Keynote Speakers
Morning Keynote Speaker: Jim Strachan has been working with (and learning from) children for 42 years as a social worker, classroom teacher of grades 2 to 8, instructional leader for information technology, program coordinator for beginning teachers, and as an education officer supporting mentorship and authentic learning for both new and experienced educators across Ontario. By modeling caring, compassion, cooperation, and humour, Jim believes we can contribute to the success of all learners. It is his daily challenge to live these beliefs! Jim starts each day in his kayak watching the sun rise on Lake Ontario. In his current role as an education consultant, he’s finding lingering on the lake is more joyful now than ever. All of Jim’s current Mentoring for Mentors resources (along with several pictures from his kayak) can be accessed at: sites.google.com/view/mentoringforall.
Lunch Keynote Speaker: Marlo Beaucage is an Indigenous educator with extensive experience across provincial and First Nations schools throughout Ontario. She currently serves as Systems Principal with the Kinoomadzwin Education Body, operating within the Anishinabek Education System, and as an instructor and Faculty Advisor at Lakehead University. Throughout her career, Marlo has taught at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, and she is deeply committed to integrating Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing into classroom practice and across all curriculum areas. In her leadership and teaching roles, she works to align school systems with community values, language revitalization, and culturally grounded pedagogy. Marlo collaborates with educators, students, and communities to support student achievement, well-being, and cultural vitality, while advancing reconciliation and inclusive education. Her work is characterized by mentorship, pedagogical innovation, and a steadfast dedication to creating learning environments that affirm Indigenous identities and worldviews.
Dinner Keynote Speaker: Primrose Goss is the Principal of Leadership and Development with the Simcoe County District School Board, bringing 28 years of educational experience as a classroom educator and school administrator. A passionate advocate for equity, leadership, and student success, she has inspired students, staff, and families throughout her career. Primrose leads system-wide initiatives in leadership development, mentorship, coaching, succession planning, administrator eligibility, and professional learning for new teachers and school leaders. She further supports educator growth as a Teacher Leadership AQ instructor with Lakehead University. Known for her coaching expertise, she empowers individuals to realize their potential, embrace feedback, and achieve meaningful professional growth.
Conference Speakers
Dr. Glenda Black is a professor at the Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University. She has worked in the Canadian school system as a teacher, administrator, and teacher educator. Awarded numerous federal, provincial, and national advocacy grants, Glenda has researched and written extensively on teacher education. Her areas of interest are action research, Indigenous education, educational leadership, international teaching, and curriculum development.
Lorelei Bunkowsky has served as a dedicated teacher, principal, and now in the Winnipeg School Division as Assistant Superintendent, for over 34 years. Deeply rooted in literacy intervention and inclusive education, she is known for her compassion, integrity, and unwavering commitment to helping children and families who need a difference made the most. Lorelei’s heart remains with her first love—teaching in the classroom where it all happens, where she discovered the power of curiosity, connection, and belonging to shape lifelong learning.
Dr. Finney Cherian is an Associate Professor at the University of Windsor. His research focuses on mentoring, social justice, and teacher education. He leads Professional Development School partnerships that advance collaborative, reflective, and educative mentorship practices supporting teacher candidate learning across practicum contexts.
Noa Daniel holds a Master of Education, is an educator, mentor, author, and educational consultant whose work centres on the power of relationships to transform learning and professional growth. She is the Founder and Director of The Mentoree, a mentorship institute that creates opportunities for educators to learn with and from one another through conversation, reflection, and connection.
Jennifer Della Mea has been a secondary English teacher, teacher-librarian, and department head for over twenty years with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board. Over her career, Jennifer has enjoyed building a classroom defined by curiosity, compassion, and a deep love of learning. From her earliest days as a new educator to her seasoned years as a mentor, she continues to center human connections as the foundation of her professional role in schools to foster positive relationships and growth. Jennifer lives in Bolton, Ontario with her family and loves reading, writing, nature, and peaceful walks with her dog, Cooper.
