Alberta OCD Foundation
Executive Committee
Executive Director
Jennifer Masek
Jennifer started volunteering with the Alberta OCD Foundation in 2017 and had it incorporated in 2018. Raising awareness on the truth about OCD is her top priority, along with becoming a Registered Charity to help OCD sufferers access to affordable treatment. She facilitates the OCD Support Groups, social events and manages the website and encourages the local members to submit blogs. Jennifer has lived with OCD since a young child. She was diagnosed at age 31 and began treatment. "It is never too late for treatment, but you need to do your homework."
Over the past years, Jennifer has been to 3 International OCD Foundation Conferences and presented in Washington on HOCD. She creates and presented on OCD in Alberta including The Alberta Hospital, Access Open Minds, NorQuest College, University of Alberta, Calgary's Science in the Cinema and many OCD Week events. She is also a volunteer with the Tourette OCD Alberta Network.
Registered as Recreation Therapist in 2008, she works full time in health care where she assists people who live with disabilities to find wellness through adapted recreation and leisure.
President
Emily Checkwitch
As a new member of our team, Emily developed the Mentorship Program and has acted as the Mentorship Director since. In February of 2021, she was elected President and has since organized presentations about OCD for health students at the University of Alberta.
Emily is currently pursuing an honors nursing degree at the U of A, and hopes to go on someday to further her education and work in advanced practice nursing. She has experience working in areas including neurosurgery, emergency, Covid care and more thanks to floating at the Royal Alex Hospital. Now, she works in the cardiac ICU as an undergraduate nurse employee. Her honors research project focuses on mental health and critical care, two areas she is very passionate about. She also volunteers as a peer reviewer and a nursing mentor for younger students.
Secretary
Emily Mcnam
Emily has always been motivated to advocate for mental health and is grateful for the amazing community that Alberta OCD Foundation fosters. Her volunteer position began in 2021 and she has recently been elected as Secretary, where she takes meeting minutes and keeps records.
Emily completed her Bachelor of Science in Immunology and Infection at the University of Alberta, where she became passionate about protein misfolding diseases. More recently she finished her Master’s degree in Biochemistry where she continued studying the role of pathological proteins in neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, hiking in the mountains, and catching bugs!
Treasurer
Megan
Megan is the treasurer for the Alberta OCD Foundation. Her role focuses on financial data-keeping and decision-making. Her background is in education and writing, so she also assists the foundation therein. Like many, she believes improved mental health education is urgently needed, including a more nuanced collective understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder. She has written a number of works on the subject, and she has regularly run literacy workshops, including a couple with the International OCD Foundation. Her ultimate hope is that we can live more meaningfully together, and active mental health awareness is required in that process.
Board Of Directors
The Board of Directors represents the interests and wellbeing of persons living with obsessive-compulsive disorder across the Alberta community. They provide information, ideas, and insight about current trends and needs to the executive board to assist in decision-making about education and programming. They will be required to attend a minimum of four annual meetings and will be accountable for fulfilling the responsibilities related to their role as they arise.
Social Media Director
Kristina Josevska
Kristina has always been passionate about mental health and is grateful to have found community in the AOCDF. She first joined as a volunteer in June 2021 and was later elected Director of Social Media. In her role, Kristina helps to manage and create content for the organization’s various online platforms. She has always been creative and values opportunities to design and develop her ideas.
Kristina is pursuing her Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. She is currently on a work term at the City of Edmonton and is learning what it’s like to work in the corporate world. As a member of the Change Management team for an exciting technological project, she is helping to ensure that the organization successfully transitions into its future state. Outside of her professional life, Kristina enjoys practicing yoga, watching Netflix and crafting.
Volunteer Director
Vacant
The volunteer coordinator plays a key role with the Alberta OCD Foundation. This individual would recruit, create roles, and host appreciation events. This individual would communicate regularly with volunteers and manage theirs status.
Director of Grants
Vacant
An individual with experience in applying for grant opportunities to assist with the funding of programs for people who live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Professional Director
Vacant
The Professional Director is open to persons with formal training in the treatment and management of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some examples of suitable roles include registered psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers or psychiatric nurses. They will provide clinical and research-based practices to assist the AOCDF.
Caregiver Director
Vacant
The Caregiver Director is open to a parent, guardian or other caregiver to an individual who lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder. They will provide a critical perspective on how the AOCDF can support those who support others.
Person with Lived Experience
Vacant
An individual with lived experience will provide biographical information to ensure programming is appropriate for the persons we serve and support.
Director of Southern Alberta
Vacant
An individual will represent the interests of persons living with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Southern Alberta. This role focuses on facilitating education, access and programming in rural and remote communities.
Director of Northern Alberta
Vacant
An individual will represent the interests of persons living with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Northern Alberta. This role focuses on facilitating education, access and programming in rural and remote communities.