Faculty Biographies

Natasha Aruliah, BA, M.Ed. (Counselling Psychology), has worked with international students, new immigrants, refugees, aboriginal people and people of colour in Canada and Internationally. She has designed and facilitated programs for a variety of settings; community, healthcare and educational. Currently she facilitates and consults in the areas of equity, diversity and social justice, teaches on the Certificate in Intercultural Studies at the University of British Columbia, facilitates groups at Helping Spirits Lodge (Aboriginal centre) and is leading anti-racism initiatives within the Vancouver School Board. Previous clients have included the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services, and Health Canada.

Gina Buchanan, BA, MEd. is Principal of Changeways Training and Development, and on faculty in the School of Business and as part of the corporate facilitation team at BCIT and in the Centre for Leadership at the JIBC. Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Psychology (SFU), a Post-Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management (BCIT), a Masters of Education, Post-Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, (SFU) and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at UBC. Over the past ten years, Gina has successfully designed, developed and delivered a broad array of workshops, courses and programs using varied delivery methods to diverse audiences. Although varied in her work, Gina’s primary areas of practice include leadership, diversity, dialogue, communication and coaching.                               

 Kathleen M. Burke, Ph.D. is an educator, facilitator and speaker specializing in ethics, leadership, communication and decision making.   She has worked with mid-career professionals in Simon Fraser University’s Liberal and Business Studies Program since 2001 and has brought her unique and engaging style into organizations seeking to define and grow values-directed leadership.   Kathleen promotes conversations and practices which extend engagement, imagination and purpose within the workplace.

Fazal Bhimji, Cert. ConRes, BSc, CMed, has been involved with labour relations and conflict resolution since 1991. He developed and delivered labour relations training for the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association in the late 1990s and has been an active mediator/arbitrator since 2002. He specializes in workplace conflict including labour/management relations and negotiations. Fazal is a Provincial Court Mediator and a member of several mediation rosters including the BC Mediator Roster Society (Civil), the Public Service Labour Relations Board (Fed.).

Laney Bryenton is an independent consultant and trainer with a particular interest in community development, organizational health/team building and values based leadership. In her career in the disability field, Laney spent many years mentoring grassroots community advocates and was keenly involved in a variety of large scale, successful lobby and advocacy efforts to bring about positive social change for our community’s vulnerable citizens.

Jason Cressey, PhD (Psychology) (Oxford University) specializes in interpersonal and communication skills. As a consultant, he assists corporations with customer relations, team building, emotional intelligence, and other psychological factors in the workplace.

Dr. Roshan Danesh, BA, LL.B., S.J.D., is a lawyer and conflict resolution innovator. Roshan represents First Nations in BC in resolving disputes with governments, and has consulted for the United Nations on leadership and conflict resolution issues in Africa. He is the co-founder of Conflict-Free Conflict Resolution and the Youth Peace-Builder Network, and is a director of education for Peace Canada. Roshan completed his doctoral studies at Harvard Law School, and was formerly the chair of the Department of Conflict Resolution at Landegg International University in Wienacht, Switzerland.

Ruth Faber, MEd, F.L.E., is an adult educator and experienced facilitator. For 15 years she taught in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal, specializing in communication skills, group dynamics, small group leadership and facilitation. She has worked with First Nations communities as an instructor and administrator in a certificate program in community service. As a family life educator, Ruth has designed and facilitated a variety of group programs in community settings.

Bryan Fair, (PID, BSc) Bryan has been teaching part-time studies since 1985 and has "grown-up" within the world of Educational Technology (ET) since working on his first web-based course in 1993. Bryan currently works as BCIT's Educational Technology Advisor and Supervisor of BCIT's Educational Technology Support services. In addition to teaching BCIT faculty how to use ET and integrate the web into their delivery, Bryan teaches and consults with post-secondary organizations throughout the province on topics as diverse as Presentation Skills, Digital Storytelling, and Developing Online Courses.

Vals Fauquier is a consultant and educator offering unique courses and workshops in essential communication skills, leadership empowerment, and transition management. With extensive experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, she brings facilitation and training to organizations seeking new perspectives for change with a focus on the holistic aspects of organizational and personal wellness.

Patricia Galaczy, BA, M.I.R. is an educator, coach and consultant who has successfully trained leaders for over 10 years. Specializing in Human Resource Management, Skillful Communication, Healthy Group Relationships, Leadership, Visioning and Community Building, Patricia cultivates potential by engaging groups and individuals in strategic inquiry and authentic dialogue.

Raj Gill, BSc, is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and facilitator. She has 30 years of experience in health care in the areas of supervision, quality assurance, education, and training. Raj also has 15 years of experience in designing and delivering education programs for quality enhancement and utilization management, and specializes in inclusive leadership and participatory education workshops.

Maureen Hannah, Cert. ConRes., MBA (Managerial and Organizational Leadership), B.Sc. (Management), Certified Professional Coach, is an organizational, training and development consultant, facilitator and coach specializing in leadership development and conflict resolution. She has extensive experience in leadership, facilitation, consulting, coaching and mentoring in the private and public sectors in North America and the United Kingdom.

Bruce Hardy, PhD, MA, MEd, teaches in the local college and university community. He is a peer reviewer and team leader for COA, an international accreditation body and is on the board of Legal Services Society. Bruce teaches in both the Leadership and Working with Youth programs at JIBC.

