Terry Cochran Finance & Accounting Manager
Terry brings a variety of IT and business skills to SelfDesign. As a website designer, his sites include one of the earliest and longest-lasting ones on the world wide web. A life-long learner, he enjoys mastering new technology capabililties and helping his clients make the best use of them. After earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan and an MBA at Eastern Michigan University, Terry worked for many years as a financial executive with a large non-profit health care data research firm. He has also been a small business owner, a financial consultant, and a sales rep. In addition, he has served on the board of directors or advisory board of three different alternative schools over the years. He learned recently, in fact, that one of them is still using the business systems that he implemented 25 years ago. He hopes to help SelfDesign build both a web presence and back-office systems that are used for 25 years into the future.

 

 

Amalia Cook  Executive Coordinator K-9 Program and Special Education
Amalia has been involved with the SelfDesign Foundation for many years. First as a Spanish mentor for the Virtual High learners and later as Office Manager and Executive Coordinator. During her year with SelfDesign Amalia has learned the importance of empowering children to make their own decisions and map out their learning interests. She has learned how to model self-empowering, and self-motivating behaviours. Amalia has two delightful children, who enjoy being part of the SelfDesign community.

 

 

 

 

Nathan Kraft Information Technology Manager
Nate Kraft joined the SelfDesign Community in early 2011 to help guide the efforts of the Technology Team as SelfDesign continues to grow and improve its programs and supporting technology. Nate has a variety of experience working with nonprofit organizations in Canada and Australia and commercial software, sales and government organizations throughout Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia and the United States. When away from the computer, Nate can be found volunteering with local Vancouver nonprofits and rowing with the good people at Vancouver Rowing Club.

 

 

 

Janet Letourneau Learning Consultant Coordinator
Janet has always been attracted to alternative ideas in education. When she explored homelearning two decades ago, she immediately knew that this was the right fit for her oldest son- to remain at home where he had been learning very successfully! Janet now has four children aged 20, 18, 11, and 5 and feels very fortunate to continue this experience of SelfDesigning at home with her two youngest children. She has found it extremely rewarding to have the opportunity to work as the Learning Consultant Coordinator to support Learning Consultants working with other homelearning families in the SelfDesign community.

 

 

 

Shelagh Noonan Special Education Manager
In the upcoming year, Shelagh will join the Special Ed team as the Special Education Program Manager and Special Ed. Learning Consultant. Shelagh has enjoyed serving in a variety of capacities during her five years in the SelfDesign Learning Community from Learning Consultant to supporting the various administrative processes and tasks that help the Selfdesign regular program to run smoothly. In respect to Special Education experience, Shelagh worked with adults and children with disabilities for several years, both in New York and in Vancouver, and has taken various Special Education courses within her BEd degree (UBC). She also holds a BA from UPEI.