Excellence Seminars

Jeff Gaines has been a speaker and consultant in the field of corporate and personal development since 1995. In that time he has worked with hundreds of companies all over the country in a wide variety of fields. His witty and relaxed approach to addressing complex or uncomfortable issues keeps the audience engaged, entertained and informed. A veteran leader of all 3 courses of The Excellence Series, he also has extensive experience in management, leadership, communication, motivation and emotional intelligence.

Lorraine is a highly energetic leader who has worked with people in many capacities over the span of her diverse career. She has a background as a facilitator, has worked in sales and training and has worked with people dealing with addictions. Lorraine has provided counselling and has coordinated centres that support people struggling with both drug and alcohol problems as well as food addictions. Lorraine’s personal life experiences and challenges, coupled with her sense of humour, genuine enthusiasm and her love for life, provide hope and inspiration for others. Lorraine and her husband Shawn live with their family in beautiful Victoria.

From an early age, Pam has generated opportunities for people to create excellence in their lives and in their area of passion. At 15, she began coaching synchronized swimming and by 20 was rated in the top 10 coaches in the world. Compelled to make a social contribution, she completed her education, worked in non-profit organizations and in 1983 began teaching communication, leadership and organizational skills in post-secondary education. As a lifelong learner, she took the Excellence Series in 1989, started leading programs in 1998 and became the Director of Excellence Seminars International in 1999. Pam lives with her family on Long Lake in Nanaimo.

Kim has been immersed in The Excellence Series since 1996 and leads both The Pursuit of Excellence and The Advancement of Excellence. Her energy, enthusiasm and humour create a winning combination as a facilitator. By living her life to the fullest, Kim truly ‘walks the talk’ and inspires others to go after and actualize their life-long goals and dreams. Her passion for living a meaningful and fulfilling life is evident in everything she does. Kim is committed to making a difference in our world through strengthening the fabric of goodwill globally with her W.I.N.G.S. initiative. She and her husband Mark own and operate an electrical contracting company, and are living the dream in beautiful Belcarra, BC.

Carol is a highly regarded educator in the field of personal and professional development. She began to lead courses in the Excellence Series in 1986 and she has worked successfully with thousands of people in her role as a Senior Facilitator. Carol’s life work is in assisting people in gaining clarity about what has meaning for them. Her masterful skills and insight, combined with humor and compassion create a phenomenal sense of safety in the training room. Carol has developed and taught many other courses, most recently including “Inside Passage” and “Lighting the Path”. Carol lives in Washington with her husband Stephen, an accomplished artist.

For more than 24 years as a seminar leader and group process facilitator, Larry has had one core mission: “Making a heart-felt difference by contributing in significant, measurable ways to the life satisfaction of individuals and the effectiveness of organizations.” Expressing that mission, he has conducted countless corporate trainings and public seminars throughout the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and the former Soviet Union to groups numbering 5 to 2,000. Larry has been a highly respected leader of the Excellence Series seminars since 1983. His engaging style, humor and sincerity, help participants to create personal breakthroughs in newly discovered strengths, abilities, and an expanded vision for their future.

As Head Coach of Momentum Works, Michelle coaches entrepreneurs, corporate managers, individuals, groups and teams; she also leads the Radical Happiness Community for CoachVille, a worldwide leader in coach training. A firm believer in continuous growth and skills development, she is passionate about working with people to support their success both professionally and personally. Her strong business development background includes 10 successful years with Microsoft and 2 with Dominion Information Services. Michelle’s Vision is to have a profoundly positive impact in the world and, as evidenced by her nomination for the 2005 YWCA of Vancouver Women of Distinction Award, she is doing just that.

For 23 years, Jim has educated and enlivened the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals who have attended his presentations. Whether speaking to corporate audiences or the general public, he presents topics interestingly and humorously, consistently receiving rave reviews from companies from coast to coast and around the world. In addition to leading The Pursuit of Excellence for over 20 years, Jim custom designs and develops a range of relationship-building topics. Jim Sorensen is also an accomplished artist and illustrator, with seven books to his credit. He lives in Seattle with his wife Brenda and daughter Katelyn.

An experienced seminar leader and executive coach, Brent has worked with thousands of individuals across Canada and internationally since 1992. He serves as a member of the associate faculty for Royal Roads University , teaching personal leadership, ethics, coaching and teamwork, and is a seasoned facilitator of the Pursuit of Excellence and The Wall. Known for his humour and clarity, Brent combines an understanding of business with tremendous skill in individual and group learning processes.

Robyn completed the Excellence Series over 20 years ago and largely credits the programs for helping define her career path. With an education in broadcast journalism and marketing management, she brings 20 years of corporate experience in executive coaching, media training and strategic communications. She receives stellar reviews for her humorous and engaging corporate presentations, demonstrating a keen understanding of human resources and the strategic issues impacting executive level leaders. Robyn is also an emerging documentary filmmaker / producer and lives in Victoria, BC with her husband Mark.

Involved with Excellence Seminars for over 10 years, first as a Service Representative, and then as a Program Leader, Nadia delivers each program as if it were her first. Combining a quirky sense of humour, her own personal life stories and rich, diverse background with the program materials, participants are fully engaged in each step. Nadia, in partnership with her husband Brian, runs three large businesses in British Columbia and uses those life experiences to fully illustrate different dimensions of the courses she facilitates. With compassionate courage she embraces whatever participants are willing to share and stands with them in the fire as they move forward to make the necessary changes to improve the quality of their own lives.

Lorraine is a highly energetic leader who has worked with people in many capacities over the span of her diverse career. She has a background as a facilitator, has worked in sales and training and has worked with people dealing with addictions. Lorraine has provided counselling and has coordinated centres that support people struggling with both drug and alcohol problems as well as food addictions. Lorraine’s personal life experiences and challenges, coupled with her sense of humour, genuine enthusiasm and her love for life, provide hope and inspiration for others. Lorraine and her husband Shawn live with their family in beautiful Victoria.

Michelle Ross is a long time Grad that has volunteered many times since completing the Excellence Series in March 2000. In September of 2008 Michelle joined the ESI Team and wears many hats including Operations Manager, Yukon Volunteer Coordinator, Assisting Workshop Leader, and Yukon Program Coordinator. Michelle brings many skills to the table with a career in Financial Services from 1987 to 2003, and then becoming a Reiki Master-Teacher in 2003. Michelle is the owner operator of HeartBody & Soul Healing Centre, where she works one on one with clients, teaches Reiki Classes, Hawaiian Healing practices, Breathing Techniques & Guided Mediations. Her personal mission is to “Promote Positive Living for Children & Families, Fostering Reverence & Respect for all Living things, Making a Difference in our Families, Communities & the World.” Michelle lives & works in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island with her husband, Angus

As a highly successful sales manager and coach, Christina’s passion lies in the service and connection of meeting the needs of her clients. With a fun and engaging style, she has lead workshops and coached individuals to success over the last 10 years. To further her understanding of human relationships, both with self and others, she is currently studying to be a Registered Professional Counselor. Christina credits the Excellence series for teaching her principles she has applied to her life, enriching her relationships and resulting in a more fulfilling experience of life.