Agatha

Coordinator, Communications and Technology Coordinator
I primarily work with the Collaborative Mentorship Network but also help with other ACFP initiatives as needed.

What is a fun fact about you?
I am also a painter, and love doing all kinds of commissions for clients – I mostly paint family portraits at the moment.

What is your favorite pastime?
My favourite pastime is running with my dog and identifying edible plants and mushrooms along the way. I also like to play soccer and video games.

 What is your favorite food?
My favourite food is sushi or fettuccini alfredo.

Favourite quote:

The best thing you can do is master the chaos within you. You are not thrown into the fire; you are the fire.

—Mama Indigo

Cathy

I am the Medical Director of the Collaborative Mentorship Network for Chronic Pain and Addiction. My job is to help establish the network by recruiting members; supporting the online discussion board; working with the Scientific Planning Committee and Steering Committee to ensure the network is recruiting members; providing education and supports in appropriate areas for primary care physicians and their teams; and integrating and supporting other programs in the health and social systems in the province.

What is a fun fact about you?
I have been studying ancient Egypt and have a course on writing hieroglyphics that begins in February 2021. I also cannot type! It probably would be better to learn to type!

What is on your bucket list?
I really want to spend some time exploring Egypt, not just the ancient history but also the natural history. They have some amazing migrations of birds through their country and the natural world was extremely important to the ancient Egyptians.

What is your favorite pastime?
Hiking and exploring remote corners of the world…during the pandemic it has been amazing to explore our own backyard in my corner of southern Alberta. I am also an avid novel reader.

What is your favorite song/music?
I am a folk music fan and really like supporting local song writers and musicians.

What is your favourite quote?

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In deed, it is the only thing that ever has.

—Margaret Mead

The Physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and the social problems should largely be solved by them.

—Rudolf Virchow, 1870

David

I am the Manager, Finance and Operations.

What is a fun fact about you?
My son and I enjoy golfing together. In 2019 we had the chance to play at Pebble Beach, which was an unforgettable experience.

What is your favourite pastime?
I am actively involved in competitive chess in Alberta as both a player and an organizer, and am presently the Treasurer of the Alberta Chess Association.

Kelsey

Coordinator CPD Programs
I coordinate the Continuing Professional Development for family physicians in Alberta, including organizing the Family Medicine Summit, managing the certifications for CPD Programs, and supporting the Virtual Education Committee.

What is a fun fact about you?
I’m trilingual! Including French by education and Spanish by fire.

What are your favorite pastimes?
Dancing, cooking, camping, hiking, bonfires, reading, and adventuring.

What is your favorite song?
Rolling Stone by Whiskey Myers

What is your favorite food?
Authentic Oaxacan Mole

Favourite quote:

As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts.

—Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Kerri

Coordinator, CPD Programs
I’m a CPD programs coordinator, which means I get to play a role in lots of great projects and events like the Clinical Connections Conference webinar series, the Check-in and Check-up webinar series, and Family Medicine Summit, but my main role is to support the Collaborative Mentorship Network for Chronic Pain and Addiction (CMN). Once I started working with the CMN, it quickly become my passion project! I’m lucky to work with some great committees and plan a broad range of CME/CPD for the ACFP.

What is a fun fact about you?
I made a short appearance in a Honda commercial and then used the $$ to buy a Nissan… Oops!

What is your favorite pastime?
Petting dogs! My dogs, friend’s dogs, neighbor’s dogs,  hopefully your dogs?

What is your favorite food?
Cheese and chocolate – all kinds at all times!

Favourite quote:

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Leah

I am the Clinical Expert Medical Education and Resource Development for the CMN. I provide program management and consultation for the CMN and ensure there is oversight and alignment with the ACFP.

What is a fun fact about you?
I am a cat lady

What’s on your bucket list?
Food tour of Korea

What is your favorite pastime?
Cycling

What is your favorite song/music?
Blackbird by the Beatles

What is your favorite food?
Any kind of pastry makes me happy!

Favourite quote:

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being only for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?

—Hillel the Elder (Pirkei Avot 1:14)

Lindsay

Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
I am the Manager for Communications and Stakeholder Relations. I am passionate about clearly relaying information, building rapport, and cultivating connections through in-person or virtual engagement opportunities.

