Board of Directors

Always passionate about the work and the direction the council was moving, Brittney Wells embraced the opportunity to be nominated. Now serving her second term, she is happy to continue to bring a rural perspective to the council, as well as to advocate for the needs and livelihoods of older Albertans in the area which she works and lives.

Brittney has been with the Town of Sylvan Lake-FCSS department for 10+ years in the role as FCSS Seniors Outreach Supervisor. Her passion lays in advocating for the needs of older adults, and ensuring that they age in place feeling supported, connected, and free of abuse. Brittney acts as team lead for Sylvan Lake, Benalto and Bentley Elder Abuse CCR, as well as community contact for Elder Abuse along with the RCMP for case management. She is a partner to her husband, and mom of two tiny humans that complete their beautiful family. When not at work, you can find Brittney outside or spending time with family and friends.

Karen Whiteman is currently the Regional Director, Southern Alberta at Kerby Centre that includes both Calgary and Medicine Hat. She is a skilled facilitator and presenter, and teaches non-profit management and diversity in the workplace at the university level. Committed to the work she does, Karen has been on many diverse boards at both a governance and operational level.

When Karen started working at Kerby Centre, she became passionate about elder abuse awareness and prevention, and is now proud to share her wealth of knowledge concerning elder abuse, gained while acting as director of the older adult shelter at the Kerby Centre.

As the Director of the Seniors Outreach program in the Grande Prairie area, Sherry Dennis had been receiving calls with queries and disclosures of elder abuse. Sherry was happy to join the provincial group to get the information and supports needed to share with her community to keep their seniors informed and safe.

Sherry has lived in Grande Prairie since 1989, and has been the Executive Director of the Seniors Outreach and Meals on Wheels program for the last 31 years. She strongly believes that the partnership between the members of the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council and the Provincial Government has been a wonderful resource and support.

Michele Markham is a Registered Social Worker with over 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector, providing support to some of Edmonton’s most vulnerable community members. Currently, Michele is the manager of the Seniors Safe House Shelter with Sage Seniors Association in Edmonton. She is directly responsible for a team that supports older adults who have experienced abuse and need safe, temporary accommodation. Michele’s role also includes participating on the management team of the Seniors Protection Partnership team — a multi-disciplinary team that provides intervention in high-risk elder abuse cases.

Michele has more than 20 years of policy governance experience and has been a volunteer board development facilitator with the Government of Alberta. In addition to participating on the board of the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council, Michele is a member of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.

Inspector Syniak has been a police officer for 26 years and has worked on the Blood Reserve, the Louis Bull Reserve, and with the Ermineskin First Nations Hobbema Police Services.

As a Claire’s Law representative with extensive training experience in all areas of community-based policing, Inspector Syniak is able to bring valuable resources and a much-needed policing perspective to the Council.

Dawn Thompson is a registered social worker currently working for AHS in Grande Prairie Alberta in a new position.

In her previous position at the Care Centre, she held many roles with residents and their family, from support to education and advocating when needed. In providing supports to family, Dawn saw a number of people struggling with moving loved ones into care, which resulted in her formation of a support group.

Dawn is a passionate and caring individual who enjoys advocating for those individuals that may not have the ability or opportunity to use their voice to advocate for themselves. She is creative, and when faced with a situation, likes to question the reason why things happen and come to the table with a fresh perspective. Her goal in life is to make a difference, and if she can make the difference in at least one person’s life then she will have succeeded. One of her favourite quotes is from Ghandhi: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”, and from an unknown author: “If you can be anything in this world, be kind”.

Sarah Ramsey was introduced to the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council through a coworker within the City of Edmonton, and was invested in becoming a member of the council within her current role as a community development social worker with the Seniors Protection Partnership. She wanted to add value to the conversation surrounding elder abuse and highlight trends and gaps seen in the City of Edmonton. In being actively involved with the council, Sarah hopes we will be better able to provide unified support throughout the province, and address the concerns identified by the community. Sarah has a Bachelor of Criminology, Master of Social Worker, and is a registered social worker.

Mark is currently the Executive Director at Stop Abuse in Families (SAiF) Society in St. Albert. He has extensive board experience, including Rotary as president, and as steering committee chair for the St. Albert Youth Mental Health Hub. He says that because SAiF Elder Abuse programs benefit from AEAAC, he would like to reciprocate by taking on a larger role in this important provincial work. He comes to us with a marketing degree and nearly 40 years of marketing, communications, and strategy experience that he is hoping to leverage in his work with AEAAC.

Michael is a partner with Carbert Waite LLP, a litigation law firm in Calgary, Alberta. He practices commercial litigation and regularly defends clients from financial elder abuse. He sees that as a lawyer he could play a vital role in raising awareness of elder abuse in Alberta. On top of a law degree, he also has a commerce degree. He volunteers for a number of organizations in the Calgary community including mentoring junior lawyers and providing free legal advice to the local community through Pro Bono Law Alberta.

As a seasoned marketing professional with over two decades of experience, Jessica is committed to leveraging strategic communication to raise awareness about elder abuse prevention. Currently serving as Marketing Manager at Eagle Engineering and Consulting, she brings a wealth of expertise in brand storytelling, digital engagement, and community outreach. Her strategic approach to marketing, extensive campaign launch experience, and deep understanding of communication channels will enhance AEAAC’s efforts to raise awareness and educate the public. Driven by a personal passion for protecting seniors, she is dedicated to driving communication strategies that educate and empower Albertans.