Presenter Bios
Presenter Bios
Zac Andrus Zach joined the Vikes Marketing Team After Graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and playing point guard on the Vikes basketball team from 2009-2012. With the help of his marketing team, he created and implemented Vikes Nation to build a healthy and active community and to foster school spirit on campus. Tanya Angus Tanya Angus is the Director of Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba. She has been working in the field of Recreation for over 15 years and has a Bachelor of Recreation Studies and Masters of Arts in Recreation from the University of Manitoba. Her thesis focused on the impact of campus recreation on student engagement. Helen Burger Helen has a serious passion for movement. She started dancing at the age of two- it was to the soundtrack of the movie, Babe, mid-film. Now, she is completing an honours degree in kinesiology, and is teaching a Level 1 Contemporary dance class at Vikes Recreation. Andrea Carey Andrea Carey is the Principal of Concentric Consulting Inc., a health and sport promotions company engaging communities through Physical Literacy and Canadian Sport for Life. Additionally, through CanAssist, Andrea has been driving inclusion at UVic and is coordinating OneAbility, a regional collective impact style initiative in Greater Victoria around increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to be engaged in sport and physical activity. Co-presenter: Alyssa Hindle Don Chow Don's career in recreation spans over 30 years in two provinces in public and non-profit sectors. Don has served as a Board of Directors for provincial recreation associations and provincial director for NIRSA Region VI. He is currently the Manager of Campus Recreation and Facility Operations at the University of Victoria. His professional interests are systems, inclusion, service, and business development.
David Conlin David Conlin joined Vikes Athletics & Recreation as Communications Officer in March of 2016. He oversees all sports information duties for the Vikes and their varsity athletic teams while and all communications planning for Vikes Recreation. Originally from Mississauga, Ont., David received his undergraduate degree in Communications from Western University, where he worked as a sports information assistant. Co-presenter: Erin Kenny Erin Kenny earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of Victoria and currently works at the Multimedia Designer for Vikes Athletics and Recreation. The Calgary native is responsible for the look and feel of the Vikes, including the highly successful Vikes Nation campaign that encompasses both the varsity and recreation programs at UVic. Ron Crozieri Ron has been the Program Coordinator in the Department of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Toronto Scarborough for 19 years. He currently manages the Intramural program, tennis program, and the scheduling of the gymnasium and student leadership program. Co presenter: Laurie Wright Laurie has been the Fitness Program Coordinator in the Department of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Toronto Scarborough for 14 years. She currently manages the University Fitness and Instructional programs, outdoor recreation, Move U campaign, the rock climbing wall, and she works closely with student services to develop student leadership. Chris Dawe Chris is the Director of Recreation at Mount Royal University. He is the Chair of the Canadian Campus Recreation Association (CCRA) and a past NIRSA Board member. He's a father of a 12 year old ballerina, the implementer of “honey‐do’s” and a rapidly aging weekend warrior. Erika Desrosieris Erika is a fourth year finance major at the Paul J. Hill School of Business at the University of Regina. She loves sports and has a passion for recreation and intramurals at the University of Regina. Her business background provides a solid foundation for getting new ideas up and running as well as continuing at the University of Regina.
Co-presenter: Adam Strueby Adam is a fourth year kinesiology major at the University of Regina. He is the captain of the long distance team for the University of Regina Cougars and has a huge passion for fitness. He is also the camp coordinator for the University of Regina’s children's program, Summer Sports School. Steve Erickson Steve has been the Director of Recreational Sports and Fitness at Montana State University for the past 11 years. He has been a NIRSA member for 35 years, past NIRSA Region V Representative, Montana State Director and has presented at numerous state, regional, area and annual conferences. Steve has competed in 6 Elite Spartan Obstacle races this year including the Spartan Ultra Beast and the Beast at the Spartan World Championships. Alison Fisher Alison is the Intramural Sports, Children’s Program, and Sport Club Coordinator at the University of Regina. She has worked in campus and children’s programs for over 20 years. These roles have given her some great opportunities and this summer she got the chance to work with 24 Syrian Refugee Children! Co-presenter: Adam Strueby Adam has been working with children’s programs for 5 years at the University of Regina Summer Sports School. He has travelled to various schools teach Track and Field and he is currently the captain for the University of Regina Cougars Cross Country and Track and Field Team. Jared Ginter Jared has been working as a sports manager for more than 15 years in a variety of roles. He has been at Trinity Western University for the last 10 years. As the director of Athletic Facilities, he is the designated risk manager for recreation, athletics, and the academic areas. Jared received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Windsor in 2007. Jared has also had the opportunity to work with Ian McGregor from sport risk on the best practices project. Marc Iturriaga Marc is the Program Manager at Mount Royal University Recreation and his favorite super hero is Superboy!
