Mentors

Dr. Bill Brooks is a Creative Process and Problem Solving Coach, Facilitator, Business Coach, and Presenter/Speaker with eclecthink. He studied at USask where he received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in upper atmosphericand space physics. Bill’s volunteer initiatives include several roles with the Greater Saskatoon Chamber ofCommerce, Saskatoon Public Schools, Edwards School of Business, and Leadership Saskatoon. He has beenrecognized with Industry Canada’s Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, a Saskatoon PreschoolFoundation Educator of Distinction Award, and as the Member/Volunteer of the Year of the Greater Saska-toon Chamber of Commerce in 2011. Bill is an alumnus of Leadership Saskatoon, Class of 2003. Currently, Billis the owner of eclecthink international, a consulting company specializing in creativity and innovation,strategic and project planning, problem-solving, and workshops associated with leadership. He continues topresent and mentor for Leadership Saskatoon and is the Vice President for the Saskatoon Council on Aging.

Brian Hoessler is the Founder and CEO of Strong Roots Consulting, a social-purpose business thatsupports change makers in navigating complexity. Using their strengths in strategic planning,organizational capacity building, and program evaluation, Brian collaborates with organizations rangingfrom grassroots associations to multi-stakeholder initiatives with a focus on cultivating learning andgrowth. In this work, Brian brings a strong interest in urban contexts and how these settings cansupport individuals, groups, and systems in creating more equitable communities. A LeadershipSaskatoon alum (Class of 2014), Brian enjoys playing in the Saskatoon Community Band, developing hisphotography skills, and spending time with his partner Carolyn and their pug Gizmo.

Cara Spence served as a senior leader at USask since 2011 before pursuing a faculty position. She iscurrently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. Her work focuses on vulnerable andmarginalized populations at the local and international level. Locally, she has worked with Indigenouscommunities since 2001 and globally in Africa since 2012. She specializes in community-based research andequity inclusion diversity (EDI) advancement. Cara is active in her community, and in addition to raising twochildren, she is also a yoga and meditation teacher, marriage commissioner, and clinical hypnotherapist. 

Carla Roy has received an RCMP Commendation, the Saskatchewan Emergency Services Star of LifeAeard for volunteer work, and the Governor General Exemplary Service Award for 20 years of EmergencyServices Work. Carla’s passion for education and professional development spans over 15 years and led herto complete her Certificate in Adult Education at USask, as well as her Bachelor of Applied Health Science– Paramedic at Medicine Hat College. She holds numerous instructor certifications, is also a Peer FitnessTrainer certified through the IAFF and has led many initiatives promoting health and fitness in theworkplace. Carla is involved in numerous committees and research projects promoting paramedicine bothlocally and nationally, while also working on programs to improve stroke, STEMI, cardiac arrest and traumacare. She has sat on education committees for the Saskatchewan College of Paramedics and InternationalTrauma Life Support – Saskatchewan chapter. Outside of work Carla enjoys hiking, camping, keepingphysically fit, coaching basketball, watching her children’s sports and playing piano.

Cecilia Zerr is the Senior Director of Marketing Communications at Affinity Credit Union. She has worked inthe credit union system for over 35 years, most of which has been in the areas of marketing, communi-cations and community engagement. She was born and raised in Saskatoon and is a proud first-generationCanadian of Portuguese heritage. She has been married to her husband Phil for 30 years and they havethree wonderful adult children, all of whom are teachers with Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. Shecurrently sits on the Prairie Hospice Society board and is a member of the Saskatoon Destination Leader-ship Alliance through Discover Saskatoon. In her spare time, she loves to read, cook, and bake, but herfavorite activity of all is travel. Cecilia and Phil are destined to visit every Major League Baseball Park; so far,they’ve been to 18 of the 30 parks and are looking forward to crossing a few more off their list each year.

Daryn Form is a Senior Financial Advisor at Assante Capital Management. He is a USask graduate and wasa member of the Canadian Armed Forces. He has had many volunteering roles in the past, includingboard, committee, and coaching roles. Daryn loves to be active and go on adventures with his family. Hewas raised to recognize the value of hard work, community, and kindness. Daryn was a participant in thefirst class of Leadership Saskatoon.

Dorothy Hyde’s experience is a blend of family, work, community engagement, and lifelong learning. Herexperience has included 12 years of Community Association Leadership, 5 years for the SaskatchewanProvincial Literacy Network Board, and most recently, Chairperson (5 years) with the Saskatoon PsychiatricCentre and Probation Services. Her extracurricular activities have often revolved around the activities of herchildren (sports mom, music mom, dance mom, etc). Now that they are grown, she has found activitiesthat bring her personal excitement such as the Saskatoon Adult Community Band (playing trumpet in jazzand concert bands and the Saskatoon Concert Auxiliary Band), along with the passions that come frombeing a grandmother to 5 wonderfully spirited boys. In addition to work and family life, she does some part-time consulting in the career development field.

