Megan Burnside-Poitras Senior strategic communications advisor Megan is a passionate communicator, agricultural advocate and mental health champion. As interim senior strategic communications advisor with Agriculture Wellness Ontario, Megan leads province wide initiatives to strengthen mental health awareness and support within farming communities. Read More
Amelia Cassimatis Bilingual engagement manager Amelia graduated from the University of Guelph and comes from a four-generation family of potato farmers in New Brunswick. She has a passion for supporting others and advocating for mental health and has a background supporting adults with disabilities and various accessibility needs. Read More
Katelyn Caughell Program manager,Farmer Wellness Initiative Katelyn has over a decade of experience working with marginalized populations, with a strong focus on mental health, addictions and rural service delivery, understanding the unique challenges of rural communities. Read More
Michelle deNijs Communications officer Michelle has worked with a variety of organizations in the agricultural sector with past positions in research, farm production, community engagement and agricultural policy. Growing up on her family’s grain farm in Chatham-Kent, she is passionate about improving access to mental health resources to serve the ag community. Read More
Avery Dixon Interim program outreach coordinator,Guardian Network Avery is the interim program outreach coordinator for the Guardian Network and holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Queen’s University, where her research focused on life stress and suicide risk. Read More
Susana Gonzalez Senior manager,International Agriculture WorkerWellness Program Susana holds a bachelor’s degree (honours) in international relations and a master’s degree in government and public policy. Her work has focused on creating wellness initiatives that support diverse communities and strengthen workplace well-being. Read More
Sheila Noriega-Mestanza Project coordinator Sheila holds a bachelor of science (honours) in global health with a specialization in health promotion and disease prevention from York University. She has experience working with a broad range of communities, including agriculture workers in Costa Rica. Read More
Bethany Parkinson Manager, psychological supportand education Bethany is a registered social worker and operates her family’s beef and sheep farm. She is passionate about encouraging well-being, while utilizing individual and community strengths, especially within agriculture. Read More
Rebecca Posthumus Program coordinator,In the Know Rebecca grew up surrounded by agriculture with her family owning and operating JP Dairy Systems and is a dedicated 4-H volunteer in Hastings County. She has previously worked in front-line human services and is excited to be able to support the agricultural community utilizing her passion for mental health literacy. Read More
Erica Sayles Program outreach coordinator,In the Know Erica is the In the Know program outreach coordinator with Agriculture Wellness Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture from the University of Guelph. Read More
Adriana Van Oostveen Senior manager Over the past 12 years, Adriana has worked in non-profit and social service and is passionate about educating others about mental health. Adriana was raised on her family’s dairy farm in Oxford County and has always engaged with the agriculture community through family, friends and volunteer work with 4-H and her local agricultural society. Read More
Kristin Wheatcroft Director Kristin’s previous work has focused on supportive community programming for those facing mental health, trauma and addictions challenges, rural participatory action research and community development. Importantly, she has worked on diverse farm operations in both the office and in the field. Read More
Marnie Wood Program manager,Guardian Network Marnie is passionate about capacity building and the well-being of Ontario’s farming community. She has earned her degree in sociology and rural extension, is a registered psychotherapist and runs a dairy farm with her partner in the Durham Region. Read More
