OUR TEAM

Executive Team

  • Sherry Gott
    Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth

  • Ainsley Krone
    Deputy Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth

  • Kirstin Magnusson
    A/Deputy Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth

  • Pooja Sigauke
    Executive Coordinator

Management

  • Allen Mankewich
    Manager, Public Education

  • Cyndi Menke
    Manager, Finance and Administration

  • Joanne Lysak
    A/Manager, Advocacy Services

  • Dr. Karlee Sapoznik Evans
    Manager, Research and Quality Assurance

  • Michelle Kowalchuk
    Manager, Advocacy Services and Youth Engagement

  • Tanis Hudson
    Manager, Child Death Reviews and Investigations

Administration

  • Ila Miles
    Administrative Assistant

  • Karen Morrow
    Senior Clerk

  • Reji Thomas
    Senior Clerk

Legal Counsel

  • Issie Frost, Q.C.
    Legal Counsel

Knowledge Keeper

  • Cheryl Alexander
    Knowledge Keeper

Advocacy Team

  • Brittney Mikolayanko
    Advocacy Officer

  • Dawn Gair
    Advocacy Officer

  • Debra De Silva
    Advocacy Officer

  • Doug Ingram
    Advocacy Officer

  • Gerald Krosney
    Advocacy Officer

  • Jan Dumontet
    Advocacy Officer

  • Kim Wuirch
    Advocacy Officer

  • Krista Rey
    Advocacy Officer

  • Loretta Ouskun
    Intake Assessment Officer, Thompson office

  • Mae Choo-Mah
    Advocacy Officer

  • Margherita Gagliardi
    Advocacy Officer

  • Michelle Sanderson
    Advocacy Officer

  • Naomi Evans
    Advocacy Officer

  • Patti Wawyn
    Advocacy Officer

Investigations and Child Death Reviews

  • Anna Los
    Investigator

  • Benji Greenberg
    Investigator

  • Jamie Robinson
    Investigator

  • Kayla Marcq
    Investigator

  • Kelsey VanOsch
    Investigator

  • Leigh Enns
    Investigator

  • Lynda Schellenberg
    Investigator

  • Melanie Johnson
    Investigator

  • Sara Yager
    Investigator

Public Education

  • Brittany Valcourt
    Public Education Coordinator

Quality Assurance

  • Alison Carrey
    Policy Analyst

  • Elkanah Babatunde
    Policy Analyst

  • Johsa Manzanilla
    Policy Analyst

Research Team

  • Alexandra Guemili
    Systemic Advocacy Officer

  • Charlene Muzyka
    Researcher

  • Dr. Matthew Maher
    Researcher

Youth Engagement Team

  • Emmanuel Allieu
    Youth Engagement Coordinator

  • Jonathan Skrypnyk
    Youth Engagement Coordinator

  • Wavy Guy
    Mascot

Meet Wavy Guy!

Wavy Guy joined the Advocate’s team in June 2013. He is best known for his adorable smile, endless enthusiasm, and unwavering love of all children, youth, and adults. Wavy Guy often can be seen at parks, picnics, festivals, and any event where children and youth might be in need of a celebratory high-five, or an encouraging hug.

Prior to coming to work with the staff at MACY, Wavy Guy was in school, studying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), an international agreement between many countries around the world. While in school, Wavy Guy learned that many children and youth in Manitoba don’t know about or understand their rights, which motivated him to seek out MACY and (with a dizzying round of arm waving and dance moves,) he explained that he wanted nothing more than to help MACY connect with young people across Manitoba and promote the rights of children and youth.

And even though Wavy Guy can sometimes be shy (and we’ve never heard him actually speak), he finds more than enough ways to communicate his love for everyone, and his belief that young people have the right to speak up and be heard by any adult making decisions that affect children and youth.

BOOK WAVY GUY

If you have an event coming up and would like to invite Wavy Guy (he would be so thrilled!), please contact Allen Mankewich who manages his schedule, since we’ve been unable to modify a keyboard to adequately allow him to oversee his own calendar. Allen can be reached at (204) 451-6111, or amankewich@manitobaadvocate.ca.