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Board of Directors
The SILA Skills Group Board of Directors comprises a team of passionate, committed, skilled volunteers who drive expansion, ensuring sustainability while implementing its mission. The board plays a pivotal role in governance, strategic planning, and financial oversight.
Rosanna Ruppert
Board Chair
President
Rosanna Ruppert is a dedicated Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills practitioner and coach. She has developed and delivered hundreds of DBT-informed workshops and seminars to diverse groups, including educators, police, social services, and healthcare. Discovering the transformative power of DBT skills, she became passionate about sharing these skills with others.
She trained in the Family Connections™ program, co-facilitating at CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) for several years, and played a pivotal role at The Sashbear Foundation, expanding the Family Connections™ program across Canada. She also introduced the “Skills in Schools” program to five pilot schools in the Greater Toronto Area. In 2019, she co-founded The SILA Skills Group to bring these transformational skills to the broader population.
Rosanna holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Toronto, along with certificates in Human Resource Management and Adult Training and Development and is a DBT skills coach. In addition to her work with SILA Skills, she provides individual coaching and co-facilitates DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults in clinical settings.
Rosanna has spoken at mental health conferences globally and is a passionate advocate for family skills and family inclusion in treatment to support recovery and eliminate mental health stigma.
Johanne Papillon
Treasurer
Johanne is a financial and risk management professional with 25 years of experience in the Canadian financial services industry. Her career spans multiple functional corporate areas, including financial reporting, strategic planning, risk management and controls, and asset-liability management. Johanne is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and of the Society of Actuaries and holds a B.Sc. in Actuarial Mathematics from Concordia University (1990).
Johanne passionately believes that the skills taught in the SILA Skills Workshops are critically needed across our entire society, from educators to health professionals, service providers and everyone else in between. The skills were transformational for her and her family as they lived through some challenging years. The skills continue to be instrumental in all aspects of her life’s journey.
Kandis Hiscock
Board Member
Kandis is a retired member of the RCMP in Alberta and currently works as a Diversity Engagement Officer. She considers herself a life-long learner with a passion for advocacy amongst marginalized/disadvantaged groups. Her previous roles in the RCMP have included Indigenous Policing, Mental Health, and Domestic Violence, and she has been a lifetime volunteer for her grandmother’s not-for-profit, “Esquao- Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women”. Both her professional roles and lived experiences fuel the drive to help champion community wellness in any way possible, and that’s how she came to find SILA Skills. She believes the solution to all problems is simply an openness to education and acceptance of all.
Kelly Maxwell
Board Member
Vice President
Kelly Maxwell (B.Ed. ’89, M.Ed. ’16) is an Alberta elementary school teacher with more than 30 years of experience helping students learn, grow, and thrive. Alongside her work in education, she has completed training in the teaching of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills and is passionate about sharing these practical, evidence-informed strategies with others.
Kelly’s commitment to teaching DBT-informed skills is rooted in her own experiences both at home and in the classroom. By applying these skills in her daily life, she strengthened her mental well-being and enhanced her relationships with family, students, colleagues, and parents. She also witnessed firsthand how these skills could de-escalate challenging situations, foster stronger connections, and create calmer, more supportive environments.
Inspired by the positive impact of these skills, Kelly co-founded SILA Skills and currently serves as a board member. She believes that everyone can benefit from learning practical tools that build resilience, strengthen relationships, and support a more compassionate and mindful way of navigating life’s challenges.
Serena Bandoo
Board Member
Serena is a dedicated advocate for social justice, equity, and access to mental health services, with a strong commitment to supporting marginalized communities. She holds an LLB from the University of Sussex and an Honours BA in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University. Through her work as a Wellness Coordinator, Serena facilitated mental health programming and connected participants with community resources and support services, deepening her understanding of how accessible mental health tools can empower individuals to build resilience and navigate life's challenges. Throughout her career, she has combined legal expertise with community-based advocacy and education. Serena has delivered guest lectures and moderated panels at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Toronto, sharing insights on policy impact and supporting vulnerable populations.
