Aurora is our Operations Lead, and is a facilitation specialist with over 10 years working with Indigenous communities to document Indigenous knowledge for use in community planning, consultation and regulatory processes. Aurora has been a technical lead on both federally and provincially regulated environmental assessments throughout Canada, providing expert testimony for review panels. The landscape of environmental management is rapidly changing, and Aurora has developed new assessment methods to address emerging project risks and respond to increased regulatory requirements. A proven public speaker, Aurora has also led public open houses and workshops for controversial projects.

Aidan Downing is our Business Administrator and he is from Métis and European decent. Aidan has worked for TWC since day one, supporting the team by coordinating office activities, supporting bookkeeping and budgeting, and assisting his colleagues whenever necessary. His work allows him to gain valuable knowledge about social and environmental consulting, business development strategies, and interpersonal skills that will enrich his other experiences. Aidan’s desire to learn about environmental and social consulting makes him a great asset and enables him to make the most of his experience at TWC.

Desiree Givens is a Community Planner at TWC. She identifies as African American and Nuu-chah-nulth from the Ucluelet First Nation. Her interests include affordable housing, community development, social equity, and cultural and language revitalization. Desiree specializes in Indigenous Community Planning and has experience working alongside First Nations and government bodies to find creative solutions for gathering community input, identifying common themes, and reporting on key findings. She strongly believes in the potential of community-driven planning and decision-making processes and aims to uphold principles of respect, transparency, inclusion and collaboration within her work at TWC. When not in the office, she might be found dancing fast and fancy at local pow wows or hosting small arts and cultural workshops for family and friends.

Heidi Klein has 25+ years of experience in the practice of environmental assessment, including legislation advisor, project assessment, socio-economic impact assessment, Indigenous knowledge collection and documentation, cumulative effects assessment, and Indigenous and stakeholder relations. Heidi has extensive experience in bringing Indigenous knowledge into decision-making documents going back to the early 1990s. She has worked with Indigenous people across Canada, but most specifically the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Heidi has a technical foundation in wildlife biology, land use planning, environmental assessment, and facilitation / mediation. She has a practitioner foundation in facilitation, consultation, Indigenous relations, socio-economic impact assessment, Indigenous knowledge research, and cumulative effects assessment and environmental assessment training.

Ian MacKichan is the Proposal and Communications Coordinator at TWC. Having earned an undergraduate degree in commerce, and with professional experience in marketing, Ian has contributed to the growth of firms in the private, non-profit and public sectors, at various scales, and stages of life. He has worked in a myriad of capacities, from analyst, to fundraiser, business developer, coordinator, and communicator. Ian is a firm believer in the power of collaboration and was drawn to TWC for its ability to bridge talent from so many disciplines, in its pursuit of environmental and social solutions.

Kyle is a Natural Resource Specialist at TWC. He is a member of ‘Namgis First Nation and is motivated by a strong interest in the land and resource management challenges that affect Aboriginal communities. Kyle earned a PhD from the Department of Forest Resource Management at The University of British Columbia and has significant experience conducting research relating to the management of natural resources in both British Columbia and Australia. Kyle also has over ten years of experience teaching and developing curriculum for various natural resource management, business, and tourism related courses at the post-secondary level, with much of this time spent working with First Nations students.

Rodrigo is TWC’s Finance Coordinator who holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business Administration. He is a finance professional with over eight years of progressive experience in Financial Planning & Analysis, Treasury, Corporate and Project Finance, and Internal Controls specializing in financial services, budgeting, reporting, and providing financial support for business initiatives. Rodrigo has demonstrated ability in improving operational efficiencies, implementing processes and systems, and building close relationships with multiple internal and external stakeholders. He is also passionate about local communities, sustainability, and social responsibility issues. At TWC, he wants to make a positive impact on the world by harnessing his finance skills for social and environmental projects.

Christine is a Registered Professional Planner with 25 years of experience in a diverse range of planning areas including land use and community planning, community‐based climate change mitigation and adaptation research and planning, and asset management planning. She has had the opportunity to work with First Nations, Métis, Inuit, the private sector, communities throughout western and northern Canada, and with all levels of government. Christine brings significant experience in land use and community planning with the strategic inclusion of climate change, natural assets, sustainability (with a specific focus upon the Sustainable Development Goals), economic development, environmental management, in addition to developing and executing training programs from ‘climate change 101’ programming to asset management. Throughout her career, she has designed and facilitated a wide variety of engagement, facilitation and training programs, in addition to developing guides / learning-focused products for audiences from ages 12 to adults of various learning capacities, including as an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University in the Faculty of Environment.

Lisa Nye is a senior associate with over 33 years of experience working with Indigenous organizations and communities, governments and industry in various areas including social and economic development, strategic planning, Treaty Negotiations, First Nation economic development, resource management, energy initiatives, innovative policy and regulatory operations. Lisa worked for 28 years with the BC Government primarily in consultation and engagement roles with Indigenous Nations and organizations across British Columbia. Working as a consultant over the last 9 years, Lisa is facilitating dialogues on critical issues, engaging with Indigenous Nations and communities, developing strategies, creating achievable plans, collaborating on economic and social innovation and developing practical policy . In 2007, Lisa’s work with Indigenous Nations and communities was recognized when she received the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Excellence in the Public Service.