As we continue to celebrate the various departments at the Battle Centre, Reena would like to highlight the Learning and Development team. This department ensures all Reena employees remain current on their skills and certificates.
As a member of the Learning and Development team, Jane Scott, L&D Supervisor, believes in contributing towards ensuring staff receive the necessary training to perform their job, and in turn this also assists the individuals in receiving support in a professional, caring manner.
Jane has seen Reena grow into the company that it is now, and she had a role in contributing to such a successful organization. Jane always has a smile on her face and is always willing to lend a helping hand. – A true inspiration!
What do you like to do outside of work? “You can find me watching the Godfather 1 and 2 over and over again, and I like to research historical files, I also like reading material on historical and current social issues. One day I would love to travel to Greece.
What is your best Reena moment? During a power outage two med instructors continued teaching the medication and pharmacology class using flashlights; the instructors carried on as if nothing happened. Dedication I tell you!
Fahad, L&D Coordinator, is responsible for providing scheduling services using a workforce management software. When asked what it means to be part of the Learning and Development Team, Fahad mentioned: “Learning, adapting, progressing, and ultimately growing together.“
What do you want your coworkers to know about you? “I am passionate about technology and digital efficiency. When I am not at work I can be found biking across The Great Trail, or watching mystery, crime or sci-fi series while enjoying some Tim Hortons steeped tea. My dream travel destination would be Iceland (for the hot springs) or New Zealand (for LOTR), however exploring Ontario, and the rest of Canada would be just as good”.
Learning and Development Supervisor Sandy Toben is a long-serving tenured Reena employee. Sandy believes everyone in the Learning and Development department has specific duties and responsibilities. “We are still very much a collective unit that relies on each other to get the work tasks (big or small) done. I am happy to be part of the Learning and Development team”. What a ringing endorsement.
Getting to know the true Sandy Toben. Sandy believes the invention of the clock is important, as time management is important in her role. Sandy enjoys watching baseball and tennis and her favourite tennis pro is Martina Navratilova. Sandy’s dream is to swim with dolphins. She would love to visit Israel and Ireland as well. Sandy’s dream home, using her interior design skills, would be a white house with spacious rooms and tall ceilings, all done in greys and whites. Sandy loves cooking and hosting dinner parties with her friends. In the nice weather, she loves to go on walks along the Beltline trail in Toronto. – sounds like an ideal time!!
Joanne is another long-tenured L&D Supervisor. “Being part of the Learning and Development teams means being a part of a department that does many things. I get lots of opportunities to learn and try different things.”, says Joanne.
What would you like to share about yourself? “Besides the obvious obsession to purple, what people may not know about me is that I love adding maple syrup to everything I eat. My favourite hobby is building Legos (especially the Lego Architecture series) and that I hope to one day see a Monet painting in Paris, or hold a baby panda at the Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in China.
Debra Marsh, Learning & Development Manager, is also a longstanding employee, believes strongly in Reena and her team members.
Can you tell us where your inspiration comes from? “I have been involved in the DDC program for several years and I met a student that went through the program. This student was shy and reserved and lacked confidence. He wasn’t sure how successful he would be in the program. This student had an internal drive that they couldn’t recognize in themselves… but I did. The student completed the program with flying colours and is still working at Reena today. This student is someone I think of when I need to remind myself why we do what we do!
Every time I see this person this person I’m reminded of what success and perseverance looks like!”
What do you do outside of Reena? “When I’m not at work you will find me axe throwing or watching hockey or basketball. One day I plan to travel to Egypt, barring that I would settle for exploring Canada’s east coast. I can’t wait to finally build my dream home; The house would have a wrap -around porch for lazy summer nights, and a huge kitchen to entertain and feed my guests sushi.
Team members (L-R): Cliff Walsh, Joanne Woo, Abhijeet Manay, Debra Marsh, Sandy Toben, Jane Scott and Fahad Alam
If you missed the last issue, The Social Work Team – Catch it again HERE.
