20 Conference Directors and Producers in Canadian Education to Know

Jonno White

Aug 10

9 min read

Education conferences do more than fill a few days on a calendar. They bring together teachers, researchers, school leaders, policy makers, students and community partners around questions that matter to Canadian education.

The people behind those events are often less visible than the speakers on stage. They shape the programme, keep partners aligned, manage the practical details and create the conditions for useful conversations to happen.

This list brings together 20 people with a clear role in Canadian education conference direction, production or organising. It includes association executives, conference directors, programme chairs and the people coordinating speakers, partners, exhibitors and attendees.

The list is intentionally practical rather than a ranking. A person appears because a first-party organisation or event page connects them to a current conference role or to the organisation responsible for delivering the event.

Why conference organisers matter in Canadian education

A strong education conference is a piece of live organisational work. Someone has to decide what the event is for, build a programme that respects the audience, bring the right partners into the room and make hundreds of small choices feel simple for attendees. That work is especially important across Canada, where national communities often span provinces, institutions and different education settings.

The people below sit at different points in that work. Some lead national associations. Some direct a single conference. Others carry a specific part of the experience, such as sponsorship, registration, speakers, exhibitors or partner liaison. Together, they show that conference leadership is a team sport with a wide range of valuable roles.

People to know

Michael Lee

Michael Lee is Chief Executive Officer and CFO at Education Research Development & Innovation Corporation (ERDI). The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that eRDI says he negotiates and organises its conferences, manages their logistics and chairs major events.

For people interested in how education events come together, Michael Lee is a useful name to watch because the role connects Toronto, Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Kathleen Lane

Kathleen Lane is Executive Director at EdCan Network. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that edCan describes her work as leading revenue development, external partnerships, programme delivery and stakeholder engagement.

For people interested in how education events come together, Kathleen Lane is a useful name to watch because the role connects Canada with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Ian Wereley

Ian Wereley is Executive Director at Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS). The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that cAGS identifies him as the conference contact, while the association runs its national graduate education conference.

For people interested in how education events come together, Ian Wereley is a useful name to watch because the role connects Canada with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Charlene Marion

Charlene Marion is Executive Director at CEWIL Canada. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she leads the national work-integrated learning organisation that commissions and delivers its annual conference.

For people interested in how education events come together, Charlene Marion is a useful name to watch because the role connects Canada with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Natalie Chaumont

Natalie Chaumont is Director of Operations at CEWIL Canada. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that her operations remit places her close to the practical delivery of CEWIL events and member programmes.

For people interested in how education events come together, Natalie Chaumont is a useful name to watch because the role connects Canada with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Joanna Imoo

Joanna Imoo is Conference Director and Sponsorship Coordinator at BC Home Education Conference. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that the conference team names her as the person holding both conference direction and sponsorship coordination.

For people interested in how education events come together, Joanna Imoo is a useful name to watch because the role connects British Columbia with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Andrea Hiebert

Andrea Hiebert is Registrar and Society Chair at BC Home Education Conference. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that her role combines attendee registration with governance as chair of the conference society.

For people interested in how education events come together, Andrea Hiebert is a useful name to watch because the role connects British Columbia with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Naomi Hunt

Naomi Hunt is Exhibitor Hall Coordinator at BC Home Education Conference. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she coordinates the exhibitor hall, one of the conference areas that connects attendees with education providers.

For people interested in how education events come together, Naomi Hunt is a useful name to watch because the role connects British Columbia with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Adrianne Doyle

Adrianne Doyle is Speaker Coordinator at BC Home Education Conference. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that her named responsibility is the speaker journey, from coordination through to the live event.

For people interested in how education events come together, Adrianne Doyle is a useful name to watch because the role connects British Columbia with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Amy Friesen

Amy Friesen is Marketing Coordinator and Website Designer at BC Home Education Conference. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she connects the conference marketing work with the website that carries the event experience before registration.

For people interested in how education events come together, Amy Friesen is a useful name to watch because the role connects British Columbia with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Janice Miller-Young

Janice Miller-Young is Program Committee Co-Chair at Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she co-chairs the programme committee for STLHE, a national Canadian higher education conference community.

For people interested in how education events come together, Janice Miller-Young is a useful name to watch because the role connects Alberta with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Magdalen Normandeau

Magdalen Normandeau is Program Committee Co-Chair at Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she co-chairs the conference programme alongside Janice Miller-Young across the national STLHE community.

For people interested in how education events come together, Magdalen Normandeau is a useful name to watch because the role connects New Brunswick with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Mao Keo

Mao Keo is Organizing Committee Partner Liaison at STLHE and Algonquin College. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that his named conference role is partner liaison, helping connect the organiser team with Algonquin College.

For people interested in how education events come together, Mao Keo is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Nancy Vézina

Nancy Vézina is Organizing Committee Partner Liaison at STLHE and University of Ottawa. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she serves as the University of Ottawa partner liaison on the conference organising committee.

For people interested in how education events come together, Nancy Vézina is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Lise Frenette

Lise Frenette is Organizing Committee Partner Liaison at STLHE and Collège La Cité. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that her committee role links STLHE conference delivery with Collège La Cité.

For people interested in how education events come together, Lise Frenette is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Patrick Lyons

Patrick Lyons is Organizing Committee Partner Liaison at STLHE and Carleton University. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that he is the Carleton University partner liaison listed for the organising committee.

For people interested in how education events come together, Patrick Lyons is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Eric Chan

Eric Chan is Organizing Committee, Posters at STLHE and University of Alberta. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that he carries the named posters responsibility on a national higher education conference committee.

For people interested in how education events come together, Eric Chan is a useful name to watch because the role connects Alberta with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Carly Manion

Carly Manion is Director, CIDEC at Comparative, International and Development Education Centre, OISE, University of Toronto. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that the 2026 CIDEC Symposium programme names her as director and gives her the opening remarks.

For people interested in how education events come together, Carly Manion is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Zeenia Ahmed

Zeenia Ahmed is Symposium Organizing Committee at CIDEC, OISE, University of Toronto. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she is listed on the symposium organising committee while completing doctoral research at OISE.

For people interested in how education events come together, Zeenia Ahmed is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

Ruba Kallab

Ruba Kallab is Symposium Organizing Committee at CIDEC, OISE, University of Toronto. The organisation or event page places this role in the Canadian education conference ecosystem, and the practical detail worth knowing is that she is named on the committee delivering the 2026 CIDEC Symposium at OISE.

For people interested in how education events come together, Ruba Kallab is a useful name to watch because the role connects Ontario with a wider education community. The best place to start is the organisation's own page, where the role and event context are set out.

What this list shows

Conference direction is not one job title. It can sit with a chief executive who carries the organisation-wide responsibility, a conference director who owns the event, or a committee member who turns a particular piece of the programme into a reliable experience. The common thread is the ability to turn a broad education purpose into a gathering that people can actually use.

It is also worth noticing how many roles sit behind the visible programme. Sponsorship, registration, exhibitors, speakers, volunteers, finance, marketing and partner liaison all influence whether an education conference feels thoughtful and welcoming. Those are leadership contributions even when they do not appear on the main stage.

CLARITY