Catalyst Communications works with local government in building communications, public engagement, and crisis management capacity in a variety of areas designed to help organizations achieve success, stability, and sustainability through efficient and innovative approaches.
Our sole focus on working with local government provides us with a deep understanding of the industry, including challenges, opportunities, innovations, trends, risks, and the rapidly evolving landscape in which we work. Core areas of focus include:
- Communications and engagement audits.
- Communications, engagement, customer experience, and crisis communications planning and strategy development.
- Engagement design, execution and analysis.
- Professional development, specific to Administration and/or Council.
- Crisis management support and execution, including crisis communications, and issues and reputation management.
We work hard to bring valuable perspectives to each project we undertake, informed by practical experience and best practice. Our solutions and recommendations are realistic, actionable, and evidence-based. We recognize the work you do is valuable to those you serve, and seek to build upon the good work you've already undertaken. We are the experts of process; you are the experts of your community. That is not lost on us and, as a result, we value you as a partner in our work together.
Our Team
Candace is an accredited, data-focused senior communications strategies with more than 25 years of experience. She brings a unique blend of analytical rigor, systems thinking, and human-centered insights to every project, with a focus on such initiatives as communications audits, department reviews, issues management framework and reputation management strategy creation and execution, and more, as she dives deep into strategy and intentional communications practices.
With an approach that combines qualitative and quantitative analytics—along with best practice, and alignment with community and organizational needs—Candace's track record includes delivering measurable results. Most recently, this included capping a significant initiative with a 27-point increase in resident satisfaction with municipal communications, and a 34-point improvement in engagement outcomes. Her strength lies not only in evaluation and analysis, but also in surfacing the stories behind the numbers, helping teams see where change is needed and how to achieve it.
In addition to her APR designation that lends to additional layers of strategic thinking in communications, Candace's research for her Master's degree focused on misinformation in local government settings—an area in which she has become one of the leading subject matter experts. Known for her thoughtful, collaborative approaches, Candace brings curiosity, care, and clarity to every project, with a commitment to strengthening communications and building community trust.
Lindsay brings more than a decade of experience working in local government communications, engagement, and strategy development. She brings a unique combination of strategic thinking and creative flair to every project Catalyst Communications tackles. As a senior communications professional—with credentials in Emergency Management and public engagement, further supported by an educational background in journalism and graphic design—Lindsay provides a dynamic perspective to client relationships and local government projects, while being able to navigate numerous project elements simultaneously.
Lindsay has a strong track record of success in analyzing public communications outputs and channels, while identifying gaps and opportunities, and associated solutions; and is capable of supporting communities from communications planning through to full execution and material creation. This has culminated in the development of numerous organizational communications plans, crisis communications plans, and engagement strategies that have proven actionable, adaptable, and successful in the face of rapidly evolving challenges and pressures.
Serena brings a wealth of experience to the table, with a strong focus on public engagement and organization-resident relationships. In addition to her notable history of designing and executing countless public engagement processes across all areas of local government—including many which are perceived by residents as controversial in nature—Serena holds a Bachelor's of communications, is a certified public participation practitioner through IAP2, and holds certificates in Environmental Communications (Eco Canada) and Leadership and Conflict (Justice Institute of BC).
Serena has played a significant role in evaluating current engagement structures, practices, and processes; and in designing, facilitating, and evaluating public and internal engagement efforts, meeting local needs while aligning with best and evolving practice. Her personable approach ensures that engagement participants are comfortable sharing their experiences and insights, which she is then able to distill into clear trends and aggregated areas of focus that support the development of recommendations specific to the needs of each organization with which we work.
Kendall has worked with Catalyst Communications for more than 5 years, providing critical administrative and logistics support to all projects undertaken during that time, ensuring project efficiency. As a skilled and organized project administrator, Kendall's work supports projects being completed on time and on budget.
- Mission: Catalyst Communications is an expert in local government communications, helping organizations grow their internal capacity, while setting them up for success by exceeding expectations in specialized areas of communications, engagement, and crisis management, driving short-term excellence and long-term sustainability.