OUR STAFF
EESE is proud to have staff that are passionate about making a difference in students’ lives through tireless dedication to education. Get to know each of our team members below.
LOUISE GIESBRECHT
CEO
Louise Giesbrecht is a graduate of the University of Manitoba with her BA and CPHR and Intercultural Communication designation. She brings a wealth of experience in the areas of newcomer integration and cultural diversity awareness. Her professional roles in the private and public sectors have included Manager of Diverse Workforce Development, Employment Equity Officer for University of Manitoba, Executive Director of the Alliance of Manitoba Sector Council.
OUR TEACHERS
Passionate Educators
ALLYN FRANC
Teacher
Allyn completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and a Master of Arts Degree in Education majoring in Curriculum Development and Design from Commonwealth Open University. She has completed the CTESL program at the University of Manitoba, and has taught English in South Korea for four years. Her outstanding teaching skills and passion for her students are reflected in the love and respect her students have for her.
KELLIE MARTIN
Teacher
Kellie has been a teacher at EESE since 2011. She has taught Listening, Speaking, Reading and Pronunciation. As well she has worked as a facilitator in the Returning Reading program. Kellie has over 20 years of experience in the Education field. She has worked in a wide variety of programs and with a wide variety of age groups including children, adults and seniors. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg and her CTESL certificate from the University of Manitoba. Kellie is passionate about teaching newcomers and is known for both the warmth and humour she brings to her lessons.
LAURIE NEMEZ
Teacher and Returning Studies Facilitator
Laurie graduated from the University of Manitoba with her B.A. (Psychology and English) and B.Ed. (English and French) degrees. She enjoyed teaching French as a second language to elementary and middle years students in public and independent schools for over 20 years. After teaching English as a Foreign Language on three volunteer trips to Haiti, Laurie was inspired to pursue a future in Adult EAL, completing her TESL Certificate at the University of Winnipeg. She has taught English to adult newcomers at the RETSD (River East Transcona School Division) and Academic English to international students at the University of Manitoba. Laurie is an enthusiastic and caring teacher who is passionate about helping her students develop skills that will enrich their lives and help them realize their academic and professional goals.
BLANCHE KINGDON
Teacher
Blanche graduated from the University of Manitoba with her B.A. (Sociology and History) and B.Ed. (History and General Science) degrees. She holds a TESL Certificate of Adult Education at Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) as well as a TESL Certificate.
Blanche comes to EESE with many years of experience in the ESL Field, with over 20 years of experience developing and teaching a range of ESL culture and communication programs and courses at RRC Polytech. In recent years, her focus was developing and teaching courses for internationally educated health professionals. During her time at RRC Polytech, she also served as an Applied Researcher/Test Developer and undertook the analysis of English Language Proficiency in a multitude of professions, occupations, and college programs. She was also a co-developer of CELBAN.
Blanche is very committed to providing adult learners with a supportive classroom in which they can improve their skills to help equip them for their next plan of study or work.
TRACEY CRITCHLEY
Teacher and Returning Studies Facilitator
Tracey graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba and has over 20 years experience teaching a wide variety of programs to adults in Canada and abroad. She taught ESL in Germany for 7 years at the beginning of her career, and recently completed her CELTA certification in Barcelona, Spain. Tracey is an enthusiastic teacher who strives to create a fun and engaging classroom environment that promotes language learning and celebrates the unique skills and experiences of her students.
LARISA JENSEN
Teacher
Larisa is a graduate of University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, as well as a Bachelor of Education degree.
She also completed her TESL training at University of Winnipeg and taught English in China. Over the past nine years, Larisa has taught English at the University of Manitoba, Red River College, and EESE. She is passionate about helping newcomers become more comfortable speaking English and enjoys seeing students improve daily!
Larisa is married and has 4 young children. As a family, they enjoy spending time at Assiniboine Park in the summer and going on road trips. She plays piano, and she was a competitive swimmer for 11 years and competed for Canada on the National Team.
LOREENA POSS
Teacher
Loreena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a piano major from Providence University College and Brandon University. She went on to earn an Education degree and TESOL certificate from the University of Manitoba.
With a passion for teaching and helping newcomers to Canada develop a greater understanding of English as well as Canadian culture, Loreena has taught English to refugees and newcomers at the University of Manitoba and the Winnipeg School Division.
Loreena is also a certified coach, having coached competitive swimming and a running club. With over 15 years of experience teaching piano and several years teaching K-grade 7 in schools, Loreena is a dedicated educator who is always looking for ways to help her students excel.
When she's not teaching or coaching, Loreena enjoys spending time with her family. With three young children, she loves exploring the lakes and going on family bike rides in the summer.
HANNAH WIENS
Teacher and Returning Studies Facilitator
Hannah graduated with her B.A. in Social Sciences with a minor in Biblical/Theological Studies at Canadian Mennonite University, and completed her Certificate of TESOL at Providence University College.
Hannah's experience in ESL has been primarily teaching online courses to students of many language levels. in the summer or 2022, she facilitated an ESL program through her local church, helping newcomers improve their English through a variety of online drop-in sessions.
Hannah's passion for language, history, and culture has developed through her experiences of traveling the world, which she hopes to do more of in the future! Her teaching style tends to be organized and creative, and she loves being able to learn from her students as they learn from her.
