CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY
Lise has been a Guelph resident for over 30 years, and has been a dedicated contributor to neighbourhood and citywide initiatives for over 20 years while living in Ward 5 and raising her family. An Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph, Lise utilizes her professional expertise in the areas of community sustainability and design, governance, and developing techniques for effective and meaningful citizen engagement in her role as a municipal councillor. Long before being elected to Council in 2007, Lise had established herself as a dedicated community mobilizer and change agent.
| “Lise is…”a strident advocate for civic engagement, urban literacy, and community-oriented planning.” - The Canadian Urban Institute Leadership Award nomination, 2009. |
Community Vision and Goals
As your Ward 5 Councillor since 2003 her primary goal has been to build a resilient community by directing growth to achieve long-term sustainability and a good quality of life and prosperity for all citizens. Her successful track record over the past 7 years demonstrates her ability to provide strong leadership and meaningful citizen engagement for the residents of Ward 5 and the citizens of Guelph. Over the past 7 years Lise has developed a strong and clearly articulated vision for Guelph in collaboration with citizens and all stakeholders. Key components of this vision include;
- inclusive and effective citizen engagement and decision-making strategies.
- community visioning and growth management strategies based on the quadruple bottom-line of social, cultural, environmental and economic principles.
- sustainable management of water resources, waste water and waste needs with solutions that are long-term and responsible.
- a natural and cultural resource strategy that capitalizes on Guelph’s unique cultural, heritage and arts resources and natural character and setting.
The Politics of Possibility
Extending her reach well beyond the City of Guelph, Lise is a significant contributor to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the national voice of municipal government in Canada. As an elected director of FCM for the past several years, Lise has been appointed to a number of positions including the Council of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), one of five council members in the country to distribute a federal fund of over 500 million dollars to municipal sustainability projects across the country. Lise has the benefit of drawing on the resources of this organization and its broad base of experience to govern her own municipality and to enhance the level of service to the City of Guelph.
| “While carrying out her duties, Lise has demonstrated a deep commitment to community service. Her contributions improve the lives of individuals and improve the way communities work in Canada and overseas. Her contributions to date, and her ongoing commitment to FCM and its vision and values make us a better organization.”
- Brenda Hogg. Deputy Mayor and Regional and Local Councillor, Richmond Hill. |
INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION
It has been an honour to serve you for the past 7 years. I will continue to utilize my strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, and my passion for collaboration and commitment to excellence through innovation to serve you in working together for the future.
| “Lise’s enthusiasm and ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders has helped forge new long-term community partnerships. We have already seen the short-tem results of Lise’s work, and the implementation of the long-term vision will be her legacy.”
- Julia Grady. Director, Downtown Guelph business owner and DGBA Director. |
| “Lise was instrumental in helping us make difficult decisions and pull through some of the more challenging aspects of becoming an organized group. Lise’s role in facilitating group discussion, decision-making as well as helping the group establish a governance structure, roles and responsibilities, reporting and communication protocols was extremely helpful. Lise’s accessibility during this process has left me truly grateful. We now have a working group of 12-15 people, four Committees with a number of volunteers and an Executive Committee comprised of committee chairs. We also have built key relationships with City Planners, Kilmer and other stakeholders.”
-Maria Pezzano. Chair, The Ward Residents’ Association. |