Meet Our Team
Executive Director
Ilona Boyce, MSW
Ilona Boyce founded the Heartland Agency in 1995 after a long career with the government in the area of Children’s Services. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Ilona’s professional goal has been to advocate for all children, regardless of their circumstance , to ensure that each child is given the benefit of an “even start” in life. While working toward this goal, Ilona has developed a variety of programs for both children with exceptional challenges as well as those children who simply need care while their parents work.
Ilona has studied brain development, the effects of trauma on brain development and what makes for healthy children. She has built this knowledge into both the Heartland and Evenstart programs.
She has also spent time studying children’s environments, seeing these environments as the “third teacher”. Ilona looks forward to a time when these environments are reflected in all their programs and facilities.
She has been a recognized advocate in her field, and has received the Early Childhood Professional Association Service Award in Alberta. Ilona has been recognized for her work by Global TV as a Woman of Vision, by ATB, as a Mistress of the Modern and by the Premier of Alberta as the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award.
Ilona is a volunteer Chair for the EvenStart Children’s Foundation of Calgary.
Director of EvenStart and ELCC Programs and Services
Brianna Parkhill, Dip B.A.
Brianna is responsible for overseeing the operations of the EvenStart program as well as the Imagine ELCC Daycare Centres. She works with the clinical staff, site managers and professional consultants in managing the EvenStart Program. Brianna also coordinates the EvenStart Annual Christmas Hamper program, which provides hampers for over 130 families each holiday season. Brianna has worked at Heartland since 1995.
Brianna also enjoys camping, quadding, snowmobiling and spending time at the lake with her family. Brianna is married with twins, she has a boy and a girl and together they love to travel.
Director of Administration and Finance;
Director of Community Programs and Services
Mandy Goldau, Dip B.A.
Mandy has worked with the Heartland Agency since 1998. She began her journey with Heartland as a summer camp counselor and from there became the Site Manager of the SW locations. Mandy currently holds a Diploma in Business Administration specializing in General Management. She has a passion for paper work and loves the financial aspects of business.
Outside of the Heartland Agency, Mandy is also a Certified Personal Trainer and a mother of two fabulous young children.
Manager of Operations; Program Manager – EvenStart Foundation
Denise Lindsay
Denise joined the Heartland Agency in 2009 as a Site Manager, where she coordinated operations of the EvenStart Program at Heartland’s Monterey Park location. In her new role as Manager of Operations, Denise works closely with all centres across the Agency, collaborating with other Managers to develop and implement best practices and initiatives that support Heartland’s diverse group of children and their families. Denise is also involved with the
EvenStart for Children Foundation as the Program Manager, liaising with community partners and stakeholders and working to raise community awareness of the initiatives undertaken by this grassroots charity. She is passionate about connecting with and supporting families and staff, and loves the opportunity to develop and integrate new ideas and resources to build a sense of community within the Agency.
Denise enjoys spending time with her husband and two active boys. Together, they have a love for baseball, adventuring, and live music.
Educational Coordinator
Danielle Pitman
Danielle has been working at Heartland since 2009, starting out as an EA, then a Teacher and worked her way up to her new position of Education Coordinator. She has enjoyed learning alongside the children and the team members she has worked with. In her role as Education Coordinator, she supports the teachers across all of our Even Start programs throughout the city, as well as being fortunate enough to model strategies and activities in the classrooms. Danielle has a Bachelors of Art in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education and has been working with children with special needs since her teen years.
Danielle likes to spend time with her husband and active son, playing a variety of sports, hiking and exploring nature. They also love learning about our great country, taking road trips and camping along the way.
Reggio Pedagogista
Zohra Samir
Zohra has completed her Master of Education in Early Childhood Education at the University of British Columbia and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Curriculum and Learning. Her research focuses on feminist, post-colonial, relational perspectives that invite us to rethink childhood in thoughtful, responsive, and justice-oriented ways.
