Lynn E. Swaner

Bio
Lynn Swaner, Ed.D. serves as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), where she leads thought leadership and research initiatives including ACSI’s signature Flourishing Schools Research initiative. In her previous work as an education faculty member in higher education, she conducted research and published on well-being, adult learning, and student development. She is also a Cardus Senior Fellow and an editor and co-author of several books on Christian education, including Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools (forthcoming fall 2021, Eerdmans) and MindShift: Catalyzing Change in Christian Education.
Twitter
@LynnSwaner1
Lynn Swaner

Meagan VanDiermen

Bio
Meagan VanDiermen, MA RCC holds a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University. She has specific training in Observed Experiential Integration (OEI) and Lifespan Integration Therapy, two dynamic body-based trauma interventions that are effective in working with people of all ages to provide deep healing.

Meagan is dedicated specifically to the areas of trauma (especially preverbal trauma) and anxiety with a focus on the therapeutic nature of the parent-child relationship. She is effectively able to work with parents to find a greater understanding of the roots of their child’s experiences, to make sense of difficult behaviours and implement strategies that process and minimize trauma induced responses. She is also passionate about presenting workshops for parents and professionals to further their understanding and knowledge base on a variety of topics.

Meagan has been blessed with four amazing children and has experienced the joys and challenges of being a parent! Meagan is thrilled to be working with all different types of families and feels privileged to come along side them in their journey.
Meagan Van Diermen

Andy Wolfe

Andy Wolfe
Bio
Andy Wolfe is the Deputy Chief Education Officer (Leadership Development) for the Church of England. Andy has national oversight for the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership, which runs programs, networks and research focused on leadership development. He joined the Foundation from the Nottingham Emmanuel School, where he worked for 10 years, initially as a middle leader, before being appointed Vice Principal, overseeing the development of teaching and learning and the school’s Christian ethos. He is the co-author of Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools (forthcoming fall 2021, Eerdmans).
Twitter
@mrawolfe

Mark Nill

Bio
Mark Nill has experienced that restorative initiatives can nurture human dignity and flourishing. He is on a journey to foster healthier relationships not only at work, but also at home, at play, and in the greater community. Mark is an immigrant settler from Germany who is grateful for the privilege of living and working as an uninvited guest on the ancestral, traditional, stolen, and unceded Indigenous territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, in particular, the Kwantlen, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Katzie, and Sto lo First Nations. In his 27 years of work at Surrey Christian School, Mark served as a teacher, Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Mark is currently working with students in the Surrey Transition and Education Program in School District #36. He graduated with a Master of Science in Restorative Practices from the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), is a licensed trainer with the IIRP, and also works as a restorative practitioner with FaithCARE.
Mark Nill

David Hunt

David Hunt
Bio
David Hunt is the Education Director at Cardus, leading original research initiatives with education academics from around the globe. His research interests focus on educational pluralism, excellence in education, and graduate outcomes, with a particular aim to translate academically rigorous research into practical public policy for the common good. His work has been presented at various levels of government, appeared in all Canada’s major media, and used as evidence in court. He holds a Master of Public Policy from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Business Administration (with distinction) from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he was the Dean’s Medal recipient and now teaches as faculty in the Melville School of Business.
Twitter
@DavidHunt_

Darryl DeBoer

Bio
Darryl DeBoer is both a Senior Fellow for the Center of the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) at Dordt University and the K-12 Director of Learning at Surrey Christian Schools. Darryl is the co-creator of a framework called Teaching for Transformation that equips teachers to design learning experiences that invite, nurture and empower students to engage ‘in real work that meets real needs for real people.’ Away from work, Darryl can be found with his wife Jodie on dog walks, driving his three children back and forth from various sporting teams, and wishing that he was fishing.
Twitter
@DarrylDeboer
Darryl deBoer

Rod Wilson

Rod Wilson
Bio
Trained in psychology, counselling, and theology, Dr. Rod Wilson has worked as a psychologist and pastor, as well as in the world of theological education. Most recently, he was President of Regent College in Vancouver. Currently he works in a mentoring-consulting role with a number of organizations and individuals in Canada, the US, and Asia, as well as a leadership coach for administrators in SCSBC.
Dr. Wilson is a Senior Writer for Faith Today, the author of Counseling and Community and How Do I Help a Hurting Friend? and the co-author of Exploring Your Anger, Helping Angry People, and Keeping Faith in Fundraising.

