Who we are
We’re a non-profit organization that works to advance career services and the capacity of the profession to respond with empathy and skill to our clients and stakeholders in an ever-changing work environment. We’re a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the field of career development.
Founded by Stu Conger in 1980, we’ve established a legacy of industry-leading work. We focus on applied research, policy consultation, training, resource development and service capacity building.
Our Team is Critical to our Success
The staff of CCDF are nationally and internationally recognized for their career development expertise and leadership. Staff specializations include education, social services, mental health, psychology, social sciences, diversity and inclusion, quantitative and qualitative research methods and labour market analysis.
Sareena Hopkins
Executive Director
As Executive Director of the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF), Sareena provides strategic leadership in Canada and internationally in areas of research and development, policy and capacity building. Sareena has facilitated International Symposia on Career Development and Public Policy, contributed to the development of policy frameworks for the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training and the Council of Ministers of Education Canada and has served in an expert advisory role for the Forum of Labour Market Ministers’ Labour Market Information Council and RBC. In addition to her role with CCDF, Sareena is founding Executive Officer of the Canadian Council for Career Development (3CD) and was awarded the International Gold Medal for Leadership in Career Development in 2014.
Donnalee Bell
Co-Executive Director
Donnalee has led a wide range of national, provincial/territorial career and labour force development initiatives. She has represented Canada at the EU, edited an award winning career magazine for youth and has facilitated the development and implementation of several policy, service and organizational change frameworks for territorial, inter-provincial and Pan-national bodies. She is a respected researcher who has authored many leading edge reports featured in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, the Financial Post, CBC radio and a CBC documentary on Generation Y. She is passionate about the career development field and works to bring its potential to the labour market and workforce development goals of individuals, communities, governments and organizations.
Donnalee lives in Ottawa with her spouse, son and yellow Labrador, Reggie, who is a self-taught operator of the DVD player.
Lynne Bezanson
Executive Director Emeritus
Lynne Bezanson is now Executive Director Emerita of CCDF, having been Executive Director and then Co-Executive Director with Sareena Hopkins. Within Canada, her contributions are in research, policy development, professional training and advocacy for career development programs and services across the lifespan. Internationally, she is a founding member of the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy and has been a key organizer of, to date, nine International Symposia on Career Development and Public Policy. She is the proud recipient of the Public Service Award of Excellence and the Stu Conger Gold Medal and Diamond Pin for Leadership in Career Development. She is now working on “third age career development” which may mean she will never really retire!
Deirdre Pickerell
Project Director
Dr. Deirdre Pickerell is a nationally recognized, award-winning, industry thought-leader with close to 30 years’ experience as a career development specialist, human resource professional, and adult educator. She brings a strong history of strategic and collaborative leadership, ensuring individuals, and the organizations that employ them, have the tools, resources, and skills that allow them to thrive. Deirdre led Team Canada at the 7th International Symposium on Career Development and Public Policy, is co-developer of the Career Engagement model, was instrumental in establishing the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF)-Canada credential and has designed and supported many organizational career development initiatives, including the launch of a comprehensive onsite career centre for a nuclear power plant – the first program of its kind in the United States. An avid equestrian, Deirdre lives in British Columbia’s beautiful Fraser Valley where she and her husband breed and train the Canadian Horse, which is the National Horse of Canada and a critically endangered breed.
Annika Laale
Project Director
Annika Laale is an Organizational Development consultant and Master trained facilitator in Change Management. She has worked with leaders at the organization, provincial and national levels. As a consultant and facilitator, Annika’s work is characterized by high integrity and a dedication for providing exceptional client service paralleled with the attainment of project and program results. She combines facilitation, coaching and strategic systems thinking with the proven ability to lead program designs and implement strategic and tactical plans that achieve business objectives.
Trina Stanford
Project Manager
Trina Stanford is a dedicated career development professional with experience in both Canada and the United State specializing in employment services and career coaching. Over the past 14 years, Trina has served as an Employment Trainer and Employment Counsellor, providing clients with essential guidance in career decision-making, job search strategies, and accessing training opportunities.
Trina is deeply committed to a client-centred, strengths-based approach to career development, which empowers individuals to achieve meaningful and sustainable outcomes. Her work is marked by a strong dedication to supporting participants in navigating their career journeys with confidence and clarity. In her current role, Trina works closely with the In Motion and Momentum+ program, as well as other initiatives within CCDF to provide customized support that drives success for individuals and communities alike.
Diane Paquette
Finance Manager
I have been a member of the CCDF for almost a decade. I manage all of the organization’s finances as well as our financial partnerships with government. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of the CCDF team.
Vicki Holmes
Finance Manager
I have worked in the IT and healthcare sectors for several decades. I manage all of the organization’s finances as well as our financial partnerships with government.
Emily Worthen
Project Associate
Emily Worthen is dedicated to supporting and championing the field of career development through her work at CCDF. She is thrilled to be involved in a number of CCDF initiatives including the Career Development Professional Centre, the Nova Scotia Responsive Career Pathways project, In Motion & Momentum+ and PRI(ME). She has worked in the front lines in career development in non-profit, post-secondary, professional development, and private environments. She advocates for experiential, client-centred approaches to career development, that encourage individuals to shift their self-perspective and feel empowered to take control of the direction of their lives. She is a passionate facilitator who is dedicated to helping Canadians access meaningful career development support at all stages of their lives; she thrives when working and learning in partnership with CDPs to make this happen.