Kym Geddes holds an M.B.A and is a multi-award-winning broadcast journalist and former News Director at NEWSTALK1010 Toronto. For more than 25 years, Kym helped thousands of listeners understand the day's most complex stories—in minutes. Today, she draws on that newsroom experience to help educators, leaders, and students communicate with clarity, confidence, and purpose by transforming complex ideas into messages that are understandable, influential, and memorable.
Dr. Susan Hopkins is the Executive Director of The MEHRIT Centre, where she’s been leading Self-Reg initiatives across Canada and internationally for the past 10 years. With over 25 years of experience in education and child development, she has worked in diverse settings—from the Tłı̨chǫ region of the Northwest Territories to northern Italy, and across schools, early years programs, and government systems. Susan works with educators, early years professionals, universities, researchers, and policy leaders, always with a focus on improving the well-being of children and youth by supporting the adults who care for and guide them. She is the co-author, with Dr. Stuart Shanker, of Restoring Resilience (2025) and Self-Reg Schools: A Handbook for Educators (2019). Her work brings the science and practice of Shanker Self-Reg® to life through stories, strategies, and strong partnerships.
Luke LeClair is an Ontario Certified Teacher and Occasional Teacher with the York Region District School Board. He is a recent graduate of Lakehead University’s Bachelor of Education program, specializing in the Intermediate/Senior divisions with teachable subjects in History and Social Sciences. Throughout his teacher education and professional experiences, Luke has worked with students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 in a wide range of subjects and capacities. His teaching philosophy emphasizes inclusivity, student-centred learning, community, and creating classroom environments where students are supported, challenged, and confident in their abilities. Luke values mentorship as an important part of becoming an educator, having experienced firsthand how the guidance, encouragement, and perspectives of peers and students can shape both confidence and professional growth. Luke is committed to being an educator who listens to his students, advocates for their needs, builds community, strengthens rapport, and continually reflects on how he can better serve the communities he teaches in.
Joanne Lombardi is the Practicum and Community Engagement Manager in the Faculty of Education at Western University, where she leads initiatives that strengthen practicum, mentorship, and university-school partnerships. With more than four decades of experience in education, she has served as an elementary teacher, Special Education Coordinator, and principal, and was recognized as one of Canada's Outstanding Principals by The Learning Partnership in 2010. At Western, she is leading the development of the new one-year Bachelor of Education practicum model and the Western Practicum Partnership. Her work is driven by a commitment to authentic school-based learning, collaborative leadership, and meaningful partnerships that support the next generation of educators.
Sophia Lombardi is an educator with a passion for mentorship, learning, and creating meaningful connections within education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and Philosophy from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University. She currently works in secondary schools across Toronto and hopes to pursue a Master of Education with a focus on Social Justice in Education. Through her experiences as both a mentor and mentee, Sophia has come to value mentorship as a meaningful space for growth, guidance, and shared learning. Her experiences in teaching, tutoring, and leadership continue to shape how she learns from and supports those around her. She hopes to continue contributing to educational communities where mentorship, connection, and learning are valued.
Laura Lee Millard Smith currently serves as an Instructor and Faculty Advisor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University, where she teaches secondary teacher candidates and contributes to faculty academic committees. With over two decades in public education, she has led diverse learning initiatives, established alternative education programs, and served as a high school administrator across multiple communities in Simcoe County. Laura Lee has presented extensively on educational outreach, student engagement, and leadership at provincial and international conferences, including events hosted by CESBA, ONLEAD, and the Ministry of Education. Her writing on supporting vulnerable learners has also been featured in the OPC Register. Active in governance and professional learning, she has served on the board for Ontario ASCD, held leadership roles with the Ontario Principals Council, and currently sits on the board for Sweet Charity.
Marg Moran is a distinguished instructional leader and retired school principal with 30 years of transformative experience in public education. Currently serving as an instructor for the Lakehead Faculty of Education, Marg channels her deep pedagogical expertise into cultivating the next generation of educators. With a deep passion for impactful pedagogy, she actively mentors new teachers, translates educational research into daily classroom success, and models high-quality instructional practices that drive student achievement. She firmly believes that intentional mentorship is the cornerstone of teacher retention and school success. By modeling exemplary pedagogy, collaborating on real-world classroom challenges, and motivating early-career teachers, she inspires future educators to achieve instructional excellence. Central to her philosophy is the power of authentic relationships; she recognizes that strong, supportive connections form the vital foundation for all successful teaching, mentorship, and school leadership.