What is a fun fact about you?
I am a meteorologist by trade, let’s talk weather! #headintheclouds

What is your favourite pastime?
When it comes to new fitness activities, I am up for trying just about anything: Yoga, Bosu, Spin, TRX, etc. You name it, I have likely tried it!

What is your favourite food?
I am a food fan, from home cooked to trying out new local restaurants, I am there. In a sweet vs. savory debate I’ll always side with savory.

Favourite quote:

One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.

—Lewis Carroll

Nikita

Coordinator, Members Programs and PEER Partnership
Hi! I’m Nikita and I have been with ACFP since the beginning of 2019. I tend to have my hands in a few buckets at the college but I primarily am the project lead for the Practical Evidence for Informed Practice (PEIP) conference and Research Programs such as the Research Showcase and the annual Forum. I work alongside the PEER team to publish biweekly Tools for Practice articles, and assist our team with other CPD offerings through presentations, programs, podcasts, and conferences. If you are at any of events come by and introduce yourself!

What is a fun fact about you?
I’m always game for an adventure, whether it be travelling through Guatemala, hiking the Rockies, checking out local plant stores or jumping out of moving planes!

What is your favourite pastime?
When I’m not exploring I’m most likely napping or listening to a podcast.

What is your favourite food?
I consider myself a food enthusiast.

Favourite quote:

“What’s yours will find you”

—David Jones

Roxanne (Roxy)

As Executive Coordinator, I provide diversified administration services to the Executive Director, ACFP Board of Directors, Governance Advisory Committee, Members and Staff.

What is a fun fact about you?
I am from Venezuela and I speak fluent Spanish and English.

What’s on your bucket list?
Europe

What is your favourite pastime?
Reading, singing, hiking, dancing

What is your favourite song/music?
Blues, Jazz, Soul, Folk, Pop, Rock

iPhone or Samsung
Samsung all the way

Favourite Food
Italian

Favourite Quote

“You must strive to find your voice because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all”
— Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society

Susan S

Coordination for CERT+ and CPD Delivery. In a nut shell, I certify and I deliver Continuing Professional Development programming to our members.

What is a fun fact about you?
My life is a fun fact.

What is your favourite pastime?
Basketball

What is your favourite food?
Anything my mama dishes up

Favourite quote:

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

Susan WA

I liken my role as Manager, Continuing Professional Development Programs and Medical Education to that of a producer.

As manager of CPD programs and medical education, I am responsible for overseeing the ACFP’s CPD/ME program offerings and ensuring that its programs are meeting member needs and aligned with the ACFP’s Strategic Framework.

What is a fun fact about you?
I can recite the phonetic alphabet.

What is your favourite song/music?
At the Hundredth Meridian

What is your favourite pastime?
I love live music – a concert-goer since I was nine. If I’m not in the stands, I’m binge-watching Netflix flicks, going down YouTube rabbit holes, and more recently, solving scrambled Rubik’s Cubes that cross my path.

Favourite quote:

Fail early, fail often, fail forward.

—Will Smith

Terri Potter

I am Terri Potter, the Executive Director for the Alberta College of Family Physicians.  My training and experience over the course of my career has provided me with a broad set of skills that support my role as ED.  I thoroughly enjoy supporting teams to be effective and efficient in their work.  I have a background in project management, training and facilitation, resource development and association management.  My recent area of interest to read and learn about is “systems”.

On a personal note, I am a mother of 4 adult children and married to an avid farmer and heavy equipment mechanic.  We live in Onoway (a small community northwest of Edmonton) where we enjoy our free time with life-long friends and new community members alike.  I enjoy all things outdoors, travelling and music.  I just recently joined a big band to play my trumpet (a little rusty).

My Board Experience

The ACFP Board of Directors are my “bosses” and I respect and appreciate their leadership and experience and depend on them everyday in the work that we do as a staff team and in the interactions with our members and partners. ACFP members are well represented and the strategic leadership of the specialty of family medicine is their primary concern.  It is through dynamic discussion, thoughtful assessment, and consistent action the Directors of the Board and staff of ACFP have been able to achieve so much in the past, and into the future.

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. The best is yet to come.

—Anonymous