Leadership Team
CO-FOUNDER/CO-CHAIR ~ Dr. Lori Buchart
Lori joined the Canadian Forces Reserve in 1982. Her Reserve Force Service entailed both part and full time engagements in Lethbridge, Calgary, Penhold, Esquimalt and Comox. Lori released from the CF Reserve in March 1996.
Upon releasing, Lori focused on her family, career and education, where she earned both a Masters in Leadership and Doctorate in Business. Her Dissertation and Thesis work focused on building interpersonal relationships and organizational culture and change. Her skills took her into organizations such as, but not limited to the City of Calgary, Gibson's Energy, WestJet Airlines, and Critical Mass.
Using her military background to ground her as a tenured Associate Professor of Business at Mount Royal University, she found much success in the classroom, until she was placed on permanent LTD in 2013 for recurrent, complex PTSD. She was well respected by her students and was nominated for a distinguished teaching award by them. Lori was very involved in the service component of Academic Life, serving on many University Committees, including Academic Council, Enterprise System Project Committee, the Support Staff and Faculty Associations and was involved in Faculty Contract Negotiations. Lori also conducted research in the area of "returning to work after a life-threatening illness".
Lori strongly believed in bringing real life-scenarios into the classroom for her students. To do this, she co-founded MindfulWorks, a leadership consultancy group. Her greatest joy in the classroom was always seeing the lightbulbs turn on and the "aha" moments for her students.
Lori also volunteered for Wellspring Calgary, a Cancer Retreat Centre in Calgary, facilitating a return-to work program, for Cancer Survivors; Lori has been clean of cancer for 18 years.
Lori’s long journey of finding a way to a more peaceful life after MST, has been largely effective because of formal therapies and good Case Management. These interventions, as well as finding focus outside of the grief and pain of MST through volunteering and the purchase & refurbishing of a sailboat with her husband Lawrence, have been instrumental in living a more peaceful life.
Currently Lori splits her time between Calgary and Victoria, as well as travels when able – looking for the next winery, great recipe to try at home, or new routes for her sailing adventures!
Her two adult children are in Vancouver and Calgary, where they are both pursuing post-secondary studies.
Lori does this work for one reason - for her son and daughter, and all sons and daughters, who may one day, want to join the military. She feels that we owe our children a safe place in which they can proudly serve their Country.
CO-FOUNDER/CO-CHAIR ~ Sam Samplonius
Sam has over 40 years of CAF Reserve Force full-time & part-time service, and is a Military Sexual Trauma (MST) survivor. Like many other survivors, her first assault happened during her Basic Recruit training when she was 17 years old. Sam was an active member of IJ700 since 2015 when she became involved in the Hands Project and maintained the IJ700 Instagram account for inspirational messages. At that time she felt she had dealt with her multiple sexual assaults and constant sexual harassment well, and was enjoying a successful Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) career happily married to a Regular Force CAF spouse for over 20 years.
However in 2016 she was again a victim of MST that was so traumatizing that it caused the loss of her full-time military position. The mental and physical trauma of this incident also led to the breakdown of her marriage as she tried to cope with the added release of unresolved previous MST, depression and hypervigilance.
Diagnosed with complex PTSD in 2018, through regular therapy Sam has taken on
the challenge of dealing with the sexual and gender harassment she has experienced, and the military sexual trauma inflicted from numerous incidents of domestic violence, kidnapping and unlawful confinement. She finds helping others is one her best healing practices. With the recent assurances of the CAF to address harmful behaviours within the military and provide support for victims, Sam would like to use her extensive volunteer experience in Conflict Resolution, and federal Employee Assistance programs to help other MST survivors come forward and access the resources they need to enrich their healing journey.
As a Reservist, Sam maintained a federal Public Service career concurrently while serving in the CAF. Following on her original plan to be a military Logistician, her career was still in DND Materiel Management, but due to MST, as a civilian.
Starting as a forklift operator, shipper/receiver, then eventually a Regional Procurement & Contracting Manager, she retired as the Contracting & Procurement Supervisor from CFSCE at CFB Kingston. During her career she also volunteered for many workplace initiatives relating to Employee Wellness and Diversity, gaining extensive experience in Joint Occupational Health & Safety program development as a Master Trainer and Union Shop Steward. For ten years she co-facilitated for the Treasury Board JLP Anti-Harassment course for Managers. Collaboration not confrontation has been a personal mantra stemming from her Union Local Executive membership days.
As a Public Servant, Sam was able to take leave at times to accept many opportunities for full-time CAF Reserve contracts on regional and national projects that made full use of her repertoire of skills and experience in training development and facilitation, conflict management, policy review, ethics and diversity. In addition, her pursuit in personal Officer Professional Development has made her an avid learner of anything pertaining to leadership, ethics, organizational behaviour, change management and conflict management.
Now retired from the Public Service and facing a medical release from the CAF, Sam will be increasing her work in the area of CAF Veteran advocacy that she began in 2007.
As an avid animal welfare advocate, retirement will also allow her to increase her time that she spends fostering feral and abandoned cats to find them new furever homes. She should not have any more "foster fails" now that she has permanently rescued four cats of her own. Her Meliora Service Dog in Training, Isis (the Goddess), also keeps her busy as they travel a complex PTSD healing journey together.
