Our Team
Ronda - Founder and Executive Director
Education:
ECE 111, BEd. BSW
Ronda is an experienced nonprofit leader with an extensive background in project development, grant administration, and strategic implementation. She provides high-level oversight across all areas of organizational management, including program design, staff supervision, risk management, and reporting. With Seniors Centre Without Walls Saskatchewan, Ronda has successfully secured and managed more than one million dollars in funding, including over $700,000 through the federal ESDC Age Well at Home Initiative. This experience has given her firsthand knowledge of complex federal funding processes, grant compliance, staff recruitment and supervision, output tracking, and milestone reporting. Her strengths include compliance management, narrative and financial reporting, stakeholder engagement, and multi-partner collaboration. Under her guidance, the organization has consistently met or exceeded all federal and provincial deliverables, accountability standards, and program outcomes. Ronda ensures that every initiative she leads aligns with contractual obligations and operates with long-term sustainability and measurable impact.
Ronda holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina. This dual academic foundation equips her to lead community-based initiatives that are both pedagogically sound and socially responsive.
She also holds a Certificate in Early Childhood Education from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education and a Certificate in Office Education with Distinction, strengthening her administrative, instructional, and intergenerational communication skills. Ronda is certified in Advocacy Training through the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry and has completed “Teaching Treaties in the Classroom” training with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, underscoring her commitment to truth, reconciliation, and culturally respectful education. She has additional training in trauma- and violence-informed approaches to supporting families, children, and vulnerable adults.
In addition to her professional and academic background, Ronda is trained equine specialist. She has completed Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy training through the Institute of Natural Lifemanship in Texas and serves as the lead facilitator for Equines and Elders programming.
Ronda has also worked in social enterprise settings for many years. Growing up on a farm taught her the value of hard work and a love of the outdoors. A successful competitor in horse shows and rodeos, she enjoys photography, antiques, and exploring thrift stores. She credits her parents for instilling practical life skills and a strong work ethic, often helping her father with carpentry and spending time in the shop. When her mother entered the stages of dementia, Ronda moved home to help fulfill her mother’s wish to remain in her own home. During that experience, Ronda witnessed firsthand the lack of support available for seniors wanting to age in place. This experience inspired her lifelong advocacy for Aging in Place, and she continues to champion the development of services and resources that allow older adults to remain independent, supported, and connected within their own homes and communities.
Akku - Program Operations Manager
Education:
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) India
P.G. Cert. (Business Management)
P.G. Cert. (Supply Chain Management)
Akku brings a unique combination of lived experience, technical expertise, and operational leadership. She currently manages the day-to-day operations of our organization, overseeing intake, scheduling, calendar coordination, progress tracking, and all digital and paper-based attendance and compliance logs. She is also responsible for tech setup, reporting tools, and data integrity for funded projects. Akku has demonstrated the organizational skill and insight required to manage large-scale, high-accountability projects and is a vital cultural and linguistic bridge between the seniors we serve. Her leadership ensures that the project’s operational systems data, scheduling, communication, and Compliance run smoothly and meet federal funding standards.
Akku holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from India, where she also worked as an Automotive Vocational Trainer and Mechatronics Special Resource Person, providing her with a technical foundation and teaching experience. After immigrating to Canada, she enhanced her qualifications by completing two post-graduate certificates: one in Business Management and another in Supply Chain Management, demonstrating her ability to adapt and succeed in the Canadian academic and professional environment.
In her current role as Program Operations Manager Akku is responsible for staff scheduling, program planning, client coordination, office management and community outreach. She has played a key role in designing and delivering services that support older adults, including companionship, transportation, and wellness check-ins, often in collaboration with culturally diverse and internationally educated staff.
Her extensive certification portfolio in Canada includes:
• Food Safe Level 1
• WHMIS (SafeCheck Workplace Safety Training)
• First Aid and CPR Level C/AED
• Bloodborne Pathogens Training
• SafeTalk Suicide Alertness
• Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care (GPA)
• Personal Care Worker Course (Canada)
This array of certifications underscores her deep commitment to health, safety, and elder care
Together, Akku and Ronda form a highly capable leadership team that blends strategic direction with day-to-day execution, ensuring both the vision and the practical implementation of the project are sound, efficient and outcomes driven.
