Krista Gerlich-Fitzgerald – President, Pacific Representative

president@cheercanada.ca

Krista Gerlich-Fitzgerald has been involved as an athlete, coach, judge and sports organizational member both domestically and internationally for over 20 years.  She is passionate about the promotion of the sport striving to create a supportive and positive environment through communication, consultation and relationship building. Krista joined the Cheer Canada board in October, 2023 after 10 years on the BC Sport Cheer board.  She is a NCCP certified trampoline and gymnastics coach, but primarily coaches and judges all-star cheerleading. During the day, Krista is an Associate Registrar at Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a background in policies, educational curriculum and record management

Nick Verburg – Vice President / Athlete Director

vicepresident@cheercanada.ca | athleticdirector@cheercanada.ca

Nick is the National Athlete Representative for Cheer Canada coming from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has been involved in our sport for the past 7 years, and within that time has participated in almost every aspect of the sport. As an athlete, he has been a member of Team Canada Coed Premier for the past five seasons, as well as competing in All Star Worlds 4 times. As a coach, Nick coaches in the scholastic world with a middle school and a high school, as well as coaching All Star at multiple levels and ages. Nick is in the professional world of cheer as the head coach of the Blue Bombers Cheer and Dance team, and also works as a judge. As a passion project, Nick sits as the president and founder of The Lift Up Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing the accessibility of cheerleading across Canada. As a member of Cheer Canada, he sits as the Chair of the Scholastic and University Committee.

Stephanie Kennedy – Treasurer

accounting@cheercanada.ca

Stephanie Kennedy (B.Sc,. B.Ed., MA) has been involved with cheerleading and gymnastics for over 40 years as an athlete, coach, gym owner, judge, board member, event producer, and speaker at conferences. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her contribution, dedication, and excellence within the sport and her community. She is passionate about coaching and helping athletes grow through sport into leaders both on and off the mat. Stephanie is a mom of four amazing teenagers, a former high school math/science teacher, and the founder of the Lazy Parenting podcast, where she shares her knowledge of the growth and development of children and teens with parents.

Danielle Hillard – Secretary / Central Representative

secretary@cheercanada.ca

Danielle is a true believer in quality sport programming and is passionate about keeping Cheerleading safe and inclusive for all participants. Danielle has over 20 years of experience in the sport. She is a UWO Mustang Cheer alumni, where she earned a degree in sociology and criminology, followed by a diploma in HR Management. Danielle is a former Team Canada Coed Elite and Premier athlete. In her professional life, Danielle heads up the Education Department at a Provincial Sport Organization, managing the National Coaching Certification Program. She is well-versed in safe sport initiatives, risk management and coach education. Through her various roles as a high-performance athlete, coach, clinician and choreographer, Danielle has an in-depth understanding of the sport through numerous lenses. Danielle’s strong background in coach education, both as a coach and an administrator, brings a unique perspective to Cheer Canada’s Board of Directors. She is thrilled to be able to give back to the sport that means so much to her.

Justin Bertok – Director at Large

justin@cheercanada.ca

Justin fell in love with cheerleading in the mid 1990’s as the combination of acrobatics, dance, and gymnastics was a level of athleticism and showmanship was irresistible.  A cheerleader through high school, he was also a member of the Edmonton Eskimos cheer team and performed across North American.  It was during these adventures that he found true joy in helping others, passing on skills, developing different coaching techniques to suit specific athletes and helping guide legislation as the world of cheerleading grew and evolved.  In recent years, Justin became a judge handled logistics, marketing, merchandising.  Joining the board in October, 2023, Justin is ready to take that next step and assist in the growth of cheerleading.

Chris McLeod – Director at Large

chris@cheercanada.ca

Chris has Indigenous ties with communities in both Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. Since 2001, he has been involved in the cheerleading industry as a coach, judge, athlete and event producer.  He operates Cheer Factory Inc., a provider of choreography, skill development, music production and coach education in over 30 countries including Canada. In addition to cheerleading, Chris has worked extensively in education, strategic planning and engagement, economic development, governance and youth and community development, particularly in the Indigenous space. He has spent two decades developing and implementing capital projects, designing curriculum and policy, building strong relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous government, non-profit organizations and the resource sector and advocating for Indigenous inclusion across multiple industries. Chris is the Chief Executive Officer of Northern Strategic Partners, Chief Operating Officer for Bears Lair and Chief Risk Officer for Challenges Canada. He also owns and/or provides governance and business advisory/engagement consultation for companies including SpruceLab, Indigenous Initiatives, SunSpear and Fernie Coffee Roasting

Brittany Hawkins – Director at Large

brittany@cheercanada.ca

Brittany Hawkins grew up in the gymnastics gym and made the switch to cheerleading in 2006 when she retired from national level gymnastics. She attended Douglas College where she graduated with a Sports Science Diploma and later became the General Manager and Program Director of a gymnastics club in Chilliwack. In 2012, Brittany joined Team Canada and has since competed for the All Girl Elite and Premier Divisions. In 2019 Brittany made a switch in her professional career however she still coaches cheerleading at Gems Athletics and is a facilitator for Gymnastics BC’s Foundations Coaching Courses. In the cheerleading off season Brittany is a medical trainer for the Ladner Pioneers, a Sr B Men’s lacrosse team.

Genevieve Pelletier – Director at Large

genevieve@cheercanada.ca

Starting her cheerleading career in the 1990s, Genevieve was a scholastic athlete from middle school through to college. At an early age she would volunteer at local cheerleading competitions doing any role they would allow her to do. It did not matter if it was tabulating scores, directing the teams to the floor or line judging, she just wanted to be involved in the sport.

As a coach she has had the pleasure of coaching athletes from age five to the collegiate level. She currently holds the position of Director of Cheerleading for a football association and is a huge champion for grass roots and community cheer. She can often be found guest coaching with other football associations or educating on the importance of safety regulations within traditional recreational cheerleading.

Todd Knihnitski – Western Representative 

WesternRep@cheercanada.ca

Todd is a co-owner of Prairie Fire Cheerleading and someone who loves everything about coaching. He has an Education degree and a Sports Science degree along with many years of coaching in several sports for the last 22 years. Todd is proud to help our sport grow locally, provincially and Nationally. When he isn’t coaching, Todd travels, hikes, and bikes with his family: Cristina, their two sons and two daughters (the four foot variety). He is an advocate for social justice, wellness and the health of our planet.

Cheer Canada Committees 

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Standing Committees

Operational Committees

Working Groups and Task Forces