Born and raised in the BC Kootenays (the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa Nation), Liz now resides in Secwepemcul’ecw on the shores of what she knows as White Lake (near Salmon Arm, BC). She lives with her own family of four in a strawbale home that they co-own and built with Liz’s sister (and family of four). They are a multigenerational, extended family of ten, living on 3 acres in a place that Liz strongly feels calls to host (and hold) people.
Liz is the Network Director for Land to Table, a regional food system network based in the North Okanagan. Her work focuses on catalyzing connections and collaboration, mobilizing network participants’ ideas, knowledge and energy across the regional food system. This involves practical project work (like connecting small scale farmers to new and larger markets), and includes much sense-making and creating new stories of what is possible for local communities and how we grow, move, access and enjoy local food.
Liz worked for ten years in sustainability program development, planning and policy largely focussing on food waste management, before moving into food systems work. She worked in consulting and for the State Government in Western Australia and for local government in North Vancouver for many years.
Personally, Liz is curious about the intersection of grief (ritual and ceremony) and systems change and how she can grow to support people through major life loss. Through training in the Art of Participatory Leadership Liz is working to hone her skills for creating the conditions for emergence through community engagement (in a time of online meeting).
Liz is also a Founding Member and Board Member of NewStories North.