Bios for Presenters - Fall 2026 Education Event
Tanya Rushcall - AB Environment & Protected Areas
Tanya Rushcall has worked with the Government of Alberta for over 15 years, diving into everything from fisheries to aquatic invasive species management, where she became a certified pesticide applicator in fish and aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic vegetation. Her expertise and enthusiasm for pest management have guided her into her current role as the Provincial Pesticide Approvals and Registration Specialist—which is a fancy way of saying, she oversees regulatory processes to ensure safe, effective pesticide use across Alberta’s aquatic environments.
Devon Smiegielski - AB Environment & Protected Areas
Devon Smiegielski is a Pesticide Certification Specialist with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, bringing 18 years of experience in environmental education, compliance and enforcement, and pesticide regulation. She currently leads initiatives related to pesticide certification, training, and program modernization across Alberta.
Devon recently spearheaded the development of Canada's National RPAS (drone) Manual for pesticide applicators and serves as the provincial Co-Chair of the National Pesticide Education, Training and Certification Subcommittee.
Known for her practical, collaborative approach, Devon is passionate about connecting people with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. Whether she's discussing certification, regulation, emerging technologies, or drones, she enjoys finding ways to make complex topics engaging, accessible, and relevant to real-world challenges.
Andrea Sawatzky - Health Canada
Andrea was born in Thompson, Manitoba, and spent six of her childhood years in Indonesia and Singapore. She attended the University of Manitoba and obtained a Bachelor of Science with a major in Zoology and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. After graduation she moved to Alberta where she began working for the Federal Government. For the first 5 years she was a Primary Products Inspector/ Grader for the Meat Hygiene department of what is now called the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). She then transferred to Health Canada and has been working in the Pesticide Compliance Program as a Compliance and Enforcement Officer in Calgary ever since.
Jason Burt - Health Canada
Jason is a Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement Officer with Health Canada's Pesticide Compliance Program. He holds a Master's degree in Biochemistry and worked in the private sector creating analytical testing equipment for use in the pesticide, cannabis, and mining industries. Before joining the Pesticide Compliance Program Jason began his public service career with Health Canada’s Border Program, where he was involved in frontline regulatory oversight and import control.
Karen Wickerson - AB Agriculture & Irrigation
Karen is a Registered Veterinary Technologist and has served as Alberta’s Rat and Pest Specialist since 2020. She has been with the Government of Alberta for 15 years, including extensive experience as a Post Mortem Technologist at the Airdrie Veterinary Pathology Laboratory. Prior to joining the Government of Alberta, Karen worked in a rural mixed-animal veterinary practise where developed a strong interest in animal health and the agriculture industry.
Garrett Girletz - AB Agriculture & Irrigation
Garrett grew up on a ranch west of Airdrie, Alberta, where he developed an early interest in agriculture, land stewardship, and pest management. He holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Lethbridge and currently serves as Alberta’s Provincial Assistant Rat and Pest Specialist. In this role, Garrett supports public awareness initiatives, responds to rat reports and investigations, and provides technical expertise in high-risk environments to help strengthen long-term rat prevention across the province.