2021-2023
Shawna Joynt
Interim President
Shawna Joynt is First Nations. Her tribe is Tr’ondek Hwech’in Han Nation in Dawson City, Yukon. She is a proud mother of four boys. Her boys are her inspiration in life.
Shawna has spent years on various local and provincial level organizations, she brings her years of experiences, knowledge, and wisdom to the Canadian Association of the Deaf. She commits to educating the community about important issues, is dedicated to working with people to improve the sense of belonging. Her goal is to remove the many barriers people face. Shawna is proud of the work she has accomplished and her passion.
Mathew Kuntz
Vice President of Governance and Membership
Mathew Kuntz grew up in Alberta, lived in Quebec for 5 years, and now lives in Ontario. His educational background is in the social services field and he worked with youth, seniors, and the deaf and hearing communities. He worked as a chef for more than 15 years. Mathew discovered his passion for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, becoming an ASL instructor, artist, actor, writer, event planner, and caregiver. Mathew enjoys hiking, long walks, going to the beach, enjoying nature, attending special events, socializing with family and friends, and playing sports when he has free time. He is passionate about seeing the Deaf community grow stronger and bigger, collaborating with organizations to bring us to new heights.
Lisa Mazza
Secretary
Lisa Mazza is 34 years old and from Laval, Quebec. She was the only Deaf person in her family but her parents were her heroes and decided to learn ASL to communicate with her. Thanks to her parents’ dedication and commitment, Lisa recognizes the importance of accessible communication. Lisa is a part of CAD-ASC so she can advocate for the removal of language barriers and obstacles Deaf people experiences. In her personal time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and traveling!
Shawna Joynt
National Indigenous Director
Shawna Joynt is First Nations. Her tribe is Tr’ondek Hwech’in Han Nation in Dawson City, Yukon. She is a proud mother of four boys. Her boys are her inspiration in life.
Shawna has spent years on various local and provincial level organizations, she brings her years of experiences, knowledge, and wisdom to the Canadian Association of the Deaf. She commits to educating the community about important issues, is dedicated to working with people to improve the sense of belonging. Her goal is to remove the many barriers people face. Shawna is proud of the work she has accomplished and her passion.
Hélène Hebert
National Francophone Director
Hélène first language is French and she learned LSQ as a teenager. She quickly became fluent in LSQ, she has basic knowledge of English and ASL. Hélène considers herself bilingual and bicultural. She has several university degrees, a bachelor’s degree in education – ortho pedagogy, a certificate in children’s literature, and a specialized graduate diploma in school administration. Hélène is a retired remedial teacher who taught both adults and youth at different levels. Teaching is her passion and she is proud to see the fruits of her labour have paid off. Currently, she is a co-editor and administrator of the magazine Voir-Dire and in the past she was the president of ReQIS (Réseau Québécois pour l’inclusion sociale des personnes sourdes et malentendantes) and the president and secretary for SCQS (Société Culturelle Québécoise des Sourds). As the National Francophone Director of the CAD-CAD, Hélène works to promote and defend the use of LSQ across Canada. It is important to her that communication and information regarding deafness be more fluid in order to avoid stigmatization between English and French Deaf people in Canada.
Rylyn Delaney
Communications Director
Rylyn graduated with a Digital Graphics Communication diploma from the Southern Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications of Information Design. Rylyn has a background in communications, such as marketing, graphic design, and social media. She brings years of experience working with social media and has managed several social media accounts for over 10 years. Rylyn has been involved with several Deaf organizations such as the Calgary Association of the Deaf, Alberta Cultural Society of the Deaf, Deaf Youth Canada/Jeusenne sourds canadianne, Canadian Deaf Youth Leadership/CJLSC and Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD). Her experience working at CCSD helped Rylyn to increase her knowledge, experience, and skills in communications which is an asset to the Canadian Association of the Deaf.
Jennifer Rimmer
Director-at-Large
Jennifer Rimmer comes from Newfoundland. She is a lifelong learner and is currently learning LSQ, her third language! In her free time she enjoys spending time hiking and immersing herself into nature. She believes that the small steps you make today can make a big impact on someone tomorrow. Equality and access to quality language is fundamentally important to everyone, especially within the Deaf community.
Vacancy
- Director-at-Large
- Director-at-Large
- National Youth Director
Board of Director Nominations
The Canadian Association of the Deaf – Association des Sourds du Canada for its Board of Directors is a two-year terms. An election will be held to fill the positions of President, Vice President (Governance and Membership), Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Director, National Francophone Director, and three Directors-at-Large. The election will be held at our Annual General Meeting in odd-numbered years (2023, 2025, etc.).
Questions? Contact Nominations Committee at info@cad-asc.ca. The nomination form is available as a docx.