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Our Board is responsible for the governance, strategic direction, and oversight of SMART Recovery Canada. Our directors bring experience across recovery, mental health, nonprofit leadership, and operations, and several are SMART facilitators themselves.
Jan Folk
Co-Chair and Co-President
Jan is an entrepreneur and the founder of J. Folk & Associates Agencies Ltd. and the National Home Warranty Program. After selling her businesses to Aviva Canada in 2008, she turned to philanthropy, founding the Orange Dog Foundation and charitable ventures such as Orange Dog, A Restaurant with a Cause. She has served on the boards of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, the Zebra Child Protection Centre, and the Edmonton Humane Society. Jan took part in weekly SMART Recovery meetings from 2021 to 2023 before becoming a certified facilitator in December 2023, and now leads a weekly Women's Only SMART meeting. She shares her journey through addiction and resilience in her memoir, Hell in High Heels: How I Conquered My Demons.
Kraig Docherty
Co-Chair and Co-President
Kraig is a certified SMART Recovery Facilitator who co-facilitates a weekly in-person meeting in White Rock, BC. With over 20 years of experience as a Chief People Officer and consultant, he helps organizations navigate complexity, align teams through high-stakes change, and communicate in clear, human terms. He has supported organizations across Canada, the US, and Europe, from early-stage startups to large enterprises. Kraig joined the Board to strengthen national infrastructure, expand programming, and grow SMART's science-based recovery support across every province and territory.
Jessica Hutton
Vice-President, Treasurer and Governance Committee Chair
Jessica is a leader with over 15 years of senior management experience across the social services sector. She specializes in systems change and service integration, and has worked to strengthen mental health and wellness services, primarily in rural and remote communities across Alberta, Nunavut, and British Columbia. Her work spans social services, housing, criminal justice, and health, with a focus on accessibility, coordination, and efficiency. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master's in Counselling Psychology, and is a certified Human Rights Consultant. She is based in Alberta, where she lives with her son.
Dillon Shaver
Secretary
Dillon is a communications professional, business owner, and mental health advocate based in Toronto. As the founder of his own public relations practice, he brings over a decade of experience in strategic storytelling, partnerships, and community engagement. A graduate of Humber's Addictions and Mental Health program, he combines professional expertise with personal lived experience. Dillon first came to SMART seeking a non-judgmental, science-based space where 2SLGBTQIA+ identities and recovery could coexist without stigma. Today he facilitates SMART Recovery meetings for 2SLGBTQIA+ participants and is dedicated to building affirming, identity-inclusive communities rooted in self-determination and connection.
Britni Brady
Director at Large
Britni is an experienced fundraising and communications professional with a strong background in nonprofit leadership across Alberta and Canada. She has led a wide range of initiatives focused on mental health, trauma recovery, and community impact, and brings deep commitment to supporting individuals and families affected by addiction. Driven by compassion and collaboration, she works to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase access to meaningful, person-centred support.
Help guide SMART in Canada
We welcome people who want to lend their skills and experience to the Board. If that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.
While the Board provides governance and oversight, the day-to-day work of SMART Recovery Canada is led by our Director of Operations.
Alanna Mahar
Director of Operations
Alanna is on the front line of everything SMART Recovery Canada does, and the main point of contact for facilitators, partners, and participants across the country. She leads our operations end to end, from programs and facilitator support to training, meetings, donor systems, and the technology that keeps it all running.
Advisory support
Research and advisory
We are grateful for volunteers who lend specialist expertise to strengthen our work.
John Weekes, Ph.D.
Research and Advisory Support
John is an Adjunct Research Professor of forensic psychology and substance use health at Carleton University, with over 30 years of experience across government, hospitals, research institutes, and NGOs. He is internationally recognized for his work in substance use health and implementation science, and has advised organizations including the UK Ministry of Justice, the Irish Prison Service, and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice. John provides volunteer advisory support to SMART Recovery Canada, offering research and evaluation expertise.
Open about our work and our finances
SMART Recovery Canada is a registered Canadian charity. For our reach, audited financial statements, and annual reports, see our impact and reports.
