SDA Background

Integrating Faith, Purpose, and Design

7

Faith Journey

From Brokenness to Purpose

Like many families, ours carried deep wounds of intergenerational trauma. By my early twenties, I was already lost in emotional turmoil and addiction.

In my late twenties, I discovered the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. My new faith brought hope and strength—but the deeper wounds were still there, shaping how I saw others and even God.

Years later, after falling back into destructive patterns, God allowed a final breaking point that led me to surrender fully. That moment of truth began my real healing journey—one grounded in repentance, grace, and the rediscovery of His unfailing love.

Learning with Purpose – A Short Video Podcast
(Duration: about 2 minutes)
This short podcast tells how, even during years when I was far from God, His grace quietly guided me through work experiences that prepared me for my true calling—as a Learning Architect who designs courses to help others grow, heal, and find purpose.

Recent LinkedIn Recommendations

From the Learning & Instructional Design Team at Island Health

Page Title: SDA Background

(Subtitle: Integrating Faith, Purpose, and Design)

✝️ Faith Journey

I was raised with a deep respect for Christian values, but my personal walk with God became truly meaningful later in life when I rediscovered His purpose for me through service, creativity, and learning. Since that time, I have sought to align my professional work with a faith that is both practical and redemptive—one that uplifts others and reflects Christ’s character.

🎓 Commitment to SDA Education and Values

The principles that guide my work—wholeness, stewardship, collaboration, and service—mirror the core values of Seventh-day Adventist education. I believe that learning should engage both mind and spirit, nurturing not only knowledge but also purpose and compassion. My design philosophy emphasizes growth, curiosity, and restoration—key themes within Adventist educational thought.

💼 Professional Integration

As an instructional designer, I strive to create digital learning experiences that express these ideals in practical ways:

  • Encouraging reflection and spiritual growth through story-based design

  • Promoting community and service-oriented learning

  • Using technology responsibly to enhance accessibility and engagement

🙌 Community and Service

Over the years, I have supported local SDA ministries, adult Sabbath School programs, and creative outreach initiatives. These experiences continually remind me that teaching and design are ministries in themselves—each an opportunity to help others discover their God-given potential.

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Professional Distinctions

Decades of Excellence in Education

Teaching Adults and Designing Courses

During nearly a decade of teaching higher education students and another decade of designing eLearning for universities and corporations, my body of work is packed with numerous groundbreaking accomplishments. Many of those accomplishments are featured here, along with insights into how my success in both broadcasting and teaching continues to shape my approach to instructional design.

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National Award

Canadian Credit Union Association

Federal 101 – Federal Continuance Employee Training in 2022 received a prestigious national award for outstanding learning excellence from the Canadian Credit Union Association. This exceptional course boasted a 98.6% completion rate among 1200+ employees, demonstrating its effectiveness and value in the professional development realm.

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A Trilogy of AI-Driven eLearning Examples

The possibilities are endless, engaging, and economical with Artificial Intelligence
Branching Scenarios with Articulate Storyline 360
Immerse Yourself in a Branching AI Scenario

Test your communication skills and see if you can avoid being drawn into a long, unproductive conversation with a friendly gray-haired avatar.

Realistic avatars are perfect for creating immersive learning activities where students make choices in realistic situations and safely learn from their mistakes. Because avatars cost less than human talent, these eLearning activities are economical while providing a high level of engagement and interactivity. In other words, AI-enhanced courses cost less and engage more.

 

Visit Demo
Articulate Rise for Microlearning with AI-Assisted Videos
Interactive Videos with Navigation Buttons

Another great tool from Articulate is the online course authoring app, Rise 360, which enables instructional designers to create a course in no time at all!

Try Rise with AI
AI-Assisted Introduction Videos for Moodle and other Learning Management Systems
Use Avatars to Cut Costs and Increase Productivity in L&D

Introducing our cutting-edge technology – an AI-powered video created exclusively for our Moodle site. Watch as this innovative tool brings learning to life, engaging and captivating learners like never before.

View Video

A Trilogy of AI-Driven eLearning Examples

The possibilities are endless, engaging, and economical with Artificial Intelligence.

Branching Scenarios with Articulate Storyline 360
Immerse Yourself in a Branching AI Scenario

Test your communication skills and see if you can avoid being drawn in to a long, unproductive conversation with a friendly gray-haired avatar.

Realistic avatars are perfect for creating immersive learning activities where students make choices in realistic situations and safely learn from their mistakes. Because avatars cost less than human talent, these eLearning activities are economical while providing a high level of engagement and interactivity. In other words, AI-enhanced courses cost less and engage more.

 

Visit Demo
Articulate Rise for Microlearning with AI-Assisted Videos
Interactive Videos with Navigation Buttons

Another great tool from Articulate is the online course authoring app, Rise 360, which enables instructional designers to create a course in no time at all!

Visit Demo
AI-Assisted Introduction Videos for Moodle and other LMSs
Use Avatars to Cut Costs and Increase Productivity

Introducing our cutting-edge technology – an AI-powered video created exclusively for our Moodle site. Watch as this innovative tool brings learning to life, engaging and captivating learners like never before.

