SBE Group - Our Team

MEET THE SBE GROUP

SUSAN BUCHANAN

FOUNDING CHANGE MAKER

Susan has been providing professional workshops for teachers, business, social workers and leaders in First Nation and Inuit communities for the past 27 years. Susan is a published author of two books, educational curriculum and is an international Keynote and Conference speaker. Her workshops have been described as enlightening, valuable, positive and dynamic.

Susan’s passion for ensuring the wellness and success of First Nations people has driven her toward the highest standard of excellence in the work that SBE Group does. Her commitment to this mission has allowed SBE Group to expand into the organization that it is today, providing top quality, culturally appropriate and results oriented workshops for all stages of life.

Susan is proudly Cree with Metis status. SBE Group is registered as a 100% First Nation owned company. Our workshops reflect our culture, way of life and our history.

Allison Moulson

CEO

Allison is a passionate educator with a background in psychology and education. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Education degree from Lakehead University. She has most recently dedicated her teaching career to teaching elementary grades. Beyond the classroom, she is a proud spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters, advocating for mentorship and the positive impact it can have on young lives. As an educator and avid volunteer, Allison understands the transformative power of education and connection in uplifting and empowering individuals, and she looks forward to continuing this work through SBE Group.
For as long as she can remember, Allison always wanted to be an educator. It happened later in her life than she planned, but she is grateful for the life experience that fostered her teaching pedagogy. Before becoming a classroom teacher, she felt privileged to have been able to stay at home with her children and support her husband’s military and educational career. Allison and her husband both grew up in Thunder Bay before living the military life in Ottawa, Victoria, and Kingston. They feel very lucky to have found their way back to Thunder Bay where they can share the joy of raising their two daughters and son with their families.
Allison values her Finnish heritage. She has a strong connection to nature and her cultural traditions such as the sauna, puula (Finnish coffee bread), coffee, and spending time with family. Allison takes pride in her Finnish SISU, which was passed down from a long line of strong females. When she’s not working, you can find her at the lake with her family, enjoying a sauna and jumping in the water.
What sets Allison apart is her genuine interest in connecting with others and her eagerness to learn with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. She treasures every chance to share experiences and build meaningful relationships. Together, with the SBE team, Allison is confident that they will continue to achieve remarkable outcomes and create lasting positive change.

ADRIENNE BUCHANAN

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Adrienne made her first contributions as a teenager to SBE Group as illustrator for our Social Education Skills Resources. These resources have been shared in over 280 First Nation and Inuit Schools in Canada. Adrienne was raised as a contributing member of SBE Group in workshop promotions, design / creation, advertising, and facilitation. Adrienne often traveled with her Mom to the communities and special conference events, which allowed her to learn more about her culture and Canada’s First Nations.

Adrienne, a Certified Life Skills Coach, also graduated from Red Deer College with a Diploma in Business Management with a major in Marketing in 2019.

Adrienne’s early start in SBE Group as well as her education and training, has supported one of her roles as a facilitator of our, Wellness Webinars, Computer Skills Training and Art Expressions Programs for youth. Adrienne is an integral member of our team that has made our workshops and training what they are today.

Aaron Banks

LOGISTICS MANAGER

Aaron was born and raised in the beautiful Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. He can be described as a quiet river that runs deep. In his free time, he pursues everything from programming and computer science to gardening and cooking. Aaron has a minimalist and sustainable life philosophy.

Aaron achieved a Combined Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Chemistry from Dalhousie University in Halifax. Aaron is co-author of two scientific papers and has held a variety of positions since completing his degree. His unique combination of skills makes him a perfect fit for SBE Group, and we are so grateful to have him as our Logistics Manager. When a problem arises, Aaron is always at hand for a quick rescue, with his calm and level-headed demeanor and his instinct for practical solutions.

When a member of our team visits your community, you can be sure Aaron was behind many aspects of our planning, from organizing travel to ensuring we always have excellent supplies to offer the best learning experience in our workshops.

While you may not come face to face with Aaron as he’s working his behind-the-scenes magic, he is an integral part of SBE Group.

JUDY N GREEN

CAPACITY BUILDER

Judy was born in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Since then, She has worked and lived in five provinces. In 2014, they returned to her husband’s home province of Nova Scotia (in Mi’kma’ki). While listening to friends from L’sitkuk (Bear River First Nation), she came to realize that her Celtic heritage and upbringing had instilled in her a world view that is in alignment with the teachings of many Indigenous cultures.

Judy’s Great Grandmother taught school on the Cape Mudge First Nations reserve on Quathiaski Cove, Quadra Island, her grandmother was raised there and her mother was born there. Judy is now an Earth Protector with Stop Ecocide Canada, who works internationally to ensure crimes against the planet are punishable. She understands that all of us are but a single member of a diverse family that shares our beautiful planet.

