Available Instructors

Here is a listing of Advocacy School's currently available Instructors

  • Carole Presseault

    Carole brings more than 20 years of experience advising associations and organizations in the development of advocacy programs.

    As a strategist and public policy issue manager, she has helped organizations navigate challenging waters.  As a strong communicator, she has managed outreach programs on complex issues covering the gamut from health policy to financial services. Carole’s approach is one of inclusiveness and she has built a reputation as an effective coalition-builder with robust relationship management skills. She has considerable board experience acquired both as a volunteer and a member of senior management. A fully bilingual (French, English) public affairs practitioner, Carole has been a frequent presenter before Parliamentary Committees and conferences and she has led numerous workshops coaching staff and volunteers in the development of advocacy strategies.

    She is currently vice-president, government and regulatory affairs at the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada and was previously manager, health policy with the Canadian Nurses Association.

    In 2007, she was awarded a Honourary CGA in recognition for her work with the CGA profession.  She has been named by the Hill Times a Top 100 Lobbyists for 2010 and 2011. Carole holds hold a graduate diploma in public administration from l’École nationale d’administration publique (2003) and has studied journalism and political science at the undergraduate level.

    Carole will be delivering Advocacy School sessions in French, including How the System Works.


    En tant que stratège et gestionnaire des enjeux publics depuis une vingtaine d’années, Carole a piloté de nombreux dossiers dans des secteurs diversifiés dont la santé, les finances publiques et les ordres professionnels.
    Elle est une professionnelle reconnue pour sa rigueur et son expertise et compte de nombreuses réussites dans ses dossiers de lobby dont l’établissement d’un fonds de recherche en soins infirmiers et l’extension des droits de pratique pour les CGA dans diverses provinces canadiennes.
    Carole accorde beaucoup d’importance à la gestion de bonnes relations et elle est respectée pour son expertise dans l’établissement de partenariats constructifs et mutuellement avantageux pour les milieux des associations, des affaires et le gouvernement.

    Elle a œuvré auprès de conseils d’administration autant en tant que bénévole, qu’à titre de membre de la haute direction d’associations.

    Une professionnelle bilingue (français, anglais), Carole a agi à titre de porte-parole pour diverses organisations lors de présentations en comité parlementaires, de conférences et d’entrevues médiatiques.  Elle a dirigé de nombreux ateliers de formation en lobbying pour des bénévoles et du personnel d’association.

    Carole est présentement vice-présidente, affaires gouvernementales et réglementaires à CGA-Canada. Précédemment, elle était gestionnaire, politiques de santé à l’Association des infirmières et infirmiers du Canada.

    En 2007, on lui présentait le titre de Comptable générale accréditée honoraire pour les résultats qu’elle a obtenu pour la profession CGA.  Elle a été reconnue en 2010 et 2011 comme « Top 100 Lobbyistes » par la revue Hill Times.

    Carole détient un diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées en administration publique de l’École nationale d’administration publique (2003) et elle a aussi fait des études en journalisme et en sciences politiques.

    Organization: Certified General Accountants Association of Canada
  • Peter O'Malley

    Peter O'Malley is an independent consultant who has worked on and around Canada's Parliament Hill as a journalist, news editor, communications director and consultant.

    He has trained and advised business leaders and senior government officials in effective media relations, taught media relations at Ottawa's Algonquin College, lectured at colleges and universities, and published articles and essays dealing with public policy, communications and the news media. He is a Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University.

    Mr. O’Malley has specialized experienced in conventional and online communications, and can plan and project manage the implementation of dynamic web projects and applications. He was a member of the International Webmaster's Association, and the HTML Writer's Guild. He has advised several large governmental and multinational institutions on web and social media strategies.

    For the past 10 years, his work has increasingly focused on international public health issues and risk communications strategies for disease outbreaks. His clients in this area include the Government of Canada and the World Health Organization.

    Mr. O’Malley has served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Public Relations Society (Ottawa), and as a national officer of the Consultants Institute of the Society. He has also served as a board member and board chair for an NGO providing housing and hospice support to people with HIV/AIDS, and as a board member of Heritage Ottawa, a local built-heritage advocacy organization.

    Organization: O'Malley Communications Inc.
  • John Sinclair

    John Sinclair, Associate at Sussex Circle, retired from the public service in October 2006 and brings with him expertise in policy development, organizational strategy and performance, litigation risk management and an in-depth knowledge of Aboriginal development challenges. Mr. Sinclair has provided consulting services to a wide range of Government of Canada Departments on issues including environment scanning and alternate futures forward planning methodologies, legal risk management and Integrated Risk Management, sustainable development policy, organizational restructuring, development and mobilization, policy communication and Strategic Review.

    Organization: Sussex Circle
  • Nora Sobolov

    Training Offered: 

    Nora Sobolov, a seasoned executive and leader of change, has worked in policy development at the federal, provincial and municipal level and is familiar with what it takes to realize policy goals, create and execute multi-tier projects and build effective working partnerships. She provides advice, tools and executive coaching to set the table for successful policy negotiation and non-partisan campaigns. With a background in negotiation, mediation and collaboration, Nora has created consensus among unlikely allies on important issues.

    Nora brings over 25 years of experience as a VP of government relations for the cooperative and credit union system where she successfully created and led several campaigns and policy initiatives and as a senior executive and CEO starting, restructuring and managing organizations in the non-profit, private, co-operative and public sectors. As the former CEO of the Lung Association, Nora Chaired the development of a multi-sectoral health framework, which received a mention in the Speech from the Throne and a 10 million dollar funding commitment.

    Most recently, she has co-founded the Community Forward Fund, a loan and financing fund for charities and nonprofits. Nora holds a Masters of Law from Osgoode Hall, York University (specializing in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution), a Masters of Social Work (specializing in non-profit management and policy) from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Urban Planning from the University of Toronto.

    Organization: Nora Sobolov Consulting Inc.
  • John Stapleton

    John Stapleton worked for the Ontario Government in the Ministry of Community and Social Services and its predecessors for 28 years in the areas of social assistance policy and operations. During his career, John was the senior policy advisor to the Social Assistance Review Committee and the Minister’s Advisory Group on New Legislation. His more recent government work concerned the implementation of the National Child Benefit.

    He is a Commissioner with the Ontario Soldiers’ Aid Commission and is a volunteer with St. Christopher House and Woodgreen Community Services of Toronto. John was Research Director for the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults in Toronto and was the co-chair of the working group associated with this project. He is undertaking an Innovations Fellowship with the Metcalf Foundation. He teaches public policy and is a member of 25 in 5.

    John has published op-eds in the Globe & Mail, National Post and the Toronto Star. He has written reviews for the Literary Review of Canada and written articles and studies for Ideas that Matter, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the C.D. Howe Institute, the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation, the Caledon Institute, The Toronto Dominion Financial Group, the Metcalf Foundation, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, The Toronto City Summit Alliance and many others. John serves on the Board of Directors of the Daily Bread Food Bank and he is the President of the Canadian Horseracing Hall of Fame

    Organization: Open Policy Ontario