more about our people better teams... better leaders... better results... Mike Shaw- As owner and senior facilitator with PCFL, Mike lives what he brings to our clients: the desire to achieve through the success of others. After receiving a B.Sc. in Physical Geography from the University of Victoria, Mike moved to Calgary where he gained the valuable experience of working as a computer analyst within a large organization. It was either his desire for instability in his life and/or his passion for the outdoors that led to a career move into the outdoors. Over the last 25 years Mike has led a variety of teams, from youth groups to senior executives of corporations, through powerful outdoor experiences. He has gained a strong reputation for his ability to create an environment of trust, safety and confidence.  Along with his work at PCFL, Mike is also a faculty member with Leadership Development, The Banff Centre. Mike is a member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Canada's only professional association of trained and certified alpine guides and instructors.   He is also a member of the Association of Challenge Course Technology and has been involved in the design and construction of many challenge course facilities in Western Canada. This expertise in challenge and orienteering course design brings a unique dimension to Pacific Center for Leadership and the creative program elements offered. Mike is a registered Strength Deployment Inventory facilitator with the ability to skilfully integrate the learning from this tool (as well as other personality profiles) with powerful experiential elements. One of his goals is to continue to learn, grow and try new experiences. Life has certainly continued to evolve and bring with it adventure and insights. Geoff Powter- Author, mountaineer, clinical psychologist and speaker, Geoff has been facilitating team and leadership development programs with PCFL since 1989. Senior facilitator with PCFL, Geoff is also a faculty member of The Banff Centre,  and is a registered psychologist, having completed graduate training at McGill  University and at the University of Calgary. He is a certified facilitator of  numerous personality type inventory tools, such as MBTI, SDI and DISC profile.   Geoff has worked with the broadest range of clients in both the private and public  sectors and has gained a reputation for designing and providing programs that  offer the potential for deep insights and powerful results. Geoff has long-term  involvements with SaskPower, ATCO Power and ATCO Gas, Nexen, ENMAX and  The City of Calgary, amongst many others.  In addition to his love of facilitating change and growth in people, Geoff has held  a lifelong passion for adventure, especially in the mountains. He has climbed  extensively in the Canadian Rockies, where he has numerous first ascents to his  credit, and has climbed abroad on numerous occasions — including 13 mountain  expeditions to the high Himalaya.  Geoff’s passion for adventure has also led him to become a highly respected  outdoor writer. He is the author of two books — Canadian Summits, and Strange  and Dangerous Dreams; The Fine Line Between Adventure and Madness — the  latter of which won the Jury Prize at the 2006 Banff Mountain Book Festival.  Geoff’s magazine writings on adventure have also won him six National Magazine  Awards. Geoff’s commitment to the mountains of the world also saw him sit as  President of the Canadian Himalayan Foundation for seven years, and he is  currently a founding member of the board of the National Mountain Centre, an  international education and interpretation resource planned for Canmore, Alberta.  Geoff lives in Canmore, Alberta with his wife, Christie McLaren.   Colin Funk- A masterful facilitator, well versed in the integration of experiential learning with core content, Colin ensures each learning opportunity engages more than just the mind. Colin is a graduate of the BC Institute of Technology – Broadcast Communications (1981),  and a graduate of the Vancouver Playhouse –Theatre Arts and Dramaturgy (1985).   A long time Banff local, Colin served as Community Development officer for the Town of  Banff from 1990 to 1994. During his tenure, Colin worked with a myriad of stakeholder  groups building capacity in Board Governance, Volunteer Development, and Fund  Development. He held a number of positions at The Banff Centre, most notably as Creative  Program Director of The Banff Centre’s Leadership Learning Lab. Colin held the position of  Senior Administrator for the KIAC School of Visual Arts/Yukon College before leaving to  work full time as a facilitator.  His extensive experience in community development and  ability to create a generative space where ideas and people flourish, make him a great  complement to the experiential work done by PCFL.   Colin is also the Artistic Director and founder of Precipice Theatre. Since 1989, he has led  the creation of unique leadership development initiatives that bring together the arts,  ecology and business through the medium of Theatre.    Rob Turner- A member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Rob excels  in creating a safe space for our participants; both in a literal sense and by providing  license to be curious and try new things.  Rob has been involved with Pacific Center for Leadership for over 17 years providing both  facilitation and technical direction. He joined PCFL with a diverse employment background  having worked at the University of Alberta as the climbing wall manager, and directed  and facilitated a personal growth program for youth for the Town of Canmore. During the  summer months, Rob is the manager of the Adventure Ropes Course at Nakoda Lodge. In  the winter Rob continues to work as assistant manager for the Mica Heli-Ski Lodge near  Revelstoke where he guides people for personal and team learning opportunities.     