Dr. Glenda Hanna      

Glenda Hanna, Ph.D., M.A., B.P.E., Principal of Quest Research and Consulting Inc., is the creator and principal investigator of YouthSafe Outdoors. Glenda has been actively researching, writing, teaching and speaking about risk management and legal liability in education and recreation for 30 years. She is the author of several books and over a hundred articles and reports on the topic and has been sought after as a speaker on the subject at dozens of provincial, national and international conferences.

Glenda is recognized internationally for her ability to effectively and accurately articulate the industry and community standard of care for outdoor education and recreation programs. She has served as an expert witness in numerous legal cases involving school boards, camps, resorts, and other organizations and has provided risk management consulting and auditing services to several organizations.

In addition to her strong commitment to “coming from research” in developing YouthSafe resources, Glenda has a huge professional and personal experiential base from which to draw on. She was a professor of Outdoor and Environmental Leadership at the University of Alberta for ten years, where she taught and mentored many of today’s teachers and leaders in the field. She has been a camp counselor, wilderness guide, trip leader, outdoor pursuits instructor (more than 20 different activity pursuits), outdoor pursuits instructor trainer and certification course examiner, technical director and Master Course Conductor of a sport/recreation certification body (the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors), municipal recreation program supervisor, and the Youth Program Director of a YMCA in Winnipeg.

Glenda has traveled extensively on land, water and snow. She’s done numerous extended expeditions: e.g.; cross country skiing from Jasper to Banff, sea kayaking the Queen Charlotte Islands, canoeing the Coppermine River to the Arctic Ocean, backpacking the Wilmore Wilderness Area. She is an avid cross country skier and six-time winner of the Canadian Birkebeiner Cross Country Ski Race (55 km carrying a 5.5 kg pack).

Glenda is the recipient of the Global Woman of Vision Award for her work in creating and authoring YouthSafe Outdoors. This award celebrates women whose personal dedication and actions toward realizing their dreams improves life in the community and serves to inspire others.