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Our
Team:
The team at Pacific
Center for Leadership is chosen for their commitment to development and
unwavering belief in people. Our program leaders bring years of
practical experience designing and delivering learning engagements that
produce outstanding results and they have a proven track record of
skillfully assisting teams and individuals to move to higher levels of
performance.
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Geoff
Powter
(email)
Geoff has facilitated team
development programs since 1989. Using experiential learning
opportunities and insightful awareness, he is committed to
helping teams and leaders achieve exceptional results.
Geoff has a B.Sc (Hons) and a Master's Degree in Clinical
Psychology from McGill University. He has run private
counselling practices in Canmore, Alberta. |
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Geoff has been the
editor of the award-winning Canadian Alpine Journal for 13 years,
has written award-winning adventure travel stories for many
international publications, and is the author of a new book on the
psychology of risk and adventure which won a prize at the 2006 Banff
Mountain Book Festival. “Strange and Dangerous Dreams – the line
between adventure and madness” is a fascinating book bringing out
Geoff’s life experiences as a clinical psychologist, an avid
mountain climber for more than 30 years around the globe and an
engaging story teller and facilitator.
He lives in Canmore,
Alberta.
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Christo Grayling
(email)
Christo Grayling
specializes in Leadership and Team development for organizations
that are on the move.
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. |
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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.
In his words: “My purpose
is to assist myself, my family and others to discover ways to live life
to the fullest; to help individuals and organizations seek out ways of
becoming even more effective in creating the results they want;
facilitating rich conversations.”
Christo is a graduate from the acclaimed University Associates
Internship in Human Resource and Organizational Development. In 1978
Christo received the Queen’s Silver Jubilee award. He is an associate
faculty of the internationally renowned Banff Centre Leadership
Development division and has been a faculty member for the Universities
of Toronto, Calgary and Queen’s Executive Development Programs.
Christo is joined in
business by his wife Barb. Together they travel and adventure with their
sons Logan and Luke.
| Barb Hertell
(email)
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Over the past 25
years, Barb has specialized in designing and delivering
experiential learning programs that enhance leadership, team and
personal performance. She is a graduate from the acclaimed
University Associates Internship Program in Human Resources and
Organizational Development. She also completed a degree in
Honours Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies at the University of
Waterloo. Barb is committed to
providing safe learning opportunities through custom-designed
experiential activities. She believes that “through experience, people
have an opportunity to examine their own beliefs, assumptions, attitudes
and opinions about team and leadership in a fun and unique way. Through
examination, people then have an opportunity to create even more
effective individuals, teams and relationships.” |
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Having been a team member
and working with groups throughout her career, Barb believes very
strongly that effectively working teams can produce incredible results.
“Each individual brings unique resources to a team. When we mutually
realize our individual strengths and recognize the value of working
harmoniously, greater results will be accomplished.”
Barb places a high priority in creating
opportunities in all aspects of her life - professional career, family,
friends, travel and love for the outdoors.
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Deanna Thompson
(email)
Deanna has been leading groups in the
private and public sectors for the past twenty years. She has a
specialized focus on teams within the complex areas of health and law.
As part of the PCFL team, she facilitates leadership and team
development and also offers individual coaching. Deanna creates an
environment that allows individuals to become more aware of
their beliefs, skills, and challenges, and how these influence
and are affected by a team. |
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Using
hands on learning she is skilled at highlighting leadership, team, and
personal dynamics and assisting people to see the opportunities for
learning and growth. She is continually humbled by an individual’s
courage to take risks and inspired by an organization’s ability to
improve performance and results. She believes development is achieved
through arousing curiosity, listening, and engaging in conversations.
Deanna has a real gift at hearing what is behind what is being said by
an individual or team and then helping people engage in that
conversation.
Deanna has a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Occupational
Therapy and post graduate courses and training in Group Process and
Dynamics as well as Communication and Personal Growth and Development.
Being in the outdoors rejuvenates Deanna’s
spirit and she skis, hikes, and backpacks. A regular yoga and meditation
practice brings equanimity and balance to her busy life.
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Mike
Shaw (email)
Mike Shaw specializes in
facilitating leadership and team development for corporate
client groups.
After receiving a B.Sc. in Physical Geography from the
University of Victoria, Mike moved to Calgary. As a computer
programmer for 6 years with an oil and gas company, he gained
the valuable experience of working in 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. |
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During the last 18 years Mike has worked
in numerous aspects of the outdoors; with youth groups to senior
executives of corporations. He has gained a strong reputation for his
use of the outdoors as a powerful and enjoyable learning environment.
People appreciate his ability to create an environment of trust, safety
and confidence.
Mike is a member of the Association of
Canadian Mountain Guides, Canada’s only professional association of
trained and certified 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 that we offer our clients.
Mike is a registered Strength Deployment
Inventory facilitator.
