Facilitators:
Kayla Bernard (she/her)
W2A Associate
Kayla is a member of the Sipekne’katik First Nation and mental health advocate, facilitator, and currently a Therapeutic Recreation student (graduating May 2021). Kayla currently works as a youth programmer, developing and running programs for youth in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She also trains supportive adults on how best to work and engage with youth and leads reconciliation and decolonization workshops for youth and adults. Kayla has been with Wisdom2Action since 2017, first as a member of the Youth Advisory Council and since 2018, has been leading community knowledge sharing events, including focus group type activities. She has also represented Wisdom2Action nationally and internationally in youth mental health events. She also works at Heartwood Centre for Community Development.
Lisa Lachance (they/she), BA, MPA, PhD (candidate)
W2A Principal Consultant
Lisa has been Executive Director of the W2A Network, the foundation for W2A Ltd., since April 2013. Starting as a federally-funded network in 2011, W2A remains a national organization committed to increasing the use of evidence, evaluation and engagement to strengthen organizations and communities.
Lisa started her career in the public sector, working first with the federal government in Ottawa, primarily at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) where she led the implementation of Canada’s Action Plan on Child Protection that had a particular focus on child participation. She was also a Senior Advisor on Indigenous issues at the Privy Council Office. Returning to Nova Scotia, Lisa was the inaugural Director of Policy at the Nova Scotia Department of Finance, where she led initiatives to inspire innovation in the provincial government. Lisa has consulted for Canadian, international, and United Nations organizations on children’s rights, gender equality, evaluation and knowledge mobilization projects. Lisa is bilingual and provides services in English and French. She has a long history of leadership in the Nova Scotia community sector, including Board positions with Stepping Stone, Byrony House, Heartwood Centre for Community Development, and ongoing volunteer work with a number of other organizations.