Council Members

The College of Early Childhood Educators is governed by a 24-member Council. The Council comprises 14 members elected by members of the College and 10 members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council. The Council develops and approves policies regulating early childhood educators in Ontario.

 

Elected Council Members

District 1 – North and North East Region

Lindsey Dann RECE, RC

Lindsey holds a diploma in Early Childhood Education, a certificate in Leadership in Early Childhood Education, and a certificate in resource consulting. She’s worked in the profession for nine years, including her role as Childcare Supervisor and Faculty Advisor for ECE students. She has also served as Chair of the Thunder Bay and District Supervisors Network. Lindsey is currently a Childcare Site Supervisor and member of the Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee for Confederation College.

Laura Urso RECE: Vice Chair

Laura is a proud Early Childhood Educator with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology. She has 34 years of experience in the early years’ sector. Laura has worked with children and families in child care, family resource, inclusion, and special education, and in leadership roles in program management and coordinated community planning.

For the last 15 years, Laura has held the position of Coordinator of Quality and Early Years Programs in the City of Greater Sudbury’s Children Services Section. Her current responsibilities include leading the quality improvement program, overseeing the EarlyON Centres and the inclusion program, coordinating the efforts of the community planning network and supporting the early years sector with opportunities for reflection and professional learning. Laura is a committee member of the ECE Program Advisory Committee, Cambrian College.

District 2 – East Region

Krista Johnson RECE

Krista Johnson has over 25 years of experience as an early childhood educator. She spent most of her career working in child care centres, where she held both educator and leadership roles. She brings a depth of experience and passion to enhance the early years sector.

As an RECE, Krista served in a full-day kindergarten program with the Ottawa Catholic School Board for five years. For the last six years, she has worked at Global Child Care Services (Global) in Ottawa, as the director for three agency programs, serving children from infancy through school age. Currently, she’s the Director of Operations at Global, providing support and mentorship to all program directors across the organization. She also extends her expertise to ensure the ongoing provision of high-quality care and education to young children, across all programs offered by Global. These include child care centres, licensed home child care, and the EarlyON program.

Krista holds a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Algonquin College and a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Guelph-Humber.

Krista believes in the power of mentoring staff, colleagues and students, and the importance of advocacy for children and families. This is evident in her work and contributions to the sector.

District 3 – South East Region

Krystal Oxbro RECE

Krystal is the Director and owner of Unity Child Care Centres, a multi-site licensed child care organization in Kingston that services over 200 children and families. She is a mother of four and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Krystal has over 25 years of experience working in licensed child care. She holds an ECE diploma from St. Lawrence College and is currently pursuing a certificate in Human Resource Management through online studies. Krystal actively participates in the Kingston Frontenac Early Learning Operators Network and sits on the Board of Directors for Community Living Kingston and District, as well as the Program Advisory Committee for St. Lawrence College.

District 4 – Central East Region

Amanda Barg RECE

Amanda Barg currently serves as a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE)at the YMCA-EarlyON Durham Region. She is a newly registered ECE who graduated with an Honours Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Durham College in 2023. She offers a fresh perspective in addressing current challenges and opportunities in the early years sector. Her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science equips her with an understanding of government affairs and policy-making, and enables her to effectively advocate for early childhood education standards and policies.

Amanda’s passion for early childhood education is deeply rooted in her personal experiences as a parent and active member of multiple parent school councils. She is committed to continuous learning to stay current with the latest advancements and methodologies in early childhood education and is deeply invested in making a positive impact on the lives of young children and their families.

With her diverse background and unwavering commitment to professional development, Amanda aims to support fellow educators while nurturing comprehensive growth in young learners.

Stacee Stevenson RECE

Stacee’s current role is Supervisor of Extended Day Programs at the YMCA of Greater Toronto. She graduated from the Child and Youth Worker program at Centennial College and holds a diploma with high honours in Early Childhood Education from Seneca College. Stacee has been in the early learning field for more than 20 years both as an educator and in leadership roles. She started her career with the YMCA as an educator where she, in collaboration with her team, implemented an innovative curriculum to leverage the importance of play-based learning. Stacee’s passion is working with children who have exceptionalities. Her goal is to help Early Childhood Educators see the benefits of mindful planning, reflection and seeking learning opportunities to support their work with children and families.

District 5 – Toronto Region

Aliya Amin RECE

Aliya is a Program Support ECE at Victoria Village Children’s Services, where she implements programs to foster a welcoming and stimulating environment to meet the unique needs of children.

Aliya holds a Certificate in Early Education Leadership from Harvard University, an ECE diploma from Centennial College and a Bachelor of Arts from York University. She brings her educational background and knowledge in policy to her ECE practice and when collaborating to develop age-appropriate, inclusive materials for children.

