The team
Organization Leadership
Jocelyn Rod
Assistant Director of Early Learning and Childcare
Jocelyn Rod started with Kids U as a Program Supervisor Assistant in December 2019, and her passion for working with children allowed her to take on a leadership role early on. With an Early Childhood Education Diploma from Sheridan College in Ontario, Jocelyn has over 10 years experience working with children of various ages. After a few years of building relationships and running the day-to-day operations as Program Supervisor at Kids U New Brighton, Jocelyn transitioned into a new role in 2022, as the Assistant Director of Early Learning and Childcare. In this capacity, Jocelyn brings her strengths to help support all Kids U campuses across Calgary and Strathmore.
Faisal Alimohd
Co-founder, CFO
Faisal, is an entrepreneur, proud husband and father to two energetic children. He is a Chartered Accountant/Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor with over 20 years of varied business experience. Faisal is Kids U’s Co-Founder, Chief Financial Officer and Operations Director. Faisal graduated from the Haskayne School of Business and worked within and managed his own accounting firm before moving his experience into the child care industry.
Melissa Hackett
Senior Manager of Compliance and Administration
Melissa Hackett has an extensive background in early childhood education, stemming from her passion for working with children in her early teens. A graduate of Mount Royal University’s Early Childhood Development program, she has worked with children of almost every age group. Melissa’s experience in childcare, and in running several childcare centres spans almost 20 years. She dedicates her extensive knowledge and expertise to ensuring the safest possible environments for children across all Kids U campuses, as the Senior Manager of Compliance and Administration of the organization.
Rashida Ali
Senior Manager of Teaching and Learning
Rashida Ali cites “personal growth” as one of her passions, which is clear in her time spent working with Kids U. Rashida began as a teacher in the Right Brain room at Kids U McKnight over six years ago, and then transitioned to a program supervisor role at both the McKnight and New Brighton locations. Currently, Rashida holds the role of Senior Manager of Teaching and Learning, where she uses her knowledge of brain development and early childhood education, to support the programming teams across all Kids U campuses.
Melissa Sawatzky
Behavioural Coach
Melissa Sawatzky has over a decade of experience working with children and families. She has spent the majority of those years supporting children who have unique needs and disabilities. Her passion to promote inclusivity, developmentally appropriate practice, and education for all allows her to work in this role with an eagerness to inspire all campus staff, families, and all students.
Tianna Schoenenberger
Behavioural Coach
Tianna Schoenenberger has 10 years of experience working with children and families. She eagerly joined the Kids U family as a behavioural coach, in early 2021, to help encourage, support, train, and grow personally alongside all of the developments in child behaviour research. Tianna has worked in a variety of early intervention settings and has supported many unique and diverse children and families. Tianna enjoys supporting others navigate tricky situations, learning new techniques/strategies, spending time with the children at our campuses, and always offer a listening ear when needed.
Judy Hehr
Director, Early Learning & Childcare Services
Judy Hehr’s entire life has centered around learning and helping others learn. 40 years ago, Judy began her educational career teaching Kindergarten with the Calgary Board of Education. Included in her vast experience in this field, Judy worked as a Specialist for the Early Childhood team, assistant principal and principal. With a Master’s and a Doctoral focusing on early education and young children, Judy is an integral part of the Kids U leadership, and helping the organization to continue our grow and provide the very best in early learning.