Level Three - CSS Professional Stewards

Professional Stewards are experienced facilitators who steward the Cultivating Safe Spaces Architecture in partnership with organizations, Indigenous Nations, governments, and communities. Their work extends beyond delivering workshops to supporting leadership, governance, organizational development, and long-term transformational change.

Drawing on advanced training, professional experience, and a commitment to ongoing practice, Professional Stewards help navigate complexity while cultivating the conditions for healthier relationships, stronger organizations, and more resilient communities.

Adonica Sweet

Adonica Sweet is a Master Certified Coach, Certified Executive Coach, and experienced facilitator with more than two decades of supporting leaders, coaches, and organizations across Canada and internationally. Her work combines coaching, leadership development, neuroscience, conflict transformation, and trauma-informed practice to help individuals and teams build trust, strengthen relationships, and lead with greater awareness and intention. Adonica has facilitated more than 5,000 hours of learning and coaching and specializes in creating environments where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to grow.

Areas of Practice

  • Leadership & Executive Development

  • Executive & Leadership Coaching

  • Coach Development

  • Conflict Transformation

  • Organizational Development

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Psychological Safety

  • Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Summerland, BC

Bree Bainard-Verruyt

Bree Bainard-Verruyt is passionate about creating learning environments where people feel safe, respected, and empowered to participate fully. Her facilitation is grounded in trauma-informed practice and focuses on strengthening communication, trust, collaboration, and psychological safety within organizations and teams. Bree works with businesses, leadership teams, HR professionals, and community organizations, providing practical tools that participants can immediately apply in both their professional and personal lives.

Areas of Practice

  • Leadership Development

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Psychological Safety

  • Trauma-Informed Practice

  • Organizational Development

  • Team Development

  • Public Workshops

Edmonton, Alberta

Catherine Ruddell

Catherine Ruddell is a Métis facilitator, Indigenous coach, entrepreneur, and artist with a background in communications, storytelling, and social impact. She brings the Cultivating Safe Spaces framework to communities and organizations through a creative, culturally grounded approach that blends facilitation with reflective practice. Catherine enjoys working with full teams and community groups and often incorporates guided creative activities into her workshops. She also provides culturally informed Indigenous coaching that supports personal growth and leadership.

Areas of Practice

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Community Development

  • Indigenous Coaching

  • Storytelling & Communications

  • Leadership Development

  • Arts & Creative Practice

  • Organizational Development

Fort St. John, BC

Catherine Keresztesi

Catherine Keresztesi is an award-winning public sector leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing Indigenous economic inclusion, public policy, organizational transformation, and strategic planning within the Government of Canada. Her work focuses on building inclusive systems, strengthening relationships, and supporting collaborative approaches to Indigenous rights, economic development, and government leadership. Catherine brings extensive experience facilitating complex conversations across federal departments while advancing reconciliation through policy and systems change.

Areas of Practice

  • Government & Public Service

  • Indigenous Economic Development

  • Strategic Planning

  • Organizational Development

  • Systems Change

  • Leadership Development

  • Policy Development

Ottawa, Ontario

Chantal Fraser

Chantal Fraser is Founder of Empowered Path Inc. and brings more than 40 years of leadership experience spanning military service, organizational leadership, Indigenous inclusion, and entrepreneurship. She supports organizations in strengthening trust, accountability, and inclusion by helping bridge the gap between organizational values and everyday practice. Chantal facilitates in both English and French and works extensively with entrepreneurs, Indigenous organizations, and public sector leaders.

Areas of Practice

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Leadership Development

  • Government & Public Service

  • Organizational Development

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Executive Facilitation

Trenton, Ontario

Emily Olsen

Emily Olsen is a storyteller, filmmaker, Human Resources professional, and facilitator whose work explores the power of storytelling to strengthen relationships and inspire meaningful change. With more than twenty years of leadership experience, Emily combines organizational leadership, communications, and cultural awareness to support healthier workplaces and communities. She currently works in Human Resources with the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board while facilitating Cultivating Safe Spaces across diverse sectors.

Areas of Practice

  • Education

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Leadership Development

  • Storytelling & Communications

  • Organizational Development

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Community Development

Victoria, BC

Ian Foss

Ian Foss is Lead Facilitator with Naqsmist Storytellers and a Train-the-Trainer instructor with more than thirty years of experience in emergency management, leadership, reconciliation, and community engagement. His work focuses on relational leadership, facilitator mentorship, and strengthening leadership capacity through accountability, emotional safety, and authentic connection. Ian also facilitates conversations supporting men's growth, responsibility, and healthy relationships within communities.

Areas of Practice

  • Leadership Development

  • Emergency Management

  • Facilitation Training

  • Men's Health & Well-Being

  • Organizational Development

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Government & Public Service

  • Community Leadership

Sidney, BC

Jen Greenway

Jen Greenway is an Indigenous educator, facilitator, podcaster, and creator of Go Smudge Yourself. Her work focuses on reconciliation, anti-racism, relationship to place, and Indigenous ways of knowing. Jen facilitates workshops that invite participants into deeper understanding of decolonization through honest conversation, storytelling, and community learning. She is also the creator of Going Beyond the Land Acknowledgment, supporting organizations in moving from awareness to meaningful relationship.

