Words-Pictures-Music

Professional Overview:

• Writer, editor, photographer, website designer, filmmaker, musician, and activist in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
• Social entrepreneur and heritage practitioner.
• Career as a media and communications professional spanning three decades.
• Editor of hyperlocal media, particularly community newspapers and newsletters.
• Manager of a diverse portfolio of clients from the non-profit and small business sectors.
• Additional services include photography, videography, website design/content, and social media management.
• Produced a community access program for SHAW TV about local activism from 2013-2017.
• Producer, cinematographer, and writer of five grant-supported short films.

Public Speaking Engagements:

• GROW Women Leaders Summit
• Goethe-Institut Montreal (Edmonton event)
• Unitarian Church of Edmonton
• Launch of a new anti-hate initiative in Edmonton (#HateFreeYEG).
• NDP Federal Convention 2018 (via video)
• International Week at the University of Alberta
• Meetings of the West Edmonton Interfaith Coalition on Poverty (WEICOP)
• Edmonton Inner City Health Research and Education Network (EICHREN)
• Presenter at the annual conference of Public Interest Alberta (PIA)
• Conference of the Alberta Labour History Institute
• Part of a panel of community leaders at an InterVivos event “Citizen Edmonton” concerning community engagement.
• Numerous United Churches in Edmonton
• Various groups and events organized by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights.

Community Involvement:

• Prairie Regional Director with the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor).
• Former board member with the Edmonton Social Planning Council.
• Former board member with the Aspen Foundation for Labour Education.
• Part of the founding steering committee of the Daughters Day initiative (and now the Coordinator).
• Former president of Project Ploughshares Edmonton.
• Former board secretary with the Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action.
• Founding member and former Director of Communications with Friends of Church Street.
• Performs music and speaks about activism, social issues, and community/independent media at a variety of rallies and events.

Awards:

• Edmonton Arts Council Grant for Individuals and Collectives: Exploration and Experimentation (May 2023)
• Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (November 2022).
• Semi-Finalist, UK Songwriting Contest (November 2022).
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts Individual Project Grant (Film and Video – Spring 2021).
• Semi-finalist in the Music City SongStar songwriting contest (2019).
• Named “Best Activist” by the readers of VUE Weekly in 2018.
• Finalist in the 2017 International Songwriting Competition.
• Edmonton Social Planning Council Award of Merit for Social Advocacy (2018)
• Muse Award from Edmonton Muse (2018).
• Human Rights Champion Award from the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (2016).
• Salvos Prelorentzos Peace Award (2012) from Project Ploughshares for work documenting Edmonton’s peace and activist community through photography and video, as well as getting the community online and connected with social media.
• Daughter of the Year Award (2014) from the Daughters Day initiative for being a role model for women in activism.
• Spirit of McCauley Award (2015 & 2016) from McCauley Revitalization for work as editor of Boyle McCauley News, as well as a number of Revitalization-supported projects such as a series of booklets about the area and the short film McCauley Moments.
• Blog RadicalCitizenMedia.com was short-listed two years in a row for an Edmonton New Media Award in the category of Best in Political or Current Affairs. I
• Voted the second-best activist in Edmonton by the readers of VUE Weekly in 2017.

Personal Statement: A real life is an active life, one that is full of creativity, passion, and challenges.