Sandra’s career has been centred on the human services sector, very broadly across such areas as early childhood education, services for adults and children with disabilities, mental health, elder abuse, domestic violence, residential treatment, outreach services, health care, private adoption, immigrant and refugee resettlement, and adult education, in both urban and rural settings, across the private and public sectors, in both for-profit and non-profit contexts. She has been an International Accreditation Peer Reviewer and Team Leader with the renowned Council on Accreditation of Services for Children and Families Inc., based in New York, since 2006. This work has allowed Sandra to deeply study human services systems, both private and public, within and beyond Canada and North America, in communities of greatly varying sizes and demographics. Her graduate studies were in Business Administration, and as a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Sandra has advanced training and expertise in a range of business disciplines.

Having grown up in Lethbridge, lived in Edmonton for twenty years, then returned to Lethbridge, Sandra has witnessed Lethbridge’s evolution as both a citizen, and a visitor, deeply appreciating how it compares and contrasts to a much larger Alberta urban centre. Her career in Edmonton allowed her to work closely with that city’s municipal government, police service, vast network of service agencies, and the provincial government, developing a deep understanding of many aspects of leadership and service within a growing City and Province.

Along with 38 years of business experience, Chris Spearman devoted 18 years (1992-2010) to serving on the Holy Spirit School Board which included two terms as Board Chair. He is a founding member of the Industrial Association of Southern Alberta, established in 1983, and during that time, he has been a vocal opponent of electrical deregulation in Alberta.

Chris has also been a member of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce since 2008 and has served on several sub-committees in that time. In addition, he served five years (2008-2013) on the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management Advisory Committee, and since 2010, he has served as a board member for the Aboriginal Housing Society.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel was raised in Claresholm, Alberta. She attended the University of Lethbridge where she completed a BA in English. She went on to complete course requirements for an MA in English at the University of Regina. Jenn is the Marketing and Social Media Manager at the Lethbridge Public Library, and the former publisher and editor of Lethbridge living magazine. Jenn has a strong sense of local and regional awareness, and is a passionate representative and advocate for our city and local area, helping local community organizations as well as non-profit groups engage and connect with local residents.

She has served on non-profit boards at the local, provincial, and national level, and volunteers and works with a number of non-profit groups throughout Lethbridge. Jenn has most recently joined the community Covenant Health Board, served as an ambassador for our city as a representative of Team Lethbridge, and is the past-president of Lethbridge’s Allied Arts Council.