In addition to volunteering as the Co-Chairperson with INJ20K, she also volunteers as a Senior Advisor with the Canadian Military Sexual Trauma Community of Practice, and also as a volunteer Special Advisor for the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families.
Sam believes real changes can happen, but everyone needs to collaborate and become part of the healing process that too many people have put off through
fear of reprisal.
LinkedIn profile
VICE CHAIRPERSON ~ Vacant
EDUCATION COORDINATOR ~ Ann Dickey
Ann comes with a medical background in Nursing as well as a paramedical experience before that career. Ann is retiring soon and is very excited about sharing many educational opportunities for healing, restoration, and empowerment for our survivor Group.
Ann will work closely with our partner organizations to help see survivor centric material is included in the development of courses/training that addresses culture change.
ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR ~ Paula DeWit
Paula is a passionate person who thrives on collaborating with people. She is an experienced musician who loves to bring singers and players together with the ultimate goal of making great music and bringing much joy. Paula has developed a reputation for excellence with her artistic music direction and leadership in both choirs and orchestras in the Fraser Valley and metro Vancouver region.
Music gives her life purpose and a reason to get up in the morning. Through her life stories she has the desire to help others and instil hope for a fulfilling life. Paula experienced Military Sexual Trauma, workplace bullying and harassment during her tenure in the Regular Force. Her desire is to inspire and encourage others.
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR ~ INJ20K Community Hub
Some members of INJ20K are still serving in the CAF/DND and do not wish to share their volunteer activities. These people are an invaluable resource to ensure that we are not only sensitive to the needs of the members in our informal peer support group, but also in tune with what our still serving members may need in terms of support.
Our current Membership Coordinator is one such person.
Role Responsibilities
Volunteer Leadership Team and Advisory Group
When Dr. Lori Buchart and Sam Samplonius founded INJ20K, it was with the vision that there was no way just one person could accomplish our mission now that society, the Department of National Defence, and the Canadian Armed Forces were more aware of the real impact that the lack of support & resources for victims & survivors of sexual assault and harmful inappropriate sexual behaviour was having in many lives.
Therefore a decision was made to form a team of caring volunteers to focus on specific areas of what INJ20K is trying to respectfully accomplish through advocacy and resource sharing. A formal structure was required in order to identify roles and provide a framework that could easily assimilate a turnover of volunteers. This would provide sustainable guidance on best practices and lessons learned on how to best help our lived experiences be incorporated into policies being developed by government entities. We committed to focussing on collaboration, not confrontation, and nothing about us without us in order to Support~Restore~Empower our INJ20K survivor group.
Chairperson
This volunteer has been designated as our main point of contact and spokesperson for agencies and external stakeholders seeking INJ20K input. This position helps guide our team strategically using the collective feedback from the team, and when necessary, the valuable feedback solicited from the members within our Private Community Hub group. It is hoped that this method can ensure as many points of view are taken into consideration when our group is asked for program content and policy advice.
Co-Chairperson
This volunteer works in collaboration with the Chairperson with a focus on the internal Advisors and Operations. Specifically managing the INJ20K website by developing and gathering content to stay up to date on current news, events, and information regarding MST. They also ensure media & stakeholder contacts & queries are tracked, and draft press releases for collaborative approval with the Chairperson. In addition they oversee the management of our INJ20K social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In collaboration with the Vice Chairperson, they are also responsible for developing any strategic operational documents that may be required to function as a viable and safe resource for MST survivors and provides guidance to other teams members when necessary.
Vice Chairperson
This volunteer works in tandem with the Chairperson and Co-Chairperson as part of the leadership team and is responsible for developing and maintaining any strategic operational documents that may be required to function as a viable and safe resource for MST survivors and provides guidance to other teams members when necessary.
Education Coordinator
This volunteer assists the Chairpersons with coordinating educational resources and events for the INJ20K Community Hub and external stakeholders as required.
Administration Coordinator
This volunteer assists the Chairpersons with coordinating the monthly volunteer leadership and advisory group meetings for INJ20K by performing the usual administrative functions of scheduling, minutes and follow-up reminders. When necessary this volunteer also provides external meeting support. Additionally this volunteer responds to queries from our website Contact Form and in tandem with the Membership Coordinator verifies new Hub member requests.
Membership Coordinator
This volunteer serves as the senior Navigator of our Mod Squad for our Private Community Hub on Facebook, and in tandem with the Admin Coordinator coordinates the verification and acceptance of new Members in the INJ20K Community Hub.
Navigators (aka Community Hub Moderators)
These AMAZING volunteers help to ensure that our Private Facebook Group we call our Community Hub remains a safe and respectful space for MST survivors, by monitoring posts to ensure that the Group Boundaries (aka rules) that all Members agreed to before joining are adhered to.
Advisory Group
This group of amazing volunteers are serving and retired CAF members that have agreed to be a sage resource for ideas and feedback on culture change in the CAF by providing insight to ensure we propose diverse solutions that take into account a number of lived experience perspectives.