Marie-Anne Bédard-Wark
Project and Research Support
Experienced project and research support with high attention to detail and a graphic design expert.
Victoria Edwards
Project Associate
Victoria is a passionate Career Development Practitioner that believes in the power of people to choose their own path. She enjoys bringing her love of marketing into the Career Development sector to empower people by positively reframing how they think and talk about their career. Victoria is dedicated to seeing Canadians thrive through quality career services and has spent most of her career working in the field as an Employment Counsellor and Employer Liaison. She is thrilled to be a part of CCDF working closely with the IM&M+ program, where she uses her passion for marketing by supporting CCDFs social media channels and communication strategies.
The Associates of CCDF have worked with us on a consulting basis for many years and have supported us in extending CCDF’s mandate and presence in Canada and internationally. CCDF Associates have been doing leading edge work in the field of career development.
Norm Amundson
Associate
Dr. Amundson is a Full Professor in Counselling Psychology / Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He has given numerous workshops and seminars and also has been a keynote speaker at many national and international conferences. In his writings, Dr. Amundson emphasizes the importance of creativity, imagination, cultural awareness, positive affirmation, and action as career development strategies. In his work he utilizes hope-filled metaphors, stories, and a series of active engagement strategies. His publications include over 100 journal articles; training DVDs; eight books, and several career workbooks (much of this material has been translated into different languages). Dr. Amundson has been widely recognized by many professional associations and has also been awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Umea, in Sweden.
Alene Holmes
Associate
Suzanne Klinga
Associate
Suzanne Klinga has been a career development practitioner for more than 30 years. She is a master trainer with expertise in research, program design and essential skills profiling. She has developed and delivered training programs for Indigenous Career Development Practitioners thorough out Canada.
Roberta Borgen
Associate
Dr. Roberta Borgen, President of Life Strategies Ltd, is co-developer of the Career Engagement model and is a keynote speaker, counsellor, coach, consultant, educator, facilitator, and author. Recipient of awards for career development leadership, include the Stu Conger Gold Medal and Diamond Pin and the Etta St. John Wileman award, Roberta’s travel to 75+ countries has inspired her work in international/global careers, work-life sustainability, and workplace diversity.
Dave Redekopp
Associate
Dr. Dave Redekopp, President of the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. and recipient of provincial and national awards in career development, has been generating better career development and workplace concepts and practices for over 35 years. His work has included developing career development training programs and courses; teaching career development practitioners; conducting research in career development practice and labour market conditions; consulting to organizations; developing programs, and products/resources for practitioners and end-users; and speaking/presenting to various audiences.
Tina Sirois-Leblanc
Associate
Tina Sirois-LeBlanc works as a counsellor and a career development consultant in a range of settings: post-secondary institutions, governments and independently in her own practice. Tina also trains Career Development Practitioners throughout Canada in CCDF’s competency-based certified CDP program. She promotes the value and recognition of the field of career development through her leadership work on the New Brunswick Career Development Action Group, and the Association francophone des conseillers et conseillères en orientation du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Tom Zizys
Associate
Tom has worked as a consultant in the public and not-for-profit sectors for over 20 years. He has also held senior level positions in the Ontario government (Premier’s Office, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Housing), has worked on numerous international development projects in close to 20 different countries, and has taught public policy, program evaluation, international development and community economic development courses at York and Ryerson universities. Tom is often called upon to provide labour market-based presentations to policy-making bodies and to present or keynote at conferences here in Canada and around the world on labour market issues.
Kelly Pasolli
As an independent consultant, Kelly works with organizations in the social sector to use research and evidence to improve policies and programs and achieve better outcomes for individuals and communities. She has particular expertise in innovative and evidence-informed approaches to career development and skills training. Kelly gets most excited about projects that involve making sense of complex issues and and pulling together different insights and perspectives to design creative solutions that work.
José F. Domene
José F. Domene, PhD., R.Psych., is a Professor in the counselling psychology specialization area within the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. He has over 20 years of experience conducting research on the relational-social contexts of career development, technology and wellbeing, and professional issues in counselling in Canada. His areas of teaching include career development, counselling practicum, and research & evaluation methods. He is also a registered psychologist in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, whose clinical work focuses on the intersection of mental health and career life concerns.
Trina Maher
Trina is a member of the Anishinaabe community of Mattagami First Nation. She is an adult educator and Indigenous community engagement specialist that enjoys helping people and ideas connect to raise the consciousness of what is possible when we can come together and hold space for the inclusion of Indigenous voices and knowledge to build better tomorrows for our spaces of work, learning and living. Since the late 1990s she has been helping industries and Indigenous groups connect to create opportunities and pathways for Indigenous peoples to enjoy meaningful careers in Canadian workplaces. As President of Bridging Concepts, she supports a wide range of corporate and non-profit sector clients on their Indigenous awareness and reconciliation journeys through leadership conversations, customized training, needs assessments, strategy development and coaching. In addition to using her creative spirit to develop motivating personal and professional development courses, she is a Master Trainer of the Guiding Circles approach and supports the CCDF in delivery of the In Motion & Momentum and New Era programs.
