THE AUTHORS

Joan McArthur-Blair, copresident of Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting, is a powerful speaker, writer, and facilitator who grounds her work in a deep passion for learning, change, and the possibilities of a positive future. She is a leader in appreciative inquiry, providing facilitation, team development, leadership development, resilience workshops, and keynote presentations. She brings to her consulting work over twenty-five years in higher education, in positions ranging from faculty to president. As a consultant, her work takes her to many parts of the world. Her clients range from institutions of higher education to for-profit companies. She fosters leadership in all its forms—working to lift up the work of others, especially women in leadership.

She has sat on and/or chaired community arts boards, executive leadership institutes, and boards related to education and sustainability. She has been humbled by the recognition of her work and especially warmed by receiving the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Paul Elsner International Leadership Award. She has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from the University of British Columbia. She is a poet, the author of many articles on appreciative inquiry, and the coauthor with Jeanie Cockell of the book Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education: A Transformative Force.

Jeanie Cockell, copresident of Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting, is an educational and organizational consultant. She specializes in collaboratively designing strategies to surface the wisdom of individuals and groups in order for them to build positive futures and to respond effectively to change. She is a dynamic facilitator who is known for her creativity, sense of humor, sensitivity, and ability to get diverse groups to work collaboratively together.

Her consulting practice is grounded in her education background, which includes teaching and leadership roles. She teaches, presents, and delivers workshops in a variety of areas: appreciative inquiry, team building, leadership, diversity, and facilitator training. Jeanie has held leadership roles as mathematics department head, associate dean, dean, and advanced education project officer. She has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from the University of British Columbia.

She is a leader in using appreciative inquiry as an organization, team, and community development process; an educational approach; a research methodology; and a foundation for living well. She travels worldwide to facilitate workshops, speak at conferences, and consult for clients. Jeanie is an established author who has published articles on appreciative inquiry and leadership and coauthored with Joan McArthur-Blair the book Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education: A Transformative Force.

Roxanne Low Photography
Jeanie Cockell (left) and Joan McArthur-Blair (right)

Joan and Jeanie happily live and work together in Victoria, BC, Canada. They love being near the ocean, swimming, walking with their puppy, and spending time outdoors. Their work and interests take them around the world, and they have had many adventures exploring and learning new things. They enjoy family and friends and especially time with their daughter, Mar.