Director of Supported Independent Living
After graduating from University of Toronto, John was drawn to the lure of the Canadian Rockies where he owned and operated a business in Banff, Lake Louise and Canmore for thirty years. In 2005 the Seigner family moved to Calgary in search of support for their severally autistic son Andrew. John has been working at the Sinneave Family Foundation for the past six years providing navigation support and expertise in the area of supported independent living for families and individuals on the autism spectrum through the Resource Centre, the Aspires Housing Group of Calgary, and the Provincial Housing Advisory Group. John was the Chairman of Tourism Banff, the Canadian Chairman of the Photo Marketing Association and has been a Rotarian for over 25 years.
Director of Professional Practice and Evaluation
Ph.D., R. Psych.
Dr. Shane L. Lynch is the Director of Professional Practice and Evaluation at the Sinneave Family Foundation. In this role, he leads a skilled inter-disciplinary team in delivering service excellence, oversees client service focused measurement and evaluation, and builds out pathways into the community. Specifically, Shane oversees the Launch + Skills Program as well as the Resource Centre and its knowledgeable Ambassadors. Dr. Lynch is a behavioral psychologist specializing in autism, positive behavior supports and self-determination. He has been serving clients with autism, as well as other developmental and behavioural disorders for over 20 years. In 2005, Shane was named a Strategic Training Fellow in Autism Research by the Canadian Institute for Health Research. He has acted as a consultant for those with severe and complex needs to school districts and agencies across Alberta, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories.
Director of Administration and Human Resources
Norm Lepitre has been with The Sinneave Family Foundation since its inception in 2008. He previously worked with Dr. Margaret Clarke and her research team with the Fraser Mustard Chair in Early Childhood Development at the University of Calgary. Norm has spent the past 30 years supporting, guiding and providing fair and compassionate leadership in the area of human resources and administration. Norm wears many hats in his role with Sinneave and he brings expertise, enthusiasm and thoughtful appreciation of the staff and clients he serves. Prior to moving to Alberta, Norm worked at the Naramata Centre for Continuing Education in British Columbia, first as Chef and Food Service Manager, then as Director of Facilities and Finance. Norm is a dedicated and approachable leader who cares deeply for his community — both personally and professionally.
Policy and Privacy Officer
MPA
Amy joined The Sinneave Family Foundation (Sinneave) in 2013 and has served as both Board Secretary and Director of Operations. As Policy and Privacy Officer, she focuses on social policy initiatives designed to build system capacity and supporting Sinneave’s corporate services. A politically astute, creative thinker who loves collaborating with a diverse group, on complex problems, Amy has earned a reputation as someone that “gets things done”. The first ten years of Amy’s career were spent building a successful retail sales and marketing career. In 2005, she shifted her career path from the for-profit sector to the not-for-profit sector by earning a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Victoria. After completing her MPA, Amy spent several years as an Associate with a health care consulting practice. Amy demonstrates her deep connection to her community by volunteering. She is a Red Cross volunteer and recently completed serving as a Director with the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance. In 2005, Amy was one of 8000 Albertans awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal which recognized those whose achievements have benefited their fellow citizens, their community and their province.
Chief Operating Officer
MHS, BN, RN
Barbara brings to the Foundation a depth of knowledge and experience from her career in healthcare leadership and health system consulting. Her experience includes senior clinical and administrative leadership, organizational strategy and governance, as well as program and systems based planning and evaluation. Barbara is respected for her ability to facilitate social innovation addressing complex issues in uncertain environments with meaningful outcomes. Barbara is a thoughtful, collaborative and decisive leader who values open communication, adaptability and accountability. Her keen interest in autism began when she volunteered with a service agency as a high school student, and she has followed the growth of the field with interest throughout her career.
Barbara holds Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Health Studies degrees and is a member of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta. An active leader in the community, Barbara also currently serves as immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors of Discovery House in Calgary. Discovery House provides integrated residential and community services for abused women and children to enable them to live safely and transition to independence in the community.
Chief Strategy Officer
Ph.D., R. Psych.
Dr. Katelyn Lowe is the Chief Strategy Officer at The Sinneave Family Foundation. In this role, she works to develop, execute and sustain strategic initiatives across the organization. Since joining Sinneave in 2008, Katelyn has been involved in the development, delivery and evaluation of a number of key initiatives including the Launch Program, PEERS® and Worktopia.
Dr. Lowe is a developmental psychologist specializing in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. She has trained in a wide range of mental health interventions such as HeartMath®, MYmind, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Katelyn is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Calgary and is involved in numerous research projects translating new knowledge and technologies in developmental neurosciences into autism programming, clinical training and service delivery.
Director of Communications
Crystal Jones joined The Sinneave Family Foundation in 2011 with a passion for making a positive impact in the lives of individuals and families affected by autism. She became Director of the Resource Centre in 2013, and in 2015 Crystal’s background and dedication to Sinneave led to a natural shift in her role to Director of Communications, filling a need in the organization. Crystal is responsible for developing communication strategies that help advance Sinneave’s efforts to facilitate broad impact through the sharing of ideas and practices.
Crystal brings over 25 years of experience from her employment, volunteer and professional development activities in the areas of communications and web design, change management, human services, professional sales, education and child development. Crystal holds a Masters Certificate in Professional Communications Management and a degree in Psychology. She is currently a member of the International Association of Business Communicators – Calgary Chapter.
Chief Financial Officer
CPA, CA
Mike started working at the Sinneave Family Foundation in March of 2015. Prior to that he served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Yellowknife Catholic Schools for 13 years and worked in senior financial roles at Stanton Territorial Health Board for almost 10 years.
Mike has served leadership roles in collective bargaining and construction projects. He has led several financial/payroll software implementation projects. He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary. He obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1991 after Articling at Vennard Johannesen in Calgary and at MacKay & Partners in Yellowknife. Mike has volunteered in leadership roles for many organizations including: Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Squash NWT, Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation, and St. Patrick’s Parish.
President
MHA, CHE
Tanya brings over 20 years of health leadership experience to the Foundation. Her experience includes leading comprehensive primary care clinics to top operational performance; orchestrating military health services support to current, emergency and contingency operations globally; and directing a multi-national integrated medical unit. As a proactive and accountable leader, her role is to align priorities and implement systems to improve overall organizational performance. Tanya was attracted by the Foundation’s direction and purpose and the opportunity to contribute to making a difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Tanya holds a Master Degree in Health Administration from the University of British Columbia, and a Graduate Certificate in Health Systems Leadership from Royal Roads University. She is a Certified Healthcare Executive and a decorated 20-year veteran with the Canadian Armed Forces.