Career Development Practitioner Program
Faculty & Admin
Kelly Boucher - CDP Faculty for CARD 8060, 8070
Rebecca Burwell - CDP Faculty for CARD1040, CARD8050, CARD1050
Mary Chivers-Harkins - CDP Faculty for CARD8030
Rob Straby - CDP Faculty for CARD1070, CARD1080, CARD1060
Earla Smith - CDP Faculty for CARD8110
Joy Tomasevic - CDP Faculty for WMNS1050, CARD1060, CARD1020
Wes Worsfold - CDP Faculty for CARD1030
Jennifer Woodside - CDP Faculty for CARD1020
Kim Radigan
Kelly Boucher (GCDF, B.Ed. MDE) trained through Oakland University as a Career Development Facilitator and instructor. She is an inspiring and innovative motivator, educator, and trainer with over 20 years’ experience in supporting individuals in creating positive life changes. Kelly’s passion for practical, easily accessible tools for unleashing our full potentials is strongly evident in her empowering key note presentations and the learning opportunities she creates for both professionals and clients.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Education (Adult Education) degree from Brock University and more recently completed her Masters in Distance Education from Athabasca University. Currently, Kelly works as a Student Advisor, in Co-operative Education & Career Action, with the University of Waterloo and also teaches part-time in the Teacher/Trainer of Adults program at Conestoga College.
Rebecca Burwell (MEd) has an extensive background in the career development field that includes work in individual
consulting, group facilitation, teaching, and writing within several different sectors, including private practice,
community agencies, post-secondary institutions, and private companies. She is a lead instructor in the Career Development
Practitioner Program at Conestoga College, and is one of the co-researchers involved in the research project,
‘A Model for the Education and Training of Career Practitioners in Canada”.
Mary Chivers-Harkins has a B.A. in psychology and was in the first graduating class of the Career Development
Practitioner Certificate from Conestoga College.
An Internationally Trained Immigrants Advisor at Conestoga College since August 2008, she has worked at the Guelph, Doon and Waterloo Campuses. Mary is on the Advising Working Group for CIITE, Colleges Integrating Immigrants to Employment. With over 7 years of experience working with internationally trained immigrants and over 15 years of experience in career advising, she has also worked with at risk youth and people who have been downsized and in career transition.
She has a knowledge of agencies, funding rules and regulations for both regulated and non-regulated professions.
Rob Straby has followed his passion for the innovation and development of state-of-the-art career
development counselling, coaching, facilitation and training systems since 1986. He has delivered
these services to individuals, teams and departments in corporations, human services
organizations, educational institutions and government services across Canada. Previously a
faculty member in Career Development Certificate program at Concordia University
College (Edmonton), he is now a Professor in the “Career Development Practitioner
Program” at Conestoga.
A dynamic, passionate and engaging speaker with extensive business and marketing experience,
Earla brings the best of all worlds to the fields of employment counseling and job development.
Over the past 10 years, Earla has worked as an employment counselor and coach, educator and employment training consultant.
Earla possesses extensive experience working with a variety of clients including disadvantaged youth, internationally educated
professionals, Apprenticeship and Second Career clients. She co-developed the Job Development course and is a lead Employment
Training Consultant at Conestoga College. Earla has a strong passion to see clients experience personal growth and achieve
their unique goals. One of the essential ingredients to her success has been the extensive network and business contacts she
has built over the years; colleagues and employers seek her out as a recognized expert in her field.
Joy is passionate about helping others realize their career dreams, where supporting women in the navigation of career and
life transitions is her area of expertise. She currently works as a Career Advisor in the Co-operative Education and Career
Services department at Conestoga College, where she supports current students and grads in achieving their current and future
career and educational goals.
Joy holds a Master’s degree from Athabasca University, a Bachelor’s degree from University of Guelph, is a graduate of Conestoga’s CDP program, and has completed extensive training in career assessments. Joy takes pleasure in teaching a variety of courses in the Career Development Practitioner program, including Career Counselling and Development, Trends and Women and Career Building.
Wes is an advocate and supporter of small business as a viable career option and has initiated and managed numerous
entrepreneurial and small business programs. These programs have assisted more than 15,000 new entrepreneurs to pursue
their dream of financial independence through self employment. He has personally consulted and trained more than six hundred
entrepreneurs.
Wes has also been involved in the financing of business start-ups. He initiated and managed the Ontario START-UP Venture Capital programs involving the administration of 2,500 venture loans worth $12.5 million. He also developed a Community Loan Fund for Waterloo-Wellington Regions and he also founded another Venture Capital fund for Waterloo Region for new enterprises. An accomplished entrepreneur, Wes has started and successfully managed several companies. He is currently President of Motek Mobile in Waterloo, ON. Wes has also worked for General Motors of Canada, the Royal Bank of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Skills Development and Lutherwood – CODA, a community economic development agency in Waterloo Region.
Wes is author of The McGraw-Hill Guide to WebCT for Students and recipient of a Business Excellence Award from the Great Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.
Jennifer Woodside has a special interest in trend spotting, as well as in developing, supporting and delivering innovative
career development programs. She is currently the Senior Coordinator of Employment Services at The Centre for Skills
Development & Training and she teaches students in the Career Development Practitioner Program how to integrate trend
analysis and labour market research into their work and their lives in general.
Jennifer has a strong background in career and employment counselling and holds a Master's in Psychology, a Bachelor's of Arts & Science, and a wide range of career assessment qualifications. She is also a graduate of the CDP Program at Conestoga College.
Kim is the Program Assistant for the CDP program. As Program Assistant, Kim acts as the ‘key’ program contact person for
students and faculty.
Kim is a program contact person for communication/troubleshooting with Admissions, Registrar’s Office, Continuing Education and the Information Centre, regarding program admission, course registration and withdrawal, student records. Kim can be reached at 519-748-5220 x 2410 or by email kradigan@conestogac.on.ca