As an expert facilitator and environmental permitting and regulatory planner on behalf of private clients, Ellen utilizes her knowledge and expertise to provide detailed project research and analysis in order to deliver her projects effectively. That includes establishing budgets defining deliverables, dependencies, schedule, risks and planning effective mitigations. 

 

​Ellen has observed the influences on Metchosin and has worked to address some of them in other Municipalities in BC. She has a thorough technical understanding of the pressures Metchosin faces.  We must maintain our rural character, but are hobbled by poor bylaws and limited revenue to support adequate bylaw enforcement. ​​

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Ellen brings an entrepreneurial spirit and likewise her husband has operated businesses for 31 years. Conversation around the dinner table can range from an engineering or soil issue, to a barge delay, planning cider making, a tariff impact on steel prices to BC Building Code changes. Their children, grew up in Metchosin and are young professionals working as a CPA and an attorney.  It's a family affair. 

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She is a trained faciltiator/mediator (Justice Institute) and an International Association of Public Participation professional (IAP2) practitioner and holds her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

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Public Service: During Ellen’s 18 year career with the BC government she held progressive roles in two Ministries.

 

As an analyst she contributed to the formation of the Treaty Commission, and capped her work 16 years later as a Treaty Negotiator, responsible for natural resource topics. Ellen worked with more than 20 Indigenous Nations, established and facilitated more than 10 stakeholder and Local Government Advisory Committees across BC and contributed to the first urban treaty with Tswawassen First Nation. Ellen transitioned to a new Ministry and as Executive Director and A/ADM was tasked with reshaping how the Crown led development of gas resources in NEBC requiring a new collaborative approach with farmers, ranchers, community stakeholders and local government leaders. Also responsible for international trade, her teams developed trade strategies collaboratively across the Provincial government and led international missions which grew investment in BC's resource sector. Ellen managed many service contracts and operational budgets of >$5m. Ellen's team eventually received the Premier’s Award of Excellence for their collaborative work with NEBC residents and industry.  

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Private Sector:

Ellen's passion for renewable energy had her create an Energy Educators Network for the Year of Science, which commissioned and distributed innovative hands on curricula to inspire BC educators and students. She has also served on two advisory boards seeking to identify Canadian trade collaboratively with the African continent and most recently advising on Canadian coastal contributions to a national ocean resource economic strategy.   

As a consultant for the past 16 years, Ellen has utilized her experience and deep knowledge in BC’s land and resource sector, to apply her leadership, analytical, facilitation and project management skills across a wide range of clients. She has served as both Senior Advisor to various environmental consulting firms and directly to clients.  Her projects have ranged from:

• Regulatory feasibility studies for major infrastructure projects

• Socio-economic impact analysis and research

• Environmental permitting for a transmission line and various tidewater export projects

• Leading Public and Indigenous Engagement Planning for transformative Provincial policy and legislative projects

• Conducting Bylaw analysis, Indigenous Reconciliation Planning and advisory work for Local Governments

• Agricultural Land Reserve - Site and project compliance, farm planning.

• Conducting program reviews

• Developing workshop methodology and leading large group facilitation. Analyzing findings and preparing reports to inform policy direction.

• Environmental permitting and compliance planning and reporting.

Her clients include:​

• Public Sector: Forests, Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Transportation and Transit, Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Environment and Climate Change, (former) Jobs, Tourism and Industry, GeoScience BC, Columbia Basin Trust, BC Transportation Financing Authority, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Metro Vancouver, Peace River Regional District, Coquitlam, Hudsons Hope, Mission. 

• Many private sector clients.

​​(Updated October 7, 2026)

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