Carly Dybka

Justice Canada

Director of Digital Communications

Andrea Lanthier-Seymour

The City of Ottawa

Chief Communications Officer

As a Director of Public Information and Media Relations at the City of Ottawa, Andrea provides leadership, direction and strategic guidance for the incredible team that is responsible for the City of Ottawa's external communications.

With previous experience as a reporter, as Press Secretary for a Canadian Federal Cabinet Minister and as Director of Communications for an international aid and development organization, Andrea has a strong background in crisis and emergency communications. This experience has served her well since she joined the City of Ottawa 10 years ago. Since that time, Canada’s capital city has experienced an array of emergencies that required communications support, including two “100-year floods”, devastating tornados, a major sinkhole in the city’s downtown core, a shooting near City Hall and on Parliament Hill, and more.

Kathryn Kolaczek

Alchemy Communications

CEO

Kathryn Kolaczek brings a wealth of experience in communications, media, and public relations to her role as CEO of Alchemy Communications. Going beyond the foundations of traditional communications, Kathryn works with clients to tackle important challenges in crisis communications and media training. As CEO, Kathryn leads both business development and strategy, using her experience to identify risks and opportunities for a diverse client roster. Kathryn creates and executes on thoughtful communications strategy and marketing plans, ensuring all projects are completed to a high standard of quality and efficiency. An engaging speaker, Kathryn can often be found leading discussions in crisis communications and sharing her knowledge with other entrepreneurs and communications professionals. 

Kathryn’s diverse background in media, PR, and digital marketing has developed into a deep commitment to crisis management and communications. Formerly the founder and editor of a national publication for entrepreneurs, Kathryn has written a book for entrepreneurial women, speaks to entrepreneurial groups, and built Alchemy Communications Inc. on her strong relationships with the media across North America. She specializes in crisis management and crisis communications, public relations, business and product launches, digital marketing strategy, and brand integration.

With extensive experience in both communications strategy and media, Kathryn has tapped into a crucial area of need in our swiftly changing media landscape. Companies and organizations are rarely prepared to handle communications where they need to educate their community or have high stakes conversations with media. With sound strategy and planning, Kathryn helps organizations rise above whatever crisis or event that occurs with thoughtful and timely responses. Her depth of experience helps her clients prepare to sidestep awkward gaffes which can live on endlessly through social and traditional media. Kathryn helps companies to handle these disruptions gracefully, protecting their reputations and future growth.

Under Kathryn’s leadership, Alchemy now offers a full roster of crisis communications support, as well as integrating inbound marketing with traditional internal and external communications to offer strategy, training, and support services to businesses. They work with clients to create plans that educate and inform communities and create risk mitigation strategies from communications and messaging standpoints. They also execute on the strategy and help clients cope with high stakes conversations as they are rolled out. Alchemy works with businesses and nonprofits with 20+ employees, as well as municipalities working to engage their communities in positive and constructive ways.

Alex Li

Toronto Police Service

Police Spokesperson

Alex Li is a Police Spokesperson & Media Relations Officer with the Toronto Police Service (TPS). He is currently in his 18th year of Service, having experience in Primary Response, Community Response, Fraud Investigations, Community Relations, Crime Prevention, and his current assignment is with the Toronto Police – Corporate Communications unit. His responsibilities include crisis communications, public speaking, on-camera media interviews, internal/external communications, and to update/maintain the TPS corporate social media presence & digital footprint. 

He is a graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University with an honours degree in Policing. He is currently completing his post graduate studies at Cornell University – SC Johnson College of Business in Corporate Communications.

Michael Hughes

National Association of Government Communicators

Education Director

Michael Hughes serves an Education Chair at the U.S. National Association of Government Communicators, In that role, he creates and facilitates leadership courses and manages diversity programs for that professional association.

Robin Smith

Toronto Community Housing

Director, Strategic Communications

Beth Waldman

City of Toronto

Chief Communications Officer (interim)

Jose Alberto Rios Lua

New York City Commission on Human Rights

Executive Director of Communications & Marketing

Russel Lolacher

DriveBC

Product Director

Russel Lolacher is Product Director for DriveBC, the province’s travel information system and the former Director of Web and Social Media Services for the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. He’s been responsible for launching and leading the government's first social customer care program with a focus on emergency communications, operational customer care and public education.  He's the founder of the cross-government Digital Engagement Community of Practice, been recognized as an innovative leader in social media, public engagement and customer care by Microsoft, Hootsuite and Instagram, and spoken internationally at events on the value of building public trust in the public service.