Business Operations Manager
Valerie joined Maple Leaf Adventures in the fall of 2010 as our Business Operations Manager, bringing with her a passion for and a commitment to sustainability and ethics in tourism. 

She looks after the administration and operations of the business and the supply and administration of our adventures.

Valerie has over 10 years experience in the tourism industry, working in the for-profit and the not-for-profit sectors, as well as for government.  In addition to her practical experience in the tourism industry, she has an undergraduate degree in tourism planning and development and a graduate degree in recreation and leisure studies, both from Brock University, Ontario. 

She has published in academic tourism journals and textbooks, in the field of tourism ethics and sustainability and teaches a class in tourism ethics at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Royal Roads University, Victoria.

Valerie is an avid explorer of the west coast. She and her husband, Kevin Sheppard, along with their Airedale, Stanley, heeded the call of the west in 2005, moving to Victoria from Ontario.  

When not in her Maple Leaf Adventures office with a view of the ship's masts, she cherishes time spent with friends and family, including her adult daughters (who have also now heeded the call of the west … and their mother), reading, and exploring spectacular British Columbia via various modes of transportation … the Maple Leaf, kayaks, canoes, trains, automobiles, hiking boots, rain boots, and running shoes.  Valerie is also a hot yoga enthusiast and a physical fitness devotee.