Olivia has been actively involved in community food security and food sovereignty efforts for nearly a decade and in recent years led the development of the social enterprises Everyone Eats, pay what you can meal program; Brandon’s Food Rescue Grocery Store; and founded and is now Chair of the Brandon Food Council.
She is a candidate for the Masters in Business Administration in Community Economic Development at Cape Breton University and works to support governance structures and participatory frameworks that build capacity for collaborative community-based action, regionally informed public planning and policy development and evaluation. She has a special interest in national food policy, traditional food systems, preventable chronic diet-related diseases, school food programs, circular economy, and urban planning for building healthy, thriving communities. At the centre of her work is Olivia’s life mission to leave the world a better place than she found it and for the generations to come. Towards this end she advocates for environmental sustainability, nutrition and health, social justice, human rights and sustainable economic growth. She has a diverse portfolio of experience ranging from house-building and youth leadership in Mexico; to hosting a land-based camp in Northern Manitoba for students and teachers; to public consultation and advocacy for municipal food policy councils.
Olivia is currently serving as a grant advisor for the provincial Reaching Home Rural and Remote Homelessness fund and is working at University College of the North as a Program and Policy Analyst for the Centre for Aboriginal Languages and Culture. Olivia lives in the prairie heartland of Brandon, Manitoba with her partner and two sons. Outside of work she enjoys painting, cooking, and outdoor adventures.
