Prairie Chapter

Christine Markel (SHE/HER)

Regina

Chapter Vice-president

Christine Markel has over 15 years’ experience working in the environmental sector, the last ten of which have been with the Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Environment. She has held a variety of roles throughout her years of service including Stakeholder Relations Lead with the Climate Change Branch, Senior Environmental Assessment Advisor in the Environmental Assessment and Stewardship Branch and is currently a Business Performance Consultant within the Corporate Services Division. Over the years Christine has been responsible for the management and delivery of stakeholder and Indigenous engagement to support legislative, regulatory and policy development for the Government of Saskatchewan.  Christine enjoys the intersect between policy analysis and public engagement and working with a broad set of participants to seek solutions to complex environmental problems. She has a Masters of Sustainable Environmental Management from the University of Saskatchewan. She has also completed numerous courses offered through IAP2 including Foundations and Techniques for Public Participation, Strategies for Dealing with Opposition and Outrage in Public Participation, Group Facilitation Skills for Public Involvement, Public Engagement and Social Media, and Dialogue and Deliberation.

Shawn Silzer

Regina

Chapter Secretary

Shawn’s career – which includes work in the public and private sectors in both Canada and the US – has seen him develop experience in customer experience and corporate strategy, business process management, marketing /communications, change management, project management, and stakeholder facilitation. Shawn has served on the Regina Board of the International Association of Business Communicators, is certified with the Customer Experience Professionals Association, has earned his Hammer business process mastery, and is a Prosci Change Management Professional.

Maggie Bratland

Winnipeg

Chapter Treasurer

With over 20 years experience in policy and environmental management, Maggie has worked for the past 7 years in her role as a Senior Environmental Specialists at Manitoba Hydro to integrate public, stakeholder and indigenous perspectives into planning and assessing the effects of transmission line developments. She manages engagement and communication along the full Project timeline – from early design to planning to construction and monitoring. She enjoys the diverse experiences and perspectives that IAP2 members bring to the table and the new ideas that spark from every conversation.

Colleen McMahon (SHE/HER)

Regina

Chapter Communications

As a public engagement advisor in Government of Saskatchewan,  Colleen provides strategic engagement planning advice and support to all ministry public and stakeholder engagement projects.  Areas of focus include making engagement more accessible and inclusive, digital engagement, and engaging with people with lived experience,   Before joining the Government of Saskatchewan, Colleen worked for almost a decade in Crown corporations and the private sector in various marketing, market research, and communications roles. She holds a Master of Science in Market Research, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Certificate in Public Relations from the University of Regina. She has also completed IAP2’s Foundations in Public Participation and Strategies for Dealing with Opposition and Outrage in Public Participation.  Colleen also serves on the Board of Directors for Lung Saskatchewan and the volunteer board for the Sheldon-Williams Music Program.

Daniel Waycik (one/ones)

Winnipeg

Chapter Communications

Daniel Waycik brings 10+ years experience working in the non-profit sector leading projects focused on operational capacity development.  Daniel specializes on projects that leverage internal capacity and focus on empowering the individual. Daniel specializes in community and organizational safety and security practice from working from both an operational and a cultural perspective. He has over a decade of experience in the commercial security industry including event security, event traffic management, private investigations, crime prevention, community safety &wellbeing planning. Working with business improvement zones, music festivals, as well as small and large municipalities.

Daniel has a proven capacity for flexible project management & support, working within unique organizations and multi-stakeholder joint operations. Daniel takes a systemic change approach to creating solutions, supporting the inherent functions within a community instead of displacing them.

ERIN MCKAY

Winnipeg

Chapter Liaison with National Office

Erin is Director of Strategy and Governance with the Government of Manitoba’s Communications and Engagement Division. In her role, she supports Manitoba’s commitment to open government and including the public in decision-making. With a background in policy and a keen interest in making government more accessible to those it serves, Erin is excited to join the Board and to promote P2 principles wherever decisions that affect the public are made.

The Government of Manitoba received Organization of the Year at IAP2 Canada’s Core Values Awards in 2021 for launching the online EngageMB portal. EngageMB facilitates meaningful input from the public into provincial decisions.

SAMANTHA MARK (SHE/her)

Saskatoon

Board Member

Samantha is the Senior Manager with Prairie Wild Consulting Co. She leads and co-leads on a number of different projects working with municipalities, regions, Indigenous communities, and organizations across Saskatchewan and beyond. Samantha provides facilitation, engagement, policy writing, and project management. Samantha has led and co-led the development of numerous strategic plans, evaluations, needs assessment plans, district plans, municipal official community plans, zoning bylaws, concept plans, and dozens of community-based facilitations. Samantha has an honours degree from the Regional and Urban Planning Program at the University of Saskatchewan and has her full designation with the Canadian Institute of Planners.

MORGAN VESPA (SHE/Her)

Winnipeg

Board Member

Morgan has been the Manager of Public Engagement at the City of Winnipeg since 2016. With a background in environmental and First Nations engagement prior to moving into municipal engagement, Morgan’s research and professional experience has led to a keen interest in how public participation has the potential to strengthen communities and democracy.

Matt Long

Regina

Board Member

Matt is a Senior Consultation Advisor with the Government of Saskatchewan. In this role he provides advice and training to Ministries and Crown Corporations to support their fulfilling of their Duty to Consult and Accommodate First Nation and Métis communities. He also provides training to proponents on how engagement with communities can support and inform Government’s Duty to Consult process. Before joining the Government of Saskatchewan, Matt worked as a Consultation Advisor for Métis Nation - Ontario (MNO) where he prepared communication materials and organized meetings, community gatherings, webinars, and teleconferences with more than 300 participants to facilitate communication between government, proponents, Regional Consultation Committees, and communities.

He holds a BSc in Environmental Science form Brandon University and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Environmental Management from the University of Saskatchewan.

Crista Gladstone

Winnipeg

Board Member