meet the cassie + friends staff
Jennifer Wilson, Executive Director
Jennifer is the Executive Director of Cassie + Friends. When she joined C+F as their first employee in 2013, she had never heard of arthritis in children. Through learning about the condition and immersing herself in the pediatric rheumatic disease community, Jennifer found a noble purpose and has since dedicated herself to pursuing C+F’s vision of a pain-free future for kids.
Jennifer has two trailblazing daughters, Bella and Poppy, who are equally as passionate about helping kids with arthritis, whether by running with Team Cassie + Friends, sorting bottles with the Prime Family or hosting a JIA puppet performance at their school. Together, they share a passion for all of life’s colours and adventures.
Brittany Barnes-Dean, Director of Programs & Partnerships
Brittany joined our team in early 2019 and quickly learned how mighty the Cassie + Friends community is. She is constantly inspired by the strength and resiliency of kids and families affected by pediatric rheumatic diseases and uses her background in program development to help bring them new avenues of support.
She is energized by connecting with youth and by their endless potential to change the world.
In her spare time, you can find Brittany soaking in nature on a hiking trail with her family and their pup Obi, talking politics, or sharing laughs with friends at a local brewery.
Marissa Sangers, Youth & Family Engagement Coordinator
Marissa has been actively involved with Cassie + Friends since the establishment of the C+F London Centre in 2019. Her contributions include leading multiple runs, assisting in fundraising efforts within her community, and serving as a Community Manager for the Online Support Network where she connects families affected by JA and other rheumatic diseases. Marissa’s dedication to supporting children with rheumatic diseases is deeply rooted in her personal experience, as her oldest daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at the age of 3.
A strong advocate for causes related to inclusion and passionate about supporting children and families, Marissa invests her time beyond her professional role. Outside of work, she is engaged in her small business, crafting clay earrings. She frequently spends her leisure hours crafting with friends or immersing herself in nature alongside her husband Jordon and their lively daughters, Charlotte and Riley.
Samantha Gualtieri, Community Manager
Sam completed her PhD (University of Waterloo) and a postdoctoral fellowship (University of Toronto) in Developmental Psychology, where she studied how children learn and make decisions. Sam left academia to manage the scale-up of Our Kids’ Health, an award-winning public health knowledge mobilization program for caregivers from equity-deserving communities.
Sam is passionate about making research and health information more inclusive and accessible for all children and families. She hopes to support children, youth, and their families during their JA and rheumatic disease journey through her work at Cassie + Friends by leveraging research, advocacy, and knowledge translation to support their needs and priorities.
Jessica Caldwell, Programs Officer
Jessica graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in Political Studies and holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree. Throughout her academic journey, she focused on exploring the intricacies of political systems, policies, and their impacts on diverse communities. With a background as a project manager, Jessica has practical experience in overseeing initiatives and ensuring successful outcomes, including within healthcare and virtual care.
Jessica enjoys using her diverse skill set to further the Cassie + Friends mission and is committed to dedicating herself to the well-being of youth and their families. She draws great inspiration from the unwavering strength demonstrated by those in the C+F community and looks forward to the opportunity to contribute positively and create meaningful change.
Suraj Kumar Sunani, Systems Administrator & Data Specialist
Suraj is passionate about using data to make informed and strategic decisions. He graduated from Capilano University with a degree in Business Management, focusing on Project Management. He has completed multiple certifications in data analytics, including the Google Data Analytics Course, where he learned to use spreadsheets, SQL, R, and Tableau to process, analyze, and visualize data.
In his free time, Suraj enjoys fitness activities like exercising and snowboarding. He also loves playing video games and watching anime.