She is deeply inspired by Malaguzzi’s concept of the hundred languages of children and is a strong advocate for viewing childhood through a strengths-based lens that honors children’s gifts, capacities, and multiple ways of expressing themselves.
Zohra enjoys collaborative research and has worked with scholars across various disciplines at the University of Calgary. At Heartland Agency, she serves as a Reggio Pedagogista, mentoring and collaborating with educators across multiple sites. Her work centers on reimagining learning environments, materials, and pedagogical approaches, always grounded in a rich and evolving image of both the child and the educator. She thrives on weaving narratives that bring forward diverse perspectives and make learning visible in meaningful, relational ways.
When she is not working or researching, Zohra enjoys spending time with her family, reading, celebrating cultural festivities, learning about different cultures, and meeting people with diverse perspectives.
Clinical Coordinator
Nicole Martin
Nicole is a Registered Psychologist in Alberta and has worked for Heartland in this role, almost continuously, since 2015. In 2023, Nicole took on the Clinical Coordinator role of all therapy services across Heartland’s 3 locations. In this role, Nicole provides supervision to provisional psychologists, oversees the direction and coordination of therapy services for all the children, and liaises with community medical/service providers and therapy partnerships. Nicole also maintains her own part time private practice which focuses on counselling for children and families.
Nicole grew up in the Northwest Territories and moved to Calgary in 2006. As a mom of 2, Nicole can be found within both the arts and sports communities throughout the year. Personally, Nicole stays young at heart through various creative outlets and spending time outside with her dog.
Agency Support
Dawn Moore
Dawn has been part of the Heartland Agency Team since 2012 and currently serves as Agency Support, which allows her to spend time at each of the Heartland locations. She began her career with children in 1994 after she received Her Early Childhood Development Diploma from Grant MacEwan College. Dawn feels privileged to be a part of an organization that seeks to build success for the children and families that Heartland supports. She enjoys the diversity of the children and families that are part of Heartland and the variety of tasks that come with her role.
Outside of Heartland, Dawn enjoys spending time with her Husband, her 3 adult children and their two fur- babies Merry and Pippin. Her spare time consists of watching K-dramas, crocheting, yoga and volunteering at various agencies with Calgary.
Mayland Heights
Site Manager
Sarah Pearce
Sarah has been part of the Heartland team since 2018. Originally from Hampshire, England, she moved to Calgary in 2015. She began her teaching career in 2010 at a Special Education secondary school, where she taught woodwork and crafts. After relocating to Canada, she began working with preschool- and kindergarten-aged children in both childcare and educational settings. Sarah joined The Heartland Agency with the goal of returning to a special education environment. Since then, she has worked as a Teacher and a Behaviour and Family Support Worker before becoming the Site Manager at the Mayland Heights location.
Sarah has been a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trainer at Heartland Agency since 2022 and has a strong interest in ensuring that children have access to holistic, trauma-informed care that supports the emotional foundations needed for resilience.
Outside of Heartland, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband and three wonderful children. She loves to travel, has an interest in fashion, and trains in Tang Soo Do karate alongside her children.
Behaviour and Family Support
Stacy Penrod
Stacy is the Behaviour and Family Support at the Heartland Agency, she has worked in the field of early childhood education for more than two decades. She is deeply committed to advocating for marginalized individuals and has a strong passion for special education, with a focus on bridging learning gaps and promoting equitable access to quality education.
Stacy is dedicated to trauma-informed care, centering empathy, understanding, and meaningful connection in her work with children, families, and individuals. She strives to ensure that people from all backgrounds have the support they need to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
In her spare time Stacy enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new places, and baking. Whether traveling or trying out new recipes, she finds joy in creating memorable experiences and moments of connection.
spenrod@heartlandagency.org
Administrative Assistant
Brigid Lambert
Brigid is originally from Ireland, where she completed her Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care. She moved to Calgary four years ago and soon found her place at Heartland, a community that aligns with her passion for supporting young children. She is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in children’s early learning experiences, nurturing their growth, curiosity, and confidence.
