Dr. Kellie Baker (she/her) has spent three decades advancing physical and health education as a public school teacher, curriculum specialist, teacher educator, researcher, professional development facilitator, and volunteer on local, provincial, national, and international boards, councils, and committees. Currently working as a curriculum development specialist for the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education, Kellie is proud to be working with teachers, Canadian and international scholars, and various other stakeholders, to support all children and youth in leading active, healthy lives.   

As an Instructor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and an active facilitator of professional development, Kellie supports educators, at all stages of their careers, in reconsidering what is said and done in the name of physical education. She is also passionate about contributing to the field through research. Her current interests have applications at all levels of education, for example, Social Justice in Health and Physical Education (HPE), Models-based Practice, HPE Policy, Skills-Based Health Education, and vulnerability in practice. 

Dr. Jo Sheppard is an associate professor at the University of Alberta. As a pedagogy specialist, Jo is an advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and embeds theoretical and critical best practices in physical and health education within research, teaching and programming. Jo believes that it is our responsibility to recognize the many aspects (physical, cognitive and affective) that make up an individual. It is equally important to discover and implement the most effective teaching strategies necessary to suit the individual needs of all learners. As an educator and PHE pedagogy specialist, Jo aspires to create a learning environment that motivates students by challenging them at an optimal level while promoting an environment where students can feel a sense of ownership for their learning.

Steve McGinley is a full time lecturer and PhD. Candidate in the Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Health Outdoor and Physical Education (HOPE) program area at the University of British Columbia.  He currently teaches secondary and elementary method courses and Teacher Inquiry in the Teacher Education Program and engages all learners and creates and sustains conditions for professional collaboration across education, sport, recreation and health. He also contributes to teaching in the HOPE Ed. Masters Cohort. 

He is a trained K-12 Physical Education (PE) teacher, consultant and has extensive experience in schools as a PE teacher, PE department head, and an assistant athletic director. Outside of school, Steve and his wife Natalie are proud parents of Ava and Emily and they enjoy being outdoors, camping, out on the water, mountain biking, playing ice hockey, being active and coaching a plethora of youth sports in the community.

Steve’s current research and passion lies in investigating the collaboration, relationships, leaderships, and network alliances at the multisectoral stakeholder-level necessary to advance the future of physical activity and physical literacy in school contexts.  Most recently, Steve supported the development, implementation and evaluation of the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy (SPA-PL) prototype project aimed to build the capacity of BC educators to support and deliver physical activity and physical literacy opportunities in the school setting. 

Colin Pybus is privileged to be welcomed as a guest on the traditional lands of the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit Peoples, having moved to the Region in 2012. Colin works in the District Office of the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council and is responsible for supporting the deliverance of land-based, outdoor and physical education within the region. Previous to his current position, Colin a Vice-Principal and for eight years before that role, the physical education teacher in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. 

Originally from Walkerton Ontario, Colin worked in the public school system in Ontario for three years before moving to NT. Academically, he studied physical education at Brock University. Graduating H.B.PhEd, B.Ed and Masters in applied health sciences, developing his understanding, passion and drive from the amazing team at Brock. 10 years later Colin returned to school, completing his M.Ed degree in educational leadership from Vancouver Island University (VIU). While at VIU, Colin was awarded the BC graduate and national SSHRC graduate scholarships for his research focusing on the state of physical education in the NWT; research that ties perfectly to the creation of a “Northern” position on the PHE Canada Board. 

Before taking on her current role of Director, Field Experience (Community-Based Pathway), at the Werklund School of Education, Dr. Astrid Kendrick was a K-12 classroom teacher for nineteen years specializing in Physical Education and English/Language Arts. Astrid’s current research focus is on compassion fatigue, burnout, and emotional labour in Alberta educational workers and as a result of this work, she has developed a website to enable educational workers to work on their health and wellness at work.

Astrid is committed to improving the health and wellness of children through establishing partnerships with local school districts and Alberta Health Services. For the past several years, she has served as the co-chair of the Health Promoting Schools Collaborative for the southern Alberta region which is a committee composed of health champions from several school districts and Alberta Health Services. 

