Meet the Staff

Stephanie Scott is currently the Executive Director of the NCTR. She is coming to this role from her past position as Director of Operations with the NCTR where she oversaw all budgeting and financial commitments of the NCTR, along with human resources activities. Prior to joining the NCTR team, Stephanie worked with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as the Manager of Statement Gathering: she was responsible for the gathering and documenting of ‘Residential School Survivors’ audio and video recorded statements. In addition to this role while at the TRC, Stephanie served as Executive Assistant to the Chair of the TRC where she learned invaluable leadership skills. Prior to her work with the TRC, Stephanie enjoyed a long and successful career operating her own production business, which she still oversees part-time. Through her past and current work with residential school Survivors, Stephanie experiences first hand their strength, courage and resilience as they overcome many challenges and pass these teachings onto the next generation.

Jolene is a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. She holds an undergraduate Arts degree from the University of Manitoba specializing in Anthropology, and a Master’s degree in Leadership with Royal Roads University.  Jolene joined the federal public service in 2001, beginning her career with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in the Winnipeg office. Since then, she has occupied a variety of positions with the department, mainly focused in the areas of land, environment, and natural resources. Jolene has occupied management and executive-level positions since 2005. In 2019, she left Indigenous Services Canada to join Public Service and Procurement Canada to lead their Reconciliation work and most recently as Director of Indigenous Procurement Policy.  Jolene has a keen interest in leadership, decolonization, and Reconciliation. She is committed to learning how to incorporate Indigenous practices into colonial settings with the goal of decolonizing leadership. Jolene is an avid nature lover and has begun creating backyard ecosystems by planting native plants to support biodiversity in cities. She has also been a cat foster for many years with various rescue organizations in the various cities she’s lived in.  She shares her home with three cats and a dog.

Raymond Frogner is the Head of Archives. Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia Raymond received his Master of Arts degree in Labour History form the University of Victoria and a Master of Archival Studies degree from University of British Columbia. His graduate work focused on archives and Indigenous identity. He continues to research and publish on archival issues with a focus on Indigenous societies, identity and memory. Raymond joined NCTR in 2016 as the Head of Archives. Raymond is responsible to respectfully honour, safeguard and when appropriate, make available the records acquired by the TRC and additional records of enduring value for Indigenous peoples.

Emmanuel Modozie is currently the Finance/Contract Manager at NCTR and is an active member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Manitoba. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and obtained his professional designation of CMA, CPA. Beginning his career with a focus on accounting and finance operations through the banking industry; he furthered his expertise in financial analysis through the automobile and retail industries before joining UM and NCTR. Emmanuel is a steward for sound financial management focusing on supporting and educating the university community on guidelines and functions related to fund management. Emmanuel has understanding and empathy for the Indigenous Peoples of Canada experience.

Shasta is a communications leader with over 20 years of experience in the public sector. Shasta’s work has varied greatly, and she has significant experience in leading and managing the development, coordination, and implementation of both external and internal communication activities. Her career opportunities have had her support a variety of announcements and events across the country, and she has been fortunate enough to have visited almost all provinces and territories. Shasta is a graduate of the Creative Communications Program at Red River College, with a major in Journalism.

Shasta is honoured to join our team and is excited to contribute to the ongoing and historic work that is led at the NCTR as it is essential to bridge the knowledge gap that non-Indigenous people have in their understanding of colonialism and the residential school system.

On a personal note, Shasta is a proud Métis woman – born in Thompson, and raised in Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory. She is quite passionate about traveling, concerts, and the Winnipeg Jets.

Lisa Thompson has over 15 years experience in various administrative roles ranging from reception to human resources to customer service representative to purchasing. Lisa is Anishinaabe and her family is from the interlake region of Manitoba. As a ’60s scoop and intergenerational Survivor, she has a lot of empathy and respect for Survivors who have gone through so much and are still able to share their experiences with dignity and honour. She is currently working towards learning more about her culture and reconnecting with her community.

