About Me
My approach to work and life centres around compassion, persistence, and growth. I have always been motivated to make a positive contribution to the people and places I encounter.
My professional strengths lie in my interpersonal and communication skills in diverse institutional contexts, and my capacity to research, analyze, and communicate about complex issues to produce practical and top-quality deliverables.
My academic and professional pursuits have taken me from my hometown of Lethbridge, Alberta to other cities in Canada, as well as international destinations including Bucaramanga (Colombia), Santiago (Chile), Mexico City, Geneva, and Paris. I have had the great fortune to travel extensively throughout Latin America and have dedicated much of my career to this region that captivates my mind and heart.
Please download my CV below for more detailed information.
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Core Values
Professional experience
International Organizations
I have worked directly with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and in close collaboration with other institutions in the culture and environment sectors, including ICOMOS, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), and the Indigenous Peoples' Centre for Documentation, Research, and Information (DOCIP). I have played a supporting role at several UN conferences on topics such as global biodiversity, business and human rights, and World Heritage.
Government and Public Sector
My experience includes approximately five years with the Government of Canada on policy analysis and program implementation in the fields of international cooperation and agreements, environmental issues, Indigenous rights and law, and cultural heritage. I also worked briefly with the Government of Chile on international affairs in the mining sector. Through this experience and my tenure at UNESCO, I engaged regularly with high-ranking public officials and experts from other national governments.
Writing, Editing, and Publications
My own writing background ranges from graduate-level academic works to creative and public-interest stories. Professionally, I have been responsible for drafting UN committee resolutions, formal correspondence for foreign ministers, and producing technical reports. I have edited numerous PhD and Master's-level theses and articles for publication at top universities around the world. I also had the pleasure of coordinating and copy-editing a UNESCO flagship publication in English and Spanish on the Andean region (click to view).
Areas of Expertise
Being a 'generalist' expert in several areas brings an ability to understand different perspectives and see the big picture on complex social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural issues.
I am particularly inspired to pursue further work in the Latin America and Caribbean region, where my full professional fluency in English and Spanish is an asset.
Below are examples of the distinct areas and topics in which I have in-depth knowledge and experience.
International Affairs and Development
UN agencies, constituent bodies, meetings, policies, and actors
Geo-political affairs and inter-governmental relations
Cross-cutting global issues such as climate change, poverty, human rights, migration, trade
Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Justice
UNDRIP and other international Indigenous rights mechanisms
Territorial conflicts related to extractive industries and resource development
Indigenous worldviews and relationships to land, resources
Cultural and Natural Heritage
UNESCO Heritage Conventions, especially World Heritage
Cultural traditions, customs, knowledge systems particularly of Indigenous and minority peoples
Safeguarding cultural heritage and natural protected areas
Responsible and Sustainable Travel
Principles of community-based tourism and respect for cultural and natural features
Approaches for sustainable conservation and management, especially when facing economic or infrastructure challenges
Academic background
Master of Development Studies (MDev)
2017 | Geneva Graduate Institute
Geneva, Switzerland
Exchange semester at El Colegio de México (Mexico City); PhD-level courses in Spanish
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Social Science
University of Victoria | 2012
Victoria, Canada
Associate Diploma in Teaching Speech & Drama (ATCL)
Trinity College London | 2011
Focus on international relations and development, Indigenous issues, gender
Expertise in public speaking, communication, improvisation, drama performance, linguistics
