Our Trainers

Julie-Anne Austin, B.A., B.Ed., is a Senior Program Advisor for Canada Border Services Agency. Passionate about training and fluently bilingual, Julie-Anne enjoys helping others perfect their skills and improve their job performance. Her ability to break down complex issues into manageable information has helped her develop training manuals for facilitators and learners in the agency. Amongst her varied responsibilities, she has acquired extensive experience writing briefing notes for senior management.

Johanne Blais, M.A., has a solid experience in teaching French as a second language, grammar and writing skills in a variety of institutions (universities, colleges, Crown corporations).  Perfectly bilingual, she presents a weekly segment called Word of the Week on the program C’est la vie, broadcast on CBC radio. Johanne is responsible for the program “French Writing Skills for Anglophones”, as well as for the workshops on anglicisms and plain language.

Roger Burrows, M.A., began his working life in the field of Romance Linguistics. His "after hours" love of amateur sport then led to a career delivering education and professional development programs to coaches in provincial, national and international sport governing bodies. In the last decade, he has returned to his roots in language services and now works as a Parliamentary translator.

Laura Cohen, M.A., is a trainer and educator in the field of culture, diversity and intercultural and intergenerational communication for 15 years; she has worked and lived in Canada and Israel, the United States, South Africa and Tanzania. Laura brings to her training a deep understanding of the complexities of culture and diversity and communications in these contexts. Laura holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology, a certificate in Adult Education and Conflict Management and a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution.

Robert Czerny brings 35 years of government and private sector experience to this topic. Co-founder of PartnerNet, he wrote the guide The Federal Government as 'Partner': Six Steps to Successful Collaboration (Treasury Board, 1995). Robert has produced partnering strategies and toolkits for several federal government organizations and has led and linked other partnering projects to training, program evaluation, ethics and communications.

Cyril Dabydeen, M.A., M.P.A., is a certified cross-cultural trainer who spent over fifteen years working to advance equity and foster a racism-free work environment to numerous public and private-sector organizations. He was formerly Race Relations Manager with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Cyril is also a well-known author who published over 15 books and articles on diversity and has won many awards for his writing. He has been described as “…one of Canada’s most popular post-colonial writers” (The Danforth Review).

Tammy Fanning, MIM, OCT, is a qualified trainer and experienced project manager who understands the need to adapt, respond and innovate during training sessions. She spent three years in China (2001-2004) working with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Guangzhou World Trade Centre, and an U.S Manufacturing Company.  She has recently completed her Master’s in International Management at the EAE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.

Anne Finlayson, MBA, is a business professional with over 15 years of management experience, covering finance, operations, business development and new product introduction. She brings to the training room, a focus on leadership and improving organizational performance through strategic planning, and employee and team development.

Elva Keip, has delivered workshops and courses in the adult education field for over 20 years.  Her finely honed skills and dynamic presence ensure superb training and facilitation. She also designs and develops highly detailed instructors’ guides for other trainers to use. As a writer, Elva provides clients with plain language documentation for procedures, policies, fact sheets, and manuals.

Jerry Kovacs, B.A., M.A., LL.B., LL.M., LL.L., has had a 30 year professional career in politics, law, and education. Since 1990 he has taught law courses at colleges and universities in Canada and Europe. Jerry has worked for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and given legal drafting seminars for lawyers working for the United Nations. He has also taught Legal Research, Legal Writing, and Legal Drafting to law students and lawyers. 

Heidi Lasi, BA, is an award-winning writer and producer and a high-energy, results-oriented marketing and communications management professional. She has a B.A. in Communications and more than 20 years of experience with the private, public and non-profit sectors. Known for bringing projects in, on-time and on-budget, she excels at creating and implementing highly effective and creative communications plans.

Micheline Lesage, MBA, was a senior executive in the federal government where she managed professionals in the development of strategic plans, national policies and programs. Since 2004, Micheline specializes in management consulting and training. She has taught ethics at the college level and works with the Institute of Governance, the Canada School of Public Service and the Paul Maillet Centre for Ethics. 

Nathan Lockhart, B.A., B.Soc.Sc., has more than 10 years of professional experience in strategic communications planning and policy development.  A former employee of the Privy Council Office, he is currently a senior policy analyst and manager at Health Canada's Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch. A dynamic public speaker with a strong understanding of the workplace challenges and demands facing today's professionals, he has provided a range of communications and policy development training to officials at all levels.

