kiʔsuʔk kyukyit, Welcome to My Virtual Portfolio
SHONNA MURPHY
Community Builder | Transformative Change Strategist | Master Facilitator | Certified Leadership Coach | MA (c), Executive Leadership
My Mission:
Create conditions where people feel safe enough to explore, courageous enough to challenge, and empowered enough to lead change.
My Vision:
An interconnected ecosystem of individuals, teams, and communities strengthened through relationship, reciprocity, shared knowledge, and belonging. Working in spaces where diverse voices, experiences, and ways of knowing are valued, unlocking and utilizing collective wisdom to navigate complexity and create meaningful change.
My Values:
Safety, Trust, Congruence, Reciprocity, Stewardship
My Approach:
Relationship before results, alignment before movement, and resources before accountability.
ABOUT
I am a passionate and results-driven executive leader based in Kimberley, British Columbia. I believe leadership is about creating the conditions for people, organizations, and communities to thrive. By fostering cultures and systems that prioritize safety and belonging, embracing conflict as a flag representing that people care, and something isn't working, as well as caring for the natural world, and the commities we impact, we unlock optimum potential and participation in individuals as well as the places they choose to work in. For the past ten years, I have served as Senior Manager for Blue Lake Forest Education Society, a nonprofit that operates the largest outdoor education center and summer camp in the Columbia Basin. With a focus on empowering poeple and communities, I have led transformative programs that connect people to eachother, nature, and to their community. As well, for the past 7 years my work has extended to the ʔaq̓am community, where I facilitate leadership training, goverance and land-based curriculim development, and champion collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups. With over 24 years of experience, including impactful roles with the YMCA/YWCA and Junior Chamber International, I specialize in leadership development, governance, and change management. Inspired by outdoor adventure programming, I launched Lodgepole Leadership Consulting in 2023 and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Executive Leadership at Royal Roads University to further integrate land-based leadership into executive strategies. Like the lodgepole pine, I believe transformation begins by creating the right conditions. I specialize in creating environments where people feel safe enough to explore, courageous enough to challenge, and supported enough to transform. Through values-driven leadership, experiential learning, storytelling, and human-centered facilitation, I help organizations build stronger teams, develop emerging leaders, and create lasting community impact. As a certified Leadership Coach and Facilitator, I bring over 20 years of experience in leadership development, experiential outdoor education, adventure programming, curriculum design, and community engagement. My work has spanned diverse sectors including non-profit organizations, municipalities, schools, First Nations communities, corporate environments, hospitality, and tourism. Across these settings, I have designed and facilitated leadership programs, organizational retreats, youth development initiatives, land-based learning experiences, and community engagement processes that connect people through shared purpose and meaningful experiences. My work has been recognized nationally through awards for innovative governance onboarding, customized leadership development, and community impact. I am now completing my thesis research, focusing on how leaders can intentionally create the conditions for themselves and their organizations to move through conflict, complexity, change, and uncertainty toward new opportunities and sustainable growth.
I bring extensive leadership experience across organizational strategy, operational excellence, governance, people and culture, financial stewardship, organizational transformation and complex stakeholder relationships. Click on the photos below to explore some of my projects or visit my Project Portfolio & Insights page to dive deeper into my leadership journey.
AWARDS AND PRESS
From the beginning of the 2021school year to present I have partnered with ʔaq̓am Administration staff to run a new teen program called Guardians in Training. This is a program that focuses on ʔa·knusti- Leaders of the Land. We met with the youth twice a month to showcase a variety of land- based careers such as forest fire fighting, wetland restoration, forestry and heavy equipment operating. We will continue this program into the 2022-2023 school year.
Some of the most meaningful community initiatives don't begin with a fundraising goal. They begin with a shared belief that when people come together around a common purpose, extraordinary things happen.
Award of Excellence 2023 Community Educator of the Year by CBEEN, Columbia Basin Environmental Educators Network
Driven by the belief that every child deserves a safe, nurturing environment to belong and thrive, I advanced my commitment by becoming a PHCD Trainer in 2022. Today, I train leaders to look beyond the scoreboard and focus on emotional well-being, positive relationships, and inclusivity. I teach because anchoring our programs in these core values ensures we don't just build better participants—we build happier, healthier children.
In partnership with the ʔaq̓amnik' Elementary School, I developed a curriculum connected experiential education program for grades 3-6. Using the ʔaq̓am Community's Strategic Plan, ka kniⱡwi·tiyaⱡa (Our Thinking) I used the Tipi Pole model to introduce Indigenous teachings with an environmental approach to learning that recognizes the deep connection and relationship of Indigenous peoples to the Land.
Facilitating Important Conversations with ʔaq̓am and City of Cranbrook
I have taken a leadership role in a variety of community outreach projects such as the Joseph Creek Restoration Initiative. In partnership with the City of Cranbrook, my role involves the offering of education, social planning, and support of activities to community residents. I create opportunities for citizens to get involved with their city in ways that allow them to choose how they can participate in ways that are most fulfilling to themselves and their neighborhoods.
The Certified Leadership Coach Designation is granted to me in December of 2022 as I have demonstrated exceptional coaching skills, and have proven expertise using the Excelerator Coaching™ Model. It recognizes my completion of 76 hours of immersive, experiential coach training. My CLC designation is accredited through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).