Experience – Another Way

CED work involves a blend of academic training, professional experience, and personal commitment.

Academic Credentials

Masters of Business Administration
Masters of Community Economic Development
Masters of Environmental Design
B.A. in History and Psychology

Examples of Feasibility Assessment and Business Planning

Assessed the viability a new social enterprise – Ethical AI. Submitted a business case for funding, working as part of a larger consulting team of programmers, high tech investors and market researchers.
For the Multicultural Health Brokers, helped determine the feasibility of a bulk purchasing grocery box for low income, racialized Edmontonians.
With Momentum, steered the restructuring of Be Local, a community-impact driven business association. Created a business plan for the new entity.
Created a business case for Project Job Creation, a construction training and renovation social enterprise, for the Edmonton, CDC.
Developed a business plan for expanding the Bissell Centre’s casual labour offering into a larger employment enterprise.
For End Poverty Edmonton, developed the Business Case for the Community Development Corporation.
Helped launch a social enterprise, C Returns, which offers energy saving retrofits to homeowners. “The RetroFitters“ (article about C Returns – St. Albert Today, March 8, 2014).
Conducted a feasibility assessment of a multi-purpose arts centre for Innovative Services, City of Edmonton.
Developed SAGE’s frozen meals social enterprise business plan.
Created a business case for a mixed use, Children’s Resource Centre for the City of Lacombe.
Animated a community development group through the creation of two business plans – The Good Food Box, and Live Local.
For Homeward Trust, developed a business plan for a used furniture retail enterprise that helps furnished apartments for formerly homeless people.
Wrote the business plan for the Social Enterprise Fund.

Examples of Training on Social Enterprise and CED

Created and taught the curriculum for BUS 371 – Socially and Environmentally Responsible Business for Kings University.
Created and taught Social Enterprise Bootcamp for the Edmonton CDC.
Developed and taught an Introduction to CED course, as well as provided ongoing mentoring the City of Edmonton’s Community Development social workers.
Delivered a workshop on Due Diligence and the Development Process for CMHC.
Wrote a community–led housing needs and assessment process for the City of Lacombe.
Wrote the business plan for an Off Reserve First Nations for TSAG.

Examples of Housing and Real Estate

Project Managed the re-imagination of McDougall United Church into a sustainable, multiple purpose hub. Work done in partnership with Trinity Centres Foundation.
Spearheaded Project 10, the acquisition and redevelopment 10 derelict inner properties for the Edmonton CDC.
With Bissell Centre, explored the transformation of the historically significant Beverly United Church into a CED hub.
Renovated an historic, inner city commercial building using casual and refugee labour into a vibrant Indigenous arts collective building for 2072638 Alberta Ltd.
Provided early-stage consulting on creative financing options for a housing project co-sponsored by Islamic Family and Community Services and Right at Home Society.
Delivered a workshop on Due Diligence and the Housing Development Process for CMHC.
Developed multiphase, multi-building pro formas and project development concepts, as well as budget reviews, for Homeward Trust.
Wrote a community-led housing needs and assessment process for the City of Lacombe
Wrote the business plan for an Off Reserve First Nations project proposal for family, affordable housing.
Developed and delivered an Employer Assisted Housing pilot project for Alberta Employment and Immigration.
Explored the creation and adoption of good neighbour agreements for social housing projects with E4C.

Examples of CED Evaluation and Research

Calculating the true social and economic costs of derelict housing for the Edmonton CDC.
Evaluated the Super Clinic model of combined ID, banking, RESP and benefits applications into single, integrated events for Bissell Centre.
For the Edmonton John Howard Society, calculated the Social Return on Investment of a wrap-around model of natural supports for chronic offenders.
Evaluated Jobs First and the Community Bridge programs for Bissell Centre
Assisted the Early Childhood Development Collaborative with researching and developing a framework for respite care.
Developed a provincial analysis of the Pay for Sex Industry in Alberta for COARSE.
Provided outcome-focused evaluation training for various departments within Alberta Agriculture.
Developed an evaluation framework for the Community Action Plan on Human Trafficking for ACT.
For DECSA, led programmatic reviews of two employment programs that target women involved in street prostitution and/or spousal abuse.
Providing a training program on SROI on behalf of the Edmonton SROI Network.
Evaluated the 3-year Family Self-Sufficiency Project for the Capital Region Housing Corporation.
With the City of Edmonton, evaluated the SNUG program. Intended to assist women seeking to leave a street-involved lifestyle.
For E4C, evaluated the Women Moving Forward Program, intended to help women leave shelters in favour of independent living.

Examples of Policy and Practice Change

With Buy Social Canada, developed the Social Procurement framework for the Municipality of Wood Buffalo
Helped developed the Social Procurement framework for the City of Edmonton with Buy Social Canada.
With the United Way of the Capital Region, designed a community-based, large-scale poverty alleviation initiative called Communities United. 1000 Families Initiative became part of this initiative. (For more information: https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/1000-families-initiative)
For the Alberta Provincial Poverty Framework review, conducted Board and member consultations for E4C, and three focus groups with people experiencing poverty for Bissell Centre.
Helped establish the business case for a community-owned development company – the Edmonton CDC.
Created business case for the creation of a community-owned, social finance company, the Edmonton Social Enterprise Fund.

Examples of CED-Related Volunteer Experience

The Piazza (McCauley Development Cooperative) founding board member
A Better Lot (Inner City Housing Development Corporation) founding board member
City of Edmonton, derelict housing committee member
Central Edmonton Community Land Trust founding member
Global Visions Film Festival board member
Home Ed (City of Edmonton), board member
Inner City Housing Society, board member
Local Economy Trading System founding member
McCauley Community League planning committee chairperson
Edmonton Community Loan Fund founding board member