Who are the people behind the scenes?
TIES is made up of over 130 staff and 100 volunteers. If you are looking for more information on a particular program or manager, check them out below.

Sally Zhao
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Wei Dang
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Richard LeBlanc
DIRECTOR, LANGUAGE & CHILDCARE PROGRAMS
With more than 10 years of experience in teaching English as a Second Language, 8 of which have been spent at TIES, Richard believes in taking a wholistic approach to his students’ individual successes, encouraging their professional as well as personal development. Richard earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary, with a major in Latin American History and a minor in Spanish. With a passion for language, he also received his TESOL diploma, and has most recently excelled in the position of PBLA Lead Teacher in TIES’ LINC program, where he coached LINC staff to meet the standards of excellence required by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks. After successfully fulling the role of Drop-in ESL and Volunteer programs Manager with TIES from July 2018-January 2019, Richard brought his rich teaching experience, effective program management experience, and sound relationship building skills to his role as Director as of February 2019.

Suman Khanal
DIRECTOR, EMPLOYMENT & SETTLEMENT PROGRAMS

Cesar Suva
DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Robert Toth
DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Eva Su
MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES
Contact
Phone: 403-291-0002

Clifford McGuire
MANAGER, FACILITY & OPERATIONS

Jana Ciobanu
SENIOR MANAGER, LINC PROGRAM
Contact
Phone: 403-235-3666

Kerry Howard
MANAGER, LINC PROGRAM
With over 8 years of experience at TIES, Kerry Howard has held numerous roles prior to taking on the role of LINC Program Manager including LINC Program Instructor, PBLA Lead, and LINC Program Supervisor. Through these roles, Kerry has developed a detailed understanding of all CLB levels through the courses he has taught as well as the instructors that he has coached as a PBLA Lead and supervised as a LINC Program Supervisor. Kerry has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and English Literature from Memorial University of Newfoundland as well as a Master of Arts (TESL) from the University of Birmingham. Kerry is committed to assisting TIES’ clients in their path to settlement in any way that he can.
Contact

Irina Copil
MANAGER, DROP-IN ESL & VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
Irina has been with TIES since 2013, and has fulfilled different roles in the LINC and Drop-In ESL programs including: LINC Program Supervisor, LINC Program Instructor, LINC Program Coordinator, Volunteer Program Coordinator, Calgary Learns Programs Coordinator and Drop-in ESL Program Coordinator. Besides supervisory experience, Irina has vast experience teaching English at the primary, secondary, and university levels and has successfully completed SIT TESOL and CCLB PBLA certificate courses. Irina holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and French Linguistics, a Master’s Degree in English Linguistics/International Studies from Moldova State University and acquired an A.E.C. certificate (Program Scholar) at the Centre for Continuing Education at Vanier College in Montreal. Currently, Irina holds the position of Manager, Drop-in ESL and Volunteer Programs and is delighted to provide support to clients and volunteers at TIES.
Contact

Racine Diallo
MANAGER, COMPUTER & ACCOUNTING PROGRAMS

Whitney Loewen
MANAGER, E-LEARNING & SPECIAL PROJECTS

Ronni Abraham
MANAGER, MENTAL HEALTH & MINDFULNESS PROJECTS
Ronni Abraham was born in Calgary and raised across the Canadian prairies. She comes from Metis and Mennonite heritage. She holds a Master’s Degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Manitoba. She began her career as a university professor with a research focus that included the development of empathy and social determinants of wellbeing for children, women, and families. She shifted her focus to community-based work to create innovative programs that celebrate the power of the ordinary—family, play, community—to help people create joyful lives and hopeful futures. She served in leadership positions in several Calgary agencies and is delighted to be supporting TIES' mental health and wellness projects in her current role.