CURRENT SKCDA BOARD
Current Board Members
Charlene McLean
Chair
Charlene lives in Regina, Saskatchewan. Her educational journey started with an Associate Diploma in Recreational Therapy and then went on to complete both a B.Ed. and BSW. Lifelong learning is important to her and she has a strong commitment to service in the community. Charlene has been a Girl Guide for 55 years, holding several administrative positions. Charlene worked 35 years for the Saskatchewan Government. The first ten years in Income Security and the next 25 years in Career Services. She recently retired but remains active in career services by volunteering as the SKCDA Board Chair as well as sitting on several national committees. Her passion is to have SKCDA accessed by the CDP's in Saskatchewan and recognized as a professional association that supports and enhances career services in the province.
Phyllis White
Treasurer
Phyllis is the SKCDA Treasurer and manages membership. She is currently retired but was previously the bookkeeper for a small family owned business and brings this expertise to her role with the SKCDA. She also has nine plus years experience with finance as the Treasurer for Girl Guides of Canada in Regina Saskatchewan.
Chris Bailey
Member at Large
Chris has served on the SKCDA board since 2020. In the 1990’s he developed and directed the Regina Career Linx, a client centred multimedia self-help career service centre. The program became a model for the Canada - Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services Centres. Chris retired in 2017 as Executive Director of the Regina Work Preparation Centre. Work Prep is a community-based organization helping people look for, find and maintain work. It has served Regina for 50 years and has worked with over 25,000 clients.
Emily Hurd
Member at Large
Emily Hurd is passionate about inclusion. Emily is the Regional Director of SaskAbilities (Saskatoon Branch), where she is oversees the vocational and recreational programming offered. Emily started her career with SaskAbilities at Partners in Employment, where she provided vocational supports to individuals experiencing disability and barriers to employment. Emily believes that community employment is a vital element of citizenship and she is pleased to be a part of the SKCDA.
Julie Beaudette
Member at Large
Julie Beaudette is a Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP) and has worked within the scope of career development for the last eight years with various non-profit organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan and a certificate in Career & Academic Advising from the University of Calgary. She is currently employed as the Career & Employment Specialist with Vision Loss Rehabilitation Saskatchewan.
Jody Thomas
Member at Large
Jody Thomas is the Employment Counsellor/ Facilitator for Prairie Employment in North Battleford, Saskatchewan where he works with unemployed or underemployed individuals facing barriers to employment. He is originally from PEI but has called Saskatchewan home since 2013.
Bernice McKen
Member at Large
Bernice McKen has just recently retired from her position with the Yorkton branch Partners in Employment (SaskAbilities) office as an Employment Specialist. Prior to that Bernice was a Student Support Teacher with the Good Spirit School Division. Bernice has a passion for working together to build inclusive communities for people of all abilities, particularly promoting and supporting employment opportunities by focusing on people’s strengths and abilities.
Sajida Parveen
Member at Large
Sajida has over 18 years of experience in Academic and Career Development fields in a cross-cultural setting. As a highly skilled individual with a strong background in career and employment services and adult training methods she is a valuable asset to the SKCDA board. Her commitment to provide access to education, employment and training opportunities to a wide variety of individuals and increase their self-sufficiency is evident in her work. She enjoys helping people and is dedicated to assisting clients to learn and relearn basic employment skills relevant to their preferred job. Sajida understands that every client is unique and treatment may differ, so spends her downtime learning how to serve the community better.
Amanda LaRose
Member at Large
Amanda is a compassionate and driven professional with a Bachelor of Health Studies from the University of Regina, a minor in Kinesiology, and a Certificate in Public Relations. She has built her career around a deep commitment to empowering individuals and creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive. In her current role as an Assistive Technology Specialist at Neil Squire, Amanda combines her expertise with innovative technology to help individuals with disabilities achieve greater independence in their personal and professional lives. Eager to expand her impact, she is also completing the Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP) to enhance her skills and knowledge in this evolving field. Outside of work, Amanda has been an active volunteer with Astonished! for over two years. As a member of the leadership team, she plans monthly social and recreational events that bring people together and create meaningful connections. She also serves on the organization’s Fundraising Committee, helping organize their annual gala. Amanda’s passion for inclusion and empowerment is the driving force behind everything she does. Whether it’s supporting diverse populations through her professional work or fostering connections in her volunteer roles, she is dedicated to helping others overcome barriers, discover their strengths, and achieve their goals.