Our Board of Directors

Melissa is, at her core, an Early Childhood Carer/Educator. With over 18 years in the field, she began as a Family Day Home educator in Central Alberta. Today, she is an instructor in Red Deer Polytechnic’s Early Learning and Child Care program, honored to be alongside future carers/educators. Her advocacy centers on equity and fairness for the workforce and emphasizes the ethics of care, with and alongside children, families, and communities.

Melissa started her academic journey with a Business Administration diploma in Accounting from SAIT. She then worked as an Accounting Technician and Supervisor at Parkland Corporation. Her experience reinforced the importance of aligning financial decisions with the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Melissa then completed an ELCC Diploma at Red Deer College, a BCYC from University of Victoria, and is completing a MEd in Early Childhood Education from University of British Columbia. And as a lifelong learner, this will not be the end.

Melissa is humbled to serve on the ARCQE Board of Directors, servicing a field she cares deeply about. She is honored to collectively work together to support each child within their families and communities, reach their fullest potential, alongside a well-educated, well compensated early childhood carer/educator workforce.

Alysha Martin is a dedicated and experienced leader in early childhood education, bringing over a decade of experience in supporting young learners and building nurturing educational environments. Alysha served as an Educational Assistant with the Peace Wapiti School Division, where she worked directly with children to foster their academic and social growth. This role provided her with invaluable experience in understanding individual learning needs, which she continues to prioritize in her current role as the Executive Director of the Beaverlodge Daycare, a position she has held since 2018. As Director, Alysha is committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and enriching environment for children, families, and educators alike, building on her strong background in child-centered learning.

In addition to her professional role, Alysha is deeply involved in her community, serving as Secretary for the Beaverlodge Jr. B Blades and actively volunteering with organizations such as Beaverlodge Minor Hockey and Beaverlodge Playschool. She has also contributed her time as a coach for Beaverlodge Minor Soccer, supporting youth development beyond the classroom. Her extensive involvement in community and sports programs highlights her dedication to creating positive and engaging spaces for children, both within and beyond the daycare. Alysha’s broad experience and unwavering commitment to early childhood education make her a valuable asset to both her community and the field at large.

Alysha is honored to serve on the ARCQE board, seeing it as a valuable opportunity to contribute to the advancement of early childhood education across Alberta while gaining insights and building relationships that will further enrich her growth and professional leadership.

Helen Press is a passionate and energetic Early Childhood Educator and leader within the Early Childhood Educator field. She has worked for the past 20 years with the YMCA of Northern Alberta and is currently a General Manager and a YMCA National Curriculum Champ and curriculum lead for the Association. Helen’s passion lies in helping make every child feel that they belong and creating welcoming and enriching communities for children to grow and develop daily.

Helen graduated in 2004 from the University of Alberta, with a Bachelor of Education, specializing in Elementary Education. Upon graduation she started as a day camp counselor for the YMCA of Calgary, and shorty after moved back to Edmonton to pursue a career with the YMCA of Edmonton. Here she started as an Educator, and over the next few years moved into different leadership positions. She has been in a manager role for the last 14 years and has enjoyed all of the children, families and leaders she has been able to mentor and work with over this timeframe. Though she didn’t start her career thinking Early Childhood Education was where she wanted to end up, Helen quickly realized her passion lies with helping shape the littlest people in our care to strong and capable individuals with voices of their own.

Helen is excited to be part of the ARCQE Board of Directors, engaging with the community, and continuing to help make a difference in the families and children served in the childcare community.

April Kalyniuk is a retired ECE 3 from Winnipeg, Manitoba who graduated from Red River College in 1978. Her career has spanned several decades all of which included small “A” advocacy and learning. April was an Executive Director in Manitoba from 1985 to retirement in 2024 working with families and staff in two centres with children 18 months’ to 12 years. April has been an advocate for the Early Learning and Child Care sector throughout her entire career serving 2 terms as president of the Manitoba Child Care Association, being part of the development and training of the provincial/national ethics training in its earliest iterations and has served on many committees both provincially and nationally.

At the national level, April has been the chair of the Canadian Child Care Federation, participated in planning the Child Care 2020 conference, and been the chair of the member council and most recently been on the committee revising the National Quality Statement to mention just a few things.

In retirement, April continues to sit on both the Manitoba Child Care Association Board of Directors as the chair of the Public Policy and professionalism committee and on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Child Care Federation.

Anna is an Early Childhood Educator with a strong passion for advocacy, high-quality early learning, play-based education, and recognizing children as capable citizens. With 13 years of experience in the early learning and child care sector, she has held a variety of roles, including educator for children ranging from 3 weeks to 5 years of age, curriculum facilitator supporting educators in implementing the Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework, and Acting Director leading centre-wide initiatives.

Anna currently works at Jasper Place Child and Family Resource Centre as an educator with junior toddlers and serves as an Acting Director. She has facilitated the Flight Framework course through MacEwan University and has presented at numerous conferences on topics including children’s citizenship, leadership in early learning, and quality early childhood education. She has also advocated with government representatives and sector stakeholders to advance high-quality child care and promote a consistent, province-wide approach to implementing the Flight Framework.

Anna is honoured to serve on the ARCQE Board of Directors, where she is committed to bringing the perspective of frontline educators to governance discussions and supporting initiatives that strengthen Alberta’s early learning and child care sector.