Melanie is the Executive Director with DRIFCan, but her involvement with the organization and the diabetes community does not stop there. After both of her sons were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, Melanie saw the impact of the disease on her boys first-hand and became involved with volunteering with the diabetes community. She has participated in many community initiatives, including a kids’ walk program aimed at raising awareness for T1D in schools and various other fundraisers. Her involvement within diabetes organizations has ranged from board member, chair of outreach to mentorship for newly diagnosed families and community walks.

After many years in the banking industry, Melanie made the transition to put her efforts fully into the diabetes community. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Some of her favourite things to do are skiing, camping, and taking road trips.

Rob is a civil engineer and a 34-year veteran of the construction industry who recently just retired from his position as Vice President and District Manager for Northern Alberta at PCL Construction. Rob was drawn to DRIFCan’s work by Executive Director Melanie Hibbard’s story and out of a sense of frustration over many charities’ limited progress towards actual cures to major diseases like diabetes. DRIFCans drive to fund this cure based research was a catalyst for him to get involved.

Some of Rob’s personal interests include the theatre, skiing, sailing, and golfing.

Kathleen is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and a former support worker with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Indigenous Services Canada, where she provided diabetes-related support and counsel to First Nations communities for 15 years. A former environmental scientist, Kathleen changed her career focus following her own T1D diagnosis at age 27. Since then she has benefitted from three islet cell transplants over the course of four years under the Edmonton Protocol.

As a former executive member of the Professional Section of Diabetes Canada’s Edmonton chapter, Kathleen also serves as a patient immersion experience mentor to first-year University of Alberta medical students. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cycling, paper crafts, balcony gardening, folk music festivals, and quality time with family and friends.

Jesse is a partner at Incite and works with clients to solve unique and challenging problems with tactical thought and execution. After graduating from the University of Alberta with distinction and a Bachelor of Commerce degree, he completed his MBA at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Jesse has over 15 years of marketing, strategic planning and development, and stakeholder relations experience and a proven ability to initiate change and innovation within organizations and multi-stakeholder environments.
Jesse’s ability to see the long-term landscape and the know-how to build the foundation, structures, and processes to achieve success has helped carve out expertise in leading business planning, optimizing revenue generation, and achieving operational excellence and innovation. Jesse is passionate about leadership and has forged a dynamic career path highlighted by leading award-winning airport passenger experience and commercial programs, exiting a successful research technology company, and helping build Incite’s burgeoning M&A practice.

Jesse is passionate about being an active member of his community and champions organizations in arts and culture, diabetes research and sports. Jesse and his wife, Stephanie, are the proud parents of two young children, Sophie, and Gabriel.