Grace Chopty is a University of Regina graduate with a Bachelor of Human Justice degree. Shortly after-wards, she started her career with Correctional Services Canada at Saskatchewan Penitentiary as anAddictions Counselor in the maximum-security women’s unit. In 2000, Grace became a Correctional Officer.After 3 years at Saskatchewan Penitentiary, she deployed to the Regional Psychiatric Centre where she heldvarious positions both as a frontline worker and as a manager. During her career at RPC, Grace developedthe Correctional Officer Mentorship Program for new recruits and was the team lead for 2 years. Shebelieves capable leaders stem from passionate and effective mentorship. In August 2023, Grace acceptedthe position of Director of the Correctional Learning & Development Centre for the CSC, Prairie Region. Withher passion for learning and career development, she became a mentor for CSC’s National MentorshipProgram in 2023. Outside of work, Grace is focused on living a healthy lifestyle so people in her circle willoften see her busy gardening in the summers and cooking healthy meals for her family to enjoy. 

Jason Stonechild currently serves as Executive Director of Justice for the Federation of SaskatchewanIndigenous Nations (FSIN), which serves 74 First Nations and 10 tribal agencies within the province. Jasonhas been with the FSIN for three years following his retirement as the Deputy Chief of Police in PrinceAlbert. Jason has also served as President of the Prince Albert Police Association and VP of the Saskatch-ewan Federation of Police. With the FSIN Jason works with Saskatchewan Chiefs and Leaders to enhancecommunity safety, wellness, and equity for First Nations communities and peoples across the Provincethrough the implementation and protection of Inherent and Treaty Rights. Most importantly, Jason is afamily man. He is proud of his loving wife, Annie who is Quebecois, and his two children, Mila and Loick.

Jeremy Breker has held varied roles over the last 30 years from hands-on skilled trades to senior roles atmajor mining companies and is currently working with Hatch Ltd. as a Project Director. Some highlightsinclude high tech development in the intelligent transportation industry, project management of small tolarge capital projects in mining and processing (uranium, potash), and developing project delivery systemsand PMOs for different organizations. Notable accomplishments include the implementation of the CigarLake project, participation in the BHP Jansen NPI works (prior to sanction), undertaking the GM role for theCameco Cigar Lake and Rabbit Lake mines, holding various board positions for innovation organizations,and fulfilling a corporate role as VP Technical Services. Jeremy values working safely and productively,developing teams, promoting a positive work environment, building trust, and bringing value to our work.

Jess Hamm has a B.Ed. from USask. Jess started working for the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association in2008 and coordinated and managed several programs before being promoted to the Executive Director rolein 2015. For over a decade, she has served on a multitude of committees that work towards building equity,inclusion, and racial justice in our community. She has developed several new initiatives and programs thatfoster intercultural understanding and acceptance. She currently serves as the VP on the SAISIA Board andsits on the City of Saskatoon’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Advisory Committee. Jess is a 2015 graduate of theLeadership Saskatoon Program and a 2020 recipient of the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award for Arts,Culture & Heritage. Under her leadership, SIA has been certified as a Great Place to Work for the last 4 yearsand named one of the Best Workplaces Managed by Women from Great Place to Work Canada.

Jody Tyson is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in directing large cross-functional teamsand executing strategic projects. Currently, Jody serves as the Senior Manager of Retail Program Delivery atFederated Co-operatives Ltd. leading the Retail Technology Program. Jody has a proven track record inleading large-scale enterprise projects, some of which included the delivery of network infrastructureupgrades to more than 1000 Retail Co-op stores, transitioning over 150 gas bars through a major acquisition,and more currently piloting a point of sale conversion to over 900 stores across multiple lines of business.Before joining FCL., Jody held various leadership roles at Cameco Corporation, where she was responsiblefor the safe delivery of multi-stage engineering and construction projects. Jody holds several certifications,including PMP, PROSCI Change Management, and Six Sigma Black Belt. She is also involved in thecommunity, currently serving as a mentor with Leadership Saskatoon and previously a sub-committeemember for Leadership Saskatoon for 7 years. 

Julian Demkiw is the University Secretary and Chief Governance Officer at the University of Saskatchewan.He has 20 years’ experience working in post-secondary education and has worked as a lecturer, fundraiser,alumni relations specialist, student services officer, and most recently as Chief of Staff to 3 university presi-dents. He is a lifelong student having achieved degrees in engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Mostrecently Julian has completed his doctorate bringing together his interests in leadership and higher educa-tion to study the relationships between university presidents and university boards. Julian is a graduate ofthe inaugural class of Leadership Saskatoon and has remained involved in the organization in some capacityover its 24-year history, most recently as chair of the board of directors.