Rob brings to our team a great love of the outdoors, and an appreciation for the potential  and uniqueness embodied in every person.  Rob has an unassuming presence and quiet  confidence that creates a safe environment, allowing participants to quickly engage in  learning opportunities.  He lives in Canmore with his wife Shelly where he enjoys the outdoors and continues to  be awed by the growth and development opportunities provided by his young son  William.  Marianne Wasch- With a strong background program development and event  and project management, Marianne provides administrative and logistical support to  both our team and our clients.  Marianne graduated from University of Calgary with a degree in English Literature and Linguistics.  This love of language took her overseas to live and work in Asia for three years. She moved to Banff and took a position at The Banff Centre, Conferences, where she had the opportunity of creating and implementing ESL programming and “learning vacations” for educational travel groups. For four years, Marianne held the position of program manager for Leadership Development at The Banff Centre where she oversaw all aspects of their open enrolment programs.  Marianne was drawn to the work of PCfL as she had seen the impact the experiential learning had on participants, particularly when combined with an inspirational outdoor setting.  Marianne lives in Canmore with her husband and two children.  She is a member of the board of directors for the Canmore Community Daycare and a frequent volunteer at the elementary school.  She and her family enjoy snowboarding, mountain biking and camping. Heather Walter- Teacher, trainer, group facilitator, writer and professional musician, Heather understands the importance of communication and encourages participants to connect through creative mediums.  With a degree in Outdoor and Experiential Education from Queen’s University, Heather has worked for more than 25 years in education and communications and has been recognized with a number of awards for her work, including an award from the Outdoor Writers of America, an Environmental Achievement Award from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and as an Alberta Emerald Award finalist in “Communications, Media and the Arts”. Throughout Heather’s career she has worked within both the formal and non-formal education systems, within government and non-profit agencies, and with a variety of age groups and audiences. For the past decade, she has been involved in the production of educational and documentary videos.  All these experiences contribute to Heather’s role in working with PCfL—in helping to facilitate groups on their creative journeys towards personal insights and transformative professional growth. Heather is an active volunteer, having served as chairperson on many boards, locally, regionally, and nationally. And through her travels—to diverse destinations such as Yemen, Bhutan, Viet Nam and elsewhere—she has learned from other cultures and expanded her world view.  Cathy Thompson- A true entrepreneur at heart, Cathy provides a wealth of first hand business knowledge and experience to share with clients. As a facilitator she encourages the commitment and courage leaders need to succeed.  Cathy moved to Alberta in 1992 after attending Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and Brock University in Ontario. Staying abreast of innovative practices in leadership development, Cathy is enrolled at the University of Calgary Continuing Education in the Professional Business Management program.  With more than 14 years experience as a successful entrepreneur in Alberta, Cathy now applies her business acumen to the field of leadership & team development and executive coaching.  She is a member of the International Coaching Federation, Calgary Association of Professional Coaches, and is a registered Strength Deployment Inventory facilitator. Cathy naturally acts as a catalyst to encourage leaders and teams to explore the relationship between risk and reward.  She believes the journey of growth as an individual coexists with the attainment of professional and career goals.  Cathy balances her professional career by honouring a passion for pursuing new personal limits in back country skiing, rock climbing and cycling.   Sue Panning- Bringing with her a calm, big picture approach to tackling some of the most complex situations, Sue draws upon her years of experience working with diverse groups to assist teams and organizations to grow and flourish. Sue graduated from the University of Waterloo in Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management and moved west to lead the outdoor programs at The Banff Centre for Continuing Education. Sue then moved further west to accept the role of the head trainer at the Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver.  The Rockies kept calling, however, and she returned to Canmore and joined the team at Pacific Centre for Leadership where her love of the outdoors and desire to motivate and instil a sense of confidence in others has made her a natural fit. Sue brings her practical work experience and eagerly shares her skills, interest in group dynamics and her passion for growth and development. She is well respected for her calm and direct approach with teams along with her ability to bring focus to complex situations. Sue has is an avid mountain biker and skier, sharing her outdoor travelling adventures with her husband and their two boys. She is well known for her volunteer contributions to various school groups, community boards, the Nordic Ski Club, Canmore Minor Soccer League, and many other youth activities.  