Aliya is a Canadian-born Guyanese woman of Muslim faith, who brings her identity to her work as she advocates for equal opportunities for marginalized communities and accessible and inclusive learning environments for children of all abilities.

Katherine (Katie) Begley RECE

Katherine (Katie) Begley RECE holds a Master’s of Education in Developmental Psychology and Education from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Guelph-Humber. She has been a sessional instructor for more than 10 years at the University of Guelph-Humber and Humber College in Early Childhood programs. She also taught at Seneca College and Durham College.

Katie’s research and academic career has made her a passionate advocate for practical solutions to reduce child poverty. Currently, she is incorporating lessons about food insecurity into the early childhood curriculum to prepare students with knowledge and strategies to help children and families.

Katie brings to council a wealth of knowledge, awareness and perspective about early learning across the GTA, including insight into the circumstances current RECEs and new graduates face.

Tricia Doyle RECE

Tricia is the Assistant Manager at CMAS, an organization funded through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to support child care services for immigrant and refugee families. She has been with the organization since its inception. She has developed a variety of publications to support program implementation such as From Selection to Set-up (a guide to starting a new program), and An Observation Checklist for CIC (a resource that explains the basics of observing a child minding program).

Tricia worked in the licensed child care field for over thirty years in multiple child care settings.

She uses her expertise and experience with programs across Canada to help build quality programs. Tricia is also the primary author of Caring for Syrian Refugee Children: A Program Guide to Welcoming Young Children and Their Families.

District 6 – Central West Region

Kristine Parsons RECE: Council Chair

Kristine holds both a diploma in Early Childhood Education and a human resource certificate. She started her career as an early childhood educator, 31 years ago, at RisingOaks Early Learning (formerly Owl Child Care Services of Ontario) and is now the Director of Operations. She has served as a Canadian Delegate at the World Forum on Early Care and Education. Kristine is an active member in the child care community as she participates in several Waterloo Region child care initiatives, and is a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association.

Jasmine Brar RECE

Jasmine Brar strongly believes in the importance of early learning and is committed to strengthening and supporting the profession. She graduated with Honours from Humber College in 2019 with an Early Childhood Education Diploma.

Soon after graduating, Jasmine worked at My First Montessori School. Her current role has taken her to PLASP Child Care Services, where for the last three years, she has focused on establishing and fostering a healthy and safe environment for children using PLASP’s “Four Foundations of Learning” framework – well-being, belonging, engagement and expression. She also supports children as a supply educator with the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board.

As someone who has recently started their journey in the profession, Jasmine is excited to bring a fresh perspective to the work of the Council.

District 7 – Hamilton/Niagara Region

Kim Cole RECE

Kim is the Executive Director of A Child’s World Family Child Care Services of Niagara. Throughout her career, she has supported early childhood educators, children and families in different leadership roles such as program coordinator, administrator, supervisor, mentor and board member. Kim was a mentor in the College’s first Leadership Pilot. She is highly involved in the early years community and believes in learning each and every day from others. Kim currently serves as Chair of the Early Childhood Community Development Centre, Vice-Chair of the Port Colborne/Wainfleet Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of Quality Child Care Niagara, and Past Chair of Child Care Sector.

District 8 – South West Region

Cheryl Duffett RECE

Cheryl Duffett brings experience from many areas of the early years sector, including home child care, centre-based care and over ten years in kindergarten classrooms. Her diverse professional experiences, along with lived experience as a foster parent and foster parent trainer, have equipped her to work successfully with people from a variety of backgrounds.

She currently serves as RECE on Special Assignment at the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), where she supports RECEs through professional learning, personalized support and leadership training, as well as working with community partners. She holds an ECE diploma from Conestoga College.

As a first-term Council member at the College, Cheryl is looking forward to using her experiences and passion for the early years sector to elevate the profession to ensure that RECEs continue to grow professionally and uphold the high standards of care and education that children and families deserve.

Tamashawn Mifsud RECE

Tamashawn (Tam) Mifsud has over 29 years of experience in the early years sector. She is passionate about the importance of recognizing Early Childhood Educators as professionals and the importance of integrity that RECEs uphold in working with children and families.

Tam teaches part-time in the ECE program at Fanshawe College and is also a Program and Policy Advisor at London Children’s Connection, a multi-faceted, non-profit organization. In this role, she works with various programs to ensure that policies and standards of practice are maintained according to the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA). She also supports development of the before- and after-school programs. Tam served as an RECE Advisor prior to joining Council.

