Health and Wellbeing in Developmental Disabilities

Feb 4-5, 2026

Committee

Thank you to everyone currently involved in helping to plan the 2026 conference! A special thank you to the Self-Advocates, family members, and support persons involved in our Advisory Council:

Gabriel & Paul Cervenko
Self-Advocate & Parent

Sarah Flint
Self-Advocate
Surrey Place

Michelle Goos
Self-Advocate
Community Living British Columbia

Maggie May
Self-Advocate
International Adult Leadership Collaborative (ALC) of FASD Changemakers

Chelsea Rinquinha
Self-Advocate

Farrah Sattaur
Self-Advocate
Center for Addiction and Mental Health

Yvonne Spicer
Self-Advocate

And finally, a thank you also to all the additional people involved in helping to plan this conference (more names to be added soon):

Dara Abells MD CCFP MScCH (she/her)
Family Physician
Surrey Place

Oluseye Akinkunmi
Health Services Manager
Nova Scotia Health

Jennifer Altosaar (she/her)
Manager, Adult Team
Surrey Place

Sarah Ames MD
Pediatrician

Stephanie Andreasen BSc
MSc Student, School and Applied Child Psychology
Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary

Tamara Armitage
Program Director
Wetaskiwin and District Association for Community Service

Natasha Bruno MSc (she/her)
Clinical Research Project Manager
The Hospital for Sick Children

Christopher Chipman BA BEd
Associate Director, Programs Portfolio & Business Development
Continuing Professional Development
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Trevor Cuddy BCom BA MEd DBA(c)
Director, Continuing Professional Development Portfolio
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Theresa Grech MC CCC CPRP (she/her)
Counsellor and Educator
TMG Counselling Group; Behavioural Group and Developmental Disorders Program,
University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine

Tara Hyatt MA (she/her)
Quality Assurance, Integrity and Innovation Director
Parents for Community Living KW Inc.

Talia Katz
Medical Student
University of Toronto

Jackie Kingsbury (she/her)
Manager, Community Networks of Specialized Care
South East Region, Ongwanada

Kayla Kostal MSc (she/her)
PhD Student
University of British Columbia

Mandeep Mahal MD FRCPC (she/her)
Developmental Pediatrician
Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, BC Childrens’ Hospital

Julia Malchiondo
Researcher
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Alan Martino PhD (he/him)
Associate Professor
Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies
Cumming School of Medicine
University of Calgary

Preetinder Narang PhD (she/her)
District Behaviour Specialist
Surrey School District

Bekelu Negash
Evaluator
St. Amant Research Centre

Kim Nevilles
Director of Services and Supports
Kerry’s Place Autism Services

Megan Primeau MSc (she/her)
Conference Director, Continuing Professional Development
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Brianne Samson (she/her)
Manager – Services & Community Development – Health
Community Living British Columbia

Nicole Staples Dorey MA
Developmental Case Manager, ABILITY Program
SickKids Hospital

Sandy Stemp BScN (she/her)
Chief Operations Officer
Reena

Alicia Thatcher MD CCFP (she/her)
Family Physician

Lori Vaanholt (she/her)
National Vice Executive Director
L’Arche Canada


If you are interested in joining for this year or next, please contact Megan Primeau. Use the links below to access the committee lists from past events: