Suzanne Jolly has a passion for healthy people and organizations. While she has enjoyed works working in post-secondary educational institutions, she decided in 2010 to expand her work to consulting to help individuals, communities and organizations create a healthier world.
She surprises people consistently with her authenticity, sense of humour, honesty and enthusiasm. She believes in using best practices as a communications consultant and presenter and yoga teacher, such as:
- developing interactive products that allow for a diversity of learning styles, audience knowledge and past experiences;
- creating comprehensive evaluation tools to show and focus on success;
- offering follow-up information and referrals to other resources that allows audiences to engage with the topics beyond the initial workshop or website;
- writing and speaking with candor and professionalism, through the use of narrative that empowers and motivates audiences;
- using research to guide her yoga teachings, tying in research from a variety of disciplines such as kinesiology, public and population health, psychology, neurology and sustainability.
Suzanne comes from an interdisciplinary perspective, having worked in recreation and fitness, university administration, human resources, community development, substance abuse and violence prevention, education and communications. She received her Masters of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont, and her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Simon Fraser University. With her diverse educational and professional background, she brings the best practices and theories to support and create healthy organizations, individuals and communities. Best of all, she engages her audiences and clients in honest reflection and dialogue.
In past work in Human Resources, Suzanne worked for four years on individual and organizational change in order to enable the over 12, 000 University of British Columbia (UBC) staff and faculty to access and choose healthy behaviors. Later, she focused on student wellbeing as well at UBC, in the School of Kinesiology and later at UBC Recreation. In this work at UBC, you can see a lasting impact on the organization; she developed, in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, large scale initiatives that continue today such as UBC Thrive, UBC Sports Day and MoveUBC.
We need to engage people with “how” not “should.” Everyone is overwhelmed with “shoulds,” when they deserve to be shown what they have accomplished and build on that. ~Suzanne
She presents regularly to small and large audiences, and she has become well known to be a natural, dynamic presenter and teacher who engages her audience with stories and practical ideas to create better, healthier communities. She has presented to tweens and teens, parents, educational professionals, First Nations Elders, engineers, university students, and municipal boards. Her flexibility as a presenter, to connect with diverse audiences, is one of her strengths.
She is more than a consultant, professional educator and health advocate, however. She is very dedicated to the communities where she lives. She founded the Squamish Motorcycle Festival Association (a non-profit society) in 2014 and ran the festival for three years as a fundraiser for the local foodbank. She is also known as an adventurer: she traveled solo by motorbike through the dirt trails and roads of Nicaragua and Guatemala, as well as in the wilds of British Columbia and Washington State. She also rode the 67 kilometer mountain bike race, the Test of Metal, in the Spring of 2012 to raise awareness about cystic fibrosis and fundraise for the cystic fibrosis floor of St. Paul’s Hospital (which she calls her “Test of Lungs”). She volunteered in Malawi doing organizational change for the World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation. For eight years, she skied in the backcountry of the Coastal Mountains and mountain bikes in the woods of Squamish and Britannia Beach, BC. In 2017, she moved to beautiful Campbell River, BC, and she has been very happy to live on Vancouver Island again where she was born and raised. She’s enjoying the skiing, backcountry camping and gardening in her backyard, along with her husband and two rescue dogs, Moto and the Bandit.
Recognition
The Motorcycle Hub Magazine, Leading Ladies: Suzanne Jolly of the Squamish Motorcycle Festival. June, 2016.
Discover Squamish Magazine. Vroom Vroom! Gear Up for Bike Fest. June 2016.
The Chief Newspaper, “Motorcycle Festival Revs Up.” July 2014.
St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, “Donor Tests Her Lungs in Memory of a Friend.” October, 2012.
Sanofi Health Care Survey 2012 [pdf].”Guiding Vision, Grassroots Appeal: Employees Drive Wellness Initiatives at the University of British Columbia.” (page 5)
Benefits Canada Magazine, UBC Keeps Employees Fit in Body and Mind. July 19, 2011.
Benefits Canada Magazine, Advisory Board Member. 2011-2013.
Hi Suzanne, I was looking for some info on you to prepare myself for your introduction at the Salmon Run, and I must say, not only am I impressed, but more than that, just a little nervous as well!
I am by no means a professional presenter, just a guy who’s not afraid of public speaking, so I trust I’ll do you justice. I look forward to making your acquaintance in person at Deeley’s, and hope there will be a good working relationship between us for future events.
Kind Regards,
Ron