Dr. Lana Parker is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor. Her primary area of research is in philosophy of education, with a focus on the intersubjective relation at the heart of teaching and learning. She is also interested in how neoliberalism and capitalism inflect those relations. Lana has done studies on mentoring relationships, and co-authored Mentoring Each Other: Teachers Listening, Learning, and Sharing to Create More Successful Classrooms with Dr. Diane Vetter. Lana’s nationally funded research currently includes a phenomenological analysis of how capitalism and social media shape youth engagement with information, including mis- and disinformation. She published an edited collection on this topic, Education in the age of Misinformation: Philosophical and Pedagogical Explorations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023). She is a founding member of the Public Education Exchange and serves as co-editor at Philosophical Inquiry in Education.
Jason Pratt is a Principal in Brampton, Ontario, who believes that the greatest investment we can make in education is in one another. Guided by a passion for mentorship and professional growth, he works to create school communities where educators feel supported, inspired, and empowered to lead. He is in his 17th year as a secondary school administrator and has led teacher mentorship across five distinct school communities. Throughout his career, Jason has championed collaborative learning cultures that prioritize instructional excellence, student achievement, and staff well-being through leadership on Board and Family of Schools learning teams. He is committed to developing leadership capacity at all levels, encouraging educators to embrace innovation, reflect on their practice, and engage in meaningful professional learning. By fostering strong relationships built on trust, authenticity, and shared purpose, he helps create environments where both students and staff can thrive. Jason is particularly passionate about coaching and mentoring emerging leaders, building high-performing teams, and leveraging data-informed decision-making to improve student outcomes. He believes that sustainable school improvement is achieved when educators are empowered to recognize their strengths, take risks in their learning, and contribute their unique talents to the collective success of the school community. A lifelong learner himself, Jason is dedicated to cultivating inclusive, positive, and future-focused learning environments that prepare students for success while inspiring educators to continue growing in their craft. His leadership is grounded in the belief that when we invest in people, we unlock the potential for extraordinary impact in schools and beyond.
Dr. Tom Russell is Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. He retired in 2019 after 42 years at Queen’s, where his teaching focused on secondary school science (physics in particular) and the improvement of teaching. His research focused on reflection-in-action, how individuals learn to teach, learning from experience, and self-study of teacher education practices. He was a co-editor of the 2004 International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices and served as co-editor of the journal Studying Teacher Education during its first 15 years of publication. He has published numerous book chapters and co-edited more than a dozen books.
Domenic Scuglia is an accomplished educational leader with 41 years of experience in education, including eight years as director of education in both Saskatchewan and Ontario. Throughout his career, he has championed equity, diversity, and inclusion, working to ensure that every student is supported to achieve their highest potential. He is deeply committed to maximizing student success while building school communities where all staff, students, and families feel respected, valued, and have a genuine sense of belonging. As a retired director of education in Ontario, he continues to be guided by the belief that when everyone is welcomed and included, entire communities thrive.
Brian Weishar currently teaches in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University Orillia. He is a classroom teacher and professional learning facilitator and coach, and has worked with educators from across Ontario and in other parts of Canada. He has presented at Reading for the Love of It (RFTLOI), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). He is also chair of the English Language Arts Network of Ontario (ELAN), which recently created many resources to support the teachers’ implementation of the new Language and English curriculum.
Syed Ali Nasir Zaidi is a PhD candidate at the University of Windsor and instructor at St. Clair College for AA&T. His research sits at the intersection of PDS, teacher candidate social psychology, and practicum settings, focusing on collaborative mentorship and writing-based reflective practices that foster self-reflexivity. Syed sees his research through complexity and chaos lenses to understand learning, relationships, and reflective practice in teacher education.