Susan Hunter Email and Phone Number

This position is a leader for the West Yellowhead Regional Campuses of Grande Prairie Regional College. Contributes to the strategic leadership at a regional and departmental level as well as to projects and programs that create an effective learning environment for students, organizations, and communities throughout the region. Supervises the operations for the West Yellowhead campuses of GPRC located in Jasper, Hinton, Grande Cache, and Edson, Alberta. Identifies programming needs and business development projects, project manager for credit and non-credit regional development, collaborates with regional industry contacts to create customized training projects, supervises advertising and related publicity for course offerings. Mentors staff and facilitates the strategic planning and implementation within departments, provides leadership to specified committees, projects, and initiatives. Ensures communication between departments and College administration, consults between College divisions and service areas, establishes, supports and sustains an effective regional service delivery model through the management of West Yellowhead staff in all areas and in collaboration with department Chairs. Ensures the human resource and financial needs of the regional sites are met through recruitment, direction, and evaluation of support staff and coordination of instructional staff and programming. Secures contract training opportunities regionally and delivers corporate training, as needed. Opened new student learning commons and established smudge-friendly campus in Hinton.

On the senior executive team leading the vision, mission and operation of highly innovative environmental organization. Challenged the status quo of the business and the communications department and sought out new creative opportunities and innovative ways for elevating the business’s brand. Collaborated with the Human Resource department to deploy approaches for employee engagement in lean, continuous improvement, and change management strategies and initiatives. Co-created an annual strategic communication plan for the business and executed key elements of the plan while simultaneously providing guidelines, tools, templates, and role delegation for elements to be executed in the plans. Oversaw and facilitated stakeholder and shareholder engagement in organization and community. Created impactful business, strategic, and operational plans for organization. Worked with members of executive team to oversee all internal/external communications. Advised on public relations matters and stayed abreast of communication trends, allocated appropriate talent and resources in communications initiatives and guided them to completion, formulated strategies that ensured continued promotion and enhancement of communication activities, monitored and reported on communication key performance indicators, analyzed audience segmentation, key messages and schedules, reporting findings directly to executive team and key stakeholders, identified and promoted newsworthy stories and topics of interest ahead of the curve, establishing the business as a thought leader and increasing the business’s popularity. Developed and maintained exceptional working relationships with internal teams to identify their communication needs, balanced them with organizational priorities and available resources, identified appropriate channels and tools, and developed and executed communications plans that achieved desired communication outcomes.

The most senior role in the organization, the Executive Director is responsible for the development, execution, and management of the strategic and operational plans, policies, programs, and initiatives of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum as governed by its Board of Directors. Provided leadership toward achievement of the Museum Society’s mandates, mission, and its long-term and immediate goals and objectives. Supervised and managed professional, volunteer, and administrative staff members, through establishing and fostering a supportive, collaborative environment.Responsible for fundraising, public relations, community outreach, indigenous initiatives, marketing, written and verbal communications as well as budget preparation, fiscal management and analysis. Developed and implemented new long-range plans, engagement initiatives and related exceptional visitor experiences. Understood curatorial requirements of a unique museum collection and had knowledge of current and emerging public relations issues and trends applicable to the museum, research, education, and cultural fields.The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum is one of Canada's newest museums. It opened its doors in 2015, as a 41,000 sq. foot, world-class facility highlighting the rich fossil resources of Northern Alberta. Named for Dr. Philip Currie, Canada’s preeminent palaeontologist, the museum, located in Wembley AB serves as a hub of education and science research in the province of Alberta.

Reporting to the President, and as a member of the Executive Committee, the Vice President of Community Relations and Student Services is a senior member of the College leadership team and oversees a team of 45 staff, including five directors and an executive director of the Foundation. The Vice President creates positive relationships with the students, public, faculty, administration, staff, and other stakeholders to enhance the College profile, grow the College and its Foundation, and provide strategic direction and work plans that advance the organization locally, nationally, and internationally. The Vice President is responsible for the direction, operation and strategic planning of Communications, Branding, Institutional Research, Fundraising, Funding Proposals, Public and Media Relations, Aboriginal Education, International Education, the Registrar/Admissions, Events, Student Recruitment, Student Services, Student Residence, the Library, the Cafeteria, Program Support, Financial Aid, Strategic Enrollment Management, and Marketing.The Vice President collaborates with the community, local industry, internal academic and administrative divisions, provincial, national and international organizations, and funding agencies to maximize opportunities for relevant and responsive program activity and growth in the College. Works closely with students, staff and the community to maximize service delivery to students, oversees information analysis and resources to support student attraction and retention. Requires effective collaboration with all functional areas within the College. Co-leads stakeholder engagement sessions and outreach.

Requested by industry partner to be preferred trainer for all company levels and locations. Exceeded all curriculum delivery outcomes for optimal organizational performance. Trained 1,000 employees in key skills development ranging from communications to team building and conflict resolution for increased organizational success. Cross cultural competency and consistently strong, positive reviews led to identification as preferred corporate trainer in region.

Oversaw fundraising, branding, marketing, student recruitment, communications, alumni relations, advancement, media and public relations of the College. Guided and contributed to writing and design of organization's strategic plan. Corporate trainer for Tenaris University in partnership with Sault College. Helped organization achieve #1 status in Ontario Ministry's Key Performance Indicators in overall Student Satisfaction, and helped organization achieve campus transformation and renewal as well as grow enrolment by 32% during time with College.Strong supporter of entrepreneurial and innovative projects, non-profits, and community attraction strategies. Project lead of Study North Initiative and Communications lead for Enterprise Resource Planning. Board Member of Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of Business Development and Education Committee. Published author, professional speaker and emcee. Community volunteer on various impactful initiatives. Athena Award Nominee for Community Leadership. Mentor and executive/life coach.

Promoted from previous position with company based on proven results. Helped launch new initiative with development and implementation of state-of-the art marketing, communications and television network with an audience of 260,000 employees across the United States. Developed and delivered communication, marketing and training initiatives across the U.S. that served to help organization grow and succeed in competitive retail environment. Co-presented with company's Presidents for executive-level directives and initiatives.

Oversaw corporate training of organization across the United States. Promoted each year with company in recognition of demonstrating successful leadership.

Developed and delivered wide variety of corporate training and communications materials for large national organization to help improve company's results.