OUR TEAM

Executive Team

  • Daphne Penrose
    Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (on leave)

  • Ainsley Krone
    A/Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth

  • Denise Wadsworth
    Indigenous Deputy Manitoba Advocate responsible for Advocacy Services and Youth Engagement

  • Maria Godoy
    A/Deputy Manitoba Advocate responsible for Investigations, Research, Quality Assurance and Public Education

  • Cyndi Menke
    Executive Coordinator

Management

  • Cyndi Menke
    Manager, Finance and Administration

  • Tanis Hudson
    Manager, Child Death Reviews and Investigations

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

  • Kirstin Magnusson
    Manager, Advocacy Services

  • Michelle Kowalchuk
    Manager, Advocacy Services and Youth Engagement

  • Jessica Botelho-Urbanski
    Manager, Public Education

Administration

  • Erin Ryan
    Administration Secretary

  • Ila Miles
    Administrative Assistant

  • Laurie Freund
    Senior Clerk

  • Reji Thomas
    Senior Clerk

Knowledge Keeper

  • Cheryl Alexander
    Knowledge Keeper

Legal Counsel

  • Issie Frost, Q.C.
    Legal Counsel

Advocacy Team

  • Carly Lewadniuk Advocacy Officer
  • Dawn Gair Advocacy Officer
  • Debra De Silva Advocacy Officer
  • Doug Ingram Advocacy Officer
  • Gerald Krosney Advocacy Officer
  • Margherita Gagliardi Advocacy Officer
  • Joanne Lysak Advocacy Officer
  • Krista Rey Advocacy Officer
  • Mae Choo-Mah Advocacy Officer
  • Milan Patel Advocacy Officer
  • Naomi Evans Advocacy Officer (on leave)
  • Paula Zimrose Advocacy Officer

Investigations and Child Death Reviews

  • Amanda Swan Investigator
  • Anna Los Investigator
  • Jamie Robinson Investigator (on leave)
  • Kayla Marcq Investigator (on leave)
  • Kelsey VanOsch Investigator
  • Leigh Enns Investigator
  • Lynda Schellenberg Investigator
  • Melanie Johnson Investigator

Quality Assurance

  • Alison Carrey
    Policy Analyst (on leave)

  • Johsa Manzanilla
    Policy Analyst

  • Narpinder Rehallu
    Policy Analyst

  • Janine Bramadat
    Policy Analyst

Research Team

  • Dr. Matthew Maher
    Researcher

  • Charlene Muzyka
    Researcher

  • Alexandra Guemili
    Systemic Advocacy Officer

  • Aliraza Alidina
    Researcher

Youth Engagement Team

  • Cathy Cook
    Youth Engagement Coordinator

  • Jonathan Skrypnyk
    Youth Engagement Coordinator

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 Ainsley Krone who manages his schedule, since we’ve been unable to modify a keyboard to adequately allow him to oversee his own calendar. Ainsley can be reached at (204) 451-3190, or akrone@manitobaadvocate.ca.