Various Speakers
Kim Raine, PhD, RD, FCAHS
Dr. Kim Raine is Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health, University of Alberta. She is a Registered Dietitian, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
A pioneer in bringing social scientific concepts to the study of nutrition and health, her innovative research has shown dietary patterns as deeply contextualized behaviours embedded in complex food environments. Her research program broke new ground by exploring food environments, and how they shape the availability, affordability, and social acceptability of dietary patterns, as well as their association with health‐related outcomes. Her research pioneered social‐ecological thinking in nutrition and demonstrated the potential of large‐scale population interventions at community and policy levels. She has influenced research strategies and policy development at local, provincial, and federal levels. Dr. Raine’s team is at the leading edge of the exponential growth of research in food environments in Canada.
Marjorie Bencz
Marjorie Bencz began with Edmonton’s Food Bank in 1987 as a volunteer. In 1989, she became the Executive Director of Edmonton’s Food Bank.
“A strong voice for the poor and working poor, Marjorie Bencz has been fighting hunger in Canada for the past two decades. Executive Director of the Edmonton Gleaners Association Food Bank since 1989 and past chair of the Canadian Association of Food Banks’ board of directors, she battles complacency and apathy with action. Adept at gathering community support, she has led a relentless campaign to safeguard the right of all Canadians to maintain their sense of dignity regardless of their socio-economic situation.” ~2006 Investiture Excerpt
Over the years, Marjorie’s work and dedication has resulted in her being recognized with a number of community awards such as an honorary diploma in Health and Community Studies from Grand MacEwan Community College and being named Global TV’s Woman of Vision. In May, 2012 in the category of Community Service, Marjorie was honored with a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award. Also in 2012, she received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In June 2015, Marjorie was inducted into the City of Edmonton Hall of Fame.
Sarah Halton, RD
Sarah Halton is part of the Edmonton public health dietitian team with Alberta Health Services. Sarah has worked in the area of school health for the past 13 years and is involved in resource development and initiatives that support healthy eating environments and education in schools.
Sarah Linde, BSc
Sarah grew up in Calgary, AB, spending all her free time on local farms and riding horses.
Sarah completed her BSc in Agribusiness in 2007 and followed her passion in the agriculture world. Sarah spent 7 years supporting and managing agriculture events and youth agricultureeducation programs in Calgary working to continue to connect the urban audience with where their food comes from and our rural roots in Alberta. Sarah joined the Agriculture for Life team in 2015 and has worked on the development and execution of several new Ag Education and Farm safety programs throughout Alberta including the Rural Safety Unit which has reached over 125,000 participants in the past two years.
Jesse Veenstra
Jesse is a public health professional with a passion for food security and community building. Prior to joining Farm to Cafeteria Canada in 2018, she spent a decade managing complex projects across the continuum of care at Vancouver Coastal Health and at BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority. Since 2017 Jesse has served on the Vancouver Food Policy Council and is a member of the council’s Leadership Team and Zero Waste Working Group. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Science and Master of Science in Human Health and Nutrition. In her spare time, you will find Jesse exploring the BC wilderness, experimenting in her garden, or getting creative in her kitchen with the local bounty BC has to offer.
Christine Volkins
Christine Volkins is a Health Promotion Facilitator (HPF) with the School Health & Wellness Promotion team, Alberta Health Services. She encourages school authorities to utilize Comprehensive School Health (CSH), an internationally recognized and effective approach for building healthy school communities. CSH can be used to address a variety of health issues and can improve both health and education outcomes for students, staff and parents. Christine has been in this role for 14 years; prior to that she worked in the school system as a Family School Liaison/Counsellor. She resides in the rural area of Trochu with her husband and has two sons attending university. Gardening, golfing, and summers at the lake with family and friends help to make her life complete.
Nancy Kelner
Nancy grew up in Winnipeg, MB, spending summers on her grandparents’ farm where her curiosity for environmental and animal science was first sparked. Following these passions and her love for life-long learning, Nancy completed her B.Sc. (Bio Sci) and B.Ed. at the University of Winnipeg, and has over 10 years teaching experience as science education specialist serving rural Manitoba students. She moved on from the classroom to work with a national non-profit, developing and delivering innovative student programs, as well as PD and training sessions for teachers, classrooms, and school boards across Manitoba. Nancy relocated to Okotoks last year and joined the Agriculture for Life education team, developing new education initiatives to connect students to our agricultural food production systems.