Leah Cavanagh
Executive Coordinator & Board Liaison - lcavanagh@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2018
Which talent would you most like to have?
Is just sitting still a talent?
Where would you most like to live?
For now, I wouldn't want to live anywhere other than Edmonton.
What do you most value in your friends?
Sincerity, compassion, integrity, and a drive to make the world better.
What book do you recommend most to people?
"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami
What is your motto?
Just do the next right thing.
Meghan Klein
Executive Director - mklein@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2020
Which living person do you most admire?
Oh, this one is easy. My mother, Judy. All the best in me came from her example.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Being able to understand, speak, read, and write in every language.
What book do you recommend most to people?
Usually the one I happen to be reading! A great little parable I return to often is The Laws of Spirit by Dan Millman. It examines twelve core principles that underlie human existence: balance, choice, process, presence, compassion, faith, expectation, integrity, action, cycles, surrender, and unity.
Who are your heroes in real life?
How to choose? There are so many people doing incredible things—creating art that brings joy to our lives, developing sustainable technologies that create a healthier planet, and connecting people in myriad ways so that every member of our society lives a life of dignity and happiness. Many of these folks live right here in our hometown. However, at this moment, I admire Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. She was elected the leader of New Zealand before turning 40 years old, while pregnant, and began leading her country while parenting an infant. To cap it off, she is leading New Zealand through the COVID-19 pandemic with unabashed empathy and decisive strength. All while home with a toddler.
What is your motto?
Be a force for good.
Jacqueline Scott
Manager, Language Services - jscott@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2008
Which talent would you most like to have?
I really wish I had some artistic ability. I can only draw stick men and sing off key.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Raising four remarkable sons.
Who are your favorite writers?
I’m an avid reader, so I have dozens of favorites. Miriam Toews consistently writes books that I love, but my favorite book is “The Shipping News” by E. Annie Proulx.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My sisters. They are the most amazing women I know.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Trust that things will work out so that I can stress about things less.
Laurie Hauer
Senior Manager, Employment and Training Programs - lhauer@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 1988
Favourite local restaurant?
Tres Carnales Taqueria
Dadeo
Japonais Bistro
Favourite quote?
"It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become"
- Dr. Suess
Who are your favourite writers?
Umberto Eco
What is your favourite movie?
The Princess Bride
Where would you most like to live?
New Orleans
Rispah Tremblay
Senior Manager, Settlement and Social Work - rtremblay@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2007
Which talent would you most like to have?
There are so many, but if I was choose one I would say I wish I could paint. I love art, but I will settle on enjoying other artists work.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
If I could change one thing, it would be to make a habit out of waking up early.
Where would you most like to live?
Somewhere warm, maybe tropical with sunshine all year round. Some sandy beaches and palm trees would be a bonus.
Who are your favorite writers?
Too many to name, if I can name only three, they would be, Chinua Achebe, Agatha Christie and Napoleon Hill.
What is your motto?
Time is precious, use it wisely.
Ricki Justice
Director of Programs - rjustice@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2015
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I am Beyonce, always.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
When I was five, I imagined that there was such a thing as unicorn. And this is before I had even heard of one or seen one.. I just drew a picture of a horse that could fly over rainbows and had a huge spike in its head. And I was five, five years old. Couldn't even talk yet!
Who are your favorite writers?
Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information.
Who are your heroes in real life?
I love babies. I think they are beautiful in all sorts of different ways. I try to pick up and hold a baby every day, if possible, because it nourishes me. It feeds my soul. Babies are drawn to me. And I think it’s because they see me as one of them. But … cooler and with my life put together a little bit more. If a baby were president, there would be no taxes. There would be no war.
What is your motto?
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Eun-Jin Kim
Senior Manager, Community Programs and Therapeutic Services - ejkim@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2008
Which living person do you most admire?
Don Baergen (EMCN Co-founder) - He is the kindest human being I've ever met. When my daughter heard that I became a manager, she said to me, "Mom, be like Don."
Where would you most like to live?
Plum Village in France
What book do you recommend most to people?
Letters to Sam by Daniel Gottlieb, My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen and Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh (I can't choose one book)
Who are your heroes in real life?
My clients who taught me about resilience
What is your motto?
No road is long with good company (Turkish Proverb)
Megan Starchuk
Communications & Marketing Strategist - mstarchuk@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2016
Who is your favourite writer?
Bill Watterson
What is your favourite movie?
Her, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Beginners
What would your last meal be?
Homemade pasta with loved ones followed by my Grandmother's Saskatoon Pie
What advice would you give your younger self?
"This too shall pass" applies not just to the bad.
What has been your favourite travel memory?
Newfoundland to meet my Nanny for the first time.
Where would you most like to live?
Fogo Island, Newfoundland or Holland
Yolanda Quintanilla
Fund Development Officer - yquintanilla@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2019
Who is your favourite quote?
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
―Maya Angelou
What is your favourite movie?
It’s a wonderful life (1946). I would watch it over and over and over.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Trust your intuition; she knows better.
What book do you recommend to most people?
The Quixote. It has adventure, drama and tons of humour
What's your motto?
Wisdom is chasing me, but I am faster!
Melani Orr
Director of People & Communications - morr@emcn.ab.caWhere did you grow up?
I have fond memories of Kearns, Utah. When we migrated to Canada we settled an a small hamlet of Nestow about 25 kilometre east of Westlock. My mom had 81 acres of wild-lands. Coming from the big night lit and noisy city, the first things we got – even before running water or permanent shelter was a yard light!
What is your favourite quote?
It’s long but has had such a significance impact on me and my owning my power. It’s been modified to speak to me. “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in any environment or setting. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a human being in this world, I possess a tremendous power to make an other’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a person is humanized or dehumanized.”
- Haim Ginott
Which person do you most admire?
My mom, she was everything!
Who are your favourite writers?
My favourite author is Dr. Seuss, as a child it rhythmic and whimsical but asan adult it is inspiring and wise. “I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.”
What is your favourite movie?
A Fish Called Wanda and Princess Bride
What is your motto?
Mission First , Troop Always
Jianyu (Jane) Song
Human Resources Manager - jsong@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since: 2015
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Suzhou China. The city is called one of the “heavens on earth” for its pleasant climate and tranquility.
Your favourite thing to do on the weekend?
I enjoy hiking with my family on the weekend. --- the time to savor the beauty of the nature with the people I love.
Favourite quote?
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” --- Confucius
Which person do you most admire?
There are a lot of people I admire. The ranking changes however with time going by. The person I now admire most is my grandpa, who will be 99 years old this year. He has experienced many ups and downs in his life, and is always keep a complete peace in his mind --- never pleased by external gains and never saddened by personal losses.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I had the talent to play one instrument, and experience the joy of music flowing out under my fingers.
Brian Truckey
Human Resources Manager - jsong@emcn.ab.caEmployee Since:
Where did you grow up?
Outside of a little town called Onoway AB, west of Edmonton, rural community, on a farm.
Greatest accomplishment?
Going to Grant MacEwan at 30 years of age and dedicating 5 years so I could be an accountant and provide a better life for my family.
Which person do you most admire?
Terry Fox
What is your favourite saying?
Jack of all trades, master of none.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t take life so seriously, everything seems to work out for the best, even though you do not realize it at the time.
