About Us

British Columbia Team     • Alberta Team     • Toronto Team     • Ottawa & Upper Canada Team     • Eastern Canada Team     • National Team

Diamond Yfantis Edmonton Diamond joined our team in June 2010 to help manage our relationships with the students enrolled in the Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic School Districts. Diamond graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education. She taught as a special needs teacher, which was a very rewarding experience for her. Diamond also has a background as a Pharmacy Assistant, prior to joining CHI. Diamond is of Greek background, and enjoys traveling with her husband, taking in different cultures. Like many of our colleagues, Diamond is also a host parent and loves the chance to learn new things through the experience of hosting. E-Mail Diamond

George Fu Edmonton George and his family came to Canada some years ago from the People's Republic of China (PRC). After working with a local immigration and settlement firm, he established his own international student agency serving such clients as Edmonton Public Schools (EPS), Grant MacEwan University and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). George now leads our Client Service Teams for EPS and ECS. In addition, he works with Jacqueline to provide direction and support to all our students from the PRC. E-Mail George

Ashley Guenther Red Deer We first met Ashley and her family as hosts, following our selection last March as the Homestay Service Provider to Red Deer Public School District 104 (RDPSD) and Red Deer Catholic Regional District (RDCRD). Ashley provides local orientation and support to RDPSD and RDCRD students and their hosts, as well as recruiting additional hosts, to support the further growth of both programs. E-Mail Ashley

Joanne Morrison Camrose Joanne has joined our Alberta team as the Relationship Manager for Battle River School Division. Joanne has considerable experience working in human services. She is a licensed practical nurse who has worked at hospitals. She has been an emergency first responder for a rescue department and a volunteer firefighter. In addition to raising her own three children, Joanne has considerable experience working with youth. Joanne is very excited to join the Canada Homestay International team and looks forward to working with BRSD, local host families, and students from around the globe. E-Mail Joanne

Renee Gillespie Airdrie Renee manages our Rocky View School District program in the community of Airdrie. Renee brings with her a wealth of experience with youth, including employment with the Kids Up Front program, Child Find Alberta. Renee's educational background includes studies of Organizational Behaviour, Financial Accounting, Marketing, Public Speaking, and Creative Writing. Renee and her husband love to get involved in the community, and welcome any opportunity to get out into the great outdoors with their four wonderful children. E-Mail Renee

Lisa Wood Cochrane Lisa manages our Rocky View School District program in the community of Cochrane, where she has lived since 2008. Lisa’s background is in Communications. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Ryerson University in Television and Media Arts. Prior to joining CHI, Lisa spent four years at the CBC working as a Coordinator helping to train volunteers on television equipment and being a part time News Camera Person. In addition to this experience, Lisa holds a degree in Psychology from Athabasca University. No stranger to homestay, Lisa has hosted students in British Columbia and in Alberta on and off for the past seven years and thoroughly enjoys the experience of getting to know teens from different cultures. This eventually lead to her working in homestay as a Coordinator for a small company in addition to her work as a Relationship Manager for Canada Homestay International. Lisa finds the experience rewarding, and continues to grow and learn. E-Mail Lisa

• Toronto Team     • Ottawa & Upper Canada Team     • British Columbia Team     • Alberta Team     • Fredericton Team     • National Team