Desiree - Community Care Outreach Specialist
Desiree is a skilled and certified frontline worker whose experience and training make her well-equipped to support the objectives of the outreach programs. Her background in personal care and emergency response ensures a safe and supportive environment for both clients and program participants.
Desiree has completed the following certifications:
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• First Aid (OHS Standard)
• CPR Level C/AED
• Personal Care Worker Course
• Food Safety
Her completion of a recognized Personal Care Worker course demonstrates her competence in providing hands-on care to seniors and individuals with varying needs, while her health and safety certifications ensure she is prepared to respond to emergencies with professionalism and confidence.
In the outreach program, Desiree plays an active role in delivering companionship, housekeeping, wellness checks and personal care services. Her day-to-day work involves direct interaction with clients, many of whom are medically vulnerable or socially isolated. Desiree’s practical knowledge and calm, respectful approach contribute significantly to the supportive and environment required to implement our outreach activities successfully.
Karamjyot – Community Care Outreach Specialist
Karamjyot brings a unique combination of international and Canadian education in business, finance and hospitality, along with frontline certifications that support her ability to contribute meaningfully to the goals of the outreach team.
Her education and training include:
In Canada, Karamjyot has completed two post-graduate certificates: one in Business Accountancy and another in Financial Services, demonstrating her strong grasp of Canadian financial systems, professional ethics and administrative protocols. Her academic training equips her to support budgeting, documentation, reporting and participant coordination.
She also holds the following Canadian certifications:
- First Aid (OHS Standard)
- CPR Level C/AED
- And is in the process of obtaining her personal care worker course and Food Safety Certificate
Karamjyot completed a Diploma in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management from Frankfinn Institute and earned a Cabin Crew Graduation Certificate from IndiGo Airlines. These qualifications reflect her advanced interpersonal skills, service orientation and experience in safety, communication, and client care in high-pressure environments.
Karamjyot supports our outreach activities. She provides in-person support to seniors. Her strong communication skills and cross-cultural understanding make her well-suited to help seniors remain in their own homes. Karamjyot’s education, professionalism, and real-world adaptability make her an asset to the team and a key contributor to the successful implementation of community-based outreach services.
Myrna - MSW Volunteer
Myrna has recently retired and closed her private practice in Regina working mainly with children and their families. She has a Masters in social work from the University of Toronto and has worked in the helping profession and education for over 40 years. As a facilitator, Myrna is a good listener, compassionate, soft-spoken and fair. For her, it is important people know they are all valued for their contributions. She is interested in assisting participants of SCWW who are seeking knowledge and information to benefit their lives and help relieve loneliness.
Myrna is from small town Saskatchewan and knows the value of helping your neighbor. As a daughter of an elevator Agent, she and her family were very involved in the communities they lived in. Volunteering became an important part of her life and continues to this day. She has helped establish a Volunteer Bureau at the University of Saskatchewan in the 1970’s, was on the first board of the Early Childhood Education Program (ECIP) in Moose Jaw and has served on numerous committees and boards over the years. In 2012, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for her volunteer work with the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers.
Since retiring the first time in 2012 from the Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina as the Field Education Coordinator, Myrna became an avid quilter. She enjoys the socializing quilting provides. Myrna is involved in a group of quilters known as Connecting Threads. They sew for pleasure and to help the community in Regina by donating their time and thread. Quilts are made for the Neo-natal Unit at Regina General Hospital, Women’s Shelters and Wascana Rehabilitation Centre and other agencies as needed. Since Covid-19 she continues to meet online with her quilting friends.
Lorne Jackson - Volunteer, Piano Player Extraordinaire
Lorne plays on a piano that once belonged to his grandmother, she got the piano in 1892. Lorne’s mother looked after the piano for many years prior to sharing it with Lorne. It is indeed a piano with a history and we are privileged to share in that history. Each piece that Lorne plays for us includes some info for the song and some wonderful music to accompany the story.
Lorne plays over the telephone every Friday morning, from 10:00 am to 11:00 a. Lorne is gifted at explaining the history of each song and is a talented piano player who can play a multitude of genres.
