Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD) is fueled by sponsors an donors. It’s because of the amazing sponsor that support VAD and our efforts to continue to make a difference for Albertans with Disabilities. These businesses and organizations are imperative to ensuring that VAD can continue to provide the resources and supports that are so desperately needed in Alberta.
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Don became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2024. Don Slater is a tireless advocate for persons with disabilities, known across Alberta and beyond for his unwavering commitment to justice, fairness, and compassion. A thoughtful listener and natural problem-solver, His efforts have extended from private acts of kindness to public policy, where he has worked directly with political leaders to press for meaningful, lasting change, always with a focus on dignity, inclusion, and the betterment of society as a whole. Driven not by accolades but by a deep moral compass, Don Slater remains a steadfast voice for those too often left unheard.
James MacPhail’s life story is one of strength and unwavering dedication. Living in Duchess, AB, he’s a father of two and a proud grandfather. A former manager in the oil and gas industry, his life took an unexpected turn in 2007 following a serious MVA, leading to paralysis. Despite this, James remained deeply involved in his children’s lives, including coaching his son’s hockey team. He has a passion for photography and finding new ways to make life accessible and enjoyable from a wheelchair. Now, with a new grandchild, his focus is on staying healthy and sharing his experiences. James believes in the importance of connection and information, aiming to bridge the gap for those with disabilities and combat the isolating effects of their condition.
Bob became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2024
Mark is a lifelong resident of Edmonton, where he has lived for most of his 52 years. With over 15 years of experience working for the City of Edmonton, he has served on numerous committees and focus groups. As someone with epilepsy and a parent of a daughter with a disability, Mark brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. His passion for advocacy and commitment to advancing services and rights for the disabled led him to serving on the board. Mark is excited to contribute his skills and perspectives to support and empower the disability community.
Koryn Krekoski, a proud Fort McMurray resident and stroke survivor, is a passionate advocate with the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD). She works to break barriers, promote inclusion, and connect people with disabilities to vital resources. Through her lived experience, Koryn strives to make Alberta more accessible for everyone.
Scott joined the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD) Board in 2025, bringing with him 20 years of lived experience as a person with a disability. Throughout his journey, Scott has been a passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities, working tirelessly to promote inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunities. His dedication and insight continue to be invaluable in advancing VAD’s mission.
Curtis Sagmeister has been confined to a wheelchair for 10 years and continues to learn to navigate the inaccessible world in which we live. Fiercely independent, Curtis brings his solid business leadership experience to VAD and is celebrating over 45 years of personal volunteerism in 2025, including a tenure on Municipal Council as Vice Chair.
Dom Shaw became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2023.
Bernard became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2020.
Doug Manderville joined the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD) Board in 2024, bringing over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector advocating for persons with disabilities. As someone with 30 years of lived experience as a person with a disability, Doug offers a unique and invaluable perspective to the organization. His commitment to fostering inclusion and empowering others drives his dedication to VAD’s mission.
Chantelle has been working with VAD since mid-November of 2024. An important part of her role as a Case Manager/ Community Support worker is being able to communicate well with our clients, being a good active listener and showing compassion. With her critical thinking and her ability to collaborate with team members and other community resources, she finds the best support/resources that fits the clients’ needs. Everyone deserves to have quality of life, and anything she can do to help someone by advocating for them to achieve this is truly a blessing. One thing she enjoys for self-care is camping with her family and relaxing by the campfire.
Melissa has been with VAD since November 2024 and has extensive experience with attention to detail that helps her excel in her position. She is the office assistant at VAD, answering the phones, booking, cancelling, and rescheduling appointments, doing required mailouts, assisting with filing of documents, and other tasks assigned by staff in the office. She will be taking over the finances in due time and her experience with the Canada Revenue Agency will be invaluable in that area. She takes great pride in being good at what she does, both in her work and personal life. She is the fur parent to a sweet and funny orange tabby cat who keeps her on her toes and has a 25-year-old son who makes her proud to be his mother every single day. She enjoys spending time with friends and family in her down time.
Leslie has been with VAD since mid April 2024. Her well rounded experience comes from working as a Logistics Officer with the Military for over 25 years. As the Executive Director, Leslie is responsible for the finances, administration, and Human Resources at VAD. In her spare time she volunteers with her local Community Council, helping with their monthly activities, spend lots of time with friends, attends the theatre and plays, and enjoys reading and walking her little dog.
Teresa has been with VAD since July 2017, she brings over 20 years administrative skills and experience to the office. Proficient in Microsoft programs, videography/podcasts and editing, website maintenance, event planning, graphic design, and many more skills, Teresa started as an Office Assistant and has worked her way up the ladder to Program & Services Manager. She works directly with clients in a service role and supports the office management in policies, programs and projects. Teresa spent the last 10 years playing roller derby and included in her interests are the annual Edmonton Mud Run each August, and she is a 30+ year volunteer with Edmonton Folk Music Festival.
Michelle is the Education Coordinator at Voice of Albertans with Disabilities. She has been with VAD for a total of 10 years; 2 years on the Board of Directors and 8 years as a contract employee. Her core responsibility is the Disability Awareness Presentations, which includes marketing, setup, hosting presentations, recording the stats, and responding to the feedback. She loved horseback riding & has a wicked sense of humor…. So she has been told
Donna Bulger was born with a disability and uses a wheelchair for mobility. She earned her Bachelor of Education and taught elementary school in her hometown of Morinville for eight years. Seeking an outlet for her creative side, she shifted her career to computer graphics and has worked in this field for twenty years full time in the marketing department of a travel agency. She now balances freelance graphic projects with her disabled advocacy work and spends the remainder of her free time crafting, singing, spending time with family and reading.
Roxanne Ulanicki is a woman with a disability who represented Canada in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea playing wheelchair basketball. Since accepting an early medical retirement in 2005, Roxanne has spent her time advocating and volunteering on behalf of people with disabilities. Currently, she gives awareness presentations for Voice of Albertans with Disabilities, is co-facilitating Radical Inclusion with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and serves as a fellow with the Affordable Housing Solutions Lab at the University of Alberta.
Tara Mitrovic was born and raised in Edmonton Alberta. She is a passionate advocate for the persons with disabilities. Tara volunteers with Voice of Albertans with Disabilities by giving disability awareness presentations. She has taken Radical Inclusion 2020 though the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and is involved in writing a shadow report for the U.N. In Tara’s spare time, she makes films, script writing, casting and directing.
Tara enjoys spending time with her dog Fanky who she trained to be her service dog. Tara has taken entrepreneurship courses, such marketing, other business and indigenous courses.
Lisa was raised in Hinton, AB. She worked in a couple administrative positions after high school and then moved to Edmonton for the first time to go to college and live in residence for another two years. She moved around Alberta a couple more times after that before finally returning and settling back in Edmonton five years later.
She has now been living here for the past eight years doing volunteer work for both Voice of Albertans with Disabilities and the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Northern Alberta. She has been the coordinator for the NoLimits Peer Support Group for adults with spina bifida since 2014. She has taken Radical Inclusion 2020 though the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and is involved in writing a shadow report for the U.N. She lives in an apartment in the downtown area with her two cats.
Michelle Bissell came onto the Board of Directors of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities in October 2014 and now is the Education Coordinator on VAD Staff. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Certificate in Career Development from Concordia University Collage of Alberta. She participates with an occupational therapy class at the University of Alberta, she is a Student Educator for the Occupational Therapy Department at the U of A. She has taken Radical Inclusion 2020 though the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and is involved in writing a shadow report for the U.N.
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