Congratulations and welcome to those members elected to serve on the 2022-23 CAFRA Board of Directors! The election was held at the AGM on October 20, 2022. Executive officers were elected by the Board following the AGM.
Get to know our Board members by reading about them below!
Shea Wicks
Chair
Wild Heart Children’s Centre
Shea has had the privilege of working with children and families in a variety of roles for over 20 years. Throughout her career, she has sought out the opportunity for training and development, with a focus on leadership. In her current role as the Executive Director of Wild Heart Children’s Centre (formerly Southside Mother’s Day Out), she culminates her past experiences and training together into a parallel practice model to lead a team of practitioners in values-based programming.
Shea has been a participant on the CAFRA Leadership team since 2017 and has facilitated our membership in several direction-setting conversations, including the re-working of our Mission and Objective statements. She believes that well supported, visionary leadership is the key to the professionalization of the ELCC field and sees participation as a CAFRA board member as a pathway for fulfilling that future. She is particularly interested in developing playful, resilient leaders and will offer CAFRA an ear skilled at listening for what is possible and the ability to collaboratively create and implement structures that will have what is possible become realized.
Brittany Aamot
Board Director
Early Learning at MacEwan (ELM)
Brittany has been learning alongside children, families and educators at MacEwan University for ten years. She became the Senior Manager of Early Learning at MacEwan (ELM) shortly after she completed a degree in Human Service Administration. Over the past few years, Brittany’s passion for leadership has grown into an understanding of leadership advocacy. She believes those in administrative positions should have access to supports and professional development that can be implemented into their programs; thus, creating quality engaged early learning communities. Becoming the newest member of the CAFRA board is an exciting opportunity, one Brittany will meet with enthusiasm.
Brittany has extensive experience with Alberta’s Early Learning and Child Care Framework FLIGHT. From sitting on the advisory committee to hosting FLIGHT professional development for ECEs, she values curriculum meaning-making. Brittany aims to share her experience and knowledge of the framework from an administrative standpoint to support others with blending, management, leadership, and early learning pedagogy in early learning programs.
Board Director
University Child Care Centre: West Campus
Erica has been in the Early Childhood field for 12 years and has had the pleasure of working in a variety of child care settings. Erica was born and raised in Northwestern Ontario which is also where she received her Early Childhood Education before moving to Calgary in 2014. She has been in her current role as the Program Coordinator for 3.5 years.
Erica has thoroughly enjoyed all different types of positions she has held throughout the years, but has always found her strength and passion in leadership. She utilizes her current position to support and learn alongside children, families, and educators. Erica is committed to her ongoing journey with Alberta’s Early Learning and Child Care Framework: Flight and ASaP GRIT.
Erica is interested in serving on the CAFRA board to collaborate with other members of the Alberta child care community, share her knowledge, thoughts, and expertise in the field. Erica has a passion to continue to be an advocate for the Early Learning field and profession and she hopes to do so by serving on the CAFRA board.
Louise Booker
Board Director
University and Community Early Learning Centre
Louise has been in the field for 30 years; 29 of those years at her current Centre. She has been the Executive Director there since 2001 which ties her to CAFRA at the same time. She has been a mentor for ARCQE and a validator for AELCS. She was part of the committee that did strategic planning for AELCS before it was established. She sits on the MacEwan childcare conference committee, and recently went to New Zealand for a study tour.
Louise served as Chair at CAFRA for a number of years. However, she feels it has only been in the last couple that our strategic plan has taken CAFRA in a new and exciting direction. She has lead the group in S.W.A.T. analysis and strategic planning sessions and is very interested in continuing on the Board to see where we are heading. She thinks CAFRA is in an important transition period and looks forward to providing continuity, experience, history, creative thinking, and so much more in our next year.