Thank you for your interest in FCM and your commitment to building better communities.
From Halton Region, I am wrapping up my fourth term representing you on the FCM Board, as an Ontario Caucus member.
Prior to being elected to public office in 2018, I represented Canada internationally as a Foreign Service Officer. My federal experience allows me to represent you better as we lobby the Federal Government on your behalf. As one of the younger board members, and representing an area that is both rural and urban, I bring unique and diverse perspectives to the board table.
I look forward to working with you to build on our achievements. We need to continue to work on and respectfully fight for the critical issues facing our communities. These include ongoing support to ensure a continued recovery from COVID-19, sustainable funding for affordable and assisted housing, closing the broadband gap to improve connectivity for all communities, policy changes and dedicated funding to assist municipalities in supporting Ukrainian arrivals and establishing a strong and collaborative relationship with the Federal Government.
I hope I can count on your support.
FCM Experience
2019-2023
- 2023 Vice-President at Large
- Chair, Standing Committee on International Relations
- Board Member
- Rural Forum
- Standing Committee on Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development
- Standing Committee on Anti-Racism and Equity
- Standing Committee on Increasing Women’s Participation in Municipal Government
- Governance Representative – Inclusive Municipal Leadership Program
Highlights:
- Brought forward a new policy for FCM on supporting a fair market for e-book sales to Canadian libraries - approved by the board in March 2020.
- Successfully lobbied ministers and members of parliament to support municipalities with emergency operating funding.
- Successfully lobbied the Federal Government on FCM policy priorities, including rural broadband, and addressing climate change and supporting resilient communities.
- Worked with colleagues on the Standing Committee on International Relations to ensure results-based programming geared towards the Federal Government’s priorities.
Looking ahead:
- We must keep working with the Federal Government to ensure sustainable funding for affordable and assisted housing in our communities.
- Universal broadband internet is more important than ever and we need to close the broadband gap and improve connectivity for all communities.
- We must work with the Federal Government to ensure policy changes are made and dedicated funding is provided to assist municipalities in supporting Ukrainian arrivals. I will be bringing a resolution forward on this issue in June.
- A strong recovery from COVID depends on municipal infrastructure funding. We must continue to press the Federal Government to double the Canada Community-Building Fund.
- We need to work with the Federal Government to establish a new strong, collaborative relationship with municipalities.
Municipal Roles:
- Deputy Mayor for Environmental Issues (including Transportation), City of Burlington
- Chair, Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services, City of Burlington
- Council Liaison to the Cycling Committee, City of Burlington
- Board Member Conservation Halton (Chair of Risk and Governance Committee)
More about me:
- Foreign Service Officer with 11 years’ experience at Global Affairs Canada prior to becoming a Councillor for the City of Burlington and the Region of Halton in 2018.
- Negotiated in Canada’s interest at the UN, NATO and the Community of Democracies.
- Co-founder of the One Burlington Festival, a multicultural, inter-faith festival (chair, 2017-2018).
- Recipient, Burlington150 Award for community service.
- Born in North York, ON, my family lived in Beeton during my early childhood years before moving to Burlington in 1989 to be closer to my grandparents’ farm near Tillsonburg.