OUR TEAM
Narmeen
Hasan
Narmeen Hasan (she/her) brings an intuitive and relationship-driven approach to her work. Drawing from her own lived experiences navigating inequitable systems, she brings a clarity that cuts through silos and surface-level actions, recognizing that every struggle for justice is connected—grounded in grassroots work in our own backyard as well as cross-pollinating across liberation movements globally. She sees this work as part of her broader practice of healing, restoration, and making space for more honest, connected ways of being together—rooted in the truth that we are nature, and that our responsibility for its care is reciprocal.
Narmeen currently serves as the Engagement Lead with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP), where she leads communications, day-to-day activities, and strategic initiatives to strengthen regional conservation initiatives and Indigenous–settler collaboration, working toward upholding syilx authority and priorities. Previously, she was part of the leadership team at Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East’s (CJPME’s) Okanagan Chapter and served on the board of the Dandelion Initiative, a federal non-profit focused on gender-based violence prevention. She also spent four years as Director of Operations at Feminuity, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm in Toronto, where she helped scale the business, develop systems for growth, and drive strategic initiatives across operations and organizational design.
Narmeen has been an active public voice, sharing her perspectives on platforms including Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), The Weather Network, and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). She brings an authentic commitment to her work, centring marginalized voices and creating accessible structures and systems with real impact. Outside of work, she spends her time dancing, travelling, being outdoors, and talking to strangers; she also loves writing personal essays, organizing community events, cooking Pakistani food, and taking naps with her cat Noori, all while nurturing deep friendships.
Alexandra Krieger
Alexandra (she/her) is an authentic leader, empowering learners of all ages to discover their gifts and purpose.
With a background in business coaching, brand culture, and personal development, she helps individuals and organizations to grow and reach their highest potential. Her professional background includes certifications as a Life Coach, Personality Dimensions facilitator, Train the Trainer facilitator, as well as studies in behavioural economics, marketing and sales, and comprehensive experience in personal development and coaching. Alexandra has developed online courses in marketing and business growth, which have over 15,000 students in 153 countries.
Alexandra strongly believes that all children deserve a nurturing learning environment where they can be curious, challenged, feel that they belong, and are supported in their journey of growth and development.
Her role within the Ponderosa Education Community is in operations, brand culture and communication.
She resides in beautiful Kelowna with her husband, their 13-year old daughter, and their Bengal cat, Chilly. She is involved in the PAC of her daughter’s middle school, loves to travel and go on adventures with her family, and when she finds time, she enjoys the challenge of a good logic puzzle.
Sierra Lammi
Stefan Montalbetti
Living and working in Kelowna, British Columbia, Stefan Montalbetti (he/him) has shaped minds in cities across Canada. As a certified educator focused on blending classroom teaching with community initiatives, he is powered by a deep belief in education’s transformative essence, aiming to mold resilient, empathetic community members.
From personal academic challenges, Stefan learned the value of a supportive community. These experiences catalyze his mission to make every student valued and feel seen. Merging artistic flair with critical thinking, he emphasizes real-world societal change and the arts in his teaching philosophy. As a co-founder of the Ponderosa Education Community (PEC) in Kelowna, BC, he strives to embody the vision of offering comprehensive academic support in a playful and trustworthy environment.
Beyond the classroom, Stefan champions sustainability and first peoples principles in his approach to offer as wide a perspective as possible. He is an outdoors enthusiast with a drive to explore. Whether it’s camping/ snowboarding in B.C’s legendary wilderness or lecturing on the merits of writing conversations, Stefan believes that collaboration, dedication, and knowledge-sharing is the path to real-world outcomes.
In his view, “Education is about working with the boundaries of the status quo in order to nurture critical thinkers and change-makers.”
Jamie Stevens
Jamie Stevens (she/her) knows education holds the power to transform communities. She earned her liberal arts B.A. in 2006 and her B.Ed, with a speciality in Special Education, in 2011 and has been a champion for learners ever since. Jamie strives to ignite imagination and action, nurture critical thinking, and foster connections – all tailored to the rhythms of each learner. Jamie’s vision is to foster a generation that approaches our complex realities with open minds and hearts, capable of shaping a more sustainable, just, and healthy world for all.
Jamie is a co-founder of Ponderosa Education Community (PEC) in Kelowna, BC where she continues her dedication to mentorship, land-based learning, and developing learner-centric curriculum. Within the PEC, Jamie is a curriculum developer, one-on-one tutor, and the teacher mentor for the Better World Club (BWC). This youth-led community-action club empowers teens to take action today, for a better tomorrow.
Each day, Jamie hikes the trails of Kelowna with her loyal dog, Ollie, who reminds her to seek joy in the present moment. These daily hikes provide space to dream up new worlds of possibility, which is a practice Jamie first honed in elementary school with a voracious appetite for fantasy literature. This practice continues to shape her approach to education—seeing beyond the horizon of ‘what is’ to ‘what could be.’
Connor
Watson
Originally from the Niagara Region in Ontario, Connor Watson (he/him) brings an ongoing commitment to community-driven change, land stewardship, and Indigenous-informed learning. Over the past five years in British Columbia, he has grown passionate about supporting grassroots efforts to protect land and build more just systems. His formal education is in Agriculture Business and Economics, and he brings six years of experience in the finance and agricultural sectors after graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph. Connor’s experiences have been enriched by hands-on community work and his own self-directed inquiry around the complex barriers communities face within the dominant social and economic structures.
A committed outdoor enthusiast, Connor spends as much time as possible connecting with the land—through hiking, cycling, and exploration. These experiences have seeded a strong desire to contribute to the work of PEC.
He joins the PEC board ready to listen, learn, and support systems-level shifts toward transformative education and collective well-being. Now based in Kelowna, Connor sees his involvement with PEC as a meaningful next step in his ongoing journey as a lifelong learner and advocate for a more regenerative future.
