About MeGrowing up living with low vision I have a deep appreciation for the challenges navigating environments typically designed for cars. The sense that, if you are not able to drive: you don’t belong here. Quite often, even when more dense neighbourhoods are designed for pedestrians the concepts of wayfinding – orientation and navigation – have been forgotten during design.
Often, I have stood at an intersection trying to determine what street I had arrived at only to be frustrated by the one street sign I could find located on the opposite corner of a vast intersection out of view. I have created this site as a resource to educate, connect and share experience to improve design of our communities for accessibility and livability. A champion of local action in response to climate change and accessibility, I have enabled cities to act alongside their communities for over twenty years. Team leadership and brokering effective partnerships has been key to this success. I am a trained facilitator and Climate Reality presenter, also a Registered Professional Planner and member of the Canadian Institute of Planners. Through work with Infrastructure Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities combined with a Master of Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Planning from the University of Waterloo I apply this knowledge to present communities with different applied avenues to serve their citizens in ways that both improve accessibility and respond to climate change. Leadership Philosophy
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I believe I am on a journey of curiosity that involves understanding where we have been, where we are and where we aspire to be in the future.
I believe that hearing diverse views and empowering those least heard creates better outcomes, more accessible for all. |
I believe in the power of ideas and what can be accomplished when diverse people come together to create with open hearts and minds.
I believe that we must live a life of unified values, personally and professionally, mindful and caring for ourselves, family and friends around us. |
I believe in imperfect answers, starting with what we know now and carrying a willingness to learn and evolve along the way being both patient and bold.
I believe in being present today, living, loving learning for a better tomorrow. |
Why Work with Me?
I bring over twenty years of experience as a registered professional planner working across the Canadian municipal ecosystem actively delivering impactful programs that advance community capacity. My approach is collaborative, creative and inclusive.
Service Offerings
Advisory services are tailored to meet a variety of subject and audience needs. Please reach out to discuss how I can support you. Core areas of service offerings include:
Speaker Services
Seeking inspiration, new ideas, team-building support? I bring my experience to a range of topics that actively engage an audience on a engaging journey.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Concepts and considerations for shaping accessible and inclusive public spaces learning from examples around the world.. Partnership Building
The word means many things however working together is critical to the success of any project. |
Power of Communities
Best practices for how communities of all sizes drive social and environmental change through planning and decision making considering how to enable their success. The Power of Travel
Visiting over fifty countries and all seven continents I share how travel brings us together and what it means to travel with low vision. |
Climate Change
The urgency is real to meet global climate goals reducing emissions and adapting to impacts. Collaboration and ideation are critical to getting us thee. Leadership Diversity
Building a team of varied lived experiences brings powerful new ideas. That comes with the need for mindfulness and skills to lead in diversity. |