Our Staff Team
Executive Director
Notice from the Board of Directors regarding new Executive Director
The Executive Director's main role is to serve as a liaison between the Board of Directors, team members and service delivery volunteers within the organization, and the community, including many external stakeholder groups.
The Executive Director meets with the MRJC Board of Directors regularly to inform about operational issues and to work with them on strategic solutions to complex challenges. In addition to completing executive-level duties and to providing strategic guidance to MRJC, the Executive Director oversees its staff and oversees the management of marketing, fund raising, program development, human resources and accounting.
Meet Bradley Odsen, Q.C., Executive Director
Brad was appointed Executive Director Effective January 3, 2016. He has over 40 years of experience in the non-profit sector as a volunteer as well as having served as Executive Director of local and provincial non-profits, and General Counsel of non-profit and government organizations.
Manager, Education and Training
The Manager, Education and Training works with prospective clients to assess their training needs. They lead a design team to create a training experience that meets the unique needs of the individual, group, not-for-profit organization, business or corporation, government department, service or agency or institution that MRJC provides service to. The Manager ensures that MRJC training materials reflect current best practice approaches. They are also MRJC’s primary contact for service delivery volunteers and/or contractors. The Manager, Education and Training interviews and places volunteers in MRJC’s community service delivery model (Community or Workshop Facilitation) and manages their education and training.
Meet Janice Picard, Manager, Education & Training
Janice has spent a majority of her professional life in higher education as an instructional designer and technology mediated learning specialist (multi-mode and synchronous learning). Her academic background includes an MA in Educational Technology, and a BA in Communications from Concordia University in Montreal. In 2013, she received her doctorate in Management Learning and Leadership from Lancaster University’s (UK) School of Management. For her PhD thesis, Janice investigated the nature of conflict expression in virtual teams (workgroups) and the underlying situational and organizational factors that informed conditions that were conducive to a hostile group work behaviours. Janice brings to the Manager, Education and Training role experience as a workshop trainer/facilitator in the Workplace Wellness sector. Furthermore, she has completed a majority of the course work in mediation and conflict management from the ADR Institute of Alberta.
Financial Administrator
The Financial Administrator maintains all financial records, files and processes to ensure a fully transparent, accurate and compliant financial operation at MRJC to meet the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
Meet Alex Tewdros, Financial Administrator
Alex joined the MRJC staff team in 2014. Prior to joining MRJC, Alex was the Auditor for the Atlanta Guest House Chain in Uganda, the Chief Accountant for the Arki Supermarket in Kenya and Amaha Yirga Construction Ltd. in Ethiopia, the Senior Accountant for the Abel Construction Company in Tanzania and the Chief Accountant for the Rented Houses’ Administration in Nazareth, Ethiopia. He received his primary training in accounting at the Commercial College of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and has basic security training from the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General.
Case Coordinators
Our Case Coordinators have been trained in conflict management and effective communication skills. They answer our public Conflict Management & Support Hotline (promoted by The City of Edmonton’s 3-1-1 Direct Line), listen carefully to unique situations presented that usually involve conflict and/or disagreement between two or more parties, and provide options for support and/or mediation to work toward impact and/or resolve. The Case Coordinator’s ground work on the original call may result in recommendations for caller access to the array of service options offered by MRJC -- including the possibility of a face-to-face facilitated dialogue with the parties involved in the conflict or dispute. MRJC’s Case Coordinators also provide referrals to other service organizations in the Greater Edmonton Area or throughout Alberta that will best meet the needs of the caller.
Meet Marvin Tully, Case Coordinator
Marvin joined MRJC’s staff team in 2012. He completed his studies in Forest Technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and worked with the Government of Alberta for many years prior to commencing his term at MRJC. Marvin received a Certificate in Conflict Management from the Alberta Arbitration & Mediation Society in 2007.
CoSA Coordinator
The CoSA Coordinator supervises and oversees the CoSA program which has an internal MRJC focus and an external view on the community at large. The CoSA Coordinator maintains an active presence to develop and sustain a community network of effective relationships and to recruit resources from individuals, community agencies, funders, faith groups and non-government agencies to support the CoSA program. The CoSA Coordinator is MRJC’s primary contact for CoSA volunteers.
Project Coordinator
MRJC is involved in many unique and interesting projects in collaboration with other community groups and organizations. One such project is the revamping of our volunteer recruitment and training initiatives to provide opportunities for community members to become actively involved in many aspects of our services for the community. In order to respond to the needs of our diverse community, MRJC needs to recruit and train volunteers who reflect the mosaic of the community we serve. This means we need volunteers who not only understand cultural nuances and speak a variety of languages, but who are active in the various cultural groups that make up our community. MRJC also needs to build solid collaborative relationships with other service providers to ensure that we are working together effectively to address community needs. Our project coordinator is responsible for fostering these connections and in providing support to our volunteer community members throughout their training and mentoring process.
