Our Board is comprised of dedicated members who volunteer their time to provide oversight and governance to Oak Bridge Academy.
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Vice Chair : Dr Karen Backway (Pediatrician, Retired)
After many years working with children with special needs and their families, Dr Karen retired from pediatric practice in 2017. Dr Karen tried to help parents be heard as they navigated the delicate (and often confusing) web of school advocacy. She believes developing a love of learning is central to the health and well-being of all children, including those children who don’t quite fit in the typical student ‘box’. Dr Karen is delighted to be on the Oak Bridge Academy Board of Directors. |
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Secretary : Tara Botsford (Parent Representative)
Tara feels very privileged to be the Secretary on the Oak Bridge Academy Board of Directors and to work with a group of wonderful individuals. She worked in IT at Blackberry for almost 12 years until 2012 and now works at Sun Life part time. She has 2 fantastic boys: Dylan and Jack. Jack has been attending Oak Bridge Academy since September 2019. Tara is very appreciative to have the opportunity to send Jack to this wonderful school and she has no doubt the sky's the limit for Jack because of Oak Bridge. |
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Kathie Shaw MSW, RSW, BCBA
Kathie is passionate about supporting an alternative school in Waterloo Region, so much so in 2018 Kathie founded Oak Bridge Academy in order to support the neurodiverse students she was seeing falling through the public school system cracks. Kathie has been working in the field of Autism and Applied Behaviour Analysis since 1993 and has specifically worked in the field of Intensive Behaviour Intervention since 2000. After completing her undergraduate degree at Trent University, she went on to receive her diploma in Social Work, then later her Masters in Social Work at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University while at the same time completing her coursework to become a behaviour analyst through Dr. Vince Carbone. Kathie is Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA); is a registered social worker and a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers; is a certified Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) instructor with the Crisis Prevention Institute; has completed training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) through Sir Wilfrid Laurier University; and has completed Mindfulness Based Group Practice including Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) through Sunnybrook hospital. |
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Laura Martin (Parent Representative)
Laura is a parent rep and one of the founding board members of Oak Bridge Academy. Her son was diagnosed with autism at 4, and has been receiving intensive behaviour therapy ever since. The family has found this therapy to be absolutely transformative. The innovative structure at OBA, which includes both behaviour therapists and teachers within the classroom, has been essential for his social, emotional and academic development. Laura grew up in Petrolia, Ontario and attended the University of Waterloo. She worked for 10 years in the field of occupational health as an ergonomist and she is now at home full time. |
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Dr. Heather Henderson (UW Professor)
Dr. Henderson is a community representative on the Oak Bridge Academy Board of Directors. She is a Developmental Psychologist and Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Henderson teaches and conducts research in the areas of social and emotional development in childhood and adolescence with a special interest in social withdrawal and peer relationships. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland and was on faculty at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL before returning to Waterloo in 2014 with her husband and two children, Will and Sammy. |
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Mark Ross
Mark Ross is President and CEO of SEH Computer Systems Inc, a company that specializes in creating and supporting their Titan software for Mutual Insurance clients in Canada. In addition to his Computer Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo he also has a Masters of Education from D’Youville College in Buffalo and has taught software and electrical engineering courses at Conestoga College. In his downtime you will find Mark playing hockey or riding a bike. He feels privileged to be part of the board at Oak Bridge Academy. |
