Facilitator - Moderator - Public Engager - Potter

“Because I care what people have to say, and what their experiences have been, I have the courage to ask “that question” and the empathy to create a safe environment for people to answer. That’s me in a nutshell.”

I’m Sandra, owner and senior moderator at Johnston Research for the past 16 years.

Relationships are very important to me. I love taking the time to understand what people and organizations are facing and then developing a research approach that will support decision making, strategic planning and growth. I don't have all of the answers, but I do believe that my superpower is listening to what’s being asked for and then uncovering what’s actually needed.

Describing what I do in one sentence would be that I’m a facilitator-moderator-public engager. Yes, they're all different. Yes, I do all of them. In the simplest terms though, I'm the person you go to when you want to explore your audience's point of view and have a meaningful conversation.

The small print: I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta. I am a RIVA-trained market researcher and IAP2 trained public engagement professional.

I am very active in my community. I’ve been a board member with the Market Research Intelligence Agency (MRIA) and have served on a few different Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Committees. I facilitate the judging of the Advertising Club of Edmonton (ACE) Awards and conduct guest lectures at the University of Alberta School of Business on qualitative research practices.

In my spare time, I am the President of the Edmonton Potters’ Guild and I try to spend as much time at the wheel as I can.