Institute of Canada also in 2003, and Professional Development Co-Chair for the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (2004-2005)
THOMS, Marc
Marc has been a French immersion teacher for seven years. He has a French certificate from Laval University as well as a BA and B.Ed. (French concentration) from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Marc is fluently bilingual and he is a member of the Francophone Association of St. John's.
WHALEN, Doreen
Doreen holds a B.Voc.Ed. and an MBA from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She has been facilitating workshops and seminars in office procedures, time management and communications for more than 25 years. She has also taught Business 2000 (Business Communications) for the Faculty of Business Administration for the past 15 years.
WHALEN, Julie
Julie has an extensive and varied educational history in the arts. In addition to studies at Grenfell College and Dalhousie University, she has a diploma in classical animation from Algonquin College, and an arts certificate from Sheridan College. She's also been active as an arts instructor in Italy, Ottawa, and Halifax, teaching life drawing and anatomy, art history, portfolio preparation, illustration and advertising and storyboarding. "I love to teach," Julie says. "I go out of my way to make sure my students understand and absorb the concepts we cover."
WHITE, Heather
Heather White has been offering training experiences since 1985 and has trained thousands of people in a range of topics including: management development, conflict resolution and mediation; team development and change management, as well as communication and assertiveness. Currently, her full time work has her playing a national role to facilitate change management in our health care system. Heather has worked in various other capacities including Project Manager for an Atlantic Canada training initiative, Respectful Workplace Coordinator for the provincial government, Employee Assistance counsellor, Staff development manager and career development specialist. Heather has a part time consulting practice offering training and mediations. She also teaches part time at the Faculty of Education, MUN. She holds an honours BA in psychology and law; a certificate in adult teaching and a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology as well as completing other graduate training in counselling psychology. She has been certified as a mediator by several bodies including the University of Winsor and has been providing a range of conflict resolution services since 1995.
WRIGHT, Marie-Beth
Marie-Beth Wright has taught Core and immersion French for over sixteen years, most recently at Holy Heart of Mary High , St. John's. She is also a French tutor with Tutors Unlimited. Marie-Beth sang with La Chorale francophone for approximately eight years and has close ties with the Francophone community of St. John's. The mother of two Honors French Immersion graduates, she has been a member of various Canadian Parents for French executives, locally, provincially and nationally from 1985-2005. Marie-Beth holds a B.A in English and French from Memorial and has participated in French summer studies at L'université de Sainte Anne(Church Point), L'université du Québec at Trois Rivières, le Collège linguistique at Jonquière, L'univesité de Moncton at Shippagan, and Francoforum in Saint Pierre. She also has bilingual experience within the Federal Public Service.
YOUNG, Robert
Robert is a commercial photographer. He has instructed courses for our beginning and more advanced photography students for over 5 years. His repertoire includes industrial photography in Europe and North America, with particular experience in Newfoundland's resource industries, event photography for trade shows and conventions, and portrait photography for groups and individuals. Our students appreciate Robert's technical expertise, engaging teaching style, and ability to bring a creative flair to photographic pursuits.