Within her current role with the University of Calgary Werklund School of Education, Astrid has been a part of developing and instructing the Comprehensive School Health course, has taught the Physical Education specialization, and has used her position as the Director of Field Experience to embed self-care planning and workplace wellness as a key aspect of the program. 
Closely connected to the Health and Physical Education Council (HPEC), she was the editor of the Runner for three years between 2018-2021. Part of this role included investigating key areas of research to assist practicing teachers with the best practices for creating responsive and interesting physical education programs.

With the health and wellness of children, faculty, and the community being an important focus of the post-pandemic period, Astrid is eager to use her research and practical expertise to assist with guiding the future of PHE Canada.

Jennifer Buettner is teaching Physical Education and Health in Saskatoon at Sutherland Elementary school. She is also vice-principal. Currently, Jennifer sits on many committees locally, provincially, and nationally through which she supports the health and wellbeing of many students and colleagues.

Jennifer grew up on a farm near a small town in central Saskatchewan called Wakaw. Jennifer was involved in sports at a very early age and continued into adulthood. She attended the University of Saskatchewan and obtained her Bachelor of Education with a major in physical education minor in computer science. Since then, Jen continued her studies by completing her Masters of Education at the U of S with a focus on Physical Literacy. Jennifer is committed to giving back and gets involved in as much as she can. As a university student, Jen became involved with SPEA by volunteering at conferences. From there, she became the regional director and nine years later the president. She also sits on the PHE Council of Provinces and Territories as the Co-Chair.

As well as keeping her busy hiking, biking, and canoeing, Jennifer’s active family fully supports her passion for teaching quality physical education.

Tim Giannotti is a Kindergarten to Grade 8 Physical Education and Outdoor Education Teacher in beautiful Waywayseecappo, Manitoba. He is a Physical  Education graduate of Dickinson State University. Tim has been teaching Physical Education and Outdoor Education, and coaching/leading numerous teams and activities for the past 12 years. He received the PHE Canada Dr. Andy Anderson Young Professional Award in 2016, and the 2022-23 PHE Canada National Award for Teaching Excellence in Physical & Health Education. 

In his current role, Tim has the unique opportunity to incorporate Outdoor Education into Physical Education classes - developing relationships with community members/elders to share knowledge and teachings within classes. Tim also works with classroom teachers to develop cross-curricular lessons, thus providing students with a meaningful outdoor experience connected with different subject areas. This provides students with cultural and practical experiences such as hunting, hide stretching/tanning, fishing, snowshoeing, skiing (cross-country and downhill), mountain biking, snaring, etc.
 
Tim’s diverse background and experiences are an asset to PHE Canada, as is his ability to work as a team member.

Rebecca Richardson is currently an Instructional Program Leader with Halton District School Board, responsible for Secondary Health and Physical Education, The Arts and Safety and Well Being. Rebecca is also an executive member on both the local (H.S.S.A.A) and regional (G.H.A.C) athletic associations, responsible for leading interschool athletic programming and coordinating with athletic convenors.  Her provincial leadership roles include current Past President of OASPHE (Ontario Association for the Support of Physical and Health Educators), a current member of Ophea's SIPAC (Student Injury Prevention Advisory Council) and former member of Ophea's Curriculum Advisory Council. 
 
Rebecca consistently prioritizes the needs of students above all else in every aspect of her involvement. Her extensive involvement in a wide variety of associations demonstrates that she is collaborative, positive and readily shares ideas. When any tasks are assigned, she always volunteers to assist in the achievement of the team's goals.
 
Rebecca’s professionalism, experience and organizational skills allow her to handle difficult situations related to colleagues and various provincial stakeholders. As a leader, Rebecca has the ability to listen critically, understand and honour diverse perspectives and include all voices to reach consensus when working with others. Currently, she is co-facilitating learning in her department around Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy and working with a team of teachers and system leads around prioritizing Indigenous Rights and Education in HPE and The Arts. For personal growth and learning Rebecca has started a Certificate Program at Mohawk College in the area of Mourning, Grief and Bereavement.

