I gratefully acknowledge that I have made my home in amiskwacîwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This is the ancestral land of the Treaty 6 signatories and other Indigenous peoples as well as Metis Nation Region 4. It is a great privilege to live, work, and play on this sacred land that has been an important gathering place for thousands of years. I am dedicated to honouring the traditions of this land and I am committed to being a good ancestor for the generations to come.

Stop

Step out of the everyday and be present

Collaborate

Build (or reimagine) a collective why and co-create goals

Listen

Discover the power of being fully heard and the power of listening without responding

About Melissa

Melissa is a collaborator, an optimist, and a believer in the power of the collective. She has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 19 years, a role which has allowed her to hone her skills in connection, effective problem-solving, and enhancing communication. She is passionate about using these skills to build relationships and communication in groups and organizations.

Melissa has completed a Certificate in Restorative Justice and a Certificate in Dialogue & Civic Engagement, both from Simon Fraser University. She is a dedicated volunteer in her community and has served as Chair on the boards of the Edmonton Youth Justice Committee Society, North Glenora Community League, and Coronation Parent Fundraising Society. Most recently, Melissa became the Director of Communications and Community Engagement for T5M Connect, a development company that has built multifamily housing that is environmentally sustainable, accessible, and community-oriented. The greatest challenge and joy of Melissa’s life has been raising 3 incredible daughters with her husband, David.

Services

Community Engagement

Getting input from your community or members
Increasing involvement of members, employees, and/or volunteers
Tapping into collective wisdom

Strategic Planning

Step out of the everyday work of your organization to create or re-discover a collective “why”
Investigate the past, present, and future of your organization
Co-create specific goals and a plan for implementation

Group Facilitation

Design meetings that are more engaging and productive
Integrating circle practices into organizational work
Support collective problem-solving for a specific issue or problem

Why Do We Need A Facilitator?

“Facilitate” - to make easier; help bring about

Synonyms: ease, grease, loosen up, smooth, unclog

Although communication is one of the fundamental things that makes us human, it can be really hard. We often get into conversational ruts and forget why we are doing the work we are doing. A Facilitator offers a fresh perspective and uses conversational tools to allow everyone to be heard and also fully hear others. This results in conversations and meetings that are engaging and inspiring with forward momentum. Melissa’s superpower is to see the gaps while simultaneously seeing the potential.

Relationship and trust are the foundations for collective effervescence

There is power in embracing mystery and creating space for iterative processes

Abundance mindset: everything we need is already here

Authenticity, creativity, and fun are powerful tools for working together

Reciprocal generosity - I am dedicated to sharing my gifts with purpose-driven organizations, regardless of their financial situation. I use a “pay-what-you-will” fee approach tailored to each group.