As the Supervisor of Education, Outreach, and Public Programming, Kaila oversees matters related to the support of educators, development of resources, establishment of outreach initiatives, as well as public engagement on residential schools and their legacy. Prior to joining the NCTR, Kaila worked with the TRC as a statement gatherer and coordinator to support statement gathering activities. She holds a BA (Hons.) in Criminal Justice from the University of Winnipeg and a MSc in International Crimes and Criminology from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Carmen is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director at the NCTR.

Donna is the Executive Assistant to the Head of Archives at the NCTR. She is a proud Metis, born and raised in Portage la Prairie, while spending time in her family’s home community of St. Ambroise. Prior to working for the NCTR, she worked for 23 years for the Government of Manitoba; 16 years in Portage la Prairie and the remaining in Winnipeg, after relocating to the city to expand educational and career opportunities for her family. She has two grown boys, and a very spoiled dog. Donna is honoured to join the team and is looking forward to learning from the Indigenous community.

Jessica Tapatai is the Executive Assistant to the Academic and Research Director. Jessica is responsible for providing efficient administrative support to the ARD, and is happy to help guide requests for any matters relating to the Research and Education unit at the NCTR.

Jessica is an Inuk woman. While she has grown up in Winnipeg, she looks forward to trips north to visit her family. Jessica completed her Administrative Assistant Certificate (with Honours) from Red River College, and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba. When Jessica is not working or studying she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her dog.

Jennifer is Ojibway from Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation, Ontario. She was the Coordinator of the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement for nearly a decade for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs She has organized some of the largest and most important Indigenous conferences in Canada.

Jennifer has worked on multiple projects and develop positive working relationships with diverse organizations throughout her career. In 2007 she planned and organized the First Residential School Survivors National Gathering for Survivors. In 2011, she coordinated the Hidden Legacy for Residential School Survivors Gathering and managed the National Protocol Signing Agreement whereby American tribes and First Nations in Canada signed a historical protocols agreement to work together and partner for business and other enterprises development.

Drawn into politics her whole adult life, Jennifer was the senior political staff adviser for then Grand Chief Sheila North of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), a governance organization representing 31 First Nations in northern Manitoba. Prior to that, she had worked for ten years as the political assistant to Elijah Harper, one of the first Indigenous Members of Parliament.

Storm Allard  is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation. He is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Criminal Justice program. Prior to working with the NCTR Storm worked with the Government of Canada and a local pharmacy that serves Indigenous communities in northern Manitoba.

Jesse Boiteau is the Senior Archivist and member of the Métis Nation. He completed his Masters in Archival Studies at UM, focusing on the intersections between Western archival theory and practice, and Indigenous notions of archives and memory to shed light on how the NCTR can accommodate and blend multiple viewpoints in its processes. Jesse works within a close archives team to process the records collected by the TRC, make new collections available online and respond to access requests from residential school Survivors. He is also continually researching ways to leverage new technologies to honour the experiences and truths of Survivors through innovative and participatory archival practices.

Chris Zaste is a Digital Archive Assistant at the NCTR. He works on preserving digital records and taking in new ones. He graduated with his MA from the Archival Studies program at UM and wrote his thesis on the challenges of digital preservation.

Karen Ashbury is a Reference and Access Archivist at the NCTR. She manages and coordinates reference requests made to NCTR Archives, including requests made by residential school Survivors and their families. Originally from Fort Frances, Ontario, Karen completed her Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology at Queen’s University. Her prior experience includes working as a collections manager for a small community museum and archives and with the National Museum of Bermuda. Prior to joining the NCTR, Karen worked as an archivist at the NWT Archives in Yellowknife, where she conducted research and was responsible for the coordination of reference requests made by residential school Survivors that attended residential schools in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Kimberley Hayden supports Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system with access to NCTR Archives through research. Kimberley earned a Master of Education (uOttawa), Graduate Diploma in Art Education (Concordia U, Montréal), and Bachelor of Fine Arts, Specialization in Art Education (Concordia U, Montréal). She has worked with the collections and holdings of various organizations in roles that honour and support Indigenous perspectives. As a reflective practice, she puts needle and brush to canvas creating beaded artworks, several of which rest in public and private collections. Kimberley is a Métis Nation citizen.