One of his goals is to continue to learn,
grow and try new experiences. Life has certainly continued to evolve and
bring with it new adventures and insights.
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Sue Panning
(email) |
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Sue Panning joined Pacific Centre for
Leadership in 1993. Sue graduated from the University of Waterloo in
Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management.
After earning her degree she moved west to
lead the Outdoor Program at the Banff Centre for Continuing Education.
Sue moved further west to accept the role of the head trainer at the
Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver. The Rocky Mountains kept calling,
however, so she came to Canmore and joined the team at Pacific Centre
for Leadership where her love of the outdoors, desire to motivate and
instill a sense of confidence in others has made her a natural fit.
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Sue brings her hands on
and practical work experience to our clients 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 and loves to share outdoor experiences and
traveling adventures with her husband and their two boys. She actively
volunteers in her community of Canmore and is well known for her
contribution 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 one of the head organizers for the
renowned Canmore Folk Festival.
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Anne Ryall
(email)
Anne Ryall has worked as a team development
facilitator 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. |
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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.
Janet Miller
(email)
Janet Miller has worked with Pacific Centre
for Leadership since 1997. The opportunity to assist people to challenge
their beliefs and behaviours through experiential learning is an ongoing
source of inspiration for her.
Teaching skiing brought Janet to the mountains as a young woman. She has
taught outdoor skills such as hiking, climbing and backcountry living,
and is a Day Hiking Guide and member of the Association of Canadian
Mountain Guides. Her passion for wildlife led to several years of
providing education programs for the Central Rockies Wolf Project, to
groups both small and large. |
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With a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Calgary, Janet
worked for nearly a decade as a Community Care Nurse/Manager for a large
health region. Provincial health care restructuring gave her intimate
experience with change and how it affects individuals, program delivery,
and corporate cultures.
Janet lives in Canmore, Alberta with her husband and various dogs and
cats. She strongly values working as a member of the Pacific Center for
Leadership team, and finds that her work continually affirms her belief
in the unlimited potential of people.
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Marianne Wasch
(email)
Marianne joined
the Pacific Center for Leadership team in September of 2008 to
provide operational and client service support. Her background
in sales, event management and leadership programming give her a
great understanding of why listening to people is important and
how attention to small details can make all the difference.
A native
Calgarian, 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. After acquiring a good working knowledge of Japanese,
Marianne moved to Banff to work in the tourism industry.
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Her
desire to offer people more than just a visit to a beautiful location
led her to a position at The Banff Centre where she was responsible for
creating and implementing ESL programming for overseas students and
“learning vacations” courses for groups such as Elderhostel.
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 young children. She
is a member of the board of directors for the Canmore Community Daycare
and an active volunteer at her daughter’s elementary school. She and
her family are active snowboarders, mountain bikers and campers.
| Doug Leonard
(email) 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. |
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“In the flux of today’s marketplace,
strategic and intelligent deployment of assets and resources are keys to
leadership and competitiveness. In my view, organizations that are
looking for breakthrough results must set ambitious leadership goals and
build competitive advantage by conceiving and developing new products
and services. The PCfL approach offers an ideal environment for personal
and team learning, with results that can be rapidly integrated into
organizational life. “
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 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.
He lives a rich and active outdoor life in the mountains with his wife
Caroline.
| Marni Virtue
(email)
For the past 18
years, Marni Virtue has designed and facilitated leadership and
team development programs with Pacific Center for Leadership.
Marni’s strength
is in group facilitation, the flexibility she brings to program
design, and her ability to work closely with her clients to
achieve desired outcomes. She is committed to helping teams and
individuals achieve their highest potential through increased
awareness of leadership style, team dynamics and personal
introspection. |
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Marni has designed and
facilitated leadership development sessions for a wide variety of
corporate clients based on leadership styles and tools, communication
skills, creating highly effective teams, coaching for results and
leading people through change, She works with intact teams within
organizations to increase their effectiveness and offers individual
coaching to team members.
Marni has a B.A. in
Psychology and post-graduate courses in Communication, Learning Theory
and Group Dynamics.
Marni was the former
co-owner and director of Canada’s largest mountain instruction service,
Yamnuska Mountain School, and was one of the first women to become a
member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. With this unique
background, combined with her facilitation style and depth of experience
working with corporate groups, Marni brings a creative and results
oriented approach to her work with teams and individuals.
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Althea Shaw
(email)
Althea has been working with Pacific Center
for Leadership since 1994, providing technical assistance to programs
involving challenge courses, rock climbing, and orienteering. Althea
also works in the PCFL office.
Althea has
been active in the mountains for over 25 years. Her favorite pursuits
include trail running, mountaineering and hiking in the back country.
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Althea has a degree in
Mathematics from the University of Victoria; she worked for 12 years as
a systems analyst in Victoria and Calgary. She is now the active mother
of two children and lives in Canmore, Alberta.
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