Date: Monday, January 26^th
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. AT
Location: Microsoft Teams Link (Note: a link will be shared with attendees closer to the event)
Register HERE.

Speaker bios:

Tobey Gullick-Scott ('05)

Tobey graduated from Acadia University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Kinesiology with Honours. During her time at Acadia, she served as Student Program Coordinator for the Kinderskills Program, was a member of the Acadia Kinesiology Society, and worked with Dr. Darren Kruisselbrink and Dr. René Murphy on Honours research studying alcoholic hangovers and their effects on performance. Driven to live the Acadia Life to its fullest, Tobey built lasting relationships with peers and mentors, including Ann Dodge, with whom she maintains a close connection to this day.

After graduating, Tobey completed Teacher's College at Western University and taught at Landmark East School in Wolfville before returning to Ontario. Her career path included roles at Bethany Hills School, Campfire Circle (formerly Camp Oochigeas) as the first Youth and Young Adult Leadership Specialist, and Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. She currently serves as a Secondary School teacher and advisor in the Learning Support Department at Lakefield College School, where she also mentors Grade 11 students through the Leadership, Character and Values Program and coaches the Sailing Team.

Tobey's teaching philosophy is grounded in a coaching mindset - creating meaningful opportunities for growth, setting high expectations, and supporting students as they work toward them. She is passionate about mentoring young people through the challenging years of adolescence and is a dedicated advocate for experiential learning, outdoor education and youth leadership.

Outside of work, Tobey enjoys camping with her family, spending time in Algonquin Park, and cheering on her two daughters. She remains deeply connected to the East Coast and is proud of the unique adventure and community that Acadia and Wolfville provided during her university years.

Scott Dempsey ('25)
Scott Dempsey(he/him) is Director of Career and Experiential Learning at Acadia University and a graduate of Acadia’s MEd Inclusive Education program. He brings a strong background in student support and mentoring in post-secondary settings and is committed to making career development accessible and welcoming for all students.

James Michener ('09)
James Michener graduated from Acadia University in 2009 with a degree in Professional Studies, Bachelors of Recreation Management. James spent all his years at Acadia playing with the Axemen Football team, achieving 2nd-team All-Canadian and Academic All-Canadian honors in his final year while serving as one of the team captains. He currently resides in Stouffville, Ontario, with his wife Anna Michener. James started a career in medical sales in 2010 and currently holds the position of National Sales Director with STERIS Canada in the HealthCare sector. James oversees strategic initiatives aimed at expanding market share and enhancing client satisfaction. His career spans 16 years in healthcare sales, with a proven track record of driving revenue growth and mentoring emerging leaders. James is passionate about leveraging technology to improve patient care and is an advocate for collaborative leadership. When he's not working, James enjoys spending time with family and friends at the cottage, performing acoustic guitar covers at local venues, and keeping healthy, mentally and physically, with regular fitness activities.

Matthew Holmes ('24)
Matthew graduated from the Kinesiology program in May of 2024. During his five years at Acadia, he played football and was a S.M.I.L.E. leader, paired with the same buddy for all five years. Matthew completed the Exercise Science practicum and was the senior S&C (strength and conditioning) coach for the women’s rugby team. He also worked with COLS (Centre of Lifestyle Studies). Each year Matthew was listed an Academic All-Canadian.

After graduating, Matthew completed his CEP (Clinical Exercise Physiologist) designation and spent a year working full-time with the COLS program, first as a research assistant and then moving on to fill the role of Program coordinator designing and running multiple community programs around the neighbouring municipalities as well as working in the family practice on Earnscliffe in a clinical setting. The programs were group fitness classes tailored to older adults, many of whom had chronic medical conditions. The clinic time involved working one-to-one with a diverse population, running physiological assessments, designing and prescribing exercises (i.e. rehab) and providing some lifestyle and nutritional counselling.

Currently, Matthew is working as a Clinical specialist with the orthopaedic division of Johnson & Johnson (Depuy Synthes). In this role, he covers five area hospitals, providing assistance in the operating room on how to properly use the orthopaedic equipment.

Working with both with the Trauma Division and the Joint Reconstruction Division, Matthew supports hip and shoulder replacements as well as “open reduction internal fixation” procedures (fractures that are fixed with plates and screws).

Outside of his full-time role, Matthew runs an online fitness and health coaching business with a close, long time friend providing him the opportunity to continue applying his knowledge from his degree and his own research and experience.

When Matthew is not working, he focuses his attention on his own fitness and wellness by going to the gym, being active on a daily basis, video games, time with family and friends, and playing guitar.