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Experience
We've been there when it mattered.

 

Since 2013, our founder has helped communities and businesses through floods, wildfires, hurricanes and a pandemic, across Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. She brings 30+ years in community and economic development to every engagement.

 

Featured projects

 

Southern Alberta floods (2013 to 2014)- Led an economic disaster recovery project with 10 flood-affected communities and Treaty 7 Community Futures (Siksika and Stoney). Organized 11 technical assistance teams and delivered individual business and economic recovery reports. It was the largest economic recovery project of its kind in Canadian history.

 

Fort McMurray wildfire (2016 to 2017)- Set up and ran the Wood Buffalo Business Recovery Hotline, validated businesses for Canadian Red Cross emergency relief, and led a 10-member team on an economic recovery assessment with more than 50 recommendations. This work found a way, for the first time, for the Red Cross to provide emergency grants to businesses. The hotline earned an IEDC Public-Private Partnership Award, and Leann was recognized as one of the Government of Alberta's Heroes of the Wildfire.

 

COVID-19 business and economic recovery (2020 to 2021)- Hosted a weekly webinar series on business and economic recovery and moved conferences, training and events online. The COVID Recovery program won the Economic Developers Association of Canada's Economic Recovery and Resiliency award and was recognized by IEDC for innovation.

 

2024 Alberta Wildfires- led a technical assistance team to the Jasper and surrounding region with a focus on business and economic recovery recommendartions.

 

More of our work

 

Tribal resilience: Consulting support to NOVACES for the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) "Fostering Tribal Resilience for Future Generations" project.

 

First Nation and municipal collaboration: Expert peer reviewer for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Guide for First Nation-Municipal Economic Recovery Collaboration.

 

Measuring resilience: Piloted the Resilience READI project in Rocky View County, funded by the Canadian Red Cross, to build community resilience and measure it over time.

 

Hurricane recovery: IEDC volunteer in Craven County and New Bern, North Carolina, after Hurricane Florence.

 

Caribbean preparedness: Business and community preparedness training for the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust Resilience Program.

 

Resilience training: Brought IEDC's Economic Resilience Training for Community and Regional Leaders to Canada as lead trainer. The course is now available online and in person to all Canadian communities. 

 

Tools for communities: Updated the Community Economic Resilience course (2026) with new content and case studies.

 

Tools for businesses: Developed a fillable Business Emergency Continuity Plan template and checklist.

 

Global leadership: One of 24 delegates at Virgin Unite's "Disrupting for Good" leadership gathering, hosted by Richard Branson on Necker Island, focused on post-

hurricane recovery.

 

And this is just a sample. Collectively, our experienced Team of Associates has over 30 years of consulting experience each.

 

Awards and recognition

  • 2025 Partner of the Year, Invest Alberta

  • 2023 and 2018 Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award (Resilient Communities), Public Safety Canada

  • 2021 Gold Award, Invest in Alberta / Xperience Alberta Magazine, International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

  • 2020 Innovation in Economic Development Week, COVID Recovery Program, IEDC

  • 2020 Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program Award (COVID-19 Response), Economic Developers Association of Canada

  • 2019 and 2018 WXN Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women

  • 2018 SDG Leadership Award, Global Compact Network Canada, for economic disaster recovery and resilience work

  • 2018 Shortlisted, Continuity and Resilience Professional (Private Sector), Business Continuity Institute Americas

  • 2017 Public-Private Partnership Award, Wood Buffalo Business Recovery Hotline, IEDC

  • 2016 Heroes of the Wildfire, Government of Alberta

 

Credentials

  • Professional Economic Developer (PEcD), Economic Developers Alberta, 2026

  • Certified Economic Developer (Ec.D.), Economic Developers Association of Canada, 2023

  • Planning for Economic Recovery, ICMA and IEDC (developed with FEMA), 2022

  • I-100 Basic Incident Command System, ICS Canada, 2018

 

Facing a similar challenge?

 

Let's talk about what worked, and what could work for you.

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