Andrea Chatwin

Bio
Andrea Chatwin, MA,CCC holds a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and has extensive experience as an Early Childhood Mental Health Clinician. She specializes in effective responding to attachment and trauma, particularly focusing on children who have had caregiver losses and placement disruptions.Andrea has worked overseas in orphanages and studied the effects of abuse, neglect and developmental trauma on children of various ages. She is an adoptive parent herself and has therefore experienced firsthand the unique challenges of parenting through adoption.

Andrea founded A Child’s Song as a result of her passion for supporting families in developing strong parent child connections. She is committed to providing adoptive parents the tools they need to be therapeutic parents. Andrea is also an effective keynote speaker and workshop facilitator with extensive experience addressing a wide variety of audiences including parents, professionals and policy makers.
Andrea Chatwin

Joy Kelly

Joy Kelly
Bio
Joy Kelly holds two Bachelor of Art’s degrees, one in Theatre Arts with a minor in English and History from CSU in Sacramento, USA; as well, a second Bachelor degree in Christian Education with a minor in Music and Theology from Anderson University, Indiana, USA. In addition, Joy has a Master’s degree in Biblical Counseling from Briercrest Biblical Seminary in Canada. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at Liberty University, Virginia, USA for an Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling specializing in Traumatology.
Over the years, she has served the Lord in many capacities including: Pastor’s Wife (over 30 years), Dean of Women at a Okanagan Bible College, Women’s Aglow Worship Leader, Kid’s Klub Director, PCS Musical Theatre Director, Professional Ventriloquist, Seminar Speaker, Kids Evangelist, Summer Bible Camp Speaker, and Mother of two sons who love Jesus and are now living on their own.For over the past decade, she has worked as a full-time BC certified teacher in a K-12 Christian school where she has noticed an overwhelming increase in “students at risk.” Many of these students live in environments impacted by trauma and addiction. Unfortunately, most of these types of students are receiving little or no support. Covid restrictions have only served to magnify the trauma already in their lives. Her heart desire is to become better equipped to be used by God in helping them become all that they deem God has designed them to be. As Joy enters into her senior years, her purpose (and calling) to this next generation includes passing on a spiritual heritage, encouraging hope for the future, helping equip and build up others on their life journey pursuing His presence and purpose.

Vanessa Neufeld

Bio
Vanessa Neufeld has a Masters degree in Special Education with a concentration in Autism and Developmental Disabilities from UBC. She is also a Category A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has provided support for families with children with developmental disabilities (particularly children with autism) for 18 years. She is passionate about supporting students with diverse learning needs, Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) and family centred behavioral support. Her Masters thesis research on a case study of family-centred PBS with a parent with an anxiety disorder and a child with Autism and anxiety disorder was published in the International Journal of Positive Behavior Support. She has also published an article about integrating best practices in Positive Behavior Support and clinical psychology for a child with Autism and anxiety-related problem behavior in the Canadian Journal of School Psychology. She currently works as a K-8 Educational Support Services Coordinator and Behavior Consultant at Vancouver Christian School.
Vanessa Neufeld

Sandra Paetkau

Sandra Paetkau
Bio
Sandra has eighteen years classroom experience and began experimenting with instructional technology in 1997, when she was responsible for rolling out a 1:1 laptop program at the Australian International School in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since then, technology has evolved significantly and so has Sandra’s enthusiasm for leveraging technology in the classroom to empower learners. She spent eight years in Saudi Arabia working with national and international schools to create sustainable technology visions and transform learning with technology. Sandra has presented at teacher conferences across the globe, universities, and two international educational technology symposiums. Sandra is pursuing her PhD in Education: Instructional Design and Technology, is the designer and director for a #FutureReady online Master of Leadership: Global Christian Education program at Prairie College, Alberta, Canada, and is the creator and founder of The Total Techover - a consultancy dedicated to helping schools leverage technology to transform learning.