Lorne has provided countless volunteer hours over the past two years, of which we are so appreciative and feel lucky to have Lorne as part of our team.
Georgette - Volunteer, Rural Educator, Facilitator, and Cultural Connector
Education: BEd
“I enjoy being both a participant and a volunteer for Seniors Centre Without Walls. As a participant, I am able to visit with so many wonderful people as well as learn new information to enrich my life. As a volunteer, I especially take pleasure in the fact that together we can help ourselves and help others. In doing this, we are combating ageism in a positive manner.”
Georgette has been a dedicated volunteer with Seniors Centre Without Walls Saskatchewan since 2019, serving as Assistant Guest Speaker Coordinator and Co-Facilitator of the province-wide telephone-based education program. Over the past six years, she has coordinated and co-facilitated more than 3,000 interactive sessions designed to provide critical knowledge, social connection, and community engagement for seniors and isolated individuals across Saskatchewan.
These sessions span a wide range of topics including wellness, elder care, legal rights, financial literacy, and cultural awareness. Her commitment to cultural competency and learner engagement ensures that sessions are informative, interactive, and responsive to participants’ real-world needs.
Georgette’s extensive background and skills directly support the program’s goals. She plays a central role in facilitating DialPad-based classes. She assists in identifying and recruiting appropriate guest speakers, supports live facilitation, and gathers participant feedback to enhance program delivery and outcomes.
Through her leadership, participants who cannot attend in-person classes due to location, mobility, caregiving, or other barriers are still able to fully engage in a high-quality, structured bridging experience.
Georgette is a retired schoolteacher and fluent French speaker with decades of experience in inclusive, learner-centred education. She and her husband live on a working cattle and grain farm in rural south-central Saskatchewan, where she is actively involved in livestock care, crop management, feed scheduling, and land operations. Her lived experience in both education and agriculture uniquely positions her to relate to a vast cross sections of seniors with diverse backgrounds.
Awald - Volunteer Driver Outreach Program
Awald is a valued volunteer with the Outreach Program, where he provides transportation for seniors to medical appointments, shopping trips, and other essential errands. As one of the program’s most reliable and trusted drivers, he plays a vital role in helping older adults maintain their independence, dignity, and connection to the community.
Known for his kindness, patience, and sense of responsibility, Awald ensures that every senior he assists feels safe, respected, and cared for. He consistently goes above and beyond to make sure his passengers are comfortable and on time, often lending a listening ear or offering words of encouragement along the way.
His contribution extends far beyond driving. For many seniors, a trip with Awald represents more than transportation, it is companionship, social connection, and reassurance that they are supported and valued members of the community.
Awald’s dependability and genuine care embody the heart of the Outreach Program’s mission: to help seniors age well at home through practical support and compassionate service. His ongoing commitment and positive attitude make him an irreplaceable part of the Moose Jaw Support for Seniors Outreach team.
Community Partners
Karla - Western Development Museum – Moose Jaw
Karla Rasmussen is the Program Manager at the Western Development Museum (WDM) in Moose Jaw, where she oversees the development and delivery of public-facing educational programming. In this role, she designs interactive exhibits, coordinates volunteer engagement, and leads school programs that connect diverse audiences to Saskatchewan’s rich cultural heritage.
Originally from a small town in west-central Manitoba, Karla grew up immersed in her family’s funeral home business. Early exposure to visual design and storytelling—combined with a deep appreciation for museums, sparked by summers spent with extended family in Winnipeg—shaped her career path. After completing the Visual Communications course in her vocational high school, she went on to work in her family’s monument sales office, where she specialized in custom memorial designs.
Karla moved to Moose Jaw in 2008 and spent several years supporting nonprofit organizations through media relations, graphic design, fundraising campaigns, and promotional materials. In 2016, she accepted a position at the WDM as the Education and Public Programs Coordinator, a role in which she found her calling. Known for her vibrant personality and period-appropriate costumes, Karla is a dynamic facilitator who brings history to life for students and visitors from around the world. She lives by the motto: “life is too short for boring clothes” and embodies the WDM’s vision of “a Saskatchewan where everyone belongs and histories matter.”
