Dr. Jo Sheppard was appointed to the Board of Directors due to its vacancy and will be fulfilling this position for the remainder of its term until Fall 2021.

Dr. Jo Sheppard is an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley. 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.

Douglas L. Gleddie, PhD, is a husband and father who also happens to be an Associate Professor and Acting Vice-Dean/Associate Dean Academic in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta (UofA). He teaches physical and health education curriculum and pedagogy to undergraduate students and graduate courses in health and physical education, reflective practice, physical/health literacy and research methods. Doug's research focuses on narratives of physical education, school sport, physical literacy praxis, meaningful physical education, and teacher education.

Doug’s life-long journey of exploration into joyful and meaningful movement has enabled him to work with a wide variety of people and organizations across Canada and around the world. Doug began his career as a K-12 teacher, spent 6 years as the Director of the Ever Active Schools program, served 2 years as the Alberta Board member for PHE Canada and has chaired local, national and (coming soon) international conferences. He co-authored three books including the most recent – Healthy Schools, Healthy Futures. Doug can be found on Twitter (@doug_gleddie), writes a blog at www.purposefulmovement.net and takes care of his own wellness by being active with his family; improving his guitar picking and seeking new adventures.

Renee Gregerson currently works in the largest school district in B.C. as Surrey Schools PHE Coordinator supporting the physical and health education curriculum for grades K-12. In addition, she received her Sexual Health Educators Certificate in 2017 and has been offering professional development for educators worldwide. Supporting teachers and students' understanding of sexual health and wellbeing has been a true passion for Renee.  Recently she has begun a position as a UBC adjunct professor facilitating and educating teacher candidates within the Health Outdoor Physical Education program.

In 2018, she completed her M.Ed. in Health Education and Active Living through Simon Fraser University and now plans to begin her second M.Ed. in counselling; specializing in sexual health education with individuals and couples and starting her own practice at her wellness retreat on Sulphurous Lake.  

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.

Cyril Indome is currently a Vice-Principal at St. George Elementary School in Winnipeg, MB. His formal education experience includes a Master of Education Degree, Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education, and a Bachelor of Education Degree with an emphasis on Health and Physical Education. Cyril has studied and experienced how physical literacy development can positively impact one’s mental health and continue to advocate for the value of physical literacy for our students. 

Cyril believes that we need to continue to promote physical literacy while making sure our message and resources reach all Canadians, especially those who are typically underrepresented. Cyril has been fortunate to teach in Africa, Asia, and now North America. He has learned of the importance of listening with care, using data to influence decision making as well as minimizing the influence of implicit bias while communicating with others. Cyril strives to bring these skills to the Board of Directors and proudly represent Manitoba and Nunavut at PHE Canada.

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.

Steve Ranni is currently a P-8 physical education and health teacher. He has taught for 17 years including P-12 phys ed, PAL, Fitness Leadership, and assisted with a second-year university physical education class within the past 5 years. He holds two Master’s Degrees from St. F.X. in Education Administration and Curriculum with a physical education focus.

Steve joined the TAPHE Board of Directors in 2006 and has held various positions, including President, Treasurer and Past President. He received TAPHE’s most prestigious honour, the Dorothy G. Walker Award, in 2017. In 2012, Steve Co-Chaired the PHE National Conference in Halifax. He represented Nova Scotia on PHE Canada’s CoPT for four years and is currently on PHE Canada’s At My Best Advisory Committee.

At age 18, Steve decided to start giving back to his community through coaching and teaching. He has coached over 60 school/community teams from elementary to high school in a variety of sports and activities.

Maribeth Rogers Neale currently holds the position of health and physical education curriculum leader with the Department of Education Early Learning and Culture. She has 14 years’ experience teaching physical education, health and science and has been fortunate to teach in 4 countries across grades K-12 in the public sector. Maribeth is currently 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.

Maribeth is the Past President of the PEI Physical Education Association and has served on the PHE National Council of Provinces & Territories. Currently, she is an executive member for the PEI School Athletic Association, a member of the School Milk Board, serve on the Steering Committee for the PEI Student Well Being Teams, and the PEI Child Sexual Abuse Committee.

Maribeth is passionate about health and physical education as a parent, coach, educator, volunteer, researcher, and policymaker. She is a lover of outdoors and healthy relationships and happily living in Stratford, PEI with her husband and two daughters.

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 educator in the Toronto area and also a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto. The program resides at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education combined with a collaborative specialization in the Women and Gender Studies department. Between educating and becoming a student, Sabrina worked with the CAAWS, now the Canadian Women & Sport, the Pan/Parapan American Games and the INVICTUS Games. Sabrina’s current research examines the intersections of physical activity, sport, physical education, media, race, gender, class and culture. Sabrina is an award-winning curriculum writer, and developed http://teachbeyondaboundary.com/, to create units on critical Physical Education, Physical Activity, Sport and social issues.

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.

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.