Krista Smeltzer is a physical education teacher at Champlain College Saint Lambert, a CEGEP on the South Shore of Montreal. She teaches courses on yoga, fitness, ultimate frisbee, running, and nutrition. She focuses on encouraging students to find joy in movement. She enjoys collaborating with colleagues on curriculum design, alignment, and self-assessment. As a result of teaching during a pandemic, she also has a newfound enthusiasm for rethinking and redesigning physical education courses using a blended learning approach.

Krista is an advocate for lifelong learning and can be found attending conferences and workshops or helping to organize them. She holds two degrees from McGill, a B.Ed in Physical Education and a M.A. in Physical Education Pedagogy. She is currently completing a M.Ed in College Teaching at the Université de Sherbrooke, exploring meaningfulness in CEGEP physical education.

She is a Past President of APEQ (Association of Physical Educators of Quebec), an association she has been a part of since 2002. For her contributions and efforts, she was recognized with a CAPHERD Student Award in 2005 and the Andy Anderson Young Professional Award in 2013.  

In between chauffeuring her kids between rinks and fields, Krista can be found playing ultimate Frisbee and hockey, weight training, golfing, running, skiing, and practicing yoga.

Joe Crossland is the past president of the New Brunswick Physical Education Society (NBPES) and past co-chair of the PHE Canada Council of Provinces & Territories (CoPT). Joe was a physical education teacher for 14 years, including six years as the Physical Education & Health Lead for the Anglophone School District West (ASD-W) in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where he supported all physical education and health teachers in his school district.  Joe is currently in his first year as a Vice Principal at Devon Middle School.

During his term as NBPES President, Joe has developed into a respected leader among physical education professionals across the country. Joe has shown great leadership during his time on the CoPT and was a key developer and writer on the new CoPT Terms of Reference, which has been transformed into a clear and simple reference point for current and future council.

Joe has presented at multiple provincial and national conferences and is currently co-chairing the NBPES/NBTA Council Day Conference in May. In his role with both NBPES and ASD-W, Joe has worked on numerous provincial committees that bring together the health, sport, and education sectors. Joe was actively involved in the first Concussion Awareness Day in New Brunswick, is a member of the 6-8 Personal Wellness Modernized Curriculum team and the Sport Recreation and Leisure Working Group. Joe is a New Brunswick Teacher Association Teacher Wellness Facilitator supporting teacher wellness in his school, district, and province.  

Outside of school, Joe and his wife Katelin (also a physical education teacher) are the proud parents of Sadie and Sam. Joe enjoys running, playing soccer, golfing and spending time at his family's cottage. Joe is in his 15th season as an assistant coach for the University of New Brunswick Reds women's soccer team.

Jen McKenzie is an Elementary Physical Education specialist and a former 4-year President of TAPHE (Teachers Association of Physical and Health Educators). She represented Nova Scotia on PHE Canada's Council of the Provinces for 4 years and had presented, danced, and judged at many PHE Canada national conferences. She provides leadership and mentorship to the province through her involvement in TAPHE; taking a lead yearly to help organize and facilitate the provincial October Conference.  

Jen's ability to both lead and follow makes her an asset to any group. She will offer dynamic and exciting ideas, while helping on projects and committees, sharing information from the national body to our provincial TAPHE members and promoting PHE Canada.  

Allister Smith is the Physical and Health Education Curriculum Leader at the Department of Education and Early Years. He has been teaching Physical Education, Health, Family Living, and Leadership for 17 years at the intermediate and high school levels on Prince Edward Island. Allister is responsible for researching, writing, piloting, and implementing curriculum, as well as planning and delivering professional learning for Prince Edward Island physical education and health educators.

Allister has always been passionate about health, fitness and physical education and is motivated to help provide students with the best opportunities to learn about and maintain their own health and wellness throughout their lives. He earned his Bachelor of Kinesiology and Education degrees from the University of New Brunswick and his Master of Physical Education degree from Memorial University.

Outside of work, Allister happily volunteers much of his time coaching hockey and baseball. He not only enjoys teaching the relevant skills but also passing on his love of those games with the kids. Allister, his wife April, and their three boys, Jack, Ty, and Ben, live happily in Mermaid, PEI.