In addition to her work at the WDM, Karla is a contracted facilitator for Tourism Saskatchewan, where she delivers Service Best workshops that promote customer service excellence across the province. She also serves as a costumed tour guide with Tourism Moose Jaw, providing theatrical and immersive historical experiences for tourists. Her volunteerism includes active service in the Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow, where she contributes to international initiatives such as the Canada–Guatemala WASH Ripple Effect Program, promoting access to clean water and sanitation.
- Living Heritage Award
In November 2023, Heritage Saskatchewan honoured the Western Development Museum (WDM) Moose Jaw with its Living Heritage Award. The award recognized WDM’s impactful contribution to the Seniors’ Centre Without Walls Telephone Program, a collaboration initiated in October 2020. Karla, as Programs Manager, was central to this effort.
- Municipal Heritage Education & Advocacy Award
In March 2024, the Moose Jaw Heritage Advisory Committee presented a Municipal Heritage Award to both the WDM and SCWW, explicitly citing the joint heritage presentation series that Karla established.
Seniors Centre and the Western Development Museum Delivered 23+ monthly heritage presentations via telephone to socially isolated seniors during the pandemic, with topics ranging from historical artifacts to cultural narratives.
These initiatives helped reduce loneliness, improved mental health among participants, and preserved intangible cultural heritage by encouraging seniors to share personal stories.
Karla’s award-winning work with SCWW showcases her ability to:
- Develop inclusive, heritage-rich content accessible to vulnerable or isolated populations
- Foster emotional wellness through structured storytelling and social engagement
Judith Silverthorne - Cultural Consultant. Silverlight Productions Inc.
Judith is one of Saskatchewan’s most respected cultural producers, with a distinguished career as an award-winning author, editor, presenter, and former Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. Over several decades, she has led transformative cultural and educational initiatives across rural, northern, Indigenous, and newcomer-serving communities, consistently promoting inclusive, ethical, and community-validated approaches to learning.
As a writer and cultural consultant, Judith is widely recognized for her leadership in ensuring that educational and arts programming reflects cultural accuracy, dignity, and accessibility. Her work embodies a deep respect for diversity, reconciliation, and the power of storytelling to build understanding across communities.
During her seven-year tenure as Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Judith spearheaded programming that expanded province-wide access to arts education. She established outreach programs in rural and northern regions, created meaningful partnerships across diverse communities, and formed an Indigenous Advisory Circle to guide the development of culturally respectful programming. Her commitment to collaboration and equity earned her lasting trust among Indigenous and cross-cultural partners.
Although Judith comes from a settler background, she approaches her work with humility, accountability, and a strong understanding of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Through years of collaboration with Indigenous artists, Elders, and storytellers, she has learned to observe cultural protocols and ensure accurate, respectful representation. Her consulting practice focuses on helping organizations build culturally safe, inclusive, and community-informed programs.
Since 2020, Judith has also worked extensively with Seniors Centre Without Walls (SCWW), delivering province-wide creative programming through low-tech, telephone-based formats. Her involvement included the University of Regina’s Studio Without Walls research initiative, which examined how phone-delivered arts programming impacts the well-being and engagement of seniors—especially those in rural or isolated settings. Her work demonstrated that meaningful, culturally relevant education can thrive without reliance on internet access or digital tools.
Judith’s familiarity with SCWW’s phone-based learning model is a major asset. She will help guide how cultural content and training modules can be adapted for delivery by phone when internet access is limited, ensuring equitable participation for all seniors and all backgrounds.
Judith’s advisory role will help ensure that the program maintains the highest standards of cultural safety and ethical practice. Her expertise ensures that no matter how the program is delivered in person, online, or by phone it remains inclusive, relevant, and respectful of learners’ diverse cultural identities and lived experiences.
As an author, editor, and educator, Judith believes strongly in the transformative power of art and story. She understands that creative expression not only fosters cognitive stimulation and emotional healing but also strengthens identity, confidence, and belonging. Her ongoing vision is to reach individuals in remote and underserved areas who might otherwise lack opportunities for meaningful artistic and cultural engagement.
With her decades of leadership in cultural programming, her experience in SCWW’s low-tech education model, and her lifelong commitment to equity, reconciliation, and inclusion, Judith is uniquely positioned to guide the cultural integrity of the program.