Want to meet some of the amazing Professional Home Economists featured in the Through the Years Series?
Make sure to register for OHEA annual conference. This year the conference is being held at Brescia University College on March 23, 2019. For more information, visit the OHEA Conference website.

​Brief Background on Amy Whitson
I graduated from Brescia University College with a Bachelor of Science Honours Human Ecology in Food and Nutrition in 1999. I worked freelance in various roles and started my own personal chef company.

In 2001, I started working with Dana McCauley & Associates. In 2010, I purchased the company from Dana and became President and owner of The Test Kitchen Incorporated, a recipe development and consulting company. ​

Want to meet some of the amazing Professional Home Economists featured in the Through the Years Series?
Make sure to register for OHEA annual conference. This year the conference is being held at Brescia University College on March 23, 2019. For more information, visit the OHEA Conference website.​

About Maria Depenweiller, P.H.Ec.
I am a Ryerson University graduate from Foods and Nutrition program. After graduation, I have worked for several companies in food and nutraceutical industries before starting my own business.
 
I became an Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) member in my final years of studies, attracted by the OHEA Newslink pamphlets that were always present in our faculty office. ​

Want to meet some of the amazing Professional Home Economists featured in the Through the Years Series?
Make sure to register for OHEA annual conference. This year the conference is being held at Brescia University College on March 23, 2019. For more information, visit the OHEA Conference website. ​

About Joyce DeDecker, P.H.Ec. 
I consider myself a lifelong learner. After graduating from the University of Guelph with a degree in Applied Human Nutrition, I worked in the food service industry then took some time off to spend with our family. Later, I continued my education at the University of Western Ontario, graduating with a Bachelor of Education, fulfilling my lifelong dream of teaching Family Studies. I have been the head of the Social Science/Family Studies department at Stratford Northwestern Secondary School in Stratford, Ontario. 
 
I enjoyed my time as past-president of the Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators Association (OFSHEEA) and School Board representative on the Ontario Family Studies/Social Science Leadership Council. As an educator, I am very involved with developing inclusive strategies for students with unique learning needs in my Family Studies classes and was awarded Inclusive Educator of the Year in 2017.

Cindy Hartman, P.H.Ec., continually gives back to students and her alma mater through mentoring. She has mentored multiple students over the years and was recognized by Brescia University College in their Brescia BOLD Winter 2019 magazine. 

A graduate of Brescia's Class of 1996, Cindy Hartman is profiled in the latest issue of Brescia BOLD on page 11. Congratulations Cindy!

I have been involved with the Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) since I was a student at Brescia University College and Western University. I went to meetings and found out more information from my professors and also networked with other Home Economists in the field to widen my knowledge of the profession and it’s benefits. It was recommended by many professors at the time to join and become active in the OHEA board.

Tell Us About Yourself
I was born in Vancouver and moved to Montreal where I attended high school. I attended McGill University taking a Bachelor of Education (Home Economics) and graduated in 1970.  I taught for two years in Hudson, Quebec before moving to Peterborough, Ontario where have I lived ever since. 

​I taught Home Economics, now Family Studies, for 33 years. I first taught at Kenner CVI and then at Adam Scott CVI.  I also spent three years as Summer School Principal for the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board.  Upon retirement, I was consultant to Ontario Agricultural Foods Educators’ Association for three years.
 
During my career, I was fortunate enough to serve on the OFSHEEA (Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators Association) Board for several years, as well as the OHEA Board.  Both Associations led to my growth as a professional and I believe that I became a better home economist because of my involvement in these associations.

Background
​Graduated 1966 with a BHSc from the University of Guelph, did post grad teacher qualifications at the university of Toronto graduating in 1967 - with an honours degree from Guelph and a Type A teaching certificate for secondary school Home Economics and Science from U of T. Head of Home Economics Department in Scarborough Board of Education and Waterloo Region District School Board from 1967 to 1998. Worked for 12 years (6 of them at the same time as being a department head) as Co-ordinator of Family Studies and Consultant for Co-operative Education in Waterloo. Retired 1998.

Background
​I grew up on a picturesque farm on the (Canadian) Mississippi River, near Almonte, Ontario, in the Ottawa Valley, and was a keen 4-H club member; honours BHSc graduate of University of Guelph – 1969; County Home Economist for Carleton and Grenville Counties, Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food; moved to Toronto as a newlywed; joined General Foods as a Test Kitchen Home Economist; founded and was consultant, Cardinal Kitchens, a division of Cardinal Biologicals Ltd (founded by husband, Bill) – conducted recipe development and testing, food styling, sensory evaluation, product tolerance testing, package directions – for over 35 years; authored Cardinal’s Handbook of Recipe Development, a textbook used extensively by corporate test kitchens and universities in Canada and US; retired from most consulting services in 2015; currently Vice-President of Cardinal Biologicals Ltd.; past member of Ryerson Curriculum Advisory Board; other interests include: travel with my husband, family activities (3 adult children, spouses and 3 grandchildren), founding co-chair of church-based community program called Café 65; painting classes.