Nigel served 27 years in the British Army, achieving the rank of Colonel. Emigrating to Canada in 2007, he began a civilian career in the industrial gas sector, transitioning to a technology start-up, then developing a successful consultancy in the emergency management field supporting all levels of government in Canada, and as far afield as the Philippines and Brunei. This includes working on every provincial exercise since 2015, conducting major studies for the province, assisting a First Nation in developing a marine spill response capability, and supporting major ports in BC develop resilience in the face of human and naturally occurring disruptions. He remains passionate about this work.

Senior advisor to T'Sou-ke Nation Chief, Council and Band Administration. Together, we are delivering a better tomorrow by applying Indigenous traditional knowledge and modern methods to improve risk-based decisions related to land and marine-use planning and to mitigate health, social, cultural and economic impacts of human activity and the failure of climate change adaptation.

Leah Wilson has 30 years public relations and leadership experience in the Canadian Armed Forces. An experienced crisis management practitioner, her most recent domestic operations deployments include the 2023 BC wildfires. A skilled communicator and listener, she has provided strategic public affairs advice to senior leaders both domestically and on international operations. She has commanded diverse groups of DND personnel in Canada and overseas, and also worked as a GBA+ consultant and trainer. Outside of the military, she has contributed to projects for Defence Research and Development Canada, and assisted in the design and delivery of a number of security and disaster response exercises.

A previous forestry officer, Patrick has nearly a decade worth of experience in the emergency management field at both a provincial and federal level. Patrick worked the Slave Lake wildfire in 2011 and supported the subsequent Disaster Recovery Program for which he received a Slave Lake Medal of Honour. He then transitioning to the Southern Alberta Floods portfolio where he received a Hero of the Flood award from the Premier of Alberta. Patrick also possesses a Communications Degree and an MBA from the European School of Management and Technology based in Berlin.

Normand Dionne has over thirty years training experience including contributing to domestic operations in both the US and Canada. As the senior Canadian planner for Land Operations in the continental US, he worked closely with FEMA and Homeland Security, in preparing for and executing the response effort to meet a wide range of natural and human caused risks. Prior to this he deployed to Haiti on a UN mission and was closely involved in planning the military response to the Quebec Ice Storm of 1997. His recent emergency management experience has seen him work with Public Safety Canada, EMCR, regional airports and a major port. He has particular expertise in designing the survivor handling aspects for exercises, to be represented nationally or by actors.

Jeff Carlisle has spent 40 years’ as a leader in emergency services and emergency management, including being fire chief in three separate municipalities, including the largest city in the Interior of BC. During his time, he has led large-scale emergency response operations, including those requiring evacuations of entire communities. Over the last few years, he has contributed to provincial level exercises including a multi-agency airport exercise, a marine response exercise, port authority security exercise and lower mainland earthquake recovery exercise. His most recent work as a consultant, saw him develop a community wildfire defence plan, including detailed analysis and modelling of multi-modal evacuation options.

Eleanor Parks is a seasoned Emergency Management Specialist with over 15 years of experience in developing, implementing, and overseeing emergency preparedness and response strategies. With a robust background in both civilian and defense sectors, Eleanor brings a unique blend of skills in crisis management, strategic planning, and interagency coordination. Her expertise has been honed through her work with various defense agencies and her proactive approach to mitigating risks and managing disasters.