Kylie Hutchinson, BSc (Health Studies), has been an evaluator and trainer in private practice since 1997. She specializes in planning and evaluation for government and non-profit agencies working in the areas of health and social services. Kylie is also an instructor for the Canadian Evaluation Society and a member of the American Evaluation Association.

Dr. Shawn Ireland, EdD, MA, MS, is a clinical psychologist by training, with 27 years’ experience in organization development. His expertise includes action-learning initiatives in support of personal and organization development including managing change, coaching, management of virtual teams, project leadership, and fostering critical thinking. He has worked extensively around the world with a variety of organizations, including international Fortune 500 companies, local government bodies, domestic government departments, and charitable organizations. He is presently an instructor at Simon Fraser University and in the Graduate School, University Canada West, in Vancouver.

Doug Kerr, BA, MEd, has provided training programs for business, industry, all levels of government, and social profit organizations for over 30 years. He focuses his practice on instructional skills; supervisory, management, and executive development; commercial negotiation skills; appreciative inquiry; and executive coaching. Doug also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership and management at post-secondary institutions in BC and Yukon.

Joyanne Landers, BA, MEd, Teacher’s Certificate, has gained a solid reputation across Canada over the past 27 years as a facilitator, trainer and coach. She builds on her wide-ranging experience guiding people in the public and private sectors to create shifts in the way they relate to their work, their colleagues, and their clients. Joyanne’s work focuses on leadership, team building and client service.

Bill Maser, BEd, MET has designed and developed courses and programs across many content areas with a special focus in online and blended learning. He has an extensive background in instructor development both locally and internationally. His teaching methods promote interactive, engaging and learner-focused environments.

Ann Naymie, MA, has delivered workshops on leadership, ethics, teambuilding, mentoring, vision/mission, and creativity in BC and Alberta. She manages Special Projects for the BC School Superintendents Association and has designed collaborative dialogue programs for schools in BC. Ann is an instructor for Vancouver Film School and Emily Carr University focusing on cinema.

Georganne Oldham, BA, M.Sc.O.D., has almost 20 years of organization and leadership development coaching and consulting experience.  An accomplished group facilitator, consultant, trainer and coach, she is particularly skilled in helping groups and individuals grapple with the complex issues that come with organizational change.  She has worked closely with management teams in public, private and non-profit organizations to facilitate needed organizational changes based on thorough needs assessment.  She received her Masters of Science degree in Organization Development from Central Washington University in Washington State.

Lee-Anne Ragan, M.Ed., B.SW., PITC is an educator and interactive trainer.  Specializing in cross-cultural conflict resolution, training trainers and communications training, Lee-Anne’s work has taken her worldwide. With over 20 years experience designing and delivering training in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, she deftly adapts workshops to meet client’s specific needs. She promises no ‘group groans’ (embarrassing or silly activities) but rather will have you laughing (being engaged), learning and leading (applying newfound practical skills) as she explores how to take back social media from the domains of marketing and sales in order to harness it for interactive, engaging training.

Leila Rahemtulla, B.Comm., has been a consultant and instructor for more than 10 years. She has experience with both public and private sector organizations and has designed and delivered courses in classroom, correspondence, and technology-based formats. Leila has extensive experience teaching organizational behaviour and management skills.

Gail Sexsmith is an executive with extensive experience in strategic leadership, organizational effectiveness, and human resources. She delivers facilitation, consulting, coaching, and adult education services that help organizations, teams, and individuals achieve superior results.

Kathleen Speakman, MBA, brings over 20 years’ experience fostering and leading strategic and sustainability planning. Over this time she has specialized in designing, resourcing and delivering combined capacity building and financing programs. Kathleen has taught strategic planning at Simon Fraser University, designs and delivers financial management training to non-profit managers and board members, and has been a senior manager with arts organizations and granting agencies across Canada.  In all her work, she emphasizes an integrated approach, placing an equal emphasis on connecting human processes to business systems, knowledge resources to strategic development and investment oriented funding to financial sustainability.

Rick Thomas, EdD, is a human resources development/learning strategist, facilitator, and keynote speaker. He has led various educational and leadership programs and has facilitated strategic initiatives in a variety of sectors. Rick’s passion and expertise revolves around enhancing workplace atmosphere through inspirational leader and team development, facilitation, culture transformation and keynote presentations.

Kathryn Thomson, B.Ed, M.A., is an organizational consultant, facilitator, educator and coach with over 16 years experience training new and emerging leaders in government, private, and non profit organizations.  Kathryn defines a leader as anyone willing to positively influence their colleagues, their staff and their workplace; and she is passionate about enabling people to bring the best of who they are to work.  Kathryn uses dialogue practices extensively to help teams define their goals and uncover the latent brilliance each individual brings to their team.  She has been teaching at the Justice Institute for the past 15 years.

Eugenia Wang, MEd, is an independent consultant with over 15 years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors in Canada, the United States, Central America, and East Asia. She is a skilled facilitator, trainer, and educator with expertise in the areas of diversity, social justice, intercultural communication, and creating collaborative spaces for strategic partnerships and dialogue. Gina is also a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant and provides advice and representation on Canadian visa and immigration cases.