CONTERRA ADVISORY - Key Persons

Chris has designed an integrated community development strategy that has successfully been implemented in a number of BC communities. He has also facilitated and mediated process and relationship building initiatives between the private sector, First Nations, and government. Chris is the former Chairman of the Board of The Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution, at the time, Canada's largest non-profit membership organization devoted to the promotion of collaborative dispute resolution. Chris established his initial practice as an independent consultant in 1991. Clients include First Nations, municipal, provincial, territorial and national governments, academic institutions, non-profit, and private sector organizations. The practice focuses on project negotiation and mediation, the design of interest based, collaborative negotiation and dispute resolution processes, the development of public policy related to aboriginal issues, land claims and self-government and the training of negotiators and mediators.

Deb Kennedy completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Kansas following academic studies abroad in Spain. She attained her Juris Doctor from KU in 2001 and clerked for the Chief Judge of the Territorial Court of the US Virgin Islands. Upon returning to the contiguous United States, Deb negotiated contracts and participated in a busy private practice before joining an aircraft leasing firm, where, as counsel she drafted and negotiated a variety of contracts. Deb brings a strong background in research and writing to Conterra. She has extensive experience in contract drafting, from highly technical aviation and telecom contracts to real estate contracts. Deb's background also includes risk management and successful grant writing. As a former small business owner, she understands many of the concerns of people entering into a new field. Deb enjoys challenging work and learning about new and different situations. Deb's successes working with Conterra clients include First Nations business partnership strategies and clean energy projects. Taking on a leading project management role, her work led to the approval of a number of highly competitive grants, along with the successful perfection of an application to BC Hydro's Standing Offer Program.

John is an innovative thinker and motivator who brings a positive and empowering approach to building strong and effective working relationships both at the negotiating table and in his coaching practice. John is a seasoned professional working as a negotiator, certified coach, facilitator, mediator, and community leader. For over 25 years he has worked actively with First Nations, local, provincial and federal governments, individuals, groups and communities of difference to achieve innovative and measurable results. John has worked with First Nations to negotiate numerous major agreements with proponents including Impact Managment and Benefit Agreements, Accommodation Agreements, Environmental Assessment Participation and Funding Agreements, and community investment agreements realizing significant benefits for First Nations communities. At the core of these agreements is the requirement for proponents, such as oil and gas companies, to maintain workable and effective long-term relationships with First Nations communities that ensure those communities can hold proponents accountable for their actions for the life of their project. John has also coached individual and corporate clients to achieve life and business changing goals. John's approach is to clearly identify goals, understand the realities of his clients and then work to challenge them to look at their life from new perspectives to make decisions that lead to fundamental change. Prior to starting his own practice, John led the BC government's Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Negotiation Division for many years responsible for provincial government negotiations with First Nations people. Key responsibilities included managing priority and emergent issues as well as the operations and staff of the Division during the exciting years when modern day treaties were achieved in BC. John also has 25 years of direct negotiation experience as the lead negotiator at treaty and non-treaty tables achieving many firsts in areas such as First Nations-local government relations, self-government, and resource development conflict resolution. John also worked for the Capital Regional District changing its approach to First Nations relationship building and strategic and business planning, and then setting up a new and innovative Environmental Partnerships Department. John is committed to being a leader and role model in communities of difference specifically working for About Face International as a board member, coach, facilitator and public speaker.

Matt has more than 20 years of experience in advising businesses, non-profits and First Nations. His expertise focuses on building and using financial systems and reporting to enable better planning, financial management and decision-making by organizations. A graduate of Queen's University's Bachelor of Commerce program, Matt operated Vista Enterprises, a bookkeeping, tax and financial consulting business for 18 years in his hometown of Kingston, ON. He has consulted for the Kingston Entrepreneurship Centre, and is the co-author of a small business management book. After selling Vista in 2012, Matt worked as the CEO of the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce for nearly three years before his move to British Columbia in 2014. In Prince George, Matt served as the Executive Director for Innovation Central Society, a regional technology accelerator, from April 2016 to the end of 2017. Matt's work with Conterra includes services to organizations and First Nations related to financial management, bookkeeping, budgeting and cash flow planning. He also operates Taxwerx Canada Inc., a personal income tax preparation service. Matt has held various Board and volunteer roles with several business organizations, and non-profits working with youth, leadership development and post-secondary students, both in Kingston and in Prince George. He is currently the President of the Canada Jaycee Foundation, and a member of the Advocacy and Membership committees of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.