Testimonials
Coaching
“As I was moving from one stage/chapter of my life to another I was not fully aware of the possibilities and pitfalls. I was just flooded with nagging feelings that my life was unclear, and all was not copasetic. Through this transitioning time, I was fortunate enough to enlist the guidance and harness the wisdom of a life coach, Heather Graham.
Gently and with compassion, honesty and remarkable insight, Heather travelled with me as I reassessed, thought through and began to recreate my life’s journey. At the end of our agreed upon time, I felt focused with a renewed sense of self confidence, direction and vitality.”
Susan Goodman, Retired Leader and Consultant
Facilitation
“Thanks very much Heather for facilitating our Strategic Planning Retreat. We have had very positive feedback about your facilitation. Everyone I heard from has felt that this process did help us feel clearer on what our priorities should be – and was well facilitated.”
Barbara Wiktorowicz, Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Accreditation
“Heather, I really appreciate your wonderful facilitation, especially for narrowing down our community’s priorities and developing action plans. It was great to see the attendees’ full engagement during the discussion. I felt that something good was happening for the community as I watched the discussion, thanks mainly to you.”
April Kim, Program Manager, Partnership Grant Program – Korean Canadian Community
Collaboration
“'Heather provided consulting and facilitation support to a community collaborative that I was involved in. We were feeling a bit stuck and tired, and she was invited to help build trust among partners, and create a safe and inclusive space for us to reflect, learn and grow together. At the end of the process, our partnership was strengthened, we had a shared understanding of what authentic collaboration looked like, and a clear roadmap of how to enhance our contributions and impact.
I was so impressed by Heather's skills that I subsequently reached out to her for leadership coaching. I have found our work together deeply meaningful and helpful to my personal growth as a leader.”
Catherine Yu, Primary Care and Health System Leader
“Heather developed and delivered a comprehensive training program to United Way Toronto’s staff, to enable them to utilize a new collaboration toolkit that she skillfully created with our team. Her approach was thorough, thoughtful, engaging and professional, and she was able to draw upon the skills and experiences of participants, which resulted in a highly successful series of workshops. She was also very skilled in drawing out complex collaboration issues that staff were grappling with, and facilitated dialogue that helped them to receive support from their peers as well as practical tools to apply in their work. I would highly recommend Heather for this type of work in the future.”
Lisa Villeneuve, Formerly Director of Strategic Initiatives, United Way Toronto
“Heather Graham facilitated a workshop on collaboration for the 12 partner agencies currently offering services at Bathurst-Finch Hub. Heather’s workshop was comprehensive and explored Authentic Collaboration through various activities and discussions. Partners were most impressed by the breadth of topics covered and the tangible next steps identified and captured by Heather’s approach. We look forward to Heather’s continued support and facilitation as we work to strengthen our partnerships and work collaboratively.
Michelle-Ann Hylton, Hub and Satellite Manager, Unison Health and Community Services, Bathurst-Finch Hub
"I was so impressed with work that Heather did for my previous organization that I contracted her again to work with a group of diverse service providers to develop the Dorset Park HUB. Heather and I worked closely for almost two years and I never ceased to be struck by her level of competence. Most recently I became involved in the development of the Waterloo HUB and recommended that she facilitate the development of the collaboration. To suggest Heather did outstanding work would be an understatement. The participating agencies were absolutely delighted by the road map she helped them develop, and we hope that in the coming months she will be prepared to work with us again on our journey."
Gael Gilbert, Executive Director, Supportive Housing of Waterloo;
Formerly Executive Director, Agincourt Community Services Association
Strategic Planning and Thinking
“I have had the pleasure of working with Heather in my role as Executive Director of a local social service charity, as well as through my volunteer work as a Board member for a health care organization. In both settings, Heather has consistently demonstrated exceptional professionalism, insight, and dedication.
Heather has a remarkable ability to engage effectively with a wide range of individuals — from staff and volunteers to those unfamiliar with strategic planning. She ensures that everyone feels heard and valued, creating an inclusive and respectful environment that encourages collaboration and meaningful input.
She is thoughtful, respectful, and highly organized, with a proven track record of completing projects on time, within budget, and with clearly measurable outcomes. Heather brings both strategic thinking and a personal touch to her work, making her an asset to any organization.”
Debbie Logel Butler,
Executive Director, Cancer Assistance Program of Hamilton Board Chair, Compass Community Health Centre
“Clarity of process with results delivered on time and within budget – that is why our organization works with Heather. She brings great joy to her work that is infectious and her understanding of the complexities of personal relationships, organizational design and effective planning has made our strategic plan successful in terms of implementation. To put it briefly, Heather understands us!”
Lorraine Purdon, Executive Director, Family Councils of Ontario
“Heather was hired as a consultant to lead Raising the Roof through a comprehensive strategic planning process with stakeholders from across Canada. I worked closely with Heather and found her to be professional, skilled, knowledgeable, supportive, and reliable. Heather was a tremendous asset for our organization and I highly recommend her.”
Carolann Barr, Executive Director, Raising the Roof
“Heather helped Massey Centre develop two strategic plans. The plans were meaningful and helped to transform our organization. She is highly qualified and skilled – an excellent facilitator – and she helped us to achieve the intended results.”
Ekua Asabea Blair, CEO, Massey Centre for Women
Leadership and Governance
“I had the pleasure of working with Heather Graham to provide two development workshops for our board of directors. She effectively led me and the board through reflections on nonprofit governance fundamentals and where the board can focus to enhance effective governance. She presented relevant scenarios to prompt thinking about the role of the board, the importance of working collaboratively, and ways to make shared decisions.
Heather is an exceptional consultant who provided outstanding facilitation services to our nonprofit board. Her ability to create a collaborative and inclusive environment fostered open communication and helped us navigate complex discussions with ease. She demonstrated incredible professionalism, insight, and patience, ensuring every voice was heard and valued. Thanks to Heather's guidance, the board has ideas for how to become even more effective!”
Sam Peck, CEO, Family Councils Ontario
“I have had the pleasure of working directly with Heather over the years with organizations and networks, engaging in strategic planning, conflict management and board/governance retreats and processes. Heather is delightful to work with. She is respectful, resourceful, able to adapt and manage challenging conversations, able to read the audience and create a positive space for dialogue. In addition, Heather is able to work across the spectrum of organizations, from smaller to more corporate, complex organizations – small community agencies to hospitals and government. She works in a timely and efficient way, and is calm and seemingly undeterred by difficult situations. I will continue to recommend Heather to colleagues and look forward to working with her again.”
Lynne Raskin, CEO, South Riverdale Community Health Centre
“Heather provided skilled facilitation at our Professional Practice Department Development Day. Her approach to the key content areas of teamwork, authentic collaboration and leadership invited thoughtful reflection and engagement. A number of individuals spoke about how much they appreciated the combination of content presented and the time spent in activities and small group discussion. She helped us to achieve our goals for the day through the sharing of your knowledge and expertise.”
Janet Anderson, Director Professional Practice, College of Nurses of Ontario
“Heather was contracted by my previous agency, Agincourt Community Services Association, to facilitate Strategic Planning and Board training. Her expertise as a facilitator, and sound understanding of the role of boards, governance and policy work provided us with an exceptional basis from which we could move forward as an agency.”
Gael Gilbert, Executive Director, Supportive Housing of Waterloo;
Formerly Executive Director, Agincourt Community Services Association