Our Team

Irene Oakes, Asini Iskwew, is a member of the Nekaneet Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, and has been an educator in Canada and the US in different capacities. She has been a classroom teacher, a school principal, superintendent and has worked with students at the university level as an instructor and their field experience coordination. Irene recently worked with Headwater Learning Solutions with one of their partner First Nations communities. She is presently working as an independent education researcher and contractor and is excited to continue to support Headwater as they continue to support students to realize their full holistic potential.

Bobby Jo Okanee is an member of the Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan. A graduate from the University of Saskatchewan’s Indian Teacher Education Program, Bobby Jo believes that making connections is vitally important to youth and adults, and that learning occurs in communities, not just in classrooms. She is an active member of the Thunderchild community, participating in hand games and ceremonies, and coaching and playing volleyball. 

Dana Braunberger is a passionate educator, researcher, and university instructor, fiercely committed to building leadership that fosters future-focused learning cultures. Her passion is to support leaders grow healthy, thriving organizations that create learning success for all. Dana has been a teacher, principal, Chief Performance Officer, and currently leads Research and Innovation. With decades of experience in K-12 education, her passion is fuelled by the potential of all students and the inspiration of people who envision transformative opportunities and bring innovation to life.

Chief Delbert Wapass (Kihiw Ka-Pim-oo-teht) is from the Thunderchild Cree Nation within Treaty 6 Territory. His strong Cree cultural background, along with his fluency in the Cree language, and his strong visionary, strategic and leadership skills and work ethics provide him with the balance and understanding to work with Elders, his community, with leadership, with youth, as well as corporate partners, institutions, First Nations communities and different levels of government. He completed a Master’s in Education (2010) from the University of Saskatchewan. Delbert was recently elected to his fourth 4-year term as Chief of his community and has worked with Headwater Learning as an Indigenous Advisor for over three years. His passion continues to be in advancing education at the First Nations level so that First Nations communities and First Nations people can fully realize “Indian Control of Indian Education.” Delbert has extensive experience in the field of education, within the classroom as a classroom teacher, as a school administrator, in policy development and as an advocate at the regional and national levels.

As Chief of Thunderchild First Nation, Delbert has been successful in sustaining financial accountability and increased revenue for his community; he negotiated multi-year education and health processes and agreement; the creation of Thunderchild Family Services process; and promoted youth sports excellence; he negotiated revenue for a Community Wellness Centre/Field House and Ice arena; increased housing; they became a major investor in Decibel Cannibis Inc; and effective commercial industries, farming, oil and gas, and land development.

Becca Bouchard works with educators to grow their practice and skills within the realms of teaching and learning. Through a data-driven and student-centered approach, consulting blends the rigour of academics with relationship-building between all learners within schools. Becca comes to this role with a decade’s worth of experience in the classroom at the secondary level, leading learning teams, mentoring new staff, and as the Executive Functions Lead. Her commitment to her work is driven by her passion for learning, reading, connecting with others, and by her fervent belief that all children can learn, grow, and are deserving of a caring and high-quality education.

Dana Haynes is the founder of The Literacy Corner tutoring agency in British Columbia and graduated at the top of her class with a Linguistics degree and a TESL certificate from Simon Fraser University. Dana came across the Literacy Links program by witnessing her 10-year-old stepson gain functional literacy in just 20 hours of intensive phonics instruction with Kathy Rollheiser. As a Linguist and teacher, Dana was impressed with the design and efficacy of the program. She started using Literacy Links in her classroom with groups of up to 15 students at a time and found it to be extremely effective.

After going on maternity leave for the birth of her son, she started the Literacy Corner so she could teach from home and has since trained more than 30 tutors in how to use the Literacy Links program. Dana loves that the Literacy Links program provides excellent structure while still allowing for flexibility and individualized instruction; in her opinion, it is the best program on the market for reading intervention.

Kathy has been a special education teacher for 35 years, specializing in language and reading disabilities. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master’s degree from the University of Victoria. She was one of the first teachers to train in Literacy Links when it was first developed in 1997 and has been using it steadily ever since. She has helped many children and adults develop both confidence and reading skills in one-on-one reading clinics in British Columbia. She has trained teachers, psychologists, tutors, speech pathologists, and parents in her Literacy Links workshops. 

In 2004, she was part of the EDC LEAP project in Nigeria and adapted Literacy Links for use in Nigerian schools. She then took it to Thailand to a children’s refuge and set up an English classroom with Literacy Links as the basis for instruction. More recently,  she introduced Literacy Links to first-year Education students at Thompson Rivers University.

In addition to her professional life, Ashlee is passionate about traveling and spending time with her family. 

Dr. Bass has been an Alberta educator for over 30 years. He has served the education community as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and as an Alberta Deputy Minister of Education. Before joining Headwater Learning Solutions, he worked as a consultant assisting organizations in achieving their educational goals.

Dr. Bass passionately believes in helping students to realize their full academic and social potential, achieve independence as learners and experience success, and prepare them to lead in a rapidly-changing world.

With over 20 years of experience in education ranging from teaching, school administration and leadership, curriculum development, and consulting, Matt brings a balance of leadership and pedagogical skills that foster growth amongst a range of students and staff and build meaningful, supportive relationships within a school community.

Matt’s varied and ever-expanding experiences have seen him work with students and teachers in classrooms from elementary to high school as well as with adult learners. His many years at Calgary Academy have also afforded him a unique set of skills well suited to addressing the needs of underserved students and students with learning disabilities. Coupled with degrees in history, social studies, and First Nations education as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Administration, Matt understands the complex and often ambiguous process of educational development and brings a well-established strategic and systematic approach to projects.

Marla has over 25 years of combined experience in banking, finance, oil and gas, and education and is focused on organizational excellence and structural change and transformation. She has extensive experience in leadership development, strategic communications, financial management, enterprise risk management, investor and stakeholder relations, and enhancing corporate governance. Previously, Marla was Vice President, Corporate Development at Laricina Energy Ltd. from February 2006 to April 2017 building the organization from its pioneering roots.

Marla sits on the Board of Directors for McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association, and was previously Director of Officiating for the Alberta Basketball Officials Association. Marla volunteers with the Rainbow Society of Alberta who grants wishes to children with life-threatening conditions or severe chronic medical illnesses and with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta on financial literacy.