Meet our team

After living and working in France, Japan and Australia, he found his way to Vancouver and to the rewarding world of children’s literacy. As someone who believes in the power and possibility of language, he is excited by the chance to contribute to his community in a way that closely aligns with his education and experience. Alistair holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Bishop’s University and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Ottawa. Alistair spends his free time playing softball, doing crosswords, and cheering on (often in vain) his Ottawa Senators and Toronto Blue Jays.

Carol joined ONE TO ONE as Executive Director in June, 2018. With an MA in Communications Studies from the University of Calgary and a Certificate in Executive Leadership for the Non-Profit Sector from Grant MacEwan University, Carol has served in leadership roles at a non-profit capacity-building organization, a post-secondary student advocacy organization and in numerous board and volunteer capacities across Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. A former arts and culture writer, Carol is passionate about how reading sparks curiosity and discovery.

Liz joins ONE TO ONE following a position with an English as a Second Language School in Vancouver. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human rights and international law from Carleton University, and has been an active member of her community since her teens. She has volunteered with children and youth, both in Canada and abroad, in literacy, yoga, art, and gardening and currently sits on the Board of Directors of MOBY Community Garden in East Vancouver. Liz has a passion for storytelling and community building, and is thrilled to bridge the two in her new position with ONE TO ONE.

Afton is excited to be the Program Assistant for the Tri-Cities. She is passionate about her work in the not-for-profit sector and particularly about bringing the joy of reading to children. She gets plenty of story time practice with her daughter, who is just starting to read. Afton holds a BA in Social Justice from the University of Victoria and a Diploma of Marketing Communications from BCIT. In her spare time Afton enjoys volunteering as a trustee at the Port Moody Public Library.

Andrea holds qualifications in Journalism, English, Library Science and ESL. She spent 18 years working in South African community libraries, serving the learning needs of ESL families who experienced inadequate education under the Apartheid system. Andrea went on to work for the British Council in the UK, where promoting literacy was the core mission. She believes reading is the most important life skill and the foundation for all other skills, and sees regular one-to-one mentoring as the most effective way to ingrain these skills for life.

Elaine joined the ONE TO ONE team in 2017, following 31 years in the front of the classroom teaching. She is passionate about helping students make gains in their reading and building student confidence in their ability to learn is a delight for her. Elaine holds an M.A. in Educational Psychology, a Diploma in Special Education and a B.S. in Occupational Therapy along with training and experience in Reading Recovery.

Janice has a background in counselling and education from her careers as a dietitian and a college instructor. Janice revels in the joy and excitement that reading and literacy can bring to children. Her favourite experiences are the “lightbulb moments” where struggling readers become confident readers. Janice has enjoyed reading to and with her 4 children and loves making up one-of-a-kind bedtime stories. She is very involved in community sports and in her children’s schools.

Linda is an enthusiastic advocate for kids and literacy. She brings to ONE TO ONE an extensive background as a classroom teacher, university instructor, workshop presenter, and literacy consultant. When asked about what drew her attention to ONE TO ONE, Linda said it was the opportunity to bring children and books together. When she is not reading with her granddaughter, Linda will be found every Thursday morning as a ONE TO ONE volunteer tutor reading with children in an inner city Vancouver school.

Therese joined ONE TO ONE in 2015 as a volunteer tutor in North Vancouver, shortly after relocating to Vancouver from Australia. She holds a B.Sc. and a B.Ed, and is an experienced elementary school teacher, having worked in Australia and South Korea, where she was also Vice Principal at an International School. After first learning of the ONE TO ONE program, Therese immediately recognized its importance and value to students, teachers and tutors, and was excited to join the team as Area Liaison for the North Shore. In addition to being the Program Assistant for North Vancouver, Therese served as acting Provincial Program Coordinator for one year.