Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University

The University of British Columbia

Langara College

Director, Marketing and Communications

Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025

Head of Marketing and Communications

I oversee a ten person Communications and External Relations team who are  responsible for the external, stakeholder and internal communications portfolios as well as the stakeholder relationship and engagement with the vast array of partners that make up B.C.'s thriving skilled trades sector. Currently leading the organizational renaming project and the BC-wide engagement and communications strategy to build awareness and educate the thousands of business and workers about the transition to a recognized certification system.

SkilledTradesBC

Director Of External Relations

I oversaw a team of 23 who are responsible for enhancing the reputation and growing the brand of YVR, voted North America’s best airport for the past 10 years-in-a-row. My team leads internal and external communications, media and issues management, stakeholder communications, digital and content strategy, brand and in-terminal experience, marketing of our retail,food and beverage and parking options, our 1.2 million community investment strategy and our community engagement and consultation program. We have been awarded BC’s #3 best brand by BC Business for the past two years and were also awarded the world’s best marketing team by the global aviation association Routes in 2015.

Vancouver Airport Authority

As the Manager of Innovation at YVR, I was responsible for helping develop our culture of innovation, identification of partnership opportunities and a member of the Innovation Steering Committee that helps identify new potential innovation opportunities to help improve the travel experience at YVR and beyond. I was also responsible for creating a multi-year marketing and communications strategy for Innovative Travel Solutions to help ensure that we would continue to be a leader in the border kiosk market and help differentiate us from other competitors which included a rebrand and change of positioning.

Manager, Innovation - Innovative Travel Solutions

My team was responsible for helping deliver on the Airport Authority's mandate as a community-based organization. We attend more than 75 events across British Columbia each year, develop opportunities for the community to engage in our planning, oversee the one million dollars that YVR invests in different community organizations each year as well as our many community programs like the popular free Explorer tour programs.

Manager, Community Relations

media relations, issues management, crisis communications, strategic planning, consultation, marketing, media planning

Senior Communications Specialist

I managed the day-to-day media relations and social media strategy for Bell's national mental health campaign featuring Olympian Clara Hughes riding 11,000km across Canada in support of mental health. As part of the tour team of 20, I led the daily communications in 120 communities across Canada. This led to widespread local, provincial and national media coverage across Canada, trended #1 on twitter Canada and I also wrote the communications newsletters and blogs on behalf of Clara Hughes. At the end of the four month tour, the national program resulted in an 8% bump in awareness for mental health and was awarded Strategy Magazine’s national campaign of the year.

Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk

Communications and Social Media 

As part of the corporate communications team, I was responsible for helping develop and execute the overall Airport Authority communications strategy (both internal and external) as well as supporting other departments in their communication efforts which include:
-strategic communications planning
-issues management
-crisis communications
-proactive and reactive media relations
-corporate writing and editorial 
-social and online content 
-brand and creative management
-marketing support
-website and intranet maintenance
-community relations

Highlights include:
-Chaired communications committee for largest ever YVR emergency training exercise that involved over 30 external agencies including RCMP, Transport Canada, Air Canada and City of Richmond to execute and test our crisis communications plan
-Lead on developing and executing joint media announcement strategy with US Customs and Border Protection for Automated Passport Control that resulted in international media coverage including New York Times

Communications Specialist

As Media Relations Manager, I was responsible for the development and implementation of the overall communications strategy as well as overseeing marketing, sponsorship and social/ digital media. I successfully oversaw 25 clients while simultaneously managing deadlines and budgets and a team of four coordinators.

Clients included:
-PNE/ Playland
-Vancouver International Auto Show
-Disney on Ice and Disney Live
-Forest Products Association of Canada
-City of Richmond
-Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair.

Highlights:

PNE and Playland (BC's largest ticketed event)
Helped obtain a record $11.7 million in earned media value during the 17-day Fair (2010) which contributed to being selected as the 2010 Marketers of the Year by the BC Marketing Association; planned and executed ET Canada’s first time broadcasting from the PNE (2011).  

Vancouver International Auto Show
Managed the marketing and PR for Canada’s third largest consumer attended tradeshow and achieved a five per cent increase in attendance (102,000 people); built the social audience by 50 per cent through development of social strategy that included live-tweeting and facebooking the media preview tour. 

Victoria Harbour Boat Show 
Rebranded the 22 year-old show including changing its name, creating new logo and design for marketing collateral and updating the media relations strategy which resulted in a 200 per cent increase in revenue.

Laura Ballance Media Group

Media Relations Manager

Media Relations Coordinator

Responsible for supervision and staffing for largest childcare site at North Shore Neighbourhood House. Led hiring team for 85 person childcare department.

In 2010 was brought back for a contract role that was responsible for internal communications that included writing and maintaining Employee Orientation Package, Volunteer and Substitute Handbook, policies and procedures and accreditation narratives.

Jenny Duncan