2022 NMC Learning Day in Toronto

Graduate of the University of Toronto, Margaret Cruz holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with a double major in Languages and Literature (French and Portuguese). She completed her Coaching Training Certificate (The Coaches Training institute) in 2002 and she has been a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (The Coaches Training Institute) since 2008.

Margaret’s professional certifications include: Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I 2.0®), Insights Discovery®, DISC®, 360 By Design® (Centre for Creative Leadership), 360 Feedback (Public Service Commission), Instructional Techniques (Friesen, Kaye and Associates), Appreciation at Work (5 Languages of Appreciation at Work), Facilitation Skills (Performance Training Solutions), Public Speaking (Dale Carnegie Systems) and Peer Group Coaching.

Margaret has also been professionally trained in High Impact Evaluation (Centre for Learning Impact) and as an Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner with Jane Mugruder Watkins, author of “Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination”.

A Public Servant since January 1989, Margaret has been facilitating and custom designing leadership development and learning sessions for close to 15 years. Before joining Public Service and Procurement Canada, Margaret worked in the same field for the Canada School of Public Service, the Canada Revenue Agency, and the Department of National Defense.

Prior to working in Learning and Development, Margaret was responsible for Project Managing the opening of a new passport office in Whitby, Ontario (Passport Canada), she worked overseas at the Canada Pavilion, World Expo in Lisbon, Portugal (Parks Canada), and supported not-for-profit organizations as a Community Development Officer (Canadian Heritage). Margaret has over 10 years of Management Experience and considers this to have been her most challenging role to date. She is grateful for the growing pains, leadership lessons, and learning opportunities that have contributed to her personal and professional growth. She proudly brings this experience to her coaching practice to help unleash her clients’ potential

Jennifer is a CONNECTOR of people and ideas! She believes that through collaboration and networking anything is possible. She strives to encourage those who have big ideas to challenge the status quo and find their place in the GC.

After over a decade in supporting interdepartmental learning across Canada, Jennifer joined the Free Agent Program to ensure she could use her talents to support those who need it, when they need it. Currently, she is the Senior Manager of Events and Partnerships at the Federal Youth Network where she works tirelessly to break down silos, seek efficiencies, and foster innovation so that new employees have access to the tools and resources they need to be successful in their current and future roles.

Khadeja is an analyst in the Business Data & Analytics team at the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB). In this role, Khadeja uses big data to report statistics and information to internal and external stakeholders, and develop business intelligence tools that support the modernization of the OSB’s regulatory compliance programs. 

Khadeja is passionate about creating opportunities for public servants to connect & invest in their career & professional development. Khadeja serves as co-chair of Future Leaders of Ontario, the inter-departmental network for new & young professionals employed with the Government of Canada and based in the Ontario Region. Khadeja is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s Toronto Region Chapter. As a member of the Board, Khadeja leads the communications and new professionals portfolios and supports the delivery of events and programming that aim to promote excellence in public administration.    

Khadeja holds a Bachelor of Public Administration, with a minor in French and a Master of Public Policy, Administration & Law, both from York University. 

Over the past 30 years, Barbara has worked in the human resources field in the federal public service primarily in the areas of adult education, career and talent management, leadership development and coaching. She has worked in numerous departments including, Global Affairs Canada, Shared Services Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and Public Works and Government Services Canada. Currently she works as Manager / Senior Learning Advisor, Client Relations and Directorate Support with the Leadership and Culture Change team at Public Services and Procurement Canada and is a part-time instructor at the Canada School of Public Service.

Barbara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (Human Resources) from Carleton University and a Diploma in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University. Her coaching credentials include an Erickson Certified Professional Coach certificate from Erickson International and Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation. She is certified to administer several psychometric tools including Insights Discovery®, Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI v2.5), Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0® & EQ 360®), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) Step I & II, Leadership Architect and the Strong Interest Inventory®. Barbara is passionate about the importance of developing one’s self-awareness and how it contributes to developing as a leader. She delights in supporting those in leadership roles as they become more self-aware and grow in their leadership journey be it with one-on-one coaching, leading peer coaching circles or facilitating leadership modules. Since the pandemic, Barbara embraced what is possible in the virtual classroom setting and enjoys creating engaging learning events.

Alicia Seifert started her public service career as a student while in university. She first worked as a Student Customs Inspector. The following summer, She worked as a Receptionist at what was then known as Human Resources Development Canada. HRDC hired her right out of University in 2000 as a casual and in time, she succeeded on her first competition and became a term employee. She has been blessed to have worked in several roles throughout the PS at HRDC, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Immigration & Refugee Board, Canada Border Services Agency, and the Labour Program. In 2008, she returned to the IRB as a Member of the Immigration Division, adjudicating cases dealing with immigration detention and admissibility. In 2016, she became a manager and has held several leadership positions within the IRB. In addition to her managerial role, she is the Coordinator of the IRB Managers’ Community, Regional Lead of the Mental Health Promoters in Central Region, and the Employer Co-Champion on Mental Health.

She is also an active participant of the National Managers’ Community as the IRB rep on the NMC Managers’ Advisory Board, a member of the NMC Ontario region Steering Committee and a lead for the NMC Managers’ Peer Coaching Circle. In her spare time, she is a Facilitator for the Canada School of Public Service.

Tabitha Stubbs (RN BScN BA) is a Director with Veterans Affairs Canada. She began her career with VAC as a nursing student in 2000. Following her graduation from Nursing she worked on a Trauma Unit at Henry Ford in Detroit, and then in the community where she focused on palliative care and mental health. During this period she continued to work with Veterans Affairs in a variety of capacities.

Tabitha has worked as a Field Nursing Services Officer, Case Manager, Veteran Service Team Manager and has lead several projects within Veterans Affairs Canada before moving into an executive position. She is currently working with the Deputy Minister’s office, leading an organizational change.

Tabitha is passionate about leadership development, and employee well-being. She is a certified life and wellness coach, and the new NMC Ontario Region Executive Champion. In 2020 she was awarded the Robert Cormier Leadership award for mental health and in 2019 the Workplace Wellbeing leadership award.  Her personal mission is to find ways to empower leaders to lead healthy and effective teams.