Kelly Howey has developed and facilitated leadership programs over 8 years for entry level supervisors toexecutive level leaders. He is certified in/as workplace coaching, strategic planning, conflict resolution, MBTI,performance management, delivering effective feedback, experiential learning, organizational health, 360assessments, Emotional Intelligence, ergonomist, and harassment investigator. Kelly is married with 2grown children who are almost off the payroll – ha! He currently is the Past-President of the CanadianMental Health Association (Saskatoon) Board and Saskatoon Pickleball Board member. He is a simulatedpatient with 2 educational institutions. Kelly enjoys being active with many sports such as pickleball,volleyball, golf, street striding, biking, hiking, travel, etc. His passion is currently focused on making adifference in mental health for all. Kelly is retired and enjoys cooking as well as puttering in the yard. Heloves working and sharing his experiences such that others can benefit from his successes and failures.

Keith Moen is the Executive Director of the NSBA – Saskatoon’s Business Association for the past 15 years.Prior to that, he was a self-employed journalist and communications professional. Among his contracts waseditor of Saskatchewan Business Magazine, where he developed a love for business and the people behindthem. Following his convocation from USask (English) Keith began his career as a sports reporter. He gradu-ated high school from the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, SK. Keith also sits on the Saskatch-ewan Rate Review Panel, which oversees rate applications for SGI Auto Fund, SaskPower, and SaskEnergy.He also serves on the Prairieland Park Board of Directors. He’s been married to Lenore for 35 years, and theyhave 3 adult children, and 4 grandchildren. He’s an active golfer and hockey player, and has been awardedwith the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and the King Charles III Coronation Medals. He and Lenore liketo spend leisure time at their 4-season family cabin at Lower Fishing Lake in Narrow Hills Provincial Park. 

Ken McCullough is a retired senior retail professional with over 30+ years wholesale and retail experience inthe food, petroleum, liquor, pharmacy, general merchandise, home health care, and travel businesses. Duringhis career in the Co-operative Retailing System, Ken was known for high standards in merchandising,customer service, and employee engagement. Ken is proud to serve on the Boards of Leadership Saskatoonand Ebenezer Baptist Church. He enjoys being a mentor for Leadership Saskatoon and offers his leadershipexpertise to former Leadership Saskatoon participants and congregants of his church. Ken also likes golfing,cottage time, and cheering on the Saskatoon Hilltops and USask Huskies football teams.

Les Morrison is a man who wears many hats, working as a Systems Consultant with Delta Point Wirelessand a Sales Manager for Western Campus Resources. Les holds a B.A. from USask and remains active in thecommunity through a variety of volunteer activities. These include roles as a Volunteer Leader with theLieutenant Governor’s Leadership Forum, Director of Volunteers for the 2010 World Junior HockeyChampionships, Planning Committee Member for the 2006 Vanier Cup, and Committee Member with theCanadian Youth Business Foundation. Les is a recipient of the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and theSaskatchewan Work Educators Award, and is an alumnus of the Leadership Saskatoon Class of 2003.

Linda McMullen is Professor Emerita at the University of Saskatchewan. During her career in the Dept. ofPsychology, Linda took on many leadership roles including Director of Clinical Training for the graduateprogramme in Psychology; Head of the Dept. of Psychology; Acting Vice-Dean for Social Sciences; andPresident of the Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology of the American Psychological Association.LInda has served on USask’s Board of Governors and as a Board Member for the Saskatoon Concert Band,Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra. For fun, she plays clarinet with the Saska-toon Concert Band’s Auxiliary Band and spends time with her grown children and 2 young grandchildren. 

Manda Graham is a credit risk professional with 25+ years of experience in the financial services industry.Manda is Senior Director, Credit Risk at Affinity Credit Union and is responsible for leading the credit risk andloan rehabilitation and collections team. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Credit Union DealerFinance and Drive On. Manda is passionate about developing credit risk strategies, operational excellence,and supporting the growth of employees within her organization. An alumnus of Leadership Saskatoon, sheremains active in the community and is the Chair of Leadership Saskatoon’s Mentorship Committee. She hasalso volunteered with Child and Youth Friendly Saskatoon, Saskatoon Open Door Society, Nutana Legion, and Lions Club. Manda enjoys reading, going to the gym, and is an avid curling fan.

