My Story

A Journey of Learning and Leadership

My path as an educational leader began in the most unexpected of places. In 2006, I found myself in Nairobi, Kenya, working on a groundbreaking project to expand access to learning. With the BBC World Interactive Learning, the Open University, and the African Virtual University, we built the TESSA Portal – the first open education resource project authored by Africans for Africans – to support teachers across sub Saharan Africa. That experience opened my eyes to the global power of open education and solidified my commitment to knowledge as a public good. It taught me that innovation in learning isn’t about technology alone; it’s about people, culture, and sharing ideas across boundaries.

Returning to Canada, I brought this passion home. I joined BCcampus in 2014 as part of a fledgling open education team and spent years growing open learning initiatives from the ground up. We challenged the status quo of pricey textbooks by developing open textbooks and resources that saved students over $40 million in textbook costs. In fact, we launched the first zero-textbook-cost program for Adult Basic Education in North America, proving that bold ideas can remove barriers for learners. As I took on increasing leadership roles – from manager to director and now executive – one question guided me: How can we make education more accessible, equitable, and empowering for everyone?

The answer, I learned, lies in leading with values. As Director of Open Education, I not only focused on open textbooks and technology, but also on people. I chaired our first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) working group, leading an organization-wide audit to examine our practices and co-authoring BCcampus’s official EDI commitment. By improving accessibility and inclusion in our resources and programs, we started to change our culture from the inside out.

In 2022, I stepped into the role of Executive Director of BCcampus. In my first year, I had the privilege of working with government and an interim steering committee to rewrite BCcampus’s mandate. We updated our mission to explicitly include our commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Embedding Indigenous reconciliation into our mandate was more than a policy edit – it was a promise to centre truth, respect, and healing in everything we do. Around the same time, we developed our new three-year strategic plan through deep consultation with students, faculty, and partners, ensuring that our future direction reflected the voices of our community.

Leading BCcampus also meant making sure great ideas have the support they need to thrive. I’ve been a relentless advocate for funding and resources to advance innovation in post-secondary learning. I’ve successfully secured significant funding – from an additional $500,000 in operational support from our government to a $950,000 USD grant from the Hewlett Foundation to expand open education initiatives. These investments have fuelled projects that put free, quality course materials into students’ hands and professional development opportunities into educators’ hands. I view fundraising not just as dollars and cents, but as storytelling: helping decision-makers see the transformative impact that equitable and open education can have on our society.

Innovation is another cornerstone of my leadership. The rapid rise of new technologies in education excites me, but it also calls for thoughtful guidance. Recently, I led the creation of BCcampus’s ethical AI guidelines – a framework to ensure that tools like generative artificial intelligence are used responsibly and inclusively in teaching and learning. Likewise, I’ve championed accessibility in digital learning design. I co-authored an open textbook Accessibility Toolkit to help educators create inclusive learning materials that accommodate diverse needs. To me, adopting innovation isn’t just about trying new things; it’s about doing so in a way that upholds our values of accessibility, inclusion, and quality.

Throughout my journey, one lesson stands above all: leadership is a team sport. From day one, I have worked to build strong, high-trust relationships with the people around me – whether they are students, faculty, government officials, or community partners. I’ve learned to listen deeply and to collaborate across silos, because the best ideas often emerge when diverse voices come together. In my career, I’ve built and led teams of all sizes, from small creative groups to large cross-functional teams, and in each case success came from fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and shared purpose. I’m proud of the network of allies and collaborators I’ve cultivated over the years; they remind me every day that we accomplish more when we support one another.

My Values

At the heart of everything I do are a few core values that guide me daily:

• Equity & Inclusion: I am committed to creating learning environments where everyone feels a sense of belonging and can thrive. Whether through policy or practice, I strive to break down barriers and uplift marginalized voices. This commitment is reflected in my focus on accessibility, diversity, and decolonization in education.

• Open Education: Knowledge is a public good. I champion open educational resources (OER) and open textbooks because I’ve seen their impact – from saving students millions of dollars to empowering instructors with adaptable teaching tools. Openness in education is about equity, affordability, and collaboration on a global scale.

• Innovation in Learning: I embrace innovation not for its own sake, but for how it can improve teaching and learning. I love exploring new ideas and piloting projects that reimagine what learning can look like.

• Collaboration & Community: Nothing meaningful in education happens in isolation. I bring people together—across departments, institutions, and regions—to share ideas and build solutions collectively. My career is built on partnerships and community engagement, from working with student unions and faculty groups to co-founding a community arts initiative early in my life. I lead through collaboration, knowing that we are stronger together.

Each of these values is more than a talking point for me – it’s a personal conviction shaped by experience. They are the compass that has guided me from one role to the next, from one project to another. And they continue to drive every decision I make.

In reflecting on my journey so far, a common thread emerges: I am, at my core, a purpose-driven leader. Every project I’ve led, every policy I’ve shaped, and every team I’ve mentored has been part of a larger goal – to make education more collaborative, inclusive, and impactful for the social good. I still think of myself as a learner first and a leader second. I’m continually inspired by the students, colleagues, and community members I work with, and I wake up every day excited to learn something new from them.

My story is still unfolding, but one thing remains constant: a deep belief that education is a force for positive change. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do this work, and I’m more motivated than ever to continue partnering with others to create a brighter, more equitable future for post-secondary learning. Collaboration, learning, and social good are not just buzzwords for me – they are the heart of why I lead, and the legacy I hope to co-create with all of you who share this journey.