Michelle Valberg is President of Valberg Imaging Inc., Ottawa’s only combined all-digital photography studio and photo gallery. She also operates Dare to Dream Productions, a publishing and special events company, under which she has published two collections of portraits, one a national bestseller. In 2000, Valberg was recognized with a YMCA/YWCA Women of Distinction Award. She was named Businesswoman of the Year in 2003 by the Ottawa Women’s Business Network and was among the 2004 recipients of the Ottawa Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award. She is regarded as one of Canada’s most inventive artists.

Sandy Schlieman is Coordinator of Early Childhood Education and Advanced Studies in Early Childhood Education at Algonquin College, and a Professor in the ECE Programs. As program coordinator, she is responsible for planning the program calendar, hiring teachers, mentoring staff and advising students. As a professor, she instructs courses in topics such as Psychomotor Development, Infant and Toddler Caregiving, and Sociology of the Family. Schlieman presents workshops on early brain development and attachment theory at industry conferences, and has lent her expertise to countless initiatives related to child development, including projects with Health Canada and the Canadian Child Care Federation.

Jeff McDonell is Director of Corporate Sales with NIKE Team Sports Inc. He manages the positioning and selling of NIKE product to corporate partners across Canada. Prior to joining NIKE, McDonell worked for several years with NHL Enterprises—first as Manager of Retail Sales and Marketing for Canadian operations, then as Manager of Sales and Marketing for North America. In this role, he worked with retailers, licensing partners and NHL hockey teams to implement promotional programs; developed point-of-purchase displays and created a fixture program; and accessed new channels of distribution including drug stores. He studied Business Marketing at Algonquin College.

Alison Thomas is Case Manager, Diabetes Comprehensive Care Program at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She coordinates clinical resources for complex nephrology patients and is responsible for staff, patient and family education related to clinical resource management and post-discharge needs. Prior to joining St. Mike’s, she worked as Professional Practice Clinician – Renal and Medicine at Halton Healthcare Services, where she established one of the first-ever dialysis programs in the GTA located outside the downtown core. She is founder of the GTA Network for Nephrology Educators, and is currently pursuing her Master of Nursing/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree at U of T.

Michael Armstrong is a fabricator for Roush Racing in North Carolina. He works on the crews of NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch, designing and constructing grille and radiator ductwork for a fleet of 40 cars. He also works alongside Roush engineers on R&D projects, and in 2000, earned a Jack Roush Award for his contribution to gains in cooling efficiency. In 2003, he experienced the thrill of a Winston Cup championship as part of Kenseth’s winning team. Armstrong spent years in the driver’s seat himself before joining Roush. He is a graduate of Algonquin College’s Mechanical Engineering program.

Thomas Sidney is Director of Strategic Development for Operation Go Home. He manages the crisis-support program and designs programs for at-risk youth. In his three years with the organization, Sidney has raised more than $750,000 in government funding and successfully implemented: Operation Go Home’s needle exchange program; two employability programs involving participants in six-month work placements; Ottawa’s only job-finding program for high-risk youth; and a crisis intervention program for homeless and extremely drug-addicted youth. Most recently, he spearheaded a citywide task force on youth prostitution. In September 2004, he was nominated for the United Way Community Builder Award.