I am a consultant and a Program Advisor at Polytechnique Montréal’s Direction de la formation et de la recherche. I work with faculty and programs for the creation, development and evaluation of programs of study.

I am a regular external reviewer for the Agence d’Évaluation de la Qualité en Enseignement Supérieur (AEQES) of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Belgium).

Having close to 30 years of experience in higher education, I have assumed roles, amongst others, as Sociology college teacher, college Director, Career Services Manager (University of Ottawa), Professional Development Director (Hopital Montfort) and Curriculum and Quality Assurance Specialist (University of Ottawa. I have also managed several higher education programs and school development projects.

I have a bachelor and master’s degree in Sociology (specialized in statistical analysis) and have completed my Ph. D. studies in Educational Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.  I also have a Lean / Six Sigma Yellow Belt and taken graduate courses in Project Management and Public Administration.

My collaboration with Higher Education and Beyond has shown me that we share this participatory and collaborative vision. The HEB team is much more about listening than talking.  They will suggest different scenarios rather than indicating a single course of action, uses the experience of all stakeholders to foster a convergence of ideas and thus achieve the goals of the mandate. Although extremely rigorous, the approaches used are flexible and conceived to give everyone the opportunity to express themselves and make a significant contribution to the organizational objectives entrusted to them. 

Above all, collaborating with the HEB team, either as a partner or as a client, is a most pleasant endeavour. 

I am the Founder and Principal Consultant of Strong Roots Consulting, a Saskatoon-based firm that helps organizations that work for good, do better. Since launching the company in 2012, I have supported over thirty non-profit organizations, charities, government units, faith-based groups, social enterprises, and multi-stakeholder initiatives in the areas of program evaluation, strategic planning, and organization capacity-building. Prior to moving to Saskatoon, I worked in research and evaluation capacities for two community-based programs operating out of Kingston (Ontario) Community Health Centres. My educational background is in the applied social research field of Community Psychology, having completed a Master’s degree in that area at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2011.

Professionally, I am an active member of the Canadian Evaluation Society (including its Saskatchewan chapter), the American Evaluation Association, and the Society for Community Research and Action (the community psychology division of the American Psychology Association). I also co-host Eval Cafe, a podcast that hosts conversations on current trends in the field of evaluation.

Outside of work, my hobbies include photography, music (playing trombone and jazz drums with the Saskatoon Community Bands), and exploring cities.

In my work with Higher Education and Beyond, I have found our respective practices to be strongly aligned when it comes to both the how and the why we approach the work. I appreciate the willingness to explore the complexity of our work and avoid simplistic solutions, supported by taking the time to understand the organizational and community contexts that we operate in. The team sees the importance of attending to both the big picture of what a project is supposed to accomplish while also being mindful of the small details and the need to continually engage with key stakeholders. 

Above all, what keeps me involved with Higher Education and Beyond is how each team member brings complementary skills, knowledge bases, and experiences to the work. We recognize the need to question our assumptions and be open to learning from each other and everyone involved with a project. Finally, while we all are committed to the work, we also recognize the importance of being human with each other and those we work with, enabling us to collectively go further and go beyond.

I am an instructor in the Faculty of Public Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa. I design, develop, and teach career development and employability courses for undergraduate students in the faculty. Through my consultancy work, I undertake career development and work-integrated-learning research and work with clients in government, non-profit, and public sectors. My research has been funded by Canadian federal and provincial Governments, and a variety of charitable organizations.

I have taught and researched adult learning, career and professional development, mentoring, and leadership for over 20 years, and was responsible for quality assurance of work-based learning in the adult education sector in a region of the UK. I currently serve on the Experiential Learning Steering Committee at Carleton University, the National Stakeholder Committee for Supporting Canadians to Navigate Learning and Work, and the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education. I also hold Board positions at CERIC, and the Asia Pacific Career Development Association.

I have a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Qualified Teacher Status), M. Ed. and PhD. in educational policy and cultural studies from Queen’s University. I am a Fellow of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy), UK.

Working with HEB is a pleasure and privilege. Our approach is one of defined accountability, built on common understandings of project goals and trust in our diverse skills and talents.   

I appreciate how we combine our abilities and knowledge to improve project workflow and goal acquisition. HEB facilitates team-wide support, within which we are able to contribute to all-around skill-sharing and increased productivity. This has enormous benefits for our clients who have access to a wide range of experiences and skills within our team that allow us to explore complex problems and produce innovative solutions strongly aligned to all stakeholder needs. Learning from HEB colleagues is not just a benefit of collaboration for us, it’s the first step towards building effective and appropriate solutions and initiatives that will take your organization through change and beyond.