Co-presenter: Robyn Alford Robyn is the Intramural Coordinator at Mount Royal University Recreation and her favorite princess is She-Ra, Princess of Power. Jared Ladobruk Jared has 6 years of experience in recreation: 2.5 years as a membership coordinator, 1 year as an interim director of programs, and 2.5 years as a marketing coordinator. He got a Bachelor’s of Commerce in marketing from the Asper School of business 2002 and has been in the golf industry (PGA of Canada professional) for 8 years. Jared was the Provincial director of NIRSA region VI from 2013-2015 and from 2015- present is part of the Chair sponsorship work team CCRA. Rob MacKay Rob Mackay is the Manager of Vikes Marketing and Engagement for Vikes Athletics and Recreation. Rob has worked in higher ed. marketing, events and communications for over 15 years in various leadership roles. He is a former student-athlete, current long distance running enthusiast and has a lifelong passion for recreation. Sebastian Powell Sebastian Powell, ACMG CGI Level III and TRCI Sebastian is the Climbing Coordinator for the Peninsula Co-Op Climbing Centre at the University of Victoria. He has been managing climbing facilities for 10 years, and has been responsible for developing and promoting programs to make climbing more accessible. Sebastian is an active member in the climbing community. He is the Vice President of the Sport Climbing BC Board of Directors and a member of the Climbing Gym Instructor Committee with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Jonathan Ritchot Jonathan Ritchot is the Adapted Strength and Conditioning Specialist at PISE leading programs for persons with a physical disability whose abilities range from first involvement to Paralympic medalists. Jonathan also works as an Athletic Therapist for both able bodied and Paralympic sport and uses this experience to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance goals. Co-presenter: Chris Wright
Chris has studied movement throughout his education and career which has led to becoming the physical literacy coordinator at PISE. In his current role, Chris manages 60 children and youth programs a week, encompassing programs that interact with over 700 children. This includes 7 programs that work specifically with adapted populations starting from 3 years and up, and a range of disabilities, both physical and cognitive. Alison Selsing Allison is a fifth year student at Mount Royal University studying Business of Sport and Recreation. She works for MRU recreation as an Intramural Sport Coordinator under the wing of her supervisor and co-presenter, Robyn Alford, and together, they have come up with the idea for an inter-collegiate recreation student staff exchange program. Kristen Silveira Kristen is a graduate student in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Victoria. She earned her RYT-200 certification in teaching Vinyasa, Yin, and Trauma-Sensitive yoga at the Fernwood Yoga Den. Alongside her own meditation and yoga practice, she teaches at the Den and on campus at CARSA. Anna Weston Anna is a recent graduate of the Recreation and Health Education program at the University of Victoria and is currently one of the Fitness Weight Centre Assistants at CARSA. In addition to working as a Strength Trainer, Anna also teaches group fitness classes including spin, TRX, and bootcamp. Co-presenter: Josh Leangen Josh is 24 years old and has been involved in campus recreation for just over two years. Josh is a student in the field of exercise and wellness. He is a spin instructor and also enjoys hockey, weightlifting, and petting puppies. Ashley Wiles Ashley is the founder and head coach of Sole Girls, Youth Speaker, Life Coach, 2x Iron (wo)man, Iron 70.3 World Championship competitor, and Mental Health Advocate! Her program, Sole Girls, has empowered over 600 girls in the past 3 years and Ashley was named top 10 entrepreneurs to watch in Vancouver by the Globe and Mail and top 5 motivators in Canada by Impact Magazine. In addition, Ashley won the North American Most Inspiring Coach of the Year Award by Brooks running in 2016. Ashley has spoken at TedxKidsBC, Rogers Arena, and in schools in Canada and abroad.
Co-presenter: Nick Patenaude Nick is a personal trainer and holds a degree in Sport and Fitness Leadership (specializing in Exercise and Wellness), and currently is enrolled as a Masters student in Sport and Fitness Counselling. His experience ranges from working with elite athlete populations through to seniors starting a new exercise regimen! Nick is a highly energetic trainer and is ready to help you make your next lifestyle change!
