I am an experienced public policy advisor and public engagement specialist with a passion for cooperative housing, urban planning, public participation and social media. I posses a Master of Public Administration degree and have over 20 years of public policy research, analysis, advocacy, and communications experience.
Currently, I’m the Communications Director for the Cooperative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC). My volunteer activities include servicing on the Board of Directors of Rooftops Canada, the international development program of co-operative and social housing organizations in Canada. I also volunteer as a peer support group leader for the MS Society of Canada and an associate editor of Spacing Vancouver.
Experience
My past positions have included:
- Executive Director for the Vancouver City Planning Commission;
- Community Builder at Strong Towns;
- Program Manager for Re-Imagine Downtown Vancouver;
- Communications manager for SFU Public Square, including the We The City: 2015 Community Summit;
- Community engagement consultant for various private sector, non-profit and community organizations;
- Director of Community Engagement at PlaceSpeak, an online public consultation platform;
- Senior Research Analyst at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy;
- Policy Advisor for the Assembly of First Nations; and,
- Various policy analysis roles with the governments of British Columbia and Canada.
I am also a social media specialist with experience in content creation, website maintenance and online community management. Please visit my résumé page to learn more about my professional experience and community involvement.
Highlights
- Senior public sector and non-profit administrator
- Community housing advocate with specific interests in non-profit cooperative development and governance.
- Experienced community engagement specialist with a passion for community planning, public participation and online engagement.
- Skilled in digital communications, including creating compelling content for websites, blogs and social networks and social media optimization.
- Proficient in the research, analysis and outreach of public policy issues
- Effective in liaising between various audiences to provide accurate and actionable information
Specialties
- Community (cooperative and non-profit) housing development and governance
- Communications
- Government relations
- Public policy research, analysis and advocacy
- Community engagement and facilitation