M.A. (Distinction), Rural Development
B.E.S. (Honours), Environment & Resource Management
I live in Victoria British Columbia, traditional territory and home to the Coast Salish Lekwungen speaking peoples. Surrounded on three sides by ocean waters, Victoria is a truly beautiful and bountiful place.
My experience in community development and environmental management is grounded by my life experiences, nurtured through formal education, and expressed throughout my work. Having completed short and long-term projects in Ontario, Yukon Territory and British Columbia over the last 35+ years, I have led more than 40 inter-organizational committees and project teams … and produced a lot of reports! I think it’s safe to say that at least some of my work has brought about lasting and positive benefits.
My developmental approach builds capacity and leadership on both individual and organizational levels. I carry this approach into my volunteer work as well.
What are some of the challenges I have helped clients address?
- Clarify issues, goals & tasks
- Fill knowledge and skills gaps
- Work across different perspectives
- Think beyond the “day to day”
- Collaborate across jurisdictions
- Fulfill funders’ requirements
- Serve new & diverse client needs
- Assess capabilities & opportunities
- Design & evaluate new programs
- Meet tight deadlines
What guides my work?
Five operating principles guide all work conducted under Kim Walker Community & Environment:
Integrity
Harmony
Collaboration
Excellence
Leadership
Uphold professional ethics and standards
Facilitate respect and civility through openness, understanding and relation building
Work with people to achieve the best possible solution
Provide thorough, thoughtful and attentive service
Lead through actions and encourage leadership in others
Why do I do what I do?
To feel like I’m making a real difference in the world. The older I get, the more I realize that making a difference might not have great magnitude but as long as I can achieve deep, meaningful and positive change no matter how small, I know it’s a step forward.
Where do I see my work going in the next few years?
Community valuations and sustainability has been top-of-mind for me for a while now. In a way, I am moving full circle (hopefully not going in circles) back to what I consider to be community & environment basics. Over the next few years, I want to work with organizations and communities to facilitate a better understanding of socially-shared values and inter-cultural competency. Incorporating my love of photography and other visual tools I see my work becoming more creative, more active and more interactive in the near future. Stay posted!
As a trainer and facilitator for the last 12 years, I bring an eye for the way another facilitator holds the room; and you bring a quiet intelligence and strength that I find admirable. There is an energy that I perceive as feminine and clear and strong. That energy doesn’t push but holds the focus with compassion, intelligence and humor. I salute you.
Lee Rome, Regional Manager — Vancouver Island Skilled Trades Employment Program
kimwalker.ca 