Preeti Kaur is responsible for acquiring records and artefacts for the NCTR Archives. Additionally, she assists Survivors and their families with records access requests through research.

Preeti earned her Master’s in Archival Studies from the University of Manitoba in 2019. Her thesis focused on the use of microfilm in archives, mainly that of the Department of the Interior. This led her to explore how Interior’s microfilm records communicate the history of the dispossession of Indigenous communities and the lack of Indigenous perspectives in the management of such records.

Preeti continues to learn about Indigenous experiences and memory through her position at the NCTR.

Daniel Lovegrove is an IT Assistant to the digital archivists at the NCTR and a member of Long Plain First Nation. Daniel’s main focus at the NCTR is on writing code to automate repetitive tasks for the Archives team. The software he develops is targeted at reducing the amount of tedious work for the Archives staff and at reducing human errors while working on very large collections of records. Daniel also works on writing code for the NCTR’s various websites. He joined the NCTR Archives team in August 2019. Daniel graduated with a BSc in Computer Engineering from UM in 2019, with a focus on software engineering.

Sandra Bender (she/her) is a lifelong human rights advocate and brings her passion for public education to her work. As a second generation Canadian of grandparents who came to this land as adult immigrants and refugees, she is a staunch Indigenous ally and strives to use her position of privilege to further understanding and reconciliation through outreach and education. Sandra is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, feminist, and neurodivergent, and believes in bringing an intersectional lens to every aspect of her life. Past work has included Indigenous land claims advocacy, work with the unhoused communities in Winnipeg and Atlanta, work with newly-arrived refugees, and advocacy with the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Sandra holds several undergrad degrees and a masters, is an ex-opera singer, fitness & hiking enthusiast, and runs the music program at a church in downtown Winnipeg.

Jay Nadeau the IT Project Manager, is motivated personally and professionally to use his skills as a Project Manager to make a difference and contribute to the truth and reconciliation in Canada. He manages projects to meet NCTR strategic planning goals. Before joining NCTR in 2017, Jay managed IT and communication technology projects for Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Engineering at UM in 2005.

Trinity Cyr became the NCTR Receptionist/Office Assistant in July of 2021, she is a graduate from Red River College, completing her studies in Business Administration and Human Resource Management. Trinity will be your first point of contact for all phone and email inquiries to NCTR, she takes pride in handling all matters with compassion and kindness. As a proud Manitoba Metis Citizen, Trinity is looking forward to being a part of the NCTR Team and contributing to reconciliation in Canada.

Blake Kent is the NCTR’s Access and Privacy Coordinator. His duties include organizing access requests and reviewing documents for proactive disclosure. Blake earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Indigenous Studies from the University of Winnipeg and a diploma in Aboriginal Self-Government Administration from Red River College.  Prior to joining the NCTR, Blake held a position at Lake St. Martin School. He is a member of the Lake St. Martin First Nation.

Hunter Clemons is the NCTR’s Access and Privacy Assistant. Hunter is a proud Metis woman, a member of the southeast local and originates from the Metis community of Manigotagan. Hunter’s main focus at the NCTR is reviewing and compiling access requests, while ensuring all the applicable documentation is available for the Access and Privacy Coordinators to review and share with residential school Survivors and their families.

Dennis Anderson is a Research Assistant at the NCTR. He is from Makeso Sákahikan Nehiyaw (Fox Lake Cree). Dennis has five adult children, 13 grandchildren and four beautiful cápans (great-granddaughters). Dennis’ parents attended residential school and he is also a residential school Survivor and he grew up in a hydro-impacted community in Gillam. He graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree and is currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Native Studies at UM – due to graduate in 2022. Since joining the NCTR in June 2018, he is working on or has worked on several projects, such as missing children and unmarked graves of residential school students, reviewing and captioning residential school photos, reviewing day schools as per the draft settlement, and reviewing residential school histories providing summary narratives.

