On December 6th, 2022, we had the honour to award three outstanding community members with Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. We joined forces with the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organization at the Stanley Milner Library to host the ceremony where a total of thirteen honourees received their medals. We chose our nominations based on their unique contributions that have helped make our community a better place.

Meet our Awardees:

Carol Sullivan

Carol has been a visionary and advocate within the Early Learning and Child Care sector for over 30 years. She has helped to advance practice and policy through her many contributions. In the 90’s Carol was instrumental in creating the initial accreditation standards alongside the Child Care Association for Resources to Administrators also known as CAFRA. She served as a validator in setting standards for quality early learning and care for children and families as well as on the Board of Directors for CAFRA in various roles over the years – including Board Chair.

Carol served on the Executive for the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta (AECEA) as Chair and is a huge advocate for Early Childhood Educators recognition as a professional identity including wages, professional development, and capacity building.

Carol participated in developing and implementing Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Child Care Framework alongside the research teams from MacEwan and Mount Royal University. She is a change maker and an influencer having brought her voice of experience to many round table discussions  influencing government policy and decision making.

Children in childcare settings across Alberta have benefitted from Carol’s commitment to ensuring quality care for every child.

 

Michael Hoyt

Michael has dedicated close to 20 years promoting the need to engage men and boys in gender – based violence prevention. Michael recently assumed the role of Equity Specialist with the City of Edmonton. Prior to, Jeff spent 20 years as a Social Worker with the City Family Violence Prevention Team. He has spent most of his career supporting allies to have conversations about domestic violence, as well as the role of men and boys in creating change.

Michael is deeply committed to help men engage as parents and become equitable partners and agents for positive change. His approach promotes  nurturing and community-engaged parenting to anyone who identifies as male in a parenting role: dads, granddads, uncles, male mentors etc. In 2007 Michael set up a community of practice in Edmonton to give service providers, academics, and activists the opportunity to discuss how better to engage fathers. The Father Involvement Network of Edmonton Region, known as  FINER was born. Sixteen years later FINER continues to meet on a regular basis to discuss father programs, issues, trends and how we can work together.

Michael promotes the important need of gender-based violence  prevention through public speaking and contributing to local and provincial working groups.  He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2017 Inspiration Award, Government of Alberta, – Leadership in Family Violence Prevention.

 

Jeffrey Bisanz

Jeff  came to Canada in 1979 to join the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta as a professor, where  he worked until a few years ago. When he retired, he was awarded the position of Professor Emeritus. As a professor, researcher, advocate and community builder, Jeff has dedicated his career to improving the quality of life for children, and families.

In 2000, his leadership and effort resulted in a unique way for the University of Alberta to engage with community partners in research that advanced knowledge, about children and families in local communities. What resulted was The Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families also know as CUP. Jeff was the founding director, a position he held until 2011. CUP continues to this day as a thriving, productive partnership between Edmonton’s communities and the University of Alberta.

Jeff continued in various volunteer roles to advance the interests of children and families. In 2014 the mayor invited him to serve on the Mayor’s Task Force for the Elimination of Poverty in Edmonton. He co-chaired the Task Force’s Working Group on Early Childhood Development and later served as co-chair of the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care.

Jeff has been instrumental in developing and promoting policies and practices at the municipal and provincial levels that provide supportive environments for childcare, supporting research, and building expertise within Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care to sustain its work.

Jeff is a long-standing member of the board of the Muttart Foundation. He is also an accomplished author of several research papers and has received numerous awards which recognize his many outstanding contributions leading to improved life outcomes for children and families.