Zac Andrus Zach joined the Vikes Marketing Team After Graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and playing point guard on the Vikes basketball team from 2009-2012. With the help of his marketing team, he created and implemented Vikes Nation to build a healthy and active community and to foster school spirit on campus. Tanya Angus Tanya Angus is the Director of Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba. She has been working in the field of Recreation for over 15 years and has a Bachelor of Recreation Studies and Masters of Arts in Recreation from the University of Manitoba. Her thesis focused on the impact of campus recreation on student engagement. Helen Burger Helen has a serious passion for movement. She started dancing at the age of two- it was to the soundtrack of the movie, Babe, mid-film. Now, she is completing an honours degree in kinesiology, and is teaching a Level 1 Contemporary dance class at Vikes Recreation. Andrea Carey Andrea Carey is the Principal of Concentric Consulting Inc., a health and sport promotions company engaging communities through Physical Literacy and Canadian Sport for Life. Additionally, through CanAssist, Andrea has been driving inclusion at UVic and is coordinating OneAbility, a regional collective impact style initiative in Greater Victoria around increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to be engaged in sport and physical activity. Co-presenter: Alyssa Hindle Don Chow Don's career in recreation spans over 30 years in two provinces in public and non-profit sectors. Don has served as a Board of Directors for provincial recreation associations and provincial director for NIRSA Region VI. He is currently the Manager of Campus Recreation and Facility Operations at the University of Victoria. His professional interests are systems, inclusion, service, and business development.
David Conlin David Conlin joined Vikes Athletics & Recreation as Communications Officer in March of 2016. He oversees all sports information duties for the Vikes and their varsity athletic teams while and all communications planning for Vikes Recreation. Originally from Mississauga, Ont., David received his undergraduate degree in Communications from Western University, where he worked as a sports information assistant. Co-presenter: Erin Kenny Erin Kenny earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of Victoria and currently works at the Multimedia Designer for Vikes Athletics and Recreation. The Calgary native is responsible for the look and feel of the Vikes, including the highly successful Vikes Nation campaign that encompasses both the varsity and recreation programs at UVic. Ron Crozieri Ron has been the Program Coordinator in the Department of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Toronto Scarborough for 19 years. He currently manages the Intramural program, tennis program, and the scheduling of the gymnasium and student leadership program. Co presenter: Laurie Wright Laurie has been the Fitness Program Coordinator in the Department of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Toronto Scarborough for 14 years. She currently manages the University Fitness and Instructional programs, outdoor recreation, Move U campaign, the rock climbing wall, and she works closely with student services to develop student leadership. Chris Dawe Chris is the Director of Recreation at Mount Royal University. He is the Chair of the Canadian Campus Recreation Association (CCRA) and a past NIRSA Board member. He's a father of a 12 year old ballerina, the implementer of “honey‐do’s” and a rapidly aging weekend warrior. Erika Desrosieris Erika is a fourth year finance major at the Paul J. Hill School of Business at the University of Regina. She loves sports and has a passion for recreation and intramurals at the University of Regina. Her business background provides a solid foundation for getting new ideas up and running as well as continuing at the University of Regina.
Co-presenter: Adam Strueby Adam is a fourth year kinesiology major at the University of Regina. He is the captain of the long distance team for the University of Regina Cougars and has a huge passion for fitness. He is also the camp coordinator for the University of Regina’s children's program, Summer Sports School. Steve Erickson Steve has been the Director of Recreational Sports and Fitness at Montana State University for the past 11 years. He has been a NIRSA member for 35 years, past NIRSA Region V Representative, Montana State Director and has presented at numerous state, regional, area and annual conferences. Steve has competed in 6 Elite Spartan Obstacle races this year including the Spartan Ultra Beast and the Beast at the Spartan World Championships. Alison Fisher Alison is the Intramural Sports, Children’s Program, and Sport Club Coordinator at the University of Regina. She has worked in campus and children’s programs for over 20 years. These roles have given her some great opportunities and this summer she got the chance to work with 24 Syrian Refugee Children! Co-presenter: Adam Strueby Adam has been working with children’s programs for 5 years at the University of Regina Summer Sports School. He has travelled to various schools teach Track and Field and he is currently the captain for the University of Regina Cougars Cross Country and Track and Field Team. Jared Ginter Jared has been working as a sports manager for more than 15 years in a variety of roles. He has been at Trinity Western University for the last 10 years. As the director of Athletic Facilities, he is the designated risk manager for recreation, athletics, and the academic areas. Jared received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Windsor in 2007. Jared has also had the opportunity to work with Ian McGregor from sport risk on the best practices project. Marc Iturriaga Marc is the Program Manager at Mount Royal University Recreation and his favorite super hero is Superboy!
