Meet Our Staff & AdvisoryBoard

Our Advisory Board consists of three community members, two parent representatives, and two educator day home representatives.

The Advisory Board members support the strategic planning process and set the direction for the Society. It assists in the development of services and advises on issues related to the Societies operation.

Reshann is proud to be the Coordinator of the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society since 2016. She has worked in the office as a consultant since 2011 and previously as a family day home operator with our agency.

She has over 20 years’ experience in the early childhood field, as a director, room supervisor, and directly working with all ages of children but specializing in infant and toddler care. She is a level 3 early childhood educator, and has a background in finance, leadership, and teaching adults.

Reshann is involved in various other volunteer committees that bring training and best practice to Front Line Early Childhood Educators. These volunteer committees include the Central Alberta Family Day Home Association, and the Alberta Family Child Care Association.

Reshann Butts

Coordinator & Child Development Supervisor

Ella has been in the child care field since 2000, and has worked with the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society since 2007, initially as a family day home operator and then as an administrative assistant and consultant starting in 2010.

She has worked in day care in the infant and toddler rooms, with the Red Deer College as a practicum coach and consultant, and is particularly interested in advocacy work. She is a level 3 early childhood educator has a background in non-profit management and indigenous studies.

Ella currently sits as the chair of the Central Alberta Family Day Home Association, and participates as an active volunteer and member with the Alberta Family Child Care Association.

Ella Brekke

Consultant & Child Development Supervisor

Lindsay has been passionate about the Early Learning & Child Care field for over a decade & has experience in a variety of environments including Day Care, Playschool & Family Day Home. She has been with the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society since 2014 as a Family Day Home Operator, and Mentor since 2021.

Lindsay has always had a zest for enriching children’s life’s but also supporting fellow Educators including participating in the Red Deer College Practicum Mentorship program as a Mentor.

She is a strong advocate for Alberta’s Early Learning & Care Framework & has a diverse professional development background. Lindsay is proud to have some of her work published on the “Early Years Physical Literacy” website.

Lindsay Connors

Pedagogical Mentor & Child Development Supervisor

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Ron is the Owner of All-Pak Custom Packaging Ltd. and greenskeeper for the Discovery Wildlife Park.

He is a 50+ year member of the Legion, has been involved with Innisfail Town Theatre for over 30 years, and was an active volunteer with the Innisfail High School Band.

Ron commits his volunteer time to the Innisfail FCSS Advisory Board, Age-Friendly Community Committee, Municipal Planning Commission and Municipal Development Plan Advisory Committee. He was the recipient of the Innisfail 2023 Citizen of the Year Award.

Ron has been on the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society Board since 2007, currently serving as chair.

Ron King

Advisory Board Chair

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Donna is the Executive Director of the Henday Association for Life Long Learning and has worked in the field of literacy for many years. She has been with the Henday Association for 20 years, winning the Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce, 2023 Non-Profit Award.

Donna was the 2015 recipient of the Ruth Hayden Memorial Family Literacy Practitioner Award, and is active on a variety of boards within the community of Innisfail. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Innisfail Welcoming Inclusive Community Committee, spearheading initiatives such as the Ryan Jason Allen Willert mural and Truth & Reconciliation Day in Innisfail.

Donna has been on the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society Board since 2007, currently serving as vise-chair.

Donna Arnold

Advisory Board Vise-Chair

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Patrick is an award-winning Communications and Marketing Professional working with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Patrick moved to Innisfail in the spring of 2011 to serve as the editor of the Innisfail Province Newspaper. He is also a small-business owner, having run Patrick Teskey Photography since 2013.

Married with three boys, two dogs, and a cat, Patrick has volunteered with several local groups, including Innisfail Minor Hockey, Innisfail Town Theatre, the Innisfail Lemonseed Society, the Innisfail Public Library Board of Trustees, Social Media Breakfast Red Deer, and Innisfail Minor Baseball. Currently, Patrick serves as the Director of Public Relations and Fundraising with the Innisfail Minor Lacrosse Board of Directors.

His two youngest sons attended an Innisfail and Area Family Day Home Society day home and continue to maintain a strong relationship with their former day home provider

Patrick Teskey

Community Representative

Brittany is an Agriculture Relationship Manager with ATB Financial. She has a diploma in agriculture business, majoring in finance.

Brittany enjoys living on a farm just outside of Innisfail with her husband, who grain farms full time, and their children.

Day Home has allowed her to continue her rewarding career while being a mother of two young children.

Brittany McAllister

Parent Representative

Calene is a Chartered Accountant, and was born and raised in a small town (similar to Innisfail).

She finished university with a Bachelor of Commerce (major in accounting) and completed her chartered accountant designation thereafter. She is married to a farmer and lives south of Penhold with their three children.

Calene enjoys being a career mom and keeping fit!

Calene Daines

Parent Representative

Vanessa is a level 3 Early Childhood Educator, and has been working with children since 2007; she worked as a kindergarten teacher in Guatemala for 3 years and has been with the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society as a day home operator since 2010. She has also worked as a freelance graphic designer.

Vanessa enjoys every aspect of being a day home educator and enjoys preparing the little ones in care both academically and emotionally.

She decided to make it her life’s work as a day home educator because she believes every child deserves to have a safe place to learn, play, and grow, and because she has a passion for life’s most important gift “children”.

Vanessa Ruppert

Day Home Representative

Mandy is a level 3 early childcare educator and has been working in the childcare/ human services field since 2007. She has a diploma in Child and Youth care and has a diverse background in working with humans in many different areas including youth at risk, school aged children, and seniors.

The majority of her career years has been working with preschool aged children in a daycare setting, administative settings, and now a day home setting.

Mandy thoroughly enjoys being able to run her day home in her home where she has been able to be with her children in their early years and also be able to continue her career working with preschool aged children. "They truly are the path to our future."

Mandy Johannson

Day Home Representative

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