Meet the staff of SMARTRISK.

Youth Programs Team

Valerie Smith
Youth Program Manager
Valerie manages all of SMARTRISK’s programming activities directed at teens and their parents. She holds an MA in comparative, international and development education. Valerie has extensive experience managing both education and youth programs in Canada and overseas, as well as in program design and evaluation. Her experience includes working as a youth educational consultant for the Boys and Girls Club of Canada and Foster Parents Plan and as the Senior Country Program Manager for Youth Challenge International, managing staff and programs in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Guyana, Costa Rica and Grenada.

Alex Kelly
Senior Program Coordinator, Youth Programs
Alex was one of the original high school youth leaders for SMARTRISK No Regrets in its pilot year. She worked as a summer intern at SMARTRISK and is now Senior Youth Program Coordinator for SMARTRISK No Regrets Live. Alex has a BAH in Health Studies from Queen’s University where her experience and concentration in health promotion prepared her for a great fit within No Regrets.

Nadim Sobhani
Youth Program Coordinator
Nadim coordinates content development, facilitation of training sessions and ongoing school support for the No Regrets youth program and its associated projects. Both internationally and at home, Nadim has over three years experience in youth engagement programming and outdoor recreation and risk management. Nadim holds a BAH in Equity Studies from the University of Toronto.

Emily Driscoll
Youth Program Assistant
Emily assists the SMARTRISK No Regrets and No Regrets Live programs, supporting the team with program development, implementation and logistics. She has a BA specializing in Anthropology from the University of Toronto and a postgraduate diploma in Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion from Centennial College.

Research

Pam Farmer
Manager, Research and Evaluation Pam has primary responsibility for producing the monthly Ontario Injury Compass and responds to requests for injury data. Pam has an M.Sc. in kinesiology and health science: epidemiology from York University. She has been involved in a number of research projects in the field of injury.

Jayne Morrish Research Assistant Jayne has the primary responsibility of coordinating the annual Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre Forum and organizing various research projects throughout SMARTRISK. Jayne has a BAH in neuropsychology from York University and is currently pursuing graduate studies in developmental psychology at Brock University. She has been involved in the development and evaluation of various programs and research projects in the field of injury.

Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre

Linda Yenssen
Manager, OIPRC
Linda Yenssen coordinates the activities of the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre, housed at SMARTRISK. Linda has an extensive background in public health, including more than 12 years in injury prevention. She is a university-trained registered nurse.

Claude Meurehg
Curriculum Coordinator
Claude coordinates the courses of the Canadian Injury Prevention Curriculum and the Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum within the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre. Fluent in English, French and Spanish, Claude has previous experience as a brand manager in consumer and industrial products and as a securities trader in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Claude holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the ITAM (Mexico City), and a master’s degree in theological studies from the U of T. Currently a doctoral student at U of T, he is working on a dissertation about the philosophy and spirituality of abstract art. He is also a practising visual artist and art consultant.

Communications

Kathy Blair
Writer
Kathy was a journalist for 10 years before coming to SMARTRISK. She has a BAA in journalism from Ryerson University and a BA in administration with a specialist in social issues from the University of Toronto.

Michael Gemar
Information Technology Administrator and Creative Services Coordinator
Michael is responsible for SMARTRISK’s in-house creative production and manages the organization’s computer infrastructure and online projects, including the SMARTRISK website. He has an extensive background in web technologies and interface design. Michael has a PhD in psychology from the University of Toronto.

Operations

Peter O’Neill
Operations Consultant
Peter is responsible for the overall operations of the organization, including board and government relations. Peter is also an Adjudicator with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and sits on the Scholarship Committee for the Actra Fraternal Benefit Society. Previously, Peter had a long-term career at the CTV Television Network, holding various senior positions. Peter holds a CMA designation and is Treasurer for the Canadian Communications Foundation.

Chan Ramakrishna
Controller
Chan is a Certified General Accountant and has seven years accounting experience in non-profit organizations.

Philip Groff
President & CEO
After more than nine years at SMARTRISK as Director, Research and Evaluation, Phil was appointed President and CEO, responsible for overseeing all of SMARTRISK’s operations. Phil has wide-ranging expertise in research and evaluation, social marketing and a deep knowledge of injury prevention. Phil has a PhD in psychology from the University of Toronto with a specialty in human neuropsychology and cognition.

Sarah Marshall
Vice President
Sarah is primarily responsible for managing our sponsor relationships and for implementing a strategic community engagement plan to increase the reach of our programs. Sarah is also responsible for maintaining and strengthening our organizational systems. Sarah has extensive experience in community development, youth leadership and operations. She has a BA from Dalhousie University and an MA in leadership and training from Royal Roads University. Sarah works from a home office in Squamish, B.C.