Co-presenter: Robyn Alford Robyn is the Intramural Coordinator at Mount Royal University Recreation and her favorite princess is She-Ra, Princess of Power. Jared Ladobruk Jared has 6 years of experience in recreation: 2.5 years as a membership coordinator, 1 year as an interim director of programs, and 2.5 years as a marketing coordinator. He got a Bachelor’s of Commerce in marketing from the Asper School of business 2002 and has been in the golf industry (PGA of Canada professional) for 8 years. Jared was the Provincial director of NIRSA region VI from 2013-2015 and from 2015- present is part of the Chair sponsorship work team CCRA. Rob MacKay Rob Mackay is the Manager of Vikes Marketing and Engagement for Vikes Athletics and Recreation. Rob has worked in higher ed. marketing, events and communications for over 15 years in various leadership roles. He is a former student-athlete, current long distance running enthusiast and has a lifelong passion for recreation. Sebastian Powell Sebastian Powell, ACMG CGI Level III and TRCI Sebastian is the Climbing Coordinator for the Peninsula Co-Op Climbing Centre at the University of Victoria. He has been managing climbing facilities for 10 years, and has been responsible for developing and promoting programs to make climbing more accessible. Sebastian is an active member in the climbing community. He is the Vice President of the Sport Climbing BC Board of Directors and a member of the Climbing Gym Instructor Committee with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Jonathan Ritchot Jonathan Ritchot is the Adapted Strength and Conditioning Specialist at PISE leading programs for persons with a physical disability whose abilities range from first involvement to Paralympic medalists. Jonathan also works as an Athletic Therapist for both able bodied and Paralympic sport and uses this experience to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance goals. Co-presenter: Chris Wright
Chris has studied movement throughout his education and career which has led to becoming the physical literacy coordinator at PISE. In his current role, Chris manages 60 children and youth programs a week, encompassing programs that interact with over 700 children. This includes 7 programs that work specifically with adapted populations starting from 3 years and up, and a range of disabilities, both physical and cognitive. Alison Selsing Allison is a fifth year student at Mount Royal University studying Business of Sport and Recreation. She works for MRU recreation as an Intramural Sport Coordinator under the wing of her supervisor and co-presenter, Robyn Alford, and together, they have come up with the idea for an inter-collegiate recreation student staff exchange program. Kristen Silveira Kristen is a graduate student in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Victoria. She earned her RYT-200 certification in teaching Vinyasa, Yin, and Trauma-Sensitive yoga at the Fernwood Yoga Den. Alongside her own meditation and yoga practice, she teaches at the Den and on campus at CARSA. Anna Weston Anna is a recent graduate of the Recreation and Health Education program at the University of Victoria and is currently one of the Fitness Weight Centre Assistants at CARSA. In addition to working as a Strength Trainer, Anna also teaches group fitness classes including spin, TRX, and bootcamp. Co-presenter: Josh Leangen Josh is 24 years old and has been involved in campus recreation for just over two years. Josh is a student in the field of exercise and wellness. He is a spin instructor and also enjoys hockey, weightlifting, and petting puppies. Ashley Wiles Ashley is the founder and head coach of Sole Girls, Youth Speaker, Life Coach, 2x Iron (wo)man, Iron 70.3 World Championship competitor, and Mental Health Advocate! Her program, Sole Girls, has empowered over 600 girls in the past 3 years and Ashley was named top 10 entrepreneurs to watch in Vancouver by the Globe and Mail and top 5 motivators in Canada by Impact Magazine. In addition, Ashley won the North American Most Inspiring Coach of the Year Award by Brooks running in 2016. Ashley has spoken at TedxKidsBC, Rogers Arena, and in schools in Canada and abroad.
Co-presenter: Nick Patenaude Nick is a personal trainer and holds a degree in Sport and Fitness Leadership (specializing in Exercise and Wellness), and currently is enrolled as a Masters student in Sport and Fitness Counselling. His experience ranges from working with elite athlete populations through to seniors starting a new exercise regimen! Nick is a highly energetic trainer and is ready to help you make your next lifestyle change!
