PEOPLE

Our core team is comprised of eight professionals, each with advanced academic training and considerable professional experience. The complementary nature of the knowledge and skills of each PACTeam member is a key factor in our success. Brief biographies of our team follow:

Barry W. Hunter, MSc, RPF

Barry Hunter is a development specialist with 20 years of experience in regional and environmental planning, natural resource management and community development. An expert in leading large-scale communication and consultation initiatives, Barry offers extensive experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration between communities, Aboriginal groups, industry, governments and NGOs, using public consultation, consensus-building, negotiation, education and capacity building processes. By focusing on the relationship between individuals, communities, organisations and resources, he uses the principles of participation, extension, joint-learning and action research to help diverse stakeholders to work more effectively with each other and their resource base. This approach has been invaluable in minimizing conflict between user groups by creating an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and understanding around specific resources and rights. Barry has worked in North America, Europe and Africa.

Barry's practical experiences are supplemented by a Bachelor of Science in Forestry (University of New Brunswick), a Master of Science in Development Studies (University of Durham, U.K.) and on-going PhD studies (Humboldt University, Germany). Barry is a registered member of the College of Alberta Professional Foresters and the Association of British Columbia Professional Foresters.

Sara Cook, MA

Sara Cook is a cultural ecology specialist with 10 years of research, consulting and communications planning experience, both in Canada and internationally. This includes an extensive background in community development, community mapping, capacity building, land use planning and resource management. Trained as a cultural anthropologist she focuses on the relationship between people and their environment by examining the social factors that affect the development process. Her expertise in developing and facilitating community consultation, stakeholder participation, training, negotiation, consensus-building and collaborative processes has assisted communities, industry, government and nongovernmental organisations to work more effectively with each other and their resources. In addition, Sara offers significant experience in Aboriginal consultation and negotiation processes, as well as extensive knowledge of Canadian Aboriginal culture, history and contemporary issues facing Aboriginal people in urban and rural areas. Sara has worked in North America and Europe.

Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Anthropology (Simon Fraser University) and a Master of Arts Degree in Anthropology (University of Victoria). Sara is a member of the American Anthropology Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Carlos Salinas, BSc, Post Graduate Diploma, RPF

Carlos Salinas is a development specialist with over 20 years of experience in the areas of forestry extension and training, land use planning, natural resource management, capacity building and sustainable community development. By combining extension strategies, training and capacity building actions, Carlos has facilitated participatory planning processes on sustainable natural resource management in Canada, in several Latin American and Southern African countries by means of public consultation, consensus-building, collaboration between communities, governments and NGOs. He pays special attention to traditional knowledge and cultural values, resulting in more effective use of available resources and developing an enhanced sense of ownership and decision-making. His design skills and technical knowledge has assisted several institutions to produce training and extension materials for massive distribution. Carlos has worked in North and South America, Africa and Europe.

Carlos has an Honours Bachelor in Forestry Engineering (National University of Agriculture, Peru). In addition he has attended a Certificate Course in Finland, covering the technical, educational and planning aspects of training. Carlos is a member of the College of Alberta Professional Foresters.

Ryan Brown, MA

Ryan is an Ecological anthropologist with 3 years of experience focusing on issues concerning the interactions and interconnections between people, their cultures, and the environment. Ryan has conducted extensive research and has acquired considerable knowledge in areas including indigenous peoples, globalization, climate change, land use, resource management, sustainable development, capacity building, geographic information systems and local/traditional knowledge, both nationally and internationally. Ryan and worked in North America and Europe. Ryan has a Bachelor of Arts Honors Degree in Anthropology (University of Alberta) and a Master of Arts in Humanities Computing Degree in Anthropology, (University of Alberta).

Jane Driedger, MNRM (Master of Natural Resource Management)

Jane is a social scientist with 3.5 years of experience studying the relationships between people and the land, ethnobotany, and unique approaches to environmental education. She worked closely with Pikangikum First Nation elders to assist them in documenting their cultural landscape as part of a large scale land use plan. She has also conducted research relating to non-timber forest products and is knowledgeable in ecology, plant taxonomy, natural resource management, and recycling/waste management issues.

Jane has a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Botany (Brandon University) and a Master of Natural Resource Management degree from the Natural Resources Institute (University of Manitoba).

Cyrielle Laurent, MATDR

Cyrielle is an environmental planner with experience in regional land use planning and integrated management. She has conducted research about superficial deposit in peri-glacial environments, river erosion, carrying capacity and wetlands. Cyrielle is also knowledgeable in the fields of geography, geographic information systems, environmental integrated management, land use, regional development, environmental issues and climate change. Proficient with GIS software, she has completed mapping and analysis for Governmental, Aboriginal and Non-Governmental organizations. Cyrielle has worked France and in Quebec before moving to Alberta, where she has worked on projects in the Northwest Territories.

Cyrielle has a bachelor degree in geography from University of Savoie in France and has recently obtained a Master in Territorial Planning and Regional Development from (University Laval, Quebec).

In addition to our core team we are pleased to have close collaboration with PACTeam GbR. a closely affiliated European consultancy group that specializes in providing high-quality analysis, advice and training for both government and non-government organizations that deal with the improvement of rural livelihoods.