Joanne has been at the heart of organizational transformation for many years. Her roles have included: organizational leadership, change management, communication, and board governance. 

She has guided learning in multiple environments, including post-secondary classroom and online professional cohorts. 

In 2018 she left consulting to join the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre as it underwent significant transformation, supporting in multiple roles including Interim Executive Director. Joanne went on to lead Women in Film and Television Atlantic through board renewal and organizational restructuring as their first Executive Director, before joining Big Waves in 2024. 

(Full disclosure: online search will reveal another whole life in time-based media. Ask if curious!)

With Big Waves, Joanne offers guidance to greater clarity and shared understanding through questions like:

• How do we do things here, and why, and what does that look like in everyone's work?
• How can we know when something is a timely pivot, and not scope creep or mission drift?
• How can we learn to see what/who we habitually overlook?
• How can we know when we are on track to have the impact we intend, and recognize when a seeming indicator is actually a diversion? 
• How can we discern the right approach to AI for our culture, our collaborative, relational strengths, and our embodied realities? 
• How can we set and protect a pace that allows us to sustain our work?
• How do we notice gaps in flow, and where do we bring that noticing, to be addressed in ways that will last?
• What decisions do we make, and what kind of input gives them greatest impact?

Her work is grounded in complexity and sensemaking frameworks like Cynefin and Theory U, collaborative decision methodologies like Sociocracy, and relational practices like ORSC and Deep Listening. Joanne has become nerdy about relational and human-centred AI stewardship. 

Core sources of joy infusing all of her time, including work time, are mixing vinyl, being in nature with friends, her dogs Rexy and Gala (The Galaxy!), and life partner Brook, and disappearing into divination with the I Ching and her tarot decks.

Selected developmental experiences:

AI + Wisdom | Service Space

AI Stewardship | MaRS Discovery District

Art of Hosting Meaningful Conversations | The Outside

Bachelor of Public Relations | Mount Saint Vincent University

Cafe At The Edge of the World | Wolf Willow Institute for Systems Learning

Cynefin Basecamp | The Cynefin Company

Deep Democracy | Waterline

Deep Listening | Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer Polytechnic

Foundations of Complexity: Strategy | Complexity University

Fundamentals of Bridging | Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley

Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC)™ Fundamentals | CRR Global

Planning for Uncertainty: How to Create an Agile Strategy | Inspiring Communities

Six Sigma Yellow Belt | Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute

Sociocracy: Facilitation (decisions), Founder Dynamics, Performance Review | Sociocracy For All

Strategic and Operational Planning | IONS (Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia)

U-school for Transformation | Presencing Institute at MIT

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