Crystal is an experienced Executive with extensive decades long experience and a track record of success. She attended Niagara College, Brock University, Carleton University, The University of British Columbia, and Mount Royal University, where she studied Social Service Work, Political Science, Law, and Addiction Medicine, before launching her career into Political Strategy and Campaign Management, Association Management, Emergency Disaster Leadership, and Grant Writing.

Her success can almost always be traced back to her demonstrated professionalism, complex understanding of government operations, ability to build a winning team, and confident negotiation skills.

Crystal is the President & CEO of The Smalldon Group, LLC where she manages the day-to-day operations of the corporation and its clients. Her experience in Association Management reaches back nearly 2 decades and she is proud to share that experience with associations from coast to coast to help them build and grow towards their goals.

Crystal was most recently the President and Acting Executive Director of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium. IC&RC promotes public protection by setting standards and developing exams for credentialing prevention, substance use treatment, and recovery professionals. Organized in 1981, it has a worldwide network of over 50,000 professionals based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Crystal is the current, long time Executive Director of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation. The CACCF is Canada’s Addiction Workforce Regulator Association based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Crystal created and manages the operations of Canada’s Addiction Telemedicine Portal with the CACCF where Canadians can access free, unlimited, addiction counselling virtually. This telemedicine line has had more than 96 000 interactions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crystal is currently an appointed member of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Harm Reduction Fund, a reviewer at Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation on the Innovation and Research Panel as well as the Solutions Lab funding panel, and a reviewer for Canada’s Volunteer Awards. Crystal has formally participated as a subject matter expert for the Association of Social Work Boards.

She is a board member at MacKay Manor. Mackay Manor is a residential recovery home for men who have alcohol and drug-related problems. This facility has 12-Level 1 and 4-Level 2 beds.

Crystal created The Kanata, Carp, And Stittsville Stocking Project 8 years ago, where she rallies the community together each year during the holiday season and provides gifts to those in the community who are least expecting it. These recipients are surprised with elves who show up at their house with armfuls of gifts after being referred by other community members for some joy during the holiday season after a particularly difficult year.

Crystal also runs a private practice addiction counselling office and conducts personal, confidential, crisis and addiction counselling weekly.

Previous to these appointments, Crystal spent 10 years with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Government in roles ranging from Executive Coordinator to Funding creator, to Campaign Manager.  She also spent 13 months as the Director of State Outreach and Director of Campaign Mobilization for two US presidents.

Crystal spent 15 years with the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services as a team leader. In this role, Crystal was responsible for managing the teams of emergency responders, attached to Ottawa Fire Services. When there was a fire in the city that displaced residents, Crystal was responsible to coordinate a full approach to assisting the families through the trauma and tragedy that a fire brings. Concurrently, Crystal was the elected President of Ottawa Police Services Neighbourhood Watch Program and remains a member of the Board of Directors.

Crystal is a current Registered Social Service Worker, Psychotherapist, Certified Addiction Counsellor (Florida), Alcohol and Drug Counsellor Reciprocal (Minnesota), Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor Level 2 (Georgia), Canadian Certified Addiction Counsellor. Canadian Indigenous Addiction Counsellor, Canadian Certified Telemedicine Addiction Professional, Internationally Certified Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Associate member of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Member of the Florida Society of Association Executives, and the American Society of Association Executives, currently working towards her Certified Association Executive Credential. Crystal is the mother of 2 teenage daughters Cassidy and Alyssa, but she can rarely be found sitting still and not initiating some creative campaign to help someone find a solution.