From 2018 to 2020, Tam was an ECE instructor at the Anishinabek Educational Institute, an experience which broadened her learning of Indigenous Peoples and supported her journey of reconciliation in Indigenous relationships.

In her community, Tam has supported the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life as Chair of the Provincial Advisory Committee and Chair of the London Steering Committee at the London-Middlesex Branch. Her rich history of community involvement, extensive professional experience in the sector and passion for early childhood education equip Tam to support Council in elevating the profession.

Publicly Appointed Council Members

Geneviève (Gen) Breton – Ottawa

Fluently bilingual, Geneviève is a public affairs and communications strategist with years of proven visionary leadership in the private business sector, Parliament and the Government of Canada. This trilogy of experience, skills and depth of knowledge help her bring a “big picture” perspective on the intertwined complexities of the Canadian political and socio-economic landscape. In 2017, Geneviève rolled out a highly-successful marketing and media relations campaign for the re-opening of the Canada Science and Technology Museum and led the corporate branding of Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation. Geneviève is Chief, Corporate Communications of the Cement Association of Canada.

Leigh Duncan – Toronto

Leigh Duncan is currently the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Scarborough Health Network. In her role at one of Canada’s largest and most diverse hospital networks, she leads the public communications function, manages the organization’s brand and reputation, and drives strategic results for the hospital. Her portfolio includes corporate communications, government relations, marketing and creative, media relations and public affairs.

With over a decade of senior public relations experience, Leigh has held several senior roles in the Government of Canada including Senior Advisor to several Cabinet Ministers, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She has extensive experience with strategic communications, marketing, policy development, issues management, media relations and parliamentary affairs.

Leigh has three young children, age 5, 4 and 2. Her passion is mentoring mothers that are trying to balance parenthood and demanding careers. She runs a small business called ExecMom, which mentors young women aspiring to climb the corporate ladder. She is also the executive lead for the Parents and Guardians Communication of Inclusion at Scarborough Health Network.

Leigh graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She also holds a Master’s degree from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.

Born and raised in Scarborough, Leigh has a strong desire to serve those that call this unique and diverse community home.

Adesua Ezeokafor CFA, CPA, MBA – Oakville

Adesua Ezeokafor is the Chief Financial Officer of OS&B Ltd. As an officer of the company, Adesua leads the Finance, Audit and Accounting functions. 

Before this role, Adesua was Director of Finance at Onsero Pharmaceuticals, a Biotechnology company headquartered in Boston, MA.   Adesua’s career in the Biotech space included time as the Associate Director, heading Canadian Financial Operations at Fusion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FUSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario. 

Previously, Adesua led the Finance & Performance Analysis team at Phillips 66 Canada, a multibillion-dollar energy corporation. Adesua also led the Phillips 66 Canada women’s network. In addition, she led a campaign to raise awareness for dozens of kidnapped girls in remote villages in Nigeria. 

Adesua is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder (CFA). She obtained her MBA from the University of Houston, Texas, and her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Benin. 

Adesua serves on the Board at OakMed Family Health, a nonprofit team of Physicians and health practitioners focused on providing integrated and comprehensive community-based healthcare.

Richard Filion

Richard Filion was re-appointed to the Council of the College of Early Childhood Educators in May 2023. He was also an appointed member of Council from March 2022 – March 2023. He has served as a municipal councillor from 1999-2004 in West Nipissing, and has held roles including Deputy Mayor, Chair of Planning Board, Sturgeon Falls Hydro Board member, Environment Committee member, and Municipal Representative to the Nipissing Health Unit.

He has previously served as a member of Convocation of the Law Society of Upper Canada and a member of the Council of the Ontario College of Teachers. For 18 years, Richard served as an elected member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons and served a term as a President.

Richard practiced dentistry for 42 years in Sudbury, Ontario, and has since retired.

Shernett Martin

Shernett Martin is an award-winning, experienced equity and inclusion consultant, speaker, workshop developer and facilitator. She has taught elementary school, high school and at the college level. Shernett is the recipient of the Women Who Lead Award, The National Council for Canadian Muslims’ Human Rights Award, the Canada 150 Community Service Award and the African-Canadian Achievement Award for Community Service. Shernett was also featured in the publication 100 Accomplished Black Women in Canada. As well, she has written two university courses on equity and inclusion and has trained employees and volunteers in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Shernett is an advocate and community volunteer with several organizations. She has authored published articles on student learning, achievement and poverty in the classroom alongside a children’s book. Shernett continues to follow her passion of working on behalf of marginalized communities. She currently serves as Executive Director, ANCHOR – African-Canadian Coalition against Hate, Oppression & Racism (formerly Vaughan African Canadian Association).