About the Norlien Foundation

Created in 1997, the Norlien Foundation is a proactive private foundation with offices in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. The Foundation is active in knowledge translation and mobilization, professional development and training, applied research, evaluation, and networking. It has established partnerships with numerous national and international organizations working in the areas of childhood development, addiction, and mental health. The Foundation initiates strategic projects to enhance the quality of life for all Canadians, particularly those living in Alberta.

Norlien Foundation Staff

	Paula Tyler – President Paula Tyler has had a long and distinguished career in the field of human services. Most recently she was the Vice President Child and Women's Health and Specialized Clinical Services for the Calgary Health Region. Prior to this, Paula served as Vice President and CEO, Mental Health at Capital Health in Edmonton, Alberta. Her other professional experience includes the position of Chief Executive Child Youth and Family Services for the Government of New Zealand and Deputy Minister for Alberta Children's Services. Paula has held several other senior executive positions with the Alberta Government including Deputy Commissioner for Children's Services and Assistant Deputy Minister for Alberta Family and Social Services. As well, Paula has been active in community volunteer work. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Calgary YMCA, a Board member of the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and has served in a number of senior volunteer roles locally, provincially, and nationally in the area of disabilities.
	Kate Pedlow – General Counsel & Program Officer Kate Pedlow obtained her LLB with a specialization in business law from Dalhousie University (Halifax, Canada) in 2007. She was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta in 2008 and now specializes in not-for-profit and charity law. Kate joined the Norlien Foundation full-time in 2007 after working with the Foundation for a number of years as an ongoing research assistant. In her capacity as General Counsel & Program Officer, Kate oversees the Foundation's legal affairs and early childhood development program. She has been involved with a number of non-profit organizations across Canada, acting in numerous capacities including service as a member of the United Way of Metro Halifax's Funding Panel, as a volunteer lawyer with Volunteer Lawyers Service (now Pro Bono Alberta), as an Executive Committee member of the Canadian Bar Association's Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section, and as a board member of Youth Central.
	Dr. Nicole Sherren – Scientific Director & Program Officer Nicole Sherren is a behavioural neuroscientist with a background in experience-based brain development, neurodevelopmental disorders, and developmental brain injury. She received her PhD in Neuroscience from Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) and was awarded the inaugural Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research/NeuroScience Canada postdoctoral fellowship, which she held at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge. Nicole has worked both in academics and in industry and maintains an ongoing consultancy with an Ottawa-based pharmaceutical company. She joined the Norlien Foundation in 2007 to focus on translating scientific knowledge into policy and clinical practice. She currently manages the Foundation's addictions program and scientific research grants and sits on a number of working committees that support addiction-related community initiatives and evaluation projects in Calgary. Nicole also enjoys volunteering as a Board Director for Calgary Alpha House Society, a detoxification centre, shelter, and housing program for homeless individuals whose lives are affected by chemical dependencies and mental illness.
	Marisa Etmanski – Director, Edmonton Office Marisa Etmanski is a senior communications professional with extensive public relations, government relations, and policy management experience. She has provided strategic and tactical communications counsel to the former Premier of Alberta, Chief of Staff, members of Executive Council, ministry staff, and the Government Caucus on policy issues and implementation of communication initiatives.
	Kim Ah-Sue – Program Officer Kim Ah-Sue has a Bachelor of Business Management from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) and a Master of Science in International Development from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (London, England).  Her Master's thesis examined the disparities in access to education across China and the implications for gender equity. Kim's professional experience includes work in the following areas: environmental and social impact assessment, stakeholder consultation and regulatory permitting in the extractive industry; factory sustainability assessments for clients in the information and communication technology industry; environment, health, and safety due diligence audits in the printing and packaging industry; and the design and implementation of training workshops on Corporate Social Responsibility issues. Kim joined the Norlien Foundation in January 2010 and is managing projects in the Early Childhood Development and Addiction programs, including the Supporting Father Involvement Alberta Pilot Program, the Children’s Mental Health Science-Policy-Practice Network, and several education and professional development initiatives with the Betty Ford Institute and the Hazelden Foundation. Kim has worked in Canada, the United States, and the People's Republic of China and is fluent in English, French, and Mandarin.
	Alisha Devji – Program Assistant Alisha Devji holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science and Business from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia). Her interests are focused in the areas of health program evaluation, economic evaluation, and health economics and their implications on programs and policies. As a requirement of her Masters program, Alisha created an evaluation protocol that will be used over the lifespan of a health promotion initiative in Rural Australia. Alisha joined the foundation in March 2011 and currently works on programs in Early Childhood Development and Addictions. She is an avid volunteer for myriad organizations, and is currently a member of the Canadian Public Health Association.