Carissa Halton

What do our most notorious neighbourhoods have to teach us? Fifteen years ago when Carissa Halton moved into an old neighbourhood, people predicted her children wouldn’t be safe. After she started a family they insisted she would move when the children went to school. Instead of danger she discovered community. Her diverse array of neighbours taught her what it takes to make a neighbourhood (even one with a bad reputation) thrive. She shares the funny, sad, make-you-mad stories of Alberta Ave’s diverse residents. You’ll leave inspired to build community wherever we are. She will customize a focus to your specific organization, association and team community-building or work culture goals. Specific focusses are available including: engagement, leadership, collaboration, trust, and community.

This presentation will inspire audiences to take a more active role in building community, looking out for their neighbours wherever they live or work. Audiences will be introduced to building blocks that build trust and leads to collaboration and engagement.

What do our most notorious neighbourhoods have to teach us? Fifteen years ago when Carissa Halton moved into a notorious, old neighbourhood, people predicted she would move when her children went to school. Instead, she met inspiring community builders, change-makers and resiliency builders. These powerful individuals who were “just doing their jobs” or “doing what they loved to do” or “just being a good neighbour”, taught her what it takes to make a neighbourhood (even one with a bad reputation) thrive.  Her stories are funny, sad, make-you-mad and audiences leave inspired to build community at work and home.

This presentation will inspire audiences to take a more active role in building community, looking after their neighbours wherever they live or work. Audiences will be introduced to building blocks that build healthy communities and teams leading to improved collaboration and leadership.

When Carissa Halton bought a home in a neighbourhood known for its crime, people asked: “Why would you live there?” It was affordable and close to downtown. But it was only after moving in that she realized the value of Alberta Avenue’s trees and parks: legacies of planners working a century ago. In this keynote, Carissa will share her lived experience of the impact public outdoor and green spaces had on her neighbours and her community’s resiliency. She will discuss why now, more than ever, advocates who speak “for the trees” (and public, outdoor spaces) need to be heard.

This presentation will inspire audiences to consider how environmental design impacts their bodies, teams, company, and community.

As a strategic planning consultant and IAP2-trained facilitator, Carissa Halton leads participants through a facilitated discussion based on a customized series of questions, developed in coordination with the organization’s current goals. Participants will brainstorm ideas on how they can best use their strengths to contribute to the goals of their organization. Action plans can be built depending on session length.

In this presentation, participants will identify their strengths, feel clearer about the root cause of their barriers, and feel mobilized to move their organization forward. Leaders will better understand the assets within their organizations.

Drawing from her experiences as a director in a Canadian Premier’s office and as a strategic planner and advisor for many campaign-oriented organizations, Carissa Halton will share stories of policy change for the public good. She will break down the basic steps of an effective government relations strategy. Carissa’s case studies are customized to the client’s policy interests and provide examples of how each step in the process leads organizations, non-profits, community change-makers, and associations to influence policy.

In this presentation, participants will learn about the key elements in a proactive government relations strategy and leave excited to get to work influencing government policy with a people-first mindset.

As a former correspondence director in the Premier of Alberta’s office, Carissa will share insights into effective strategies for writing decision-makers and local representatives. She will talk about the power of letter writing campaigns. She will share ways to best leverage this type of people power—as part of a broader government relations strategy, or campaign for policy and practice changes.

In this presentation, participants will learn about how to write a letter to a decision-maker, while being entertained with stories from the mailroom of a political leader.

You, your family, and your organization all have really amazing stories that could be more broadly told. Have you tried writing them down and realized it doesn’t read as all that interesting? Join award-winning non-fiction author, Carissa Halton, for a conversation on the techniques and tools required to make your non-fiction and communications writing come alive.  Using published examples, she’ll explain the techniques that make non-fiction stories sparkle.

In this presentation, participants will identify the stories their organization has to share and clarify their audience internally and externally. Participants will leave with tips on how to write those stories in authentic and interesting ways for their appropriate audience.