Areas of Practice

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Reconciliation

  • Decolonization

  • Education

  • Community Development

  • Storytelling

  • Anti-Racism

  • Relationship to Place

Whitehorse, Yukon

Karen McKinnon

Karen McKinnon works at the intersection of organizational culture, communication, change management, and community well-being. Drawing on leadership experience within nonprofit organizations and a Master's in Communication, she supports organizations in building equitable systems, healthy workplace cultures, and sustainable approaches to organizational growth. Karen believes strong organizations are built through relationships, curiosity, thoughtful leadership, and collaboration.

Areas of Practice

  • Organizational Development

  • Nonprofit Leadership

  • Change Management

  • Communications

  • Leadership Development

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Community Development

  • Strategic Planning

Comox Valley, BC

Kayla Pepper

Kayla Pepper is an emergency management professional and facilitator with more than sixteen years of experience supporting communities across British Columbia. She combines systems thinking, strategic planning, Indigenous relationship-building, and yoga-informed leadership practices to help organizations strengthen resilience and navigate complexity. Kayla is passionate about bringing people together through collaboration, community-led approaches, and relational leadership.

Areas of Practice

  • Emergency Management

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Community Development

  • Strategic Planning

  • Organizational Development

  • Leadership Development

  • Circle Practice

  • Relationship Building

Paul Lake (Kamloops) BC

Melaina Patenaude

Melaina Patenaude is a Métis herbalist, community developer, and facilitator who brings together Indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship, and community development. With more than fourteen years working alongside Indigenous communities across Western Canada, she supports organizations seeking to strengthen relationships, decolonize their practices, and build healthier communities. Her work is grounded in land-based knowledge, food systems, traditional medicines, and community well-being.

Areas of Practice

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Community Development

  • Food Security

  • Land-Based Learning

  • Decolonization

  • Organizational Development

  • Environmental Stewardship

  • Traditional Knowledge

Vancouver Island, BC

Robyn Ward

Robyn Ward is an executive coach, facilitator, and leadership advisor specializing in coaching individuals, teams, and organizations through transformational change. Her work integrates executive coaching, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, and relationship-building to strengthen leadership, well-being, and organizational culture. Robyn has extensive experience supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs, government, post-secondary institutions, nonprofits, and diverse communities.

Areas of Practice

  • Executive Coaching

  • Leadership Development

  • Team Coaching

  • Trauma-Informed Practice

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Indigenous Entrepreneurship

  • Mental Health & Well-Being

  • Reconciliation

Victoria, BC

Sarah Jessie Tucker

Sarah Jessie Tucker is a trauma-aware grant writer, editor, poet, and facilitator who helps organizations strengthen belonging, collaboration, and authentic leadership. Her background in strategic writing, fundraising, and storytelling informs a facilitation style that is adaptive, compassionate, and deeply relational. Sarah works with organizations across Canada and enjoys supporting teams as they build healthier workplace cultures grounded in trust and connection.

Areas of Practice

  • Organizational Development

  • Leadership Development

  • Grant Writing

  • Storytelling & Communications

  • Trauma-Informed Practice

  • Community Development

  • Human Resources & Workplace Culture

  • Team Development

Calgary, Alberta

Shawna Babcock

Shawna Babcock is a systems thinker, researcher, facilitator, and writer with extensive experience in community-based design, healthy communities, education, and collaborative leadership. Her work integrates systems thinking, compassion, equity, inclusion, and relational practice to support organizations and communities navigating complex challenges. Shawna brings decades of experience designing initiatives that strengthen community well-being, collaboration, and long-term systems change.

Areas of Practice

  • Systems Change

  • Community Development

  • Leadership Development

  • Education

  • Healthy Communities

  • Strategic Planning

  • Organizational Development

  • Equity & Inclusion

Ontario

Sherry Mattice, DBA, MBA, MScIB

Dr. Sherry Mattice is a member of Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation and an experienced educator, researcher, and facilitator whose work bridges Indigenous knowledge, leadership, education, and organizational development. She facilitates Cultivating Safe Spaces across post-secondary institutions, governments, Indigenous communities, and community organizations while integrating Indigenous methodologies, decolonizing practices, and inclusive teaching approaches. Sherry is committed to creating learning environments that empower participants and strengthen relationships across sectors.

Areas of Practice

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Education & Post-Secondary

  • Government & Public Service

  • Leadership Development

  • Indigenous Economic Development

  • Health & Human Services

  • Organizational Development

  • Elder & Youth Engagement

Vancouver Island, BC

Elaine Alec

Penticton, BC

Elaine Alec is a Syilx and Secwépemc author, speaker, facilitator, and founder of Cultivating Safe Spaces. She works with Indigenous Nations, governments, organizations, and communities to strengthen leadership, relationships, and organizational culture through trauma-informed, relational approaches. As the creator of the Cultivating Safe Spaces Architecture, Elaine continues to support leaders and organizations navigating complexity, systems change, and long-term transformation.

Areas of Practice

  • Indigenous Nations & Communities

  • Leadership & Executive Development

  • Organizational Development

  • Government & Public Service

  • Governance

  • Systems Change

  • Community Development

  • Strategic Facilitation

Learn more: www.elainealec.com