Kate Sutherland is a searcher for truths. Whether it is personal truths, community truths or organizational truths, she searches for the highest order of integrity to be found.  In these search journeys, Kate uses both sides of her brain, pushing the thinking, the methods and the margins. Kate’s work is an example of the kind of integrity one expects of an original: finding the simple truths underlying complexity and confusion of personal, collective and community change.

Kate understood quickly and intuitively where our group was at and where we wanted to go.  Her thoughtful and highly respectful approach helped build the trust we needed in order to get on with the work at hand.  With great presence and a deft hand, Kate helped us delve into tough areas of our group culture and dynamic and move ourselves to a place that was quite different – and better – than were we had been at the beginning of the process.  Her recommendations and observations helped the group continue to evolve beyond the day spent with her.  Highly recommended!

In 2007, Kate Sutherland organized Our Stories, Demonstrating Change through Storytelling, a conference for Vancouver Coastal Health’s SMART Fund. Kate had an amazing knack for bringing together artists, bureaucrats and community developers to orchestrate a conference that honoured the depth and insights of traditional Aboriginal, mainstream and contemporary storytelling. The two day event started on a high note, and just kept getting better. She created an environment of collective learning, validating storytelling as a way to express change that happens to an individual or community over time.