Educator Bios

CCSA educators are leaders in health care consulting. They are trusted health and safety advisors and have worked in the continuing care sector, giving them the advantage of being able to address industry-specific needs.

Please click the names below to see more information about the educators

Gordon Filipchuk: Gordon holds a BA and a Bachelor of Education. He received his Construction Safety Officer (CSO) certification from the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) in 1998. This designation is required in Alberta for those working in construction, manufacturing, and in the oil industry. Gordon continues his education in Occupational Health and Safety through incident command, infection control, non-violent crisis intervention, and has his Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) auditor status.

Gordon has been in the safety training field since 1999. He has worked as a safety professional in continuing care environments since 2004, and instructed NAIT’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Management courses from 2008-2009.

Gordon’s outlook on educating continuing care workers is thoughtful and deliberate. He believes that at this juncture in Alberta’s health care delivery, there is a high demand for quality service, with increasingly limited resources. By keeping healthcare workers safe and healthy, they can continue to care for the loved ones of others with the dedication and passion they deliver every day.

Jennifer Hotchkiss: Jennifer graduated from the University of Alberta in 2008 with her Bachelor in Education. After graduation, she taught science in Phuket, Thailand for a year, before returning home to teach a variety of junior high classes in Hobbema, Alberta.

Jennifer has a great deal of experience teaching peple from various cultural backgrounds, and in a variety of fields. She is passionate about teaching CCSA courses because she loves helping people learn ways to maintain and improve their health and safety. She believes that since so much of our lives are spent working, those years should be spent safe, happy, and healthy. The CCSA courses she teaches may be directed towards employment and work, but Jennifer knows that the wisdom garnered through these courses will be carried throughout every facet of her trainee’s lives.

Deanne Mitchell

Deanne completed her Bachelors in Exercise and Sports Science in 2006. She began her work at a Long Term Care Facility in Calgary as a restorative therapist, assessing lifts and transfers, as well as developing walking and exercise programs for residents.

There, Deanne chaired the site Occupational Health and Safety committee, and later became an internal Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) auditor for the company. Since then, she has been providing educational sessions for staff on proper lift and transfer techniques, and health and wellness awareness.

Deanne is passionate about teaching CCSA courses because, with her background as a therapist, she recognizes how debilitating a workplace injury can be, and values being a part of the solution by educating workers on best practices.

Kristi-Lee Newton: Kristi-Lee Newton received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, concentrating in special education with a focus on behavioural and learning disabilities.

Kristi-Lee has been teaching a variety of subjects to age groups from two years to university ages for the past 11 years. Her passion for teaching and helping others led Kristi-Lee to become an Educator at CCSA. She believes in lifelong learning, and hopes to encourage that love of learning in others.

Josie Power: Josie holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. She is passionate about education in every way imaginable. For the past 15 years, she has been in the education industry, founding Sylvan Learning Centre franchises, and creating the only Native Studies used province-wide for high school curriculums. Having done all of this, Josie then took a sabbatical to take on her most challenging and rewarding work: becoming a mother.

This year, Josie found the CCSA. She is impassioned by the responses she receives from participants of her courses. Many walk into her classroom, less than enthusiastic about the idea of “more training”. By the time they leave, though, the empowerment is palpable, and there are smiles and a sense of reinvigoration, a renewal of passion for their jobs and how they do them. For Josie, she wants to, and does, make a difference for every person whose life she touches.

Nathan Skrzypek: Nathan received a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. During his university years, Nathan worked in millwork industrial safety. He also taught at all grade levels, from primary to adult education.

CCSA teaching offers Nathan the opportunity to combine his love of education with his knowledge of workplace safety importance. He understands and communicates that education is crucial, not only to workplace health, but also for staff quality of life. By empowering workers to have influence in how their workplace safety procedures are run, staff is more emotionally invested and therefore, more aware of the safety standards established to protect them.

Michelle Smook: Michelle completed her Bachelor of Education in 2003 from the University of Alberta. Her love of physical education and sports while at school lead her naturally to coaching positions.

After a year of substitute teaching, Michelle taught high school English and Physical Education for five years. After that, she taught Safety Training with the City of Edmonton.

Michelle enjoys working with the staff at the various facilities where she trains, as well as the friendship and camaraderie between herself and her CCSA co-workers. Teaching CCSA courses lets Michelle play a part in the important job of creating safety awareness in the workplace. Staff appreciates this knowledge, and any tips, information or advice she might impart to them, they will use throughout their work life experience.

Tara-Jean Wenc: Tara-Jean completed her advanced degree in Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan in 1991. Tara-Jean also completed a post-graduate degree in Education Psychology and Special Education in 2001. Then, she took her studies even further, completing her Masters in 2002.

Tara-Jean is a trainer for Non-Violent Crisis Administration. She has worked in a number of residential facilities as a counselor or manager since the 1990s, and has been in healthcare management since 1995. Tara-Jean began her formal teaching career in 2000, which included education on disability management in universities in British Columbia. Tara-Jean has seen the impact that workplace injuries can have on people. The CCSA courses provide facilities with a tangible means of creating and implementing safety programs in their facilities. Training provides empowerment and awareness. Tara-Jean feels rewarded given the opportunity to deliver information based on research and best practices to all of the people she works with.