She is an advisor for the Canadian Aboriginal Human Resource Management Association, Council Committee member for the Career Development Practitioner Centre, a member of the Content and Learning Committee for CERIC and participates in additional committees. She is an accomplished keynote speaker and storyteller, emcee, and authors. She is the recipient of the 2024 Etta St. John Wileman Award. In her downtime Trina likes exploring little towns, reading to discover new ‘aha’ ideas, and spending time by the water.
Seanna Quressette
Seanna Quressette has over 40 years of experience in the career development sector, over 10 years of experience and training in Trauma Therapy, and as someone who lives with cPTSD, Seanna brings a unique perspective to working with people in the sector.
Seanna has trained career development professionals for over 20 years and has managed government contract and participated in front-line service delivery throughout her career. Seanna has also spent the last 25 years working with, training and mentoring Indigenous Career Development professionals. Seanna had a thriving private career counselling practice for over 20 years.
Most recently Seanna was the president of the BC Career Development Association and currently coordinates Continuing Education for Douglas College, a leading provider of career development training. Seanna has had a long commitment to National Certification and currently sits on the National Certification Advisory Committee.
Andrea Fruhling
Andrea Fruhling (PCC) is the founding director of Doubleknot Works and co-author of Career Wayfinder: Discovering Your Career Through Delightfully Practical Projects (Fruhling & Amundson, 2024). An ICF Certified Organizational Coach, Andrea is a Mentor Coach and Instructor for the University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Organizational Coaching certification program, as well as the developer and lead instructor of the Career Coaching Masterclass (UBC).
Andrea holds the unique distinction of being the only certified expert trainer for the Hope-Action Theory in the world and is the developer of the widely attended Certification in Hope-Action Theory course. She has certified hundreds of career practitioners worldwide in partnership with Dr. Norm Amundson and Dr. Spencer Niles. As a leader of the International Coaching Federation’s Career Coaching Community of Practice, Andrea continues to support career coaches globally. She is also a certified facilitator of the LEGO® Serious Play® Methodology, which she integrates into her work to enrich learning through metaphor and play.
In addition to her coaching and mentoring, Andrea designs tailored workshops and training programs for career practitioners, leaders, and organizations, helping them discover more effective ways of working and leading career conversations. She has delivered numerous keynotes and workshops at national and international conferences, supporting diverse clients and client groups. Her work is practical, engaging, and driven by creativity, strengths-based learning, team engagement, and a strong sense of hope.
Rod Palmer
Rod Palmer is proud to join the team of Associates at CCDF, and to be considered a contributing member to a rapidly evolving profession, whose value to society grows exponentially. Having developed a strong penchant for facilitating while administering the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program, Rod moved on to become a Master Trainer for the Nationally acclaimed program, In Motion and Momentum+, delivering training from coast to coast. He is currently delivering IMM+ training, while contributing to the team of Career Development Practice, Building a New Era Trainers, certifying Indigenous Career Development Practitioners in all parts of Canada. Rod brings all his coaching experience to the front line, his comfort zone.
Elayne Greeley
Elayne is dedicated to Community Education, Creative Arts Practice, and Career Development. She is a certified Career Development Practitioner (NBCDA) and Partnership Broker. Elayne holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and a Master’s of Science in Community Learning and Development from the University of Dundee, UK.
Elayne has a knack for creative program design, building collaborative networks, visual communications, and community-based research. She enjoys helping individuals and organizations connect and collaborate across various sectors. Elayne has been fortunate to contribute to several CCDF research projects, including “Evidence for Community Employment Services: A Collaborative Regional Approach,” “Helping Canadians Navigate Learning and Work (National Standards, Certification),” and “In Motion and Momentum +.” She also facilitates the “Building a New Era” training program.
The Board of CCDF is a volunteer body, comprised of leaders in the career development field and individuals with specialized expertise from across Canada.
Robert J Despins
President
Rob Despins graduated from the University of Manitoba, holds a Bachelor of Education degree, and a Certified Human Resource Practitioner Designation (CHRP). He was granted the Human Resource Practitioner of the Year Award from the Canadian Human Resource Management Association in 1992. Rob has 10 years of experience as an educator in public education and 30 years of experience in various roles in the aerospace industry. He is currently a Program Manager with StandardAero Ltd, based in Winnipeg Canada.
Barbara MacCallum
Past-President
Barbara MacCallum is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. She has over 40 years of experience in administration, business development, computer software development, and career development. She is also the Past President of the Canadian Career Development Foundation.
Kevin Maynard
Treasurer
Beverlie Stuart
Vice President
Beverlie is the Associate Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology. She has close to 30 years’ experience in business, career and workforce development, and strategic human resource planning and development. Her experience includes working in the private and the non-profit sector designing, developing and implementing programs and strategies for developing Manitoba’s workforce. She has served on numerous regional, provincial and national committees, boards and councils.
William Borgen
Secretary