Visit Demo

First West Credit Union Endorsements

Alicia Peters

Director of Corporate Initiatives,
First West Credit Union
Gary, it has been an absolute treat working with you this year on the development of our federal employee training! You’ve taken our material and ideas to a whole new level of creativity and quality. You are easy to work with and I can’t wait to finish up in 2021 and share what we’ve created with the whole First West team.

Debbie Wilson

Manager – Learning and Development,
First West Credit Union
Gary was not just an instructional designer but an innovator who inspired others to step out of their comfort zones and explore new ways of teaching and learning…. His dedication to creating effective and compelling e-learning materials was unwavering…. His dedication to learning, both for his learners and himself, is nothing short of inspirational.

Alycia Rodgers

Senior Advisor – Learning,
First West Credit Union
Gary is an exceptional talent in the field of instructional design. Working with him was a joy, his passion for creativity and his ability to bring humour into eLearning courses made every project a delightful journey. His creativity is unmatched and his unique approach to designing educational content has left a lasting mark on our team.

What People are Saying

Alicia Peters

Director of Corporate Initiatives, First West Credit Union

Gary is an absolute rock star and genius, it has been an exciting learning journey working with him and seeing his creative brilliance in action.

Liz Bailey-Connor

Chief People & Culture Officer, First West Credit Union

Gary is our instructional designer who worked on this learning and he is SO talented! We are very fortunate to have his expertise and experience.

Launi Skinner

Chief Executive Officer, First West Credit Union

I just wanted to say thank you and let you know how impressed I was with the Teams training! It was so helpful and easy to understand…Thanks for looking at ways to meet learning needs in a flexible and agile way – it worked!

Skills

Educational Research
Stays informed about educational trends and artificial intelligence by evaluating learning technologies, participating in conferences, researching, and following industry leaders
Microlearning
Develops microlearning content in various formats, including microvideos, just-in-time learning, screencasts, self-paced eLearning, interactive videos, job aids, and podcasts
l
Learning Design for Adults
Utilizes adult learning theory, pedagogy, and design models (Online Collaborative Learning, ADDIE, Agile, Reverse) to achieve positive outcomes in various learning contexts
Digital Storytelling
Uses compelling and emotionally engaging digital storytelling techniques, including digital narratives, branching scenarios, web-based stories, interactive media, gamification, and hypertext stories
Project Management
Coordinates complex projects, ensuring timely delivery, resource optimization, and outstanding results across multiple teams and stakeholders
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Designs courses that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in online instruction, empowering learners to take ownership of their learning
Professional Media Production
Combines storyboarding, scripting, lighting, shooting, and editing with studio, location, and B-roll footage for tutorial, explainer, interview, and demo videos
Liaising
Adept at liaising with multidisciplinary teams and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from various academic and corporate disciplines

Skills

Educational Research
Stays informed about educational trends and artificial intelligence by evaluating learning technologies, participating in conferences, researching, and following industry leaders
Microlearning
Develops microlearning content in various formats, including microvideos, just-in-time learning, screencasts, self-paced eLearning, interactive videos, job aids, and podcasts
l
Learning Design for Adults
Utilizes adult learning theory, pedagogy, and design models (Online Collaborative Learning, ADDIE, Agile, Reverse) to achieve positive outcomes in various learning contexts
Digital Storytelling
Uses compelling and emotionally engaging digital storytelling techniques, including digital narratives, branching scenarios, web-based stories, interactive media, gamification, and hypertext stories
Project Management
Coordinates complex projects, ensuring timely delivery, resource optimization, and outstanding results across multiple teams and stakeholders
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Designs courses that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in online instruction, empowering learners to take ownership of their learning
Professional Media Production
Combines storyboarding, scripting, lighting, shooting, and editing with studio, location, and B-roll footage for tutorial, explainer, interview, and demo videos
Liaising
Adept at liaising with multidisciplinary teams and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from various academic and corporate disciplines

What Additional Qualities Can I Bring To Your Team?

R
Honesty
Being honest with both myself and others is central to both my self-image and my brand
Creativity and Innovation
Learners don’t like boredom and my work has a reputation for being anything but boring
Sense of Humour
Although I take my work seriously, I can make delicious lemonade out of life’s lemons 😉
Teaching Background
Experience teaching ESL & EFL, special needs, and adult learners informs my design practice
Respect
All people are created equal – and anything I initiate and develop must reflect that reality

What Additional Qualities Can I Bring To Your Team?

R
Honesty
Being honest with both myself and others is central to both my self-image and my brand
Creativity and Innovation
Learners don’t like boredom and my work has a reputation for being anything but boring
Sense of Humour
Although I take my work seriously, I can make delicious lemonade out of life’s lemons 😉
Teaching Background
Experience teaching ESL & EFL, special needs, and adult learners informs my design practice
Respect
All people are created equal – and anything I initiate and develop must reflect that reality

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