In her free time, Brigid loves exploring the mountains with her fiancée or unwinding with a Pilates session.
Signal Hill
Daycare & OOSC Program Supervisor
Becky Wegener
Becky first began her journey with Heartland fresh out of university in 2008 and has been with our agency ever since. Throughout her years at Heartland she has been a Summer Camp Counsellor, Education Assistant, Assistant Site Manager, Site Manager and now her focus is on coordinating the Signal Hill Daycare and Out of School Care Program. Her role includes overseeing programming, staffing, parent communication, as well as general support to families. She is a first point of contact for registration information regarding Signal Hill Heartland’s daycare, before and after school care program and summer camp.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Behavioural Science. Originally from British Columbia she has made Calgary her home with her husband and son. Becky has a love for the Alberta backcountry and can often be found hiking and camping whenever possible.
EvenStart Program Supervisor
Lisa McDonah
Lisa is the EvenStart Program Supervisor at our Signal Hill location. She has a passion for working with children with differences and supporting their families every step of the way. Lisa is dedicated to helping support each child reach and being part of their journey as they move toward the next steps in their education. Building strong, meaningful connections with families, both in school and at home, is one of her favorite parts of her the role.
When Lisa is not at work, she is enjoying time with her family, her husband and their two girls. Together, they love travelling, staying active, and cheering on their favorite sports, especially hockey and baseball. One of their greatest joys is watching their girls compete in soccer and celebrating their accomplishments on and off the field.
Behaviour and Family Support
Anastacia Shaw
Anastacia studied psychology and is passionate about working with special needs children, as well as supporting their families through early intervention. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of demographics, giving her valuable perspectives when serving this population.
In her free time, Anastacia enjoys music, art, and spending time with her family.
Monterey Park
Site Manager
Nytasha Mayell, B.S.
Tasha has been part of Heartland since 2010, and she currently serves as the Site Manager for our Monterey park location. Her passion for nurturing young minds is at the heart of her work and is dedicated to fostering a supportive, caring environment that encourages students to explore, grow and celebrate their unique strengths.
In her free time, Tasha enjoys Calgary’s sunny days, exploring nature with her family and friends and getting crafty.
Behaviour and Family Support
Britnie Headley
Britnie has been part of Heartland Agency since 2023. She moved to Calgary in 2005 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and brings an early childhood education background along with over a decade of experience in the field. Her experience includes work as a Child Development Facilitator, respite worker, and teacher, all focused on fostering growth and development in both home and community settings.
Britnie is a mother of two boys and when she has down time enjoys spending time with her amazing family.
Administrative Assistant
Jenna De Smit
Jenna was born and raised in Lethbridge, where she attended the University of Lethbridge and was the first student to graduate from the Bachelor of Public Health Program, Majoring in Indigenous Health. After graduation she moved to Calgary where she continued to work with youth with mental health/ learning disabilities. What drew Jenna to working at Heartland is it is a family ran agency, where she was inspired by Ilona’s dedication and passion in the early childhood education field.
In her spare time, Jenna likes to crochet and spend time with family and friends.
Centre 4800
Director, Imagine Centre 4800
Nav Kamal Lally
Nav has been part of Heartland Agency’s Imagine Daycare since 2017. Her passion for working with children began in 2010 through volunteer work, which inspired her to pursue a meaningful career in early childhood development. She has been dedicated to supporting children and their families ever since, believing deeply that play is the foundation of early learning.
Nav especially loves watching children gain confidence as they explore new ideas and discover their unique strengths in an inclusive environment where every child feels welcome and valued. Her mission is to empower every child to feel capable, confident, and excited about learning through meaningful play experiences.
Outside of work, Nav is a proud mom of two lovely kids. She enjoys spending time with her husband and children, exploring new places, trying new foods, being outdoors, and sharing memorable moments with friends and family.