Join Acadia University Department of Community Development professor Dr. John Colton, tourism development specialist Shannon Guihan (’02) and adventurist Dave Greene (’08, ’16) virtually on June 27, 7-8 p.m. ADT as we explore sustainable tourism in Nova Scotia and beyond. Moderated by Executive Director, Alumni Affairs Oonagh Proudfoot (’93, ’06), this conversation is bound to set your sails in the right direction as we enter another tourism season.

Presenter bios:

Shannon Guihan (’02)

A tourism development specialist, Shannon has more than 15 years of international experience working at multiple levels of tourism development and delivery. She has worked in travel delivery and as a consultant. In her role as Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of TreadRight for The Travel Corporation (TTC), a family of 40 travel brands operating worldwide, Shannon leads the development and implementation of the group’s five-year sustainability strategy and climate action plan. Shannon also oversees the TreadRight Foundation, TTC’s not-for-profit dedicated to supporting projects under the foundation’s three pillars of planet, people and wildlife globally.

Shannon presents regularly at and participates in key industry forums and special committees. In 2018 she was recognized by Canadian Traveller magazine as a Top 40 under 40 in the Canadian travel industry and in 2021 as a Top Performer by the World Travel and Tourism Commission. She has guest-lectured at Harvard University and is regularly called on by media to share insights into the development of a sustainable tourism industry

She holds an MSc in Tourism and Environmental Management, where she focused on integrating the principals of sustainability into marine-based ecotourism, and an undergraduate degree in Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Education from Acadia University.

Her first and best job was as a sea kayaking guide in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Dr. John Colton

Dr. John Colton is a professor in Acadia’s Department of Community Development and also teaches in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program. Dr. Colton’s research interests include Indigenous tourism, sustainable tourism, community sustainability, stakeholder engagement processes, and issues related to social license and acceptance of renewable energy projects. He is the co-author of the Community and Business Tidal Energy Toolkit and the Handbook of Community Engagement for Tidal Energy. In 2009, he served on the Nova Scotia Renewable Energy Steering Committee that developed the renewable energy strategy and renewable energy targets for Nova Scotia.

He is past co-chair of the Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Program, Chair of the Centre for Rural Sustainability, and founding member of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute. He is an adjunct professor for the University of the Westfjords, Iceland. He was the east coast sustainable tourism expert for National Geographic’s World Legacy program and has served as an expedition leader for several northern Canadian river-based expeditions for National Geographic. He continues to lead northern river expeditions in Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon and Northwest Territories yearly for Canadian River Expeditions and Nahani River Expeditions.

Dave Greene (’08, ’16)

Dave Greene founded a not-for-profit speaker series called ‘Night of Adventure’ in 2013 as a platform for people to be able to share their stories of grand adventure through video, photography and storytelling. He has been exploring the human spirit through adventure over the last decade, travelling eight different routes of 30 days or more across Canada via bicycling, snowshoe, ski, but mainly canoe. He has been honoured to carry a flag for the Royal Canadian Geographic Society (Canadian Geographic) on expedition twice. In his free time, Dave works as an elementary school Learning Centre teacher and resides along Nova Scotia’s eastern shore.