Jack Smyka
Program Manager
Jack is a retired Durham District School Board Principal who after 30 years in education, briefly mediated in Family and Small Claims Courts in the St. Catharines area. Then for the next seven years he held the position of Director of Programs for McMan Youth and Family Services in Edmonton Alberta. These various careers gave him experience working with the children, the Indigenous community, foster care, homeless persons, seniors, group home residents and now with the Literacy Society. Jack has always had a passion for community work, feeling that everyone at some point needs assistance in their walk through life.
Samantha Ennest-Wallis
Student/Tutor Coordinator
Samantha is a life long resident of Muskoka and is enjoying living in the beautiful town of Gravenhurst with her children and their pets. The focus of her career has been supporting people living in Muskoka in a variety of roles including work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Muskoka, Muskoka Family Focus and Hands The Family Help Network. She has experience facilitating education sessions for parents and caregivers and coordinating many groups. She has engaged in numerous opportunities for training and likes to consider herself a life long learner. Samantha has completed Make the Connection and recently has become a certified Bounce Back and Thrive and Reaching In Reaching Out facilitator, Samantha is also a frequent contributor to a parenting blog presented by Muskoka Family Focus. Samantha is looking forward to facilitating programs and providing one-to-one tutoring at the Literacy Society of South Muskoka.
Dave Steeves
Student/Tutor Coordinator
Dave has been a member of the Literacy Society of South Muskoka since 2009. Dave has conducted a variety of workshops – Ready for Work, Computer Basics and Public Speaking. He also has over 400 hours of one-to-one tutor experience. Dave has a BA from York University and graduated from Toronto Teachers’ College. Following an Administrative Management career in the insurance industry, he began tutoring at Literacy Society of South Muskoka.