Linda Reid was appointed Minister of State for Child Care British Columbia on June 16, 2005. She previously served as Minister of State for Early Childhood Development. Ms. Reid served in a variety of critic roles for the Official Opposition, including children and families, health, attorney general, municipal affairs, and science, technology and research. She also sat as a member of the Government Caucus Committee on Education. She was first elected in 1991 to represent the riding of Richmond East and was re-elected in 1996, 2001 and 2005. Before her election to the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Reid worked as a language therapist, teacher and school administrator for the Richmond School District.

On September 28th, 2006 Kerri Irvin-Ross was appointed to cabinet as the Minister of Healthy Living, with responsibility for Seniors and Healthy Child Manitoba. She is the Chair of the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet and holds seats on both the Aboriginal Issues Committee of Cabinet and the Community Economic Development Committee of Cabinet. Prior to her cabinet post, Premier Doer appointed her as the Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism on October 12, 2004. Kerri was elected to the Manitoba Legislature as the MLA for Fort Garry on June 3, 2003. As an MLA, Kerri's hardworking, committed and accessible support of community involvement on the grassroots level has led to initiatives that are identified, supported and implemented by Fort Garry residents, such as seniors' health fairs and a local skatepark. Before her election to public office, Kerri served as a school social worker and community activist. She holds a Psychiatric Nursing Diploma and a Master's Degree in Social Work. Over the years, she has been employed in a variety of jobs in health, education and government. Throughout her career, Kerri has been well known for her work in the community. She has helped develop crime prevention initiatives and spearheaded drives for improved recreational facilities and services for young people. As an organizer, she led groups to encourage health awareness and advocate individual rights for the underprivileged.

Dr. Joanne Weinberg is a Distinguished University Scholar, Professor and Assistant Head, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on the long-term consequences of early life experiences on brain and biological development. Animal models are utilized to investigate how prenatal alcohol exposure and early nutritional or environmental insults program neurobiological systems, particularly the stress system, and thus alter hormonal, immune and behavioural function throughout life. Collaborative projects working with infants/children are examining effects of early medication and pain exposure in premature infants on physiological and neurobiological development, and how relationships between psychobiological reactivity and community context affect developmental trajectories in children.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Brewers Association of Canada (BAC). Born in New Westminster, B.C. and educated at Queen's University in Kingston. Before joining the association, he enjoyed successful careers as a key staff member for federal cabinet ministers, and most recently, his work as a consultant in Ottawa with an international firm specializing in public relations, public affairs, and strategic communications. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Hill Charity Fund and Orleans Young Players Theatre School.

Dr. Nadeau is full Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal, Scientific Director of the University Institute on Dependencies of Québec, as well as a clinical researcher affiliated with the Douglas Hospital Research Center. She is Chair of the Board of Éduc'alcool, and served as Vice-chair of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Governing Council (2000-2006), and Chair of the Quebec government's Standing Committee on Addictions (1994-2000). She co-chaired the Focus on Women section of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (1989-2006). Dr. Nadeau's research interests are in the area of alcohol and drugs, especially co-morbidity and the issue of women and substances. She is the first Chairperson of the Board of the new Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research and also serves on the Board of Trustees of ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research.

Dr. Koren is the founder and director of the Motherisk Program and professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto; the Richard and Jean Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology in the Schulich School of Medicine at The University of Western Ontario; and a Senior Scientist of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Koren's research focuses on drug safety, the molecular mechanisms and clinical effects of adverse drug and chemical reactions in pregnancy and on children. He is the Editor in Chief of the journal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring-Clinical Toxicology, and the Journal of FAS International. Dr Koren has received numerous national and international awards for his work on drug safety. He serves as the Chair of the NIH review panel for Obstetric Pharmacology Research Units, and The Hospital for Sick Children's Foundation Scientific panel on pediatric Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dr. Koren is the founder of the FACE Research Network.

Dr. Hanlon-Dearman is a Developmental Pediatrician with the Clinic for Alcohol and Drug Exposed Children and the Child Development Clinic at Children's Hospital of Winnipeg, Manitoba. She completed her medical degree, postgraduate training in pediatrics, and her fellowship in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at Children's Hospital in Winnipeg. During this time she also completed her Masters degree in Community Health Sciences with her thesis on the "Sleep Characteristics of Young Alcohol Exposed Children". She is the Medical Director of the Pediatric Transitional Care Unit and attends in the Pediatric Special Care Unit. She teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is also the Undergraduate Preclerkship Director for the University of Manitoba Medical School. Her clinical and research interests include alcohol and substance exposed children and sleep disorders in developmental disabilities.

