Suzanne Allard Strutt 
Chief Executive Officer

After more than two decades of academic, volunteer and professional work in the field of communication and advocacy, Suzanne Allard Strutt joined the BC Recreation and Parks Association in 2001.  Her mandate was clear:  to lead the organization through a process of systemic and structural change, aligning the parks and recreation sector with the broader agendas of sport, health and other key stakeholders. 

Suzanne is also making it a priority to renew BCRPA’s involvement at the national level, providing leadership in the development of a national vision and agenda, as well as representing provincial and national interests in the area of sport/recreation infrastructure renewal.  She is committed to spearheading a visioning and strategic planning process for the sector that will challenge and inform the current parks and recreation delivery system.

Suzanne brings to this challenge her experience in developing the public profile of several organizations including MediaWatch and the Vancouver Multicultural Society of B.C. 

While at MediaWatch, she produced an award-winning broadcast video What's Wrong with this Picture? which examines popular media influences on the behaviour and attitudes of young people, particularly in the areas of gender and racial stereotyping.  She has also contributed to the promotion of the rights of deaf children and the development of a human-rights policy for multicultural organizations.  She is past Chair of Vancouver City Council’s Special Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities, past member of the City of Vancouver Perspectives Panel, past Director of Uzume Taiko Drum Group Society, and a former Senator of Simon Fraser University. 

Suzanne is the founding Chair of the BC Healthy Living Alliance, a coalition of influential non-governmental organizations with a mandate to prevent chronic disease and promote healthy lifestyles through advocacy and action. In her role as Chair of the Alliance, Suzanne provided leadership in the development and implementation of the Alliance's provincial health promotion strategy, The Winning Legacy. Great progress is being made in partnership with the provincial government towards achieving common ambitious health goals for the next decade and beyond. Suzanne is also a founding Director of the Childhood Obesity Foundation of BC.

Suzanne holds an undergraduate and masters degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University.  In 1992, she was selected as the recipient of both the CanWest Graduate Scholarship in Communications and the Cable Television Pioneer Graduate Scholarship.  She received the MediaWatch Award of Merit in 1991, in recognition of outstanding contribution and dedication to the work of this national feminist organization.