Darren Spyksma

Bio
Supporting educators in creating learning that is engaging, empowering and fosters faith formation is Darren’s driving motivation. In his leadership roles, he seeks to challenge educators to explore ideas that bring schools closer to best practice within a framework that is distinctly Christian. Darren is committed to promoting learning that is built on meaningful relationships, is demanding and rigorous, and is engaging and relevant for the learner. He works with schools to intentionally develop learning experiences that are transformational and built on students participating as faithful followers of Christ. Previous to joining the staff at SCSBC as a Director of Learning, Darren worked at four schools in various positions including administration. In two of those schools, he built middle schools programs that are responsive to the developmental needs of adolescents.
Twitter
@dspyksma
Darren Spyksma

Dan Fennell

Dan Fennell
Bio
Born and raised in South Australia, Dan Fennell became a follower of Jesus while at university. With a heart for mission, twice during university Dan served as a summer mission worker, in Indonesia with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, and in Manila (Philippines) with SEND International. Following graduation as a teacher in 1987, Dan taught the Indonesian language. After marriage to his wife Diane in 1991, their calling to cross cultural mission led them served Jesus from 1998 - January 2020 in Indonesia - the world’s largest Muslim country. Dan served as the Biblical Coordinator of the 5 campus Sekolah Pelita Harapan (School of Light and Hope) in Jakarta, and as the Preaching Pastor at Jakarta International Christian Fellowship. Dan completed theology at Ridley College (Melbourne), and at London School of Theology where he explored the centrality and necessity of biblical preaching in Acts for church growth.
In January 2020 Dan and Diane returned to Australia prior to the COVID 19 pandemic. Having learned in Indonesia never to waste a crisis, Dan involved himself in outreach ministry to international students and guest lecturing in the New Testament, as well as writing a book on discipleship which he hopes will be in stores worldwide mid-year.

Ray Aldred

Bio
Reverend Ray Aldred is a husband, father, and grandfather. He was ordained with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada. He is status Cree from Swan River Band, Treaty 8. Born in Northern Alberta, he now resides with his wife in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Ray is the director of the Indigenous Studies Program at the Vancouver School of Theology whose mission is to partner with the Indigenous Church around theological education.
Formerly Ray served as the Assistant Professor of Theology at Ambrose Seminary in Calgary, Alberta. He is a former chairperson and board member for Indigenous Pathways. He is former Director for the First Nations Alliance Churches of Canada, now a committee member, where he works to encourage Indigenous churches. Ray also has had the privilege of addressing several college conferences and meetings. Ray’s passion is to help as many as possible hear the gospel in their heart language.
Ray and his wife, Elaine are also involved in ministry to help train people to facilitate support groups for people who have suffered abuse. Also, Elaine and Ray have coordinated Marriage Encounter. Ray and Elaine have four children, Jenny, who has graduated from the University of Regina and the Alliance University College, a school teacher, is married and lives in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada; Raymond, who is pursuing a PhD in Philosophy at McGill University; Catherine, has earned an MA in Religions Studies at McGill University; and Rueben who works in the Oil Field in Northern Alberta.
Ray Aldred

John Byl

John Byl
Bio
John Byl is a Canadian Gopher Sport Educational Consultant and was president of CIRA Ontario. He is a retired Professor of Physical Education at Redeemer University. He is the winner of several professional awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for promoting physical activity across Canada. He has a special interest in promoting fun, active participation for all children and developing and maintaining personal wellness.
Twitter
@canadago4sport