Judy has over 20 years of heart-centred teaching and coaching in the areas of health & wellness, self-esteem, self-empowerment, as well as computers, employment and entrepreneurialism. She draws on her experiences as a mother, grandmother, computer scientist and a veteran, to connect with people and provide them with the knowledge that can help them become the best person they can be.

Simone Suares

CAPACITY BUILDER

Simone was born and raised in South India. She moved to Thunder Bay 2 years ago and fell in love with the culture and people. Simone has a master’s degree in International Business and a 5-year career in training and Digital Marketing. In these roles, she built her skills as facilitator through curating and leading many workshops. Her time doing so kindled the absolute need to transition into a career solely based on applying these skills to make a difference.

Simone has always had ambitions for social work and has been a stalwart advocate for social justice. She loves nothing more than helping others and making the world a better place. Growing up she saw first-hand the effects of poverty and low access to resources. Every opportunity in her life was hard-earned, with a lack of equal opportunity, especially in her career. As a result, she is determined to lend her skills in lifting others out of the serious hardships that result from systematic injustice, and to make sure people are given what she wasn’t – a fair chance.

When she’s not working you can find her outdoors, exploring the corners of her city. She spends her nights reading and is an accomplished author. She is also an avid art collector and devotes free time to making her space “aesthetic,” as she calls it.

Sue Holloway

CAPACITY BUILDER

Sue is a mother of two, an entrepreneur, an author, an artist, and an educator. She has been a facilitator and educator for over twenty-five years and has worked everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms, to the wilderness, with many diverse populations. In those years, Sue is honoured to have spent over thirteen of them working in recreation and community development in First Nations communities throughout northern Manitoba and Ontario and is excited to find her way back to the north with SBE Group.
Her biggest life adventure yet has been becoming a mother. Her two wonderful boys continue to challenge, teach, inspire, and bring joy and humour to her life. Her desire to ensure they had exciting, nurturing, and relevant learning experiences was the driving force behind her founding of The Forest School—An Alternative Learning Centre. As the primary “teacher” there, Sue feels privileged to have spent many years with an incredible group of wild hearts, exploring, sharing, and discovering the multitude of things that interested them.
Sue loves connecting with people and places. She loves to travel and learn about different cultures and ways of being, and how magnificent and diverse our planet is. She finds joy, clarity and inspiration in the nature and loves to spend time exploring the forests and paddling the waters.
As an educator, Sue has seen how invaluable play, creativity and hands-on experiences are for true learning and is passionate about helping create fun, hands-on learning experiences that spark a fire within. She believes that we learn best by doing and by being the driving force of our own learning; that learning can be a wondrous adventure; and that when we take the time to search, we can discover a potential within ourselves and others that we never thought existed.

MARILYN BOOTH

RESIDENT ELDER

Marilyn is a retired Social Worker who worked professionally in Alberta and British Columbia for provincial and municipal government. This experience set her on course to learn as much as she could about the Canadian legal system and it’s profound effects on families and individuals. Marilyn has designed workshops and programs that were aimed at informing, educating and empowering individuals to achieve their potential working within the complex limitations of the Canadian Legal System.

Since her retirement from fulltime social work, Marilyn has traveled throughout Canada into First Nations and Inuit communities facilitating workshops on such topics as: dating and family violence, anger management, life skills, team building and feels very fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet and work with Canada’s first people.

At SBE Group, Marilyn is our head researcher and lead mentor. She keeps us focused on current issues and relevant topics that constantly enhance our workshops. Her compassion, insight and passion for the communities and the first people is present in all the work we do. Marilyn is our elder and guide.

As we know at SBE Group we are fortunate to work with the and in Canada’s First Peoples.

She has worked tirelessly in affecting change in that area through education and empowering individuals and families.

She moved to the Annapolis Valley in 2006 from the Comox Valley in British Columbia. Marilyn has worked in many social work settings since she started her career in Red Deer, Alberta. She has worked as a Family Court Worker, Child Protection Worker and a Family Mediator for the Government of Alberta. After moving to British Columbia in 1990 she worked for the Regional District of Comox-Strathcona as the first Victim Services Program Manager for the Courtenay RCMP and developed that program for the next 11 years. After leaving Victim Services she was the Center Coordinator for the North Island Women’s Services Society for 4 years. In 2006 Marilyn and her husband, Hank Sawchuk, moved to the Annapolis Valley to be closer to her eldest daughter. Since arriving in the Valley Marilyn has served on the Annapolis County Police Advisory Board, an Advisory Committee, for the Department of Community Services, Province of Nova Scotia and the Homecraft Committer for the Annapolis Valley Exhibition Association. Marilyn is currently the Chairperson for the Bridgetown and Area Friends of the Library. She has been a community volunteer in many areas since her high school days. Marilyn is an avid gardener, quilter and reader. Marilyn and Hank have 4 children, 4 grandchildren and one great grandson.