Our Team
In addition to the OKN Champions, Community Planning Table, and our Secretariat, OKN includes a small but mighty backbone team with specialized expertise.
Elisabeth Wells, PhD
Executive Director
She oversees the network’s generation and mobilization of evidence for child and youth wellbeing through a collaborative, cross-sector approach.
Elisabeth has extensive experience in the human services field, primarily in the areas of research and evaluation, teaching, and community engagement. Over the past 18 years, she has held numerous positions with children’s aid societies, hospitals, universities, the provincial government, and community agencies. She holds a PhD in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Guelph and a certificate in Knowledge Translation from SickKids.
Elisabeth enjoys spending time with family, listening to music, and going for long walks by the lake.
Eileen Palermo
Executive Assistant
Eileen has a professional open-door approach to ensure that all committee members and staff have the information and support they need to feel connected to maximize involvement in fulfilling OKN’s strategic directions.
The hallmarks of OKN are collaboration, sharing and partnership at both the administrative and grassroots levels. Eileen’s extensive background in administrative support and organization in both the private and not-for-profit sectors including academic and healthcare services has been invaluable in her role within the arena of social services.
Eileen’s approach to her role is flexible, responsive, and effective. Eileen enjoys spending time with family and good friends enjoying a glass of wine and a delicious meal prepared with love.
Randa Bassil
Public Relations & Communications Specialist
She works relentlessly to advance the digital footprint of OKN and applies innovative tools to build relationships and share organizational messages widely.
Randa is a service-oriented individual with a passion for helping marginalized communities and newcomers. She is an experienced communications specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit & government sector.
For 8 years, she offered media training for over 200 spokespeople, and helped participants prepare for their on-camera interviews. She is a Canadian certified community interpreter with a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a French Minor. Randa loves to organize social events and enjoys new food experiences with her family.
Rebecca Abavi
Knowledge Broker
She is a creative and strategic thinker, equally at home analyzing data, and creating data stories that help people engage with evidence. Prior to joining OKN, Rebecca was a Research Associate at The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking.
In this role, she spearheaded a major report on human trafficking trends in Canada and coordinated a community engagement initiative that was led by Indigenous anti-human trafficking stakeholders.
Rebecca holds a Master of Public Health (Health Promotion) from the University of Toronto. Her hobbies include meditation and strength training.
Bruna Redoschi, PhD
Research Associate
With over fifteen years collaborating in research and knowledge dissemination initiatives, Bruna is passionate about using research and data to support meaningful change toward a more equitable and inclusive society. At OKN, she is your go-to person for anything data-related.
A rights-based, structural approach to health and wellbeing frames her work in qualitative and quantitative research. Bruna has a master’s degree in Social Psychology and a Ph.D. in Public Health.
She loves to swim, watch tv series, and spend time with her family.
Our Champions
Our Kids Network (OKN) has seven Protocol Partners who provide leadership, financial support, and help set the direction for the network. These partners include Halton Region, Halton Children’s Aid Society, Halton Catholic District School Board, Halton District School Board, Halton Multicultural Council (HMC Connections), ROCK (Reach Out Centre for Kids), and ErinoakKids (Centre for Treatment and Development). Their sustained support is crucial for the success of OKN in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families in Halton.
Community Planning Table
The Community Planning Table oversees implementation of our vision, mission, and strategic directions, as approved by the Champions. Using the Halton 7, they identify the main issues affecting children, youth and families in Halton and organize action at the community-level. They oversee action tables and engage leadership and stakeholders. Membership includes senior staff from the seven protocol partners, OKN Executive Director and senior staff members, parents/caregivers, and youth. The group reports to the Champions annually and ensures evaluative mechanisms are in place to support the Halton 7 outcomes.
Knowledge Translation and Research Committee
Responsible for supporting and advising on the research, evaluation and knowledge mobilization activities of the network, this committee is composed of researchers and research administrators representing the seven protocol partners and other community members with an interest and/or experience in evaluation, research or knowledge translation for children and youth. Through networking, partnerships and the use of research, the committee works together with OKN research and knowledge mobilization staff to create, facilitate, and share research and evidence that furthers understanding of issues facing young people, and advocates for and uses data-informed practices to promote and support child and youth wellbeing in Halton.
Our Secretariat
The Secretariat, which is located at Halton Children’s Aid Society, plays a vital role in the support of the network. In addition to providing office space for the team, the Secretariat is also responsible for providing critical financial, human resources, and IT support. With the support of the Secretariat, the backbone team can focus on implementing OKN’s strategic initiatives and improving outcomes for children, youth, and families in Halton.