Brie Thorsteinson-Ogle is the woman behind Skipti (skip-tee) Strategic Inc., a small strategic consultancy leading the evolution of behavioural communication. Brie works with organizations and individuals on strategies that influence action, one story at a time. Her 20-year career in public relations, corporate communication, culture and change spans countless industries, from airlines to energy. Her approach to each new challenge incorporates elements of psychology, Design Thinking, data science and the kind of informed instinct developed after years in the trenches.

Always trying to stay a few steps ahead, Brie is constantly engaged in personal and professional development, recently completing a master’s degree in communication management through McMaster and Syracuse University. At home, she’s a jack-of-all-trades, from Ubering kids to training her bird dog to tuning guitars and fine-tuning a book project on behaviour-based PR practice.

Communications consultant Doug Levy advises organizations on strategic communications, including crisis preparedness and response, media training and adapting to the new era of generative AI and other sources of misinformation and confusion. As a journalist, Levy specialized in science and technology and earned numerous awards, including a Peabody, for his investigative reporting. After transitioning to public relations consulting in 2000, Levy tapped his previous experience as a volunteer firefighter to advise organizations on improving emergency management, public information strategies and crisis response. He led communications at two major universities, and his consulting clients have included a wide range of public and private sector organizations. 

He is the author of the Communications Golden Hour: The Essential Guide to Public Information When Every Minute Counts, a textbook for public relations and public information professionals.

Founder of KIT Professionals and Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Hunter has spent his career thus far working with small business owners and managers to secure their business using cost-effective strategies without sacrificing efficiency.

Karen Knight has been providing volunteer engagement advice, mentoring and training for social impact organizations for close to 30 years.

An internationally recognized author, presenter, and thought leader, Karen is known for challenging conventional thinking about volunteerism, spotlighting overlooked problems, and bringing creative solutions to long-standing issues.

Kendra Stoner is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in both emergency management and communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in professional communications from Royal Roads University and an Associate Certificate in Emergency Management from the Justice Institute of British Columbia, which has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to excel in her career.

Throughout her career, Kendra has developed a strong passion for helping communities and organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. She has worked for various emergency management agencies and has been involved in disaster response efforts, including floods and wildfires. Her experience has taught her the importance of effective communication during emergencies, and she has become an expert in crisis communication and public information management.

Leila Daoud is a public relations professional with more than 15 years of experience in media relations and crisis management. Leila is a media trainer, published author, communications workshop leader, and panellist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major from the University of Alberta and received a post-graduate public relations certificate from Mount Royal University.

After several successful years as a public safety spokesperson with law enforcement and disaster management organizations, Leila embarked on an entrepreneurial journey. She founded her own public relations consultancy, Dynamite Public Relations. Through her consultancy, she has helped a diverse portfolio of international clients to enhance their reputation, increase visibility, and navigate complex media landscapes.

Lloyd Piehl has represented numerous agencies in varying industries over his 15-year communications career. Focusing primarily on public engagement, community relations and events management.

Highlights in his career include managing the grassroots communications for Hockey Canada preceding the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, leading community relations and public education for Aquatera Utilities and handling national communications for Marble Slab Creamery. 

He has worked on some of Canada’s most significant disasters, including the 2013 southern Alberta floods and several wildfire seasons in British Columbia from 2017 to 2023. 

Lloyd has received numerous awards for his work, receiving a community award from the City of Grande Prairie for his work with anti-bullying initiatives and the honour of being named a “Hero of The Flood” by the Alberta Government for his work with the 2013 floods.

Michele Toma knows that the most successful strategies are informed by knowledge gained from in-depth research and analytics. She excels at developing and executing research strategies that enable clients to better understand internal and external audiences. This then leads to designing, testing and implementing communications strategies that support achieving organizational objectives.

Whether the goal is to identify improvement opportunities in key performance areas or strengthen business-critical relationships through stakeholder relations, there’s always a need to communicate. Michele’s experience and insight will help ensure you get effective, measurable plans to identify potential issues, manage risks and be ready to navigate crises through annual planning exercises and training.

Her key skills are in-depth research and analytics, strategic planning, stakeholder relations, outreach and engagement, and issues and risk mitigation.

Mike Lupien is the principal owner of Unrestricted Public Relations – a communications consultancy and contracting service based in Edmonton, Alberta.

With 30 years of experience in public relations and marketing for corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, Mike works with organizations to build relationships with those who matter most to their success, including thorough internal communication and employee engagement strategies. 

He has a proven record in crisis communications execution and has enabled organization leaders and support teams to manage emergencies through timely communications and engagement with various stakeholders. Mike is trained in the Incident Command System and was a member of the Communications Team for the Fort McMurray Wildfires in 2016 and the Bush Creek East Wildfire in 2023.

Moose Mutlow has been professionally involved in education and the outdoors for more than 30 years. He has an Honors Degree in Environmental Science and a Post Graduate High School Teaching Certificate in Biology and Physical Education.

Moose is a Rescue 3 Agency Instructor and has been the Senior Swift-water Instructor for Yosemite Search and Rescue for 12 years. He has been featured on NPR and regional/national news discussing water safety and accident prevention. 

Moose developed and has instructed the Family Liaison Officer training in Yosemite National Park since 2010. Moose has been nationally recognized for his work as a Lead FLO and has trained the FLO’s in Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Smoky Mountain National Parks.

Moose has worked in First Response, SAR and emergency services for more than two decades as a SAR technician, W-EMT, Ski Patroller and Senior Trainer.

Moose is available for contract training and consulting.

Chief Jensen recently semi-retired after over 35 years in the fire service. He started his career on the Ventura Co. Fire Dept. fighting wildland fires. In 1990, he joined the Point Mugu Fire at NAS Point Mugu as a civilian federal firefighter and progressed up to the rank of Captain. After almost 9 years with that department, with the Ventura County Fire Dept. and again was promoted back up through the ranks through Captain, the department's Hazmat Officer, and finished as a Battalion Chief in Operations.  

Chief Jensen has a Masters degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from American Military University, a Bachelor's degree from California State University Long Beach in Occupational Studies and an Associate's degree in Fire Technology from Oxnard College. He is a certified instructor from the California State Fire Marshal, The California Specialized Training institute, FEMA, the National Sheriffs' Association and the National Fire Academy. 

Shawna Bruce brings over 40 years of expertise in risk and crisis communications, strategic communication, and public information. Her career began in the Canadian Armed Forces, where she served as an Army Public Affairs Officer for over 25 years. 

After retiring from military service, Shawna transitioned to the petrochemical industry as the National Public Affairs Manager for a global Fortune 500 company. 

As an educator, Shawna has developed and led the Disaster and Crisis Communications course at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). She also supported the development (and now instructs) a Crisis Communications micro-credential course at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC). 

Shawna is a graduate of Carleton University (Mass Communications), Algonquin College (Public Relations Diploma), the US Defense Information School (DINFOS), and Royal Roads University (MA in Disaster and Emergency Management).