Gary Gervais – Founder and President B.A., J.D., M.B.A.
Gary is the President of Heartland. He was born and raised in Winnipeg. He lived in Ehime-ken, Japan for three years teaching English on the JET Programme.
Keira Bulloch – Director, Winnipeg B. Comm (Hons)
Keira is the Director of Heartland. She graduated with a double major in International Business and Marketing from the University of Manitoba, where she also obtained her Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education.
Douglas Aguiar – Marketing Director
Douglas Aguiar moved to Winnipeg from Brazil. He has a degree in Tourism and Hospitality from Brazil, and a post-graduation in International Business from Red River College. He started at Heartland as IELTS Manager in 2017 and now he is taking on the role of Marketing Director.
Moe (Mo-eh) Moriizumi – Administrative Assistant & Japan Marketing
Moe is originally from Japan and has post graduations in Hospitality Management from Japan and Red River College. Moe is also Heartland’s Japanese Marketing Specialist and she is available to work with partners and future students in Japanese. Any inquiries about Heartland study programs, and for information about how to apply, please email
Jasmin Geling – Student Concierge
Jasmin Geling is the Student Concierge at Heartland. She completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature and Philosophy at The University of Winnipeg. She started her career at Heartland as the Administrative Assistant in 2017 and transitioned into this new role in 2022. Jasmin is also responsible for coordinating Heartland Winnipeg’s social media accounts. To learn more about the Student Concierge program e-mail .
Scott Lao – Activities Coordinator
B.A., Scott recently returned to Winnipeg after having spent 15 years living in southern China. Prior to living in China, he didn’t know any Chinese, but he is now fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese. After learning Chinese for 5 years, he earned a TESOL certificate and taught at various schools for 10 years. Aside from that, he also has experience developing curriculum for language-learning as well as training teachers.
Miguel Osco – Test Centre Manager
Miguel is a graduate from Red River College. As the Test Centre Manager, Miguel supports candidates throughout their English testing journey. He is responsible for managing all Heartland’s testing locations in Manitoba.
Accounting
Yoshiko Watanabe is the accounting clerk at Heartland. She moved to Canada from Japan, and graduated from the Tourism Certificate Program and Accounting Certificate Program (honours) at Red River College.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Carol
B.A., Carol is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg majoring in English Literature. She taught English in Chile for nine years. She received her certificate in TESOL from the University of Winnipeg in 2008. She has been teaching at Heartland since 2001.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Jeneen
B.A., Jeneen is a graduate of the University of Manitoba with an advanced major in Linguistics and a major in Spanish. She also obtained her Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (CTESL) from the University of Manitoba. She has been teaching at Heartland since April 2008.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Jeff
B.A., Jeff recently returned to Winnipeg after spending just over a decade teaching and developing curriculum for ESL students in South Korea. He has his B.A., English (Film Studies, Theatre) from University of Manitoba.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Ken
B.A., Ken received a B.A., English from the University of Manitoba and CELTA certification from International House in Bangkok. He has experience teaching at universities in China and Canada.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Michelle
B.A., M.A., Michelle has called Winnipeg her home since 2011 and joined the Heartland team in April 2019. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies (with a double major in German Studies) and a Master or Arts in Literary and Media Studies from the University of Bamberg.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Margaret
B.A., M.A., CTESL, Margaret is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, where she double-majored in English Language and Literature and Art History. She obtained her TESL certificate at the University of Manitoba. She also holds a Masters of Arts degree in Cultural Studies (Curatorial Practices) from the University of Winnipeg. She has been teaching English as an Additional Language for about 13 years, and she has been teaching at Heartland since 2021.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Grace
B.A., Grace is a graduate of Briercrest College in Saskatchewan majoring in Linguistics: TESOL, standard 2 certification. With a passion in language, she has taught in diverse cultural settings, including China, Korea, and across Canada. As an educator, Grace is committed to creating a supportive learning environment where each student can discover their potential
Teacher, Winnipeg – Naomi
B.G.S. Naomi has a Bachelor of General Studies in Arts and Science with a focus in nutrition from Athabasca University in Alberta. She later discovered her love of teaching English and became TESL certified. She fosters an environment where students are encouraged to grow and reach their English language goals.
Teacher , Winnipeg – Alberto
B.A. in ESL, Alberto is licensed English teacher with over 10 years of experience and had successfully guided students from A1 to B2 proficiency levels, helping them achieve IELTS and CELPIP results from B1 to C1. His approach to teaching is to make classes both interesting and enjoyable, while always considering each student’s unique needs and creating engaging, tailored experiences that foster improvement.
Teacher, Winnipeg – Nicole
B.A., TESL, Nicole is a graduate of Brandon University with a major in Gender and Women’s Studies. She received her Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certificate from the University of Winnipeg in 2017. She taught English in Colombia for one year, and has been teaching English online and in-person for 7 years.
Michael Dawod – Owner, Mississauga
Michael Dawod brings over 10 years of corporate experience, including his role as National Operations Manager for IDP-IELTS in Canada. During a visit to Heartland’s Winnipeg campus, he met founder Gary Gervais and was struck by the school’s welcoming atmosphere. Inspired by this, he opened the second Heartland campus in Mississauga in 2015, following the same successful model, culture, and values.
Amanda Hall – Director of Student Engagement, Success and Pathways, Mississauga
Paula Tadros – Business Development Director, Mississauga
Paula’s love of the English language started at a very young age and continued through her studies in English and Journalism. This, coupled with her world travels, have made her uniquely suited for her role as Business Development Director at the Mississauga campus. She loves meeting and assisting the students and helping them become comfortable with their studies at Heartland.
