BSSF Director Aariz Mawji (left) standing with Principal of Constable Daniel Woodall School, Leanne Moncrieff (middle) and Ben Stelter Foundation Director Mike Stelter
The Ben Stelter School Fundraiser (BSSF) just announced that it would bring the Principal of Constable Daniel Woodall, Leanne Moncrieff, to their Advisory Board’s 2026 fundraising year.
A recipient of both the Alberta and Canadian Excellence in Teaching Award and the Alberta Inclusion Award for excellence in inclusive education, Leanne Moncrieff has built a career on excellence at Constable Daniel Woodall School.
Moncrieff wants to put this experience towards the campaign’s cause, which she personally loves.
“I’m excited to join an organization that shares my belief in the power of young people […] I want to support the next generation to lead with heart and make a real difference in the world.”
Moncrieff joins the BSSF with over 30 years of experience in the EPSB school system as both a teacher and principal across her career.
This work even made her one of the EPSB’s influential board members who shape education across the district, and the vice chair of the Zebra Child Advocacy Center.
Aariz Mawji, the director of the BSSF, thinks that Moncrieff adds an amazing diversity to the board.
“We’re super excited to have Leanne on the board. She is the first elementary school principal to join, which means we now have at least one principal from Elementary, Junior High and High School on the board, which is truly amazing.”
The organization is still making a statement of being student-led in the goal to fund the Ben Stelter Centre for Proton Therapy and Neurosciences. They maintain that this staple model isn’t going away, but will strategically partner with an adult Advisory Board.
Even Moncrieff explains that the student model remains with merit.
“I love that this fundraiser was conceived and is primarily led by our youth […] children and young people are far from powerless; rather, they are highly capable of finding the means to create real impact.”
Constable Daniel Woodall’s students promoting the BSSF campaign at the school during the 2025 fundraiser.
Their Advisory Board consists of professionals across the city of Edmonton.
The board currently includes Mike Morrison (Principal, Lillian Osborne), Jason Smith (Principal, Ottewell), Leanne Moncrieff (Principal, Constable Daniel Woodall), Ziyah Karmali (Media Relations & Communications, Explore Edmonton), Henry Madsen (Former Principal, Nellie Carlson), and Tara Jones (Teacher, George P. Nicholson).
The board has a central focus on developing insights to expand the campaign’s outreach, strengthen student leadership, and enrich the fundraising experience.
The BSSF’s advisory board provides the largely student-led initiative with expertise and certain unique abilities that come with their school or communications-based roles.
Mawji believes that “Leanne brings many years of experience in community involvement and education, and we’re super grateful to be working with her this year.”
Moncrieff also has past experience with the BSSF, leading Constable Daniel Woodall to raise $8000 to help bring proton beam therapy to Canada
Moncrieff shared some kind words with the initiative’s members as she joined their Advisory Board.
“By taking the lead, they are demonstrating exactly what it looks like to be true agents of change in their own communities”
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