Stephanie Macaulay, M.A., has been a freelance and in-house editor for over 12 years, supporting health care, government, and high-tech clients in the Ottawa area. Her expertise ranges from project management and quality assurance to standards definition. She currently manages a quality assurance team for a high-tech company in the Ottawa area.

Elizabeth Macfie, B.A., has been a freelance editor, proofreader and indexer since 1997. Her clients include federal government departments and agencies, research organizations, universities and publishers. Elizabeth is certified as a proofreader by the Editors’ Association of Canada. She is a past chair of EAC’s National Capital Region branch and past president of the Indexing Society of Canada.

Peter McKennirey, CHRP, brings 25 years of management, consulting and training experience to the classroom. He designed and delivered training programs in the areas of quality service standards, leadership, project and change management, team building, communication skills, and problem solving. Peter has held senior human resource management positions with The Conference Board of Canada and LOEB Inc.

Iulia Mihalache, Ph.D., is a professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais since 2004 and a research associate at the Language Technologies Research Center in Gatineau. She is also working as a language technologies consultant for an international company which sells translation technologies. Her areas of expertise include language technologies, website localization as well as the cognitive and intercultural aspects of translation.

Jeffry Morgan, M.Ed., has spent the last 3 decades running the third largest cultural touring agency world wide and has done business in more than one-third of the world. Jeffry’s keen sense of observation and formal background in teaching make him particularly gifted at expressing leadership and management principles through examples and language that all of us can relate to. He has authored a compendium of management and leadership techniques as well as numerous articles. 

David Mulcaster spent most of his 30 year government career at Communications Canada and Industry Canada as the Director General of the Information and Communications Technologies Branch in Ottawa and Regional Executive Director for Atlantic Canada. Subsequently he was president of an entrepreneurship support firm linking government, private industry and Dalhousie University, and he co-founded a communications technology company. He is now an Associate with a private equity broker and business advisory group.

Martha Musgrove, Ph.D., brings to her training sessions extensive experience in communications and human resource development gained during a 25 year career as a senior executive in the public sector, the information technology industry and her own consultancy. She has produced alone and in collaboration with others a wide range of publications including cabinet memoranda, regulatory decisions, research articles, professional newsletters and marketing materials. She specializes in making complex subjects readily accessible to general readers.

Bruce Nesbitt, Ph.D., an award-winning speechwriter, has been a professional writer, editor and lecturer for 30 years. Based in Ottawa as a consultant since 1985, Bruce has conducted major communications projects for numerous public and private-sector organizations. He has published 16 books and bibliographies, and was formerly Professor of English and Director of Canadian Studies at Simon Fraser University.

John Rakos, M.Sc., PMP, is a practicing project manager who has led projects in information technology, marketing and business process reengineering at Government departments such as Public Works and Government Services Canada, National Defence and Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat. He also teaches in the MBA program at the University of Ottawa.

Roda P. Roberts, Ph.D., has been a professor at a number of universities in Canada, the United States and India, most recently at the University of Ottawa. She has taught languages (English and French grammar and writing skills), translation and interpretation. She has also served as curriculum consultant to various educational institutions both in Canada and abroad. She has been Director of the Bilingual Canadian Dictionary Project, an interuniversity lexicographic project, for many years. 

Melanie Sexton, Ph.D., is an editor, technical writer, and instructor, with more than 20 years experience teaching University courses and workshops in grammar and writing skills. As technical writer and editor, she has designed on-line help systems for software applications, edited technical documentation suites, written style guides and standards, and managed a variety of writing projects. She also happens to be profoundly deaf and has designed and delivered workshops on deafness and disability issues for both government and private-sector clients.

Maureen van Dreumel, M.A., is a communications consultant who specializes in writing detailed, analytical communications strategies; crafting speeches for senior government executives and politicians; and communicating research to non-researcher audiences.  Maureen relies on over ten years of communications experience with the federal government to make her workshops practical, hands-on learning opportunities.  She has taught adults in a variety of settings, including the university, private and public sectors.    

Suzanne Weld, Ph.D., C. Psych., is a registered psychologist with over 20 years of training and assessment experience. She brings a wealth of academic and practical knowledge to the training room in strategic subject areas such as Organizational Design, Communication Skills, Analytical and Creative Thinking, and Leadership.

Graham Young, MBA, is an independent writer and consultant with more than 25 years’ experience in business and government communications. A plain-language advocate, Graham has taught Business English at the University of Ottawa, and his lively, informative professional-development workshops teach participants how to communicate effectively on the job.

For trainers of our workshops offered in French, click here.