board of directors

As a non-profit society registered in Alberta, SAOT is governed by a volunteer board of directors.

board of directors

As a non-profit society registered in Alberta, SAOT is governed by a volunteer board of directors.

LAUREN LEVEILLE

President; Director

Lauren works as a front line Occupational Therapist with adults in Addictions and Mental Health. She has always appreciated the flexibility that the profession offers and throughout that time she has also gained experience in a variety of other practice settings (i.e. Home Care, Acute Mental Health, etc). She also works as a private contractor for Veteran’s Affairs in her spare time and is on the Acupuncture Roster. Lauren started volunteering with SAOT’s Professional Advisory Committee in 2017 and is truly enjoys the opportunity to give back to the OT community. She loves talking students and her special interest areas are addiction, cognition, and chronic pain.

TAYLOR GUY

Chair, Education Committee; Director

Taylor currently works in supportive living in Calgary, and has previous experience in long term care, acute care and vocational rehabilitation. She is passionate about advancing the OT profession through SAOT and promoting the growth of Occupational Therapists in Alberta and beyond. She is honored to be a board member of SAOT and will serve as Chair for the Education Committee.

Diana van der Stoel

Vice President and Special Interest Group Liaison; Director

Diana is a practicing Occupational Therapist with diverse clinical experience, currently focusing on addictions and mental health. She is particularly passionate about improving the capabilities of individuals diagnosed with FASD. Diana also has expertise in working on home adaptation and physical rehabilitation. Dedicated to advancing the field, she is enthusiastic about promoting the role of occupational therapy and contributing to the work of SAOT.

Allison Hunder

University of Alberta Student Representative; Director

Allison is an Occupational Therapy Student at the University of Alberta. Allison is passionate about improving individuals’ quality of life through occupational therapy and is excited to be a part of the work that SAOT does as the Student Representative. In her free time, Allison enjoys spending time in the mountains whether that be skiing, camping or hiking.

CORI SCHMITZ

University of Alberta Representative

Cori is a registered occupational therapist and the Associate Chair and an Associate Teaching Professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine Department of Occupational Therapy. Prior to joining the university in 2010, Cori’s most recent clinical experience had been in seniors health and home care services in Calgary AB and in community-based mental health and supported housing services in Vancouver BC. Cori’s administrative and leadership roles at the university currently have her coordinating the MScOT curriculum and supporting students to become entry level therapists. She is engaged in educational research & curriculum development across the broad scope of OT practice, including the fundamentals of therapeutic use of self (TUS), inter-professional (IP) service provision, and professionalism.

KATELYN MCNEIL

Chair, Professional Affairs Committee; Director

Katelyn is passionate about her work as an Occupational therapist in child and adolescent mental health in Calgary. She also has previously worked in adult mental health and in a return to work setting. Katelyn has been a member of the Professional Affairs committee and serves as the co-chair to support Occupational Therapy advocacy in the province.

KAITLIN BALLA

Chair, Awards; Director

Kaitlin works in private practice, specializing in medical legal assessments and mental health treatment. Previously, Kaitlin has worked as a front-line occupational therapist in community addictions and mental health in Edmonton. She has a growing interest in cognitive rehabilitation, a passion for continued professional development, and a strong belief in advocacy for the profession. She is honored to be a member of the board and is delighted to serve at the Chair of the Awards Committee.

ROBIN TELASKY

Executive Director

Robin has a communications background and has worked in a management capacity for non-profit organizations for more than 30 years. She has worked with SAOT since 2008 and is passionate about growing SAOT and the profession to its true potential.