CAEDHH National Executive Committee

 
 

National Director

Joanna Cannon

Dr. Joanna E. Cannon is a Professor in the Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education department at the University of British Columbia. She has 9 years’ experience as an itinerant and resource teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students and is the parent of a deaf adult with disabilities. She serves as the coordinator of the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing graduate program and her areas of research include literacy assessment, learners with complex needs, and immigrant families.

 

Past National Director

Taylor Hallenbeck

Dr. Taylor Hallenbeck completed her M.Ed. in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the University of British Columbia and her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina. Her research interests are in the acquistion of math skills for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Taylor is currently a teacher of the deaf at the Manitoba School for the Deaf and an instructor at the University of British Columbia.

 
 

Secretary

Jamie Corpuz

Jamie Corpuz is the District Itinerant Teacher of the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing for Rocky Mountain School District 6. Throughout the Columbia Valley between the beautiful Purcell and Rocky Mountains, she works directly with her K-12 students, their families and school teams. Jamie is past Co-President and Vice-President for CAEDHH-BC and a long time participant in the TDHH Mentorship Program offered by the BC Provincial Outreach Program – Deaf & Hard of Hearing. She completed her Graduate Diploma in The Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students at York University (2013) and her Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Teaching & Learning (Secondary) at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand (2009). Jamie is also the Secretary on the Board of Directors for Columbia Valley Search & Rescue as well as an active Ground Search & Rescue Member and Tracker. She enjoys the outdoors with her dogs Koru and Luna and recently completed a cross-Canada road trip from ocean to ocean to ocean.

 
 

Treasurer

Key Kwon

Dr. Key Kwon holds two master’s degrees in Special Education (M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia specializing in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and an M.A. at Ewha Woman’s University specializing in language disabilities). She worked as a speech language pathologist in Korea for children with intellectual disabilities and autism before she immigrated to Canada in 1999. Her research interests include increasing supports for Deaf and Hard of Hearing learners and their families who experience disabilities and/or are recent immigrants to Canada. She has been a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, BC for over 16 years and is currently working at the BC School for the Deaf and an instructor at the University of British Columbia.

 
 

British Columbia Regional Director

Mary-ann Livesey

Mary-Ann is a Teacher of the d/Deaf and hard of hearing in the Vancouver school district. Mary-Ann has over 20 years teaching experience and completed her M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia in Special Education with a concentration in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She has many years’ experience serving on the CAEDHH-BC Executive as well as the CAEDHH National Executive.

 
 

Alberta Regional Director

Shelley Prain

Shelley Prain is an Assistant Principal at Alberta School for the Deaf. She completed her M.Ed in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the University of British Columbia. She has almost 30 years experience working with Deaf and hard of hearing students as a teacher and administrator. Her passion is to support deaf and hard of hearing students and improve their achievement, equity and well-being.

 
 

Saskatchewan Regional Director

Michelle Grodecki

Michelle Grodecki is a Teacher of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (TODHH) in Regina, SK.  She completed her B.Ed at the University of Regina (2005) and post-baccalaureate diploma in Deaf Education from York University (2019).  In addition to being a TODHH, Michelle is a parent to a Deaf child.  Michelle is a staunch advocate for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals in Saskatchewan.  She currently is the president of the Saskatchewan Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services board of directors and the operations administrator for Deaf Crows Collective. Michelle looks forward to working with the CAEDHH as a regional representative for Saskatchewan to continue to improve the education of DHH students in the province.

 
 

Manitoba Regional Director

Position Unfilled

Searching for a regional director, please contact CAEDHHNational@gmail.com if you are interested or would like to nominate someone.

 
 

Ontario Regional Director

Caterina Ruggirello

Cathy is a Provincial Educational Consultant with the Ministry of Education, Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch (PDSB) - Resource Services Outreach Programs, serving students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and supporting educators, administrators, parents, and community agencies and services who work with students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing across the province of Ontario. Cathy earned her Ph.D. in Education from York University, Toronto, Ontario in 2017 with research on literacy development in school-aged students with simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants, published in The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. She has worked in Deaf education, special education, and general education for over 20 years. In her spare time, she enjoys rowing and yoga.

 
 

Quebec Regional Director

Andrea Lepore

Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

 
 

Newfoundland & Labrador Regional Director

Jonathan MacDonald

Jonathan MacDonald, a proud Deaf Newfoundlander, is the new Director of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programs within the Newfoundland & Labrador Schools Branch, Department of Education. Over the years, Jonathan has held many educational positions, including as a math, science, and ASL teacher at the British Columbia School for the Deaf (BCSD) and as an ASL teacher at both the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vancouver Community College (VCC). He continues to work with UBC’s Extended Learning Department remotely. He is currently involved with the Sign Language Institute Canada (SLIC), as a trainee for their online 10-month SLIC sign language instructor training program to be concluded in October 2024. He is a proud coparent of his parents’ dog, Bailey, who brings joy and happiness during good and challenging times. 

 
 

Maritimes Regional Director

Hannah Wade

Hannah Wade completed her Special Education master’s degree at UBC specializing in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She served on the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association team for four years as the Young Adults Network secretary and is involved in Deaf and Hard of Hearing events across Nova Scotia. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her Golden Doodle ‘Teddy’ and her husband. She is currently an education support teacher in Nova Scotia (formerly known as Itinerant Teacher for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing).

 
 

Yukon Regional Director

 

Heather McBurney

Heather has been a Hearing Resource Teacher (HRT) in the Yukon Territory since arriving in 2021 from Ontario. In Ontario she worked for four years with D/HH students at the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. Heather completed her studies in Deaf Education with York University in 2020. In 2015 she completed her M.Ed at the University of Calgary with a focus on Teaching English as a Second Language and Assistive Technologies for Inclusive Learning. Being the only HRT in the Territory, she values collaborating with her colleagues down South in BC and Alberta. She is currently participating in the Provincial Outreach Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (POPDHH) Mentorship Program in BC.