Assistant Professor, Section of Pediatric Neurosciences, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta and Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Carmen Rasmussen completed her PhD in Development Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her research is focused on neurobehavioral development in children with FASD, specifically in the areas of executive functioning, memory, and mathematics. She also has a special interest in the development and health of First Nations children, prevention of FASD in Aboriginal communities, and evaluating FASD intervention programs.

Janine Hutson recently obtained her MSc at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Gideon Koren. Her thesis topic involved characterizing the incidence of prenatal alcohol exposure in Uruguay. Ms. Hutson also completed the collaborative program in Biomedical Toxicology. She is now enrolled in the MD/PhD program at the University of Toronto where she plans to further her interest in pharmacology and toxicology.

Sarit Shor graduated from York University in 2006 where she completed her H.BSc in Biology and Psychology. At the present time she is enrolled in MSc in Pharmacology at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Koren while being actively involved with the Motherisk Program at The Hospital for Sick Children.

Dr. Lori Vitale Cox works in an Atlantic Canada First Nation's community where she is a member of Elsipogtog's Eastern Door Diagnostic Team--the first FASD multi-disciplinary diagnostic team in the Maritimes. She also works at the school level with children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and drugs; she has been active in FASD research, diagnosis, and intervention for many years developing 'Medicine Wheel Tools' for schools used in screening, assessment and intervention. Crime Prevention recently funded a DVD detailing the Medicine Wheel model and school intervention. She designed and directed the Nogemag Initiative-a model of intervention based in traditional methodology for high-risk youth and their families especially those impacted with FASD. Most recently she has been involved as a consultant with the Province and New Brunswick to develop a provincial FASD strategy.

Dr. Ab Chudley is Medical Director of the Genetics and Metabolism Program at Children's Hospital and a Professor at the University of Manitoba. He has consulted to the Manitoba and Alberta governments in issues related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) and he is a former member of Health Canada's National Advisory Committee on FASD. He is a member of the Board of the Canada Northwest Research Network.

Linda Burnside is the Director of Authority Relations with the Child Protection Branch, Manitoba Department of Family Services and Housing. With 18 years experience in the child and family services field, Linda has worked in a variety of roles, including child protection service delivery, therapeutic services to sexually abused children, abuse services coordination, supervision, and agency management at a senior level. She is currently in the final stages of her doctoral work in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba, conducting research into child welfare decision-making processes in intrafamilial child sexual abuse investigations.

Don Fuchs is a full professor at the Faculty of Social Work at University of Manitoba. He has conducted extensive research on the role of social network and social support in strengthen families parenting ability and preventing child maltreatment. His current research focuses on creating profiles of children with disability in care of the state and examining the determinants which result in children with disabilities coming into care. Also he has done extensive international social development work for the eight years in Russia as part of CIDA funded project which focuses on social inclusion of persons with disabilities in Russian Society. He has served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Work at University of Manitoba for eleven years. He was a founding board member of the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies and currently serves as the vice president of the centre and chairs its international committee.

Shelagh Marchenski, MSW, has been a social work practitioner in northern Manitoba for over 20 years. Her experience, which includes work within the child welfare, family service, education and non-profit sectors, has always been directed toward strengthening families and building community capacity. As a research associate with the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba, Shelagh worked with the Child Protection Branch, Manitoba Family Services and Housing on two important projects: first, to coordinate research aimed at the development of profiles of children with disabilities receiving services from the child welfare system in Manitoba, and second, to further examine the child welfare histories of children with FASD. Her research interests extend to the fields of bereavement, traumatic stress, and restorative justice.

Sid Frankel is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. He holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.S.W. and a B.S.W. from the University of Manitoba. His research focuses on the voluntary and non-profit sector, the evaluation of family intervention programs and community development. He teaches in the areas of research methodology, social justice-based social work intervention, and population health promotion.

Harvy Frankel is Associate Dean & Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. He holds a Ph.D in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.S.W. from McGill University, and a B.S.W. from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Frankel is an A.A.M.F.T. Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor. He teaches family practice and clinical research. Dr. Frankel is especially interested in the intersection of social justice and family therapy.

Susan worked for Interagency FASD Program for 7 ½ years providing support, counselling, and advocacy to families of children with FASD. She developed a model of service delivery for families of school-age and adolescent children with FASD in 2006. Susan's MSW practicum focussed on adapting family therapy models for families raising children with FASD. Susan has delivered presentations in Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon, and Nunavut. Susan currently works as a therapist with in Level 5 treatment group homes in Winnipeg.