Teresa is Métis from Winnipeg, Manitoba and is currently employed as the Audio/Video Technician at the NCTR.  Working closely with the Senior Archives team at NCTR, Teresa has a great deal of experience in preserving the history of Residential School Survivors through videos, interviews and archival history.

Teresa has spent over 25 years gaining extensive experience and expertise in a wide range of broadcasting actives. She has special interest in live broadcasting and has worked on numerous live shows doing a variety of jobs.

Teresa won the NEXTmedia and Banff Television Scholarship from the Canadian Women in Communications and Technology, was featured in the Winnipeg Women Magaine for her work in the broadcasting industry, Floor Director for APTN’s coverage of the 2010 Olympic Games and the Assistant Floor Director for the 2014 JUNO Awards, and Media Specialist with Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line.

Teresa is currently enrolled in the Digital and Social Media Marketing Certificate program at the University of Winnipeg and expects to graduate spring of 2022.

Naomi Clarke is the NCTR’s Producer of Digital and Social Media. Naomi is an Anishinabe woman of Sauteaux and Ojibwe background and an active member of the Métis community.

Naomi is a seasoned broadcast professional with 25 years of experience — beginning as an announcer with NCI-FM; then with APTN as a researcher, writer, producer and, later, as executive producer of APTN National News; and most recently, as producer for CTV Morning Live.

Naomi has worked on important town halls, Aboriginal Day Live, Olympics and Canada Winter Games productions. She has also covered many Indigenous stories on a National, International and local level: “More than 20 years ago we told the stories of residential school survivors. I am grateful and honoured to work with the NCTR on this very important work.”

Lynn Jones is an Inininiw (Cree) woman whose family comes from the First Nation of Manto Sakahikan (God’s Lake Narrows).  She was born in Arborg, MB. and is the youngest sibling from a family of eight.  Lynn has been married for 24 years and has one adult son and a Great Pyrenees called Neeko.  She has worked in Manitoba Justice for the past 17 years in both the capacity of an Aboriginal Court Worker and most recently with Victim Services.  Lynn will be graduating with her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Manitoba.

Lynn is a believer in lifelong learning and trying new things that enable her to meet people and learn life experiences.  She is active in learning about her Cree language and culture and has volunteered with Indigenous Languages of Manitoba.  Lynn makes a point in educating herself in understanding the Manitoba Indigenous communities, languages and has extensive knowledge of justice and trauma, two large issues facing Indigenous people today.

She values spending time with family and enjoys travelling, camping and drawing.

Shelby Thomas is a lawyer and researcher with Métis, Dutch, and Polish ancestry. Her family comes for the Grand Marais region, which is located at the southeast corner of Lake Winnipeg.

Since a child, Shelby has been passionate about ensuring equity and the inclusion of children and youth voices. She pursued a BA with a major in Psychology at the Université de Saint-Boniface and a JD at the Université de Moncton in French, her second language, because she recognizes the importance of language and its ability to connect you with others.

Shelby will forever be grateful for her opportunity to contribute to the work of the National Inquiry into MMIWG as an associate commission counsel. Shelby often felt like the child of the staff, and like any child, was best nurtured by the greater community of helpers, mentors, educators and most of all the families and survivors. Shelby is known for taking a trauma-informed, empowering, compassionate and people centered approach in all her work. She has extensive experience supporting Indigenous-led community-based projects and working with Indigenous peoples, particularly in the areas of gender-based violence and youth resiliency and empowerment.

Shelby is always accompanied by her loyal companion and confidant, Black Bear, gifted to her by Dr. Cindy Blackstock and Spirit Bear. Although Shelby is just beginning, her greatest hope is to build strong connections, expand her knowledge and do her part by sharing her gifts to empower others and contribute to a better and more harmonious world now and in the future.