Who We Are

The Western Canada Risk Management Group aims to support risk practitioners in schools in all aspects of risk management in school environments. WCRMG brings together schools from Western Canada and beyond to annually hear from experts in the field of risk management, as predetermined by attendees on their pressing areas of concern.  The group also offers a shared bank of school experiences and draft policy for others to review in their development and review of risk culture.

Our Mission

To cultivate a trusted network of educational leaders who work together to assess, manage, and reduce risks in schools - while fostering innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.

Goals

  • To provide a network for practitioners to share and access resources

  • To provide an annual conference with subject matter experts

  • To support the development of risk management best practices

  • To share general risk management practices and discuss changing trends in the industry

Meet the Committee

  • Sarah currently serves as the Director of All Things Fun (Risk Management) at Glenlyon Norfolk School, bringing extensive experience from past roles including Teacher of Language and Literature, Outdoor Educator, Climbing Guide, Summer Camp Director, Parent, Interim Principal, Emergency Preparedness Chair,  and Privacy/Data Protection Officer. Sarah holds a B.A. and B.Ed. and an M.A. in Leadership and Teaching

    An experienced leader and collaborator, she has worked at Parks Canada's Palisades Centre and led significant service and leadership projects for the Round Square organization of schools around the world, including multiple seasons in Thailand, Mexico and the Himalayas. Her career focus lies in inspiring, engaging, and supporting students, and staff with a leadership approach that is kind, consistent, firm, and respectful. Driven by genuine belief, she pioneered environmental initiatives at GNS and has represented the school internationally through Round Square and various student leadership and risk management groups. She is dedicated to supporting student and faculty growth and refining programs across all campuses. In her spare time, Sarah loves cruising around to the beaches of Victoria and the Gulf Islands on her cargo bike with family and friends.

  • Based in Vancouver, BC, Mitch Taylor is Director of Outdoor & Experiential Education and Student Programming Risk Manager at Stratford Hall. He oversees organisational risk for student programming, coordinates grade-wide expeditions, and manages a 1,600-sq-ft school climbing facility. Previously, Mitch was Expedition Coordinator with Project DARE, a long-standing adventure-therapy program that used outdoor learning to support incarcerated youth. He created the ISABC rock climbing circuit and co-created the Outdoor Educators Conference, reflecting his belief that strong communities make safer practice. Mitch trains climbing-gym instructors in his spare time, maintaining a direct line to front-line realities. Drawing on the work of Sidney Dekker and Erik Hollnagel, he frames risk management as enablement and capacity-building rather than mere incident avoidance. '

    At WCRMG, he’s eager to help showcase practical tools and shared standards that raise everyday decision-quality for learners and organisations operating in real-world conditions.

  • James currently serves as the Director of Environment and Risk at Meadowridge School. He is an experienced educator, passionate to facilitate learning in practices of sustainability and empathic care for the natural world that we all share and depend upon.

    His breadth of experience for student instruction extends from grade 1 to post-graduate university courses; moreover, he continues to develop a proficiency in leading professional development for education professionals.

  • Jonathan is currently the Director of Operations at WPGA, and has been in that position for four years. Prior to this, he served as the Senior School Vice Principal for 16 years.

    Throughout his 30-year career at WPGA, he have held various roles, including Athletic Director, Director of Service, and Director of Student Life. He has also been a member of this steering committee for over 15 years.

    We hope this conference will be beneficial to many schools and those leading risk management in independent schools across western Canada.

  • Born and raised in Calgary, Gary taught in Japan for two years before launching into a career with Rundle that has spanned the last 30 years. Impressively, Gary holds the record for having more positions at Rundle than anyone else! Starting in his early years as (1) a Rundle College social studies teacher, Gary’s role evolved into (2) a decade-long duty as the school counsellor at Rundle College. Gary then shifted into administration as (3) an Assistant Principal at Rundle College and then (4) at Rundle Academy, a school for students with diagnosed learning disabilities. At the Academy campus, Gary led school admissions and learned extensively about complex learners and ADHD, embracing the program that enables these students to thrive. Gary returned to the Rundle College campus as (5) Principal of the Jr Sr High School, and two years later became (6) the Assistant Head of School, supporting the Principals in academics and operations in each of the schools. Finally, with the expansion of the Heads positions at Rundle, Gary landed in his current role as (7) Head of Operations.

    Over the decades, Gary’s most important position of all has been his role in his family. Gary and his amazing wife Tannis were blessed to have their two children thrive at Rundle and graduate in 2022 and 2024. If you’re ever looking for Gary, check his favourite places to be: exploring the great outdoors, smashing on the judo mat, or wandering the streets of Tokyo.

  • Craig Farish has been at St. Michaels University School in Victoria, BC, for over two decades. He is currently the Head of the Outdoor Education Department and a Boarding Houseparent. He also coordinates the school’s Risk Management and Sustainability programs.

    With an MA in Environmental Education from Royal Roads University, Craig combines a passion for experiential learning with a commitment to student wellbeing and leadership development. He is a keen kiteboarder and surfer, and hopes one day to actually be good at one or the other. 

  • Andrew Shirkoff serves as the Director of Risk Management at St. George’s School, where he plays a pivotal role as a member of the Management Team. In this capacity, Andrew oversees several critical areas, including the school's Insurance Program, Critical Incident and Emergency Response, Disaster recovery and business continuity planning, as well as data security, sustainability and Privacy initiatives.

    In addition to his work at St. George’s, Andrew has contributed to the development of best practices for effective risk management through his involvement in the CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) standards review process. He shares his expertise as a facilitator for the Risk Management module at the CAIS Leadership Institute, helping to shape future leaders in independent schools.