Along with her work at PCfL, Sue is the director of the renowned Canmore Folk Music Festival. Anne Ryall- Combining a love of all things mountains with over 20 years of experience leading outdoor based team and leadership development programs across North America, Anne adds a solid foundation to our team.  Anne has worked with Pacific Centre for Leadership since 1994. After earning a Bachelor  of Arts degree in Linguistics at the University of Toronto, she felt the pull of the mountains  and moved to Alberta, where she obtained a Bachelor of Physical Education in Outdoor  Pursuits at the University of Calgary. For more than 15 years she has been instructing and  facilitating outdoor-based leadership- and team-development programs in Alberta, British  Columbia and the western United States.  Using the outdoor environment in order to challenge teams to reach their full potential provides Anne with a great deal of inspiration and satisfaction. In addition to her employment with Pacific Centre for Leadership, she combines her interests in languages, film and climbing by doing translation work and other projects for the world-renowned Banff Mountain Film Festival. Christo Grayling- Helping others to discover ways to live life to its fullest potential is the driving motivator behind Christo's extensive career in team and organizational development.  Christo is a graduate from the acclaimed University Associates Internship in Human Resource and Organizational Development and in 1978 Christo received the Queen's Silver Jubilee award. He has served as faculty at The Banff Centre, Leadership Development, The University of Toronto, University of Calgary and Queen's Executive Development Programs. A co-founder of Pacific Center for Leadership, Christo has extensive experience facilitating learning that focuses on personal, team and leadership development. Since 1976 he has specialized in designing and delivering experiential learning programs that develop human potential and assist organizations to higher levels of performance by enhancing the quality of team work and their commitment to action. Christo has explored the world, worked on farms, lead wilderness expeditions, worked with street kids, line workers, supervisors and business executives. He has climbed peaks in the Andes, Himalayas, New Zealand and the Canadian Rockies; paddled rivers and oceans in Australia and North America.  Christo is joined in business by his wife Barb. Together they travel and adventure with their sons Logan and Luke. Barb Hertell- With a background in human resources and outdoor education, Barb recognizes the power of using experiential learning as a metaphor to develop human potential. Barb graduated from the University of Waterloo in Honours Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies - Co-operative Program.  She is also a graduate from the acclaimed University Associates Internship Program in Human Resources and Organizational Development.  Her life long career of working with groups in the outdoors started with summer camps and moved on to a variety of public and private groups including street kids, youth leadership programs, adult volunteers, teachers, women's groups and government agencies. While working with Outward Bound, Barb moved into the area of team and leadership development with corporate groups in the outdoors. Assisting leaders to develop their personal and team potential has become her focus and passion. Barb brings the ability to make people feel safe, to be respected as unique individuals with great resources to contribute, and to be trusting of the process that creates an open environment of conversation. In addition, her work has involved first hand experience working in teams and groups as a team member herself in her career, personal and volunteer life. Doug Leonard- A seasoned senior level director with experience in the corporate, public, and not for profit sectors, Doug appreciates PCfL's experiential methods of getting teams to perform in new and innovative ways to produce better results. Doug holds a graduate degree in history and anthropology and has a strong and enthusiastic dedication to art, science, cross-cultural exchange, heritage interpretation and presentation. He is a graduate of the Museum Management Institute, Getty Leadership Program at Berkeley, University of California. He is past President of the Alberta Museums Association and past trustee of the Canadian Museums Association. He is one of the Founding Board members of the National Mountain Centre in Canmore, Alberta. He also serves as trustee for the Banff Heritage Tourism Corporation. Doug has a passion for the dynamics of groups and thrives on helping others lead resourceful, committed and motivated project teams. Having spent nearly twenty-five years in the multidisciplinary arena of human and natural history museums, he enjoys the creative interaction and interplay between individuals and groups, challenging organizational orthodoxies and exploring new growth areas. Doug has a proven record of senior level management, holding positions of Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, Director of Curatorial Services and Chief Curator in the museum field. He lives a rich and active outdoor life in the mountains with his wife Caroline.