Johnna joined Caregivers Alberta in May of 2019, directing programs and services to Alberta’s one million family caregivers. Working in the field of human services for over 20 years, she has been a speaker at both national and global trade conferences such as Missouri Healthcare Association Annual Convention and National Center for Creative Aging Global Leadership Exchange in Washington, DC.

She believes firmly in the power of education to impact community-based services and her joint efforts in research contributed to a publication in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease entitled, “The Impact of Creative Arts in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Public Health Education”. Her passion for supporting persons living with dementia has her hosting Life With Dementia podcast and also led her to the 2014 publication, “Through the Eyes of Dementia”, a pocket guide to caregiving.

With 2 children under the age of 6 she defines herself as a woman of action unless you put a glass of good wine in hand and the perfect sunset to drink it to, in which case you’ll find her soaking up the leisure life for as long as the moment lasts.

Grant Bruno is nehiyawak (Plains Cree) and a registered member of nipsihkopahk (Samson Cree Nation), one of the reserves that is part of the Maskwacîs (Bear Hills), Alberta.

He is a PhD candidate in medical sciences – paediatrics at the University of Alberta. Grant is a father of four children. Two of his children are on the autism spectrum. His PhD research will explore redefining autism from a nehiyaw lens. He uses a strength-based approach to gather stories with families and individuals with experiences with autism, as well as gather data on the perspectives of autism in Maskwacîs.

Nicole Jorwic is the chief of advocacy and campaigns at Caring Across Generations. Before joining Caring Across Generations, Nicole was senior director of public policy and senior executive officer of state advocacy at The Arc of the United States. Nicole has also served as senior policy advisor and manager of the employment first initiative in Illinois. Prior to that appointment, Nicole was the CEO and president of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities.

Nicole is also an accomplished special education attorney. Nicole leads and supports many coalitions to advance the priorities of Care Across Generations, including the Care Can’t Wait Coalition, the Disability and Aging Collaborative and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities LTSS Taskforce. Nicole is also the board chair for the Quality Trust for People with Disabilities, is a proud board member of the National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and a member of the Presidents Committee on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Most importantly, Nicole is sibling to her brother Chris who has autism and part of the care team for her 90-year-old grandma who has Parkinson’s disease.

Meet Terrence, a compassionate and motivated man who wears many hats – strategist, facilitator, and community builder in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. His biggest inspiration is his younger brother, who lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and he’s been his care advocate for over 30 years. Terrence’s personal experiences caring for his brother and recently losing his mother to lung cancer have given him a unique perspective on the needs of patients and caregivers.

Terrence is currently the head of global sales education and operations at Braze Mobility, a company that developed the world’s first blind spot sensors for wheelchairs. He’s also a co-author of the book “Bold Spirit Caring for the Dying.” These experiences have made him a strong advocate for accessibility, end-of-life care, and mental wellbeing.

You might have seen Terrence featured in National Post, Healthing.ca, The Disability Channel, and CBC’s Sickboy Podcast, where he shares his experience as a family and sibling caregiver. But when he’s not busy being a change agent, you can catch him relaxing by listening to a podcast, jumping into a cold lake or bouncing on his trampoline. Terrence’s positive energy and drive to make the world a better place is palpable.

Darrel Gregory has over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the non-profit sector. Over the last 15 years he was a director with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MS Society). His communications and strategic skills helped propel Alberta to lead the MS Society in fundraising success for several years. Based in Calgary for the last five years of his tenure with the MS Society, Darrel led their Southern Alberta Division through a challenging economic environment.

He is an innovator, a relationship builder and, above all, fiercely committed to his teams and the people he is surrounded with, both professionally and personally.

Amy Coupal is the CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization, a charity funded by the Ministry of Health to support Ontario’s 4 million family caregivers. A visionary leader with more than 20 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, Amy has extensive experience in knowledge translation which has been instrumental in the development of direct-to-caregiver programs and services.

Amy works collaboratively with organizations across the health care sector and beyond to improve the lives of caregivers in Ontario. She has a deep understanding of the benefits and challenges associated with caregiving.

As a caregiver for most of her life, Amy helped to support her brother who had cerebral palsy. She was also a caregiver to her mother throughout her cancer journey and now supports her father.