Jacinta McGrath first entered the Physical Education profession in 2003.  Over the past twenty years, she has been delivering curriculum to students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.  After she obtained her Master's Degree three years into her career, she entered into a leadership role and has been Assistant Principal in several K-12 schools. Provincially, she has been a member of the NL Physical Education Special Interest Council in several capacities. In 2017 she was a member of the PHE Canada National Conference’s Organizing Committee.  She has been a member of several Provincial Working groups developing new curriculum for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.   

Jacinta loves to coach and mentor young people as they journey through their school years. Her love of the outdoors carries over into her teaching as she strives to instill a passion for adventure, lifelong learning, and living an active, healthy lifestyle.  

Sabrina Razack is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto. She has previously worked with Canadian Women & Sport and the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. Her PhD thesis involved a case study of the Black Girl Hockey Club and examined the intersections of physical activity, sport, social movements, media, race, gender, class and culture. Sabrina is an award-winning curriculum writer, and developed “Beyond a Boundary”, a web platform to engage educators, parents and organizations seeking curriculum designed to provide diverse perspectives and understandings of the world.

Sabrina is also the Senior Project Lead for 'Generation 2026' promoting children's rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The role involves working collaboratively with host cities to develop and implement opportunities for active child citizenship. The project intends to increase capacity and affect change through awareness of child rights and safeguarding in sports. 

Mick McMillan is the Physical Education Coordinator at Frontier School Division. He is originally from Snow Lake, Manitoba. Mick was a Sixties Scoop baby and his foster parents were Dan and Anne McMillan, who decided to keep him long term. He feels he was very fortunate to be raised by them. With their help, he completed his schooling and went on to earn a Bachelor of Education degree from Brandon University.  

Some of the roles Mick has been involved in include:

• Rural rep for Manitoba High School Athletics Association 
• Rural admin rep for MHSAA 
• MPESA member
• Numerous positions on the PHE Manitoba Board of Directors and current past president
• Member of PHE Canada Council of Provinces & Territories 
• PHE Manitoba rep on PHE Canada EDI Committee 

Mick has 23 years of experience in the education field, and has been a part of high school athletics for 30 years. He is a student advocate and continues to use his strong voice to help Northern Manitoba students succeed academically as well as on the court!  

Mick is still on a journey to discover his culture and continue to learn who he is.  He wants to be able to use his influence to help others who are struggling to find the same.

Danielle Bates is a Health and Physical Education and Science teacher for the Durham District School Board, Ontario, as well as a professional dance teacher and choreographer. A strong advocate for girl-friendly physical education and quality professional development in PHE, she holds a Master of Health Science in Kinesiology. Her research interests focus on pre-service teacher education and creating inclusive spaces for girls in physical education.

During her Bachelor of Education program, Danielle served as Past-President of the first PHE Canada Student Chapter at Ontario Tech University. She led the team that partnered with PHE Canada, OPHEA, and CIRA to deliver high-quality, accessible professional development to over 300 teacher candidates within two years. For their efforts, Danielle and her team were awarded the 2024 Impact Award from PHE Canada.

Outside of teaching and dancing, Danielle enjoys spending time hiking, canoeing, camping, and travelling with her family and her goldendoodle, Parker.

Dr. Antony Card started as Dean of the Faculty of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, in September 2018. Prior to that, he was Dean of the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Associate Vice-President (Research) for the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University. Antony completed his doctoral work at the University of Southampton U.K. and emigrated to Canada in 2002. Antony is the Managing Editor of the Revue phénEPS/PHEnex Journal.
 
Antony has taught PE methods courses to primary/elementary education students and online Master of Physical Education courses in Comprehensive School Health and Leadership in Physical Education. His research projects have focused on children and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador and engaging policymakers, practitioners and researchers in jointly setting priorities for youth health in schools across Canada, such as with the development of Core Indicators and Measures of Physical Activity. Antony is currently working with the Qalipu First Nation on a project funded by the McConnell Foundation to support the social and emotional development of young people through a comprehensive approach to healthy school communities.