Kelly Maxwell (B.Ed ‘89, M.Ed ‘16) is an elementary school teacher in rural Alberta. After 30-plus years of teaching, her passion for educating continues. She has been, and continues to be involved with professional development within her school district and at local Teachers' Conventions. In the last several years she acquired DBT based skills that transformed her life and her classroom. These skills helped her through challenging interactions with her son who struggled with his mental health. These skills not only transformed her home life, they also transformed her classroom interactions. She is passionate about sharing these transformational skills with other educators through the SILA Skills Workshops.

Rosanna Ruppert is a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills practitioner, DBT skills coach for youth and adults and workshop developer for teachers, education assistants, guidance counsellors and child and youth counsellors. She implemented a pilot project bringing DBT based skills to 5 GTA schools, training and coaching teachers, educating parents and tailoring curriculum to accommodate specific needs of schools. Her teaching style and responsiveness make her highly regarded and sought after by schools. Rosanna ran the first-ever DBT-focused conference for educators in the Toronto area attended by 50 teachers and school board staff. Rosanna is committed to teaching these essential skills through the SILA Skills Workshops.

Susan Mukanik (B.Ed’88) is an educator who taught FSL and English Language Arts in Alberta. Recently retired, she continues to pursue her interest in supporting those who suffer from mental health issues as well as teaching skills to caregivers struggling to support their loved ones. In her search, she found DBT skills which improved her relationship with her son who was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Early on she recognized how valuable these skills would be for teachers within a classroom setting knowing that they would greatly improve interactions with students, parents, and other educators. Susan strongly believes that teachers who possess these skills will not only experience a transformation within their classroom, as well as in their personal lives.

Ruta Lauzis, a retired teacher with 30+ years of experience with the Toronto District School Board, is passionate about sharing a set of skills she used in her classroom which transformed her relationship with her students, parents and peers and, in fact, permeated in all areas of her life. She now turns this passion to SILA Skills to bring these same transformational skills to all.