P R E S I D E N T

Lavinia Henderson, CLGM

Lavinia is Civic Solution’s president and founder. Her 40+ years experience in municipal government includes serving as chief administrative officer, municipal administrator and director of finance for one rural and two urban municipalities.

Lavinia has actively promoted and advanced municipal administration through her work with the Local Government Administration Association of Alberta (LGAA). During her tenure on the LGAA board, she served terms as Vice President and President, and was the LGAA representative to the Minister’s Forum on Water.

In the municipal arena, Lavinia has a proven record of success in developing and managing operating and capital budgets, acquiring grants, securing short- and long-term project financing, and reducing taxes.

Lavinia’s passion for local government and drive to coach others in the field led her to create Civic Solutions’ eStudies program. As well, she and Civic Solutions played a key role in launching the Alberta Elected Officials Education Program and assisting it in becoming Canada’s leader in municipal elected official education.

solutions@civicsolutionsinc.com

A S S O C I A T E S

Ryan Bard

Ryan is an accomplished municipal administration professional. His graduate business studies at Queen’s University are complemented by certificates in project management and local government. His experience includes serving as Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Onoway, Alberta and consulting on public consultation, new technologies, community facility construction and major capital projects for clients in Canada and the US.

Ryan offers expertise in project management (including public consultation projects, facility capital project construction contract negotiations and multi-municipality capital project facilitation), team building and new technologies.

Ruth Copeland-Brunelle

Ruth brings more than 10 years in municipal management and 20 years in the legal environment to the Civic Solutions team. Ruth’s varied background has seen her in many different capacities, including chief administrative officer, returning officer, Director of Disaster Services, firefighter, FCSS Director, development officer and Commissioner of Oaths. She specializes in accounting, bookkeeping, and internal controls.

Terry Hurlbut

Terry is Civic Solutions’ expert in interim management and operational reviews. As CAO of the towns of Chestermere and Provost, Alberta, Terry played a key role on the financial growth of both communities. He is passionate about community sustainability, development and service.

Joanne Griffith

Joanne is Civic Solutions’ First Nations finance and administration specialist. She has more than 11 years of First Nations management experience and northern municipal exposure through her role as the CEO of the Saskatchewan Association of Northern Communities. Joanne holds the Certified Aboriginal Finance Manager designation from the Association of Finance Officers and a Local Government Administration certificate from the University of Regina. She is currently completing the admissions portfolio for the Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator designation.

Deanna Keiver

Deanna offers almost 20 years of municipal and provincial government expertise. Her experience with Kneehill County, Alberta and the Workers’ Compensation Board provided a solid background in information technology, corporate services, and land-use planning and development. Deanna specializes in corporate policy development and financial management support.

Dorothy Moore, B.Ed, MBA (on sabbatical)

Dorothy is an outstanding business professional who joined Civic Solutions after a distinguished career as a municipal leader, educator, realtor and project manager. Her broad spectrum of expertise enabled Dorothy to become a highly-effective municipal and provincial leader at a time when Alberta municipalities were experiencing unprecedented growth, stretched infrastructure, escalating costs and labour shortages.

Dorothy served as mayor of the Town of Didsbury, Alberta from 2001 to 2007, where she initiated unprecedented regional inter-municipal collaboration, developed successful cost and revenue sharing agreements, and led an interactive municipal sustainability and strategic planning process that set the direction for long-term social, environmental, community and land-use planning. She was re-elected to the Didsbury town council in 2017.

Kwabena Oduro-Kontoh

Kwabena is a seasoned finance professional with a comprehensive knowledge of financial, investment and capital market concepts. He is Civic Solutions’ go-to associate for financial consulting, including treasury and cash management. Kwabena has a Master of Science, Administration (Budget and Finance) and is a certified Internal Controls Auditor.

Mary C. Thompson, Ph.D

Mary operates a niche online company that works with microbusinesses, municipalities and non-profits to help them develop managerial capacity. This includes doing the applied managerial research necessary to assist these organizations in creating their desired futures. Dr. Thompson also taught undergraduate and graduate business courses for a major international online university.

Robin Thompson

Robin is an award-winning communications professional with more than 30 years experience as a journalist, business writer and graphic design professional. Her career highlights include cofounding a pioneering internet magazine and leading her eponymous marketing/publishing firm. Robin has been published in the Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen and Wyoming Tribune Eagle, and heard on CBC Radio One.

In addition to serving as Civic Solutions’ writer, editor and graphic designer, Robin provides training and mentoring in business writing, presentation design and marketing.

Brad Watson

Brad is a Civic Solutions associate specializing in interim management and coaching and mentoring. During his career, Brad has been Chief Administrative Officer for several urban municipalities, administrator for two housing authorities, and served on the boards of several provincial associations and community organizations. This is complemented by experience with quasi-judicial boards, including assessment review boards, municipal planning commissions, and subdivision and development appeal boards.

Brad is dedicated to intermunicipal cooperation and resource sharing partnerships with other municipalities and government agencies. He is a three-time past member of the Alberta Economic Development Marketing Team that appeared at Cornet Global International conferences.