Mavis McPhee was educated in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Calgary. Now happily retired,she spent much of her professional career working in a variety of leadership roles in hospitals, schools, day-cares, and community-based organizations. She enjoyed working with groups as a parent education facili-tator, first with the Saskatoon Adlerian Society and later as the Teen Parent Program Coordinator at EGADZ.As a volunteer, Mavis has been involved with the Adelaide Park-Churchill Community Association, HughCairns VC School Parent Council, Nutana Collegiate Alumni, and Women’s Midlife Heath Centre. Aside fromLeadership Saskatoon, she presently volunteers with Prairie Hospice Society and St. Martins United Church,and is on the Board of Saskatoon Council on Aging. Mavis was honoured to be the recipient of the YWCAWomen of Distinction Award for Education in 2008 and the Saskatchewan Literacy Award of Merit Profess-ional Designation Award in 2010. Nationally, she was selected to represent Saskatchewan for the NationalWeaving Literacy Project and represented SK on two occasions at CAPC/CPNP National Think Tanks. Sheenjoys spending time with her family, reading, working in the yard, summers at the cottage, and traveling. 

Michael Carss is the Director, Innovation & Growth in the Group Benefits division at Wiegers Financial &Benefits. He helps guide Saskatchewan’s top employers to unlock opportunities, design, implement andcommunicate sustainable and competitive employee benefit strategies. Michael graduated from theUSask in 2007 with a B.Comm. degree studying Human Resources and Marketing. He proudly serves onthe Council for the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (Saskatchewan Region) and is the Chair of theNSBA Business Builder Awards. Michael is a proud Alumni of the 2018 Leadership Saskatoon program. Youcan find Michael at the Saskatoon Golf & Country Club in the summer and Nutana Curling Club in thewinter. His favourite leadership quote is, “A boss has the title. A leader has the people” – Simon Sinek

Raj Randhawa has had an interesting journey since co-founding Horizon in 1995, which continues to growand expand across western Canada. He has gained some great experience in every aspect of business overthe past 29 years and worked with some amazing people. Currently Raj is on the board of IT SolutionsAssociation of Saskatchewan. He has served as a board member for the Sask Communication Network andGreater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. He has enjoyed being a Big Brother and volunteering at Folk-fest. His 4 kids keep things lively on the home front. Raj enjoys traveling as a family. In his spare time, helikes playing squash, golfing, and biking.

Riley Baxter’s work experience has provided a background in both nonprofit and public practice sectors.Currently, she serves as the VP, Finance & Operations at the YWCA Saskatoon, where she’s dedicated over7 years to enhancing organizational effectiveness and supporting their mission. Before joining the YWCARiley worked at PwC, where she earned her CPA designation and developed a solid foundation in financialmanagement, audit, and tax services. Riley graduated from the Edwards School of Business with a majorin accounting. She has always enjoyed staying connected with the community through board involve-ment. Currently, she serves as Treasurer for the Saskatoon Minor Basketball Association board and hascontributed to other boards that align with her values. Outside of work, Riley is passionate about spendingtime outdoors, regardless of the season. Some of her favorite activities include hiking, cross-country skiing,camping, and biking. She also loves spending time with her son and 2 dogs. 

Tammy Chief comes from a large French-speaking Metis family. She has a Bachelor of Arts in NativeStudies and a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Education. She began her teaching career 23 years ago as aCore French teacher in elementary schools. She has spent the majority of her career teaching in highschools and is currently the Principal of Royal West Campus in Saskatoon. Tammy has 3 children and 4grandchildren. In the summer, her children dance pow wow which keeps them busy. Tammy enjoyssharing her culture with others and teaches beading classes in the evening.

Terry Lowe worked at Catholic Family Services as a group facilitator, counsellor andeventually in leadership over the course of 25 years. For the last 10 or so years in her career, she was theDirector of Client Services overseeing programming and staff in the counselling and communitydepartments. For many years, Terry was on the board of the Saskatoon Adlerian Society and as well as co-chair of the Family Education Section of the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology. She sat on aNational Committee to certify Canadian Family Educators. On a local level, Terry was very involved withSaskatoon Early Years Partnership including being a co-chair for 2 years. This was a partnership betweenHealth, Education, Social Services and community organizations. She is currently retired although she stillfacilitates the odd group and reads with 3 – 5 year olds at Navera’s Rosewood Daycare. On a personal note, Terry and her husband have 2 children and their partners along with 5 grandchildren. Sheloves cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, canoeing, walking and reading. She is very interested in nutritionand love cooking.

Wayne Brownlee is the former EVPand CFO of Nutrien and PotashCorp retiring in October 2018. In 1989, Wayne coordinated the privatization of PotashCorp. As head of corporate development through 30 years with PotashCorp. he led many strategic acquisitions and served on international potash company boards. Prior to joining PotashCorp, Wayne held a series of positions within the Saskatchewan Dept. of Finance. Wayne holds a BSc and an MBA from USask. He is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Edwards School of Business, Vice Chair of Wanuskewin Heritage Park, and former Chair of the Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation and Saskatoon Community Foundation. He is also a Board member of Zyus Life Sciences, Gensource Potash, and Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority.