heatherfancy

I am pleased to put forward my experience and leadership background in support of serving as a Councillor with the City of Castlegar.

With more than two decades of experience in senior leadership, business development, operations, marketing, and customer-focused environments throughout the Kootenays, I have developed a leadership approach grounded in accountability, collaboration, strategic thinking, continuous improvement, and measurable results.

My professional experience has given me a strong understanding of the importance of responsible decision-making, effective communication, fiscal accountability, and building positive relationships within the community. I bring a practical, solutions-oriented perspective and a commitment to listening, asking the right questions, and working collaboratively to achieve meaningful outcomes for Castlegar and its residents.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

• Data-Driven Decision Making — Analytical and detail-oriented, with a strong ability to interpret data and translate insights into effective business strategies.
• Project Administration & Execution — Meticulous in planning, coordinating, and delivering projects while maintaining high standards of accuracy, organization, and presentation.
• Leadership & Team Development — Proven ability to build, lead, manage, and motivate high-performing teams while fostering accountability, collaboration, and a positive workplace culture.
• Strategic Communication — Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate ideas clearly, confidently, and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Business Systems & Technology — Experienced in computerized business systems, technology integration, process management, and programming applications.
• Research & Media Relations — Strong research capabilities with experience developing communications strategies, media relations practices, and information-management processes.
• Goal-Oriented Execution — Systematic and results-focused approach to establishing challenging objectives, developing actionable plans, and driving initiatives through to successful completion.
• Business Development & Marketing — Skilled in identifying opportunities, developing strategic initiatives, strengthening customer engagement, and supporting organizational growth.

MANAGER — KOOTENAY CANNABIS LTD. Castlegar, British Columbia

Provide comprehensive operational and business leadership for a provincially regulated cannabis retail operation, overseeing day-to-day performance, regulatory compliance, financial objectives, staff development, customer experience, inventory, merchandising, marketing, and community engagement. Joining the cannabis industry was a natural extension of a career built around helping people, educating consumers, building strong teams, and developing successful businesses. Lead with a focus on responsible cannabis education, exceptional customer service, regulatory integrity, and supporting the growth of BC’s craft cannabis industry.

• Direct all day-to-day retail operations, ensuring consistent achievement of financial, operational, customer-service, and compliance objectives.
• Maintain rigorous adherence to British Columbia cannabis regulations, licensing requirements, age-verification standards, security protocols, inventory controls, and responsible sales practices.
• Lead, coach, schedule, and develop staff, creating a positive, accountable, knowledgeable, and customer-focused team culture.
• Establish sales targets and operational priorities while monitoring performance indicators to identify opportunities for revenue growth, customer retention, improved productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Oversee inventory management, including receiving, reconciliation, product rotation, merchandising, stock levels, shrink control, and compliance documentation.
• Analyze sales and customer data to identify product trends, purchasing patterns, inventory opportunities, and emerging customer needs, using insights to inform merchandising and purchasing decisions.
• Develop and implement merchandising and sales strategies that improve product visibility, customer education, basket size, and overall retail performance.
• Provide customers with accurate, responsible, and non-promotional cannabis education, helping them understand product categories, cannabinoids, consumption considerations, and responsible-use principles.
• Build relationships with licensed producers, suppliers, industry representatives, and local businesses to strengthen product knowledge and support a diverse selection of BC-grown and craft cannabis products.
• Champion and promote BC craft cannabis, helping customers discover locally produced products while supporting the growth and recognition of BC’s independent cannabis industry.
• Develop and maintain operational procedures covering compliance, opening and closing, cash handling, inventory, security, customer service, staff responsibilities, and incident management.
• Support employee education and professional development, ensuring team members remain current on products, regulations, responsible sales practices, and customer-service standards.
• Manage customer concerns and complex situations professionally, protecting both the customer relationship and the organization’s regulatory and operational interests.
• Contribute to business development through community engagement, local partnerships, digital communications, and strategic marketing initiatives within the requirements of a highly regulated industry.
• Leverage emerging technology and digital tools, including AI-assisted research, content development, business productivity, and educational initiatives, to improve operational efficiency and customer engagement.
• Promote a culture of responsibility, education, inclusion, professionalism, and community connection within the retail environment.

Core Competencies: Regulated Retail Operations • Cannabis Compliance • Business & Financial Management • Sales Leadership • Inventory Management • Staff Leadership & Development • Customer Experience • Cannabis Education • Data-Driven Decision Making • Merchandising • Supplier Relations • Craft Cannabis Advocacy • POS & Business Systems • Risk Management • Community Engagement • Digital Marketing

MANAGER — HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SOUTHEASTERN BC, CASTLEGAR RESTORE Castlegar, British Columbia

Provided strategic, operational, and community leadership for the West Kootenay ReStore, a social-enterprise retail operation supporting Habitat for Humanity’s mission of helping families achieve strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership. Led employees and volunteers while overseeing financial performance, donation development, sales strategy, customer experience, safety, community partnerships, and day-to-day operations.

• Provided senior operational leadership for all aspects of ReStore operations, including retail sales, donation acquisition, receiving, pickups, merchandising, inventory, customer service, staffing, and volunteer coordination.
• Built and fostered a positive, inclusive, high-performing workplace culture, motivating staff and volunteers around a shared mission of community impact.
• Directed the complete donation lifecycle, from donor engagement and pickup coordination through receiving, processing, merchandising, sales, and reporting.
• Developed annual financial targets, budgets, sales strategies, and operational plans to support revenue generation and Habitat for Humanity’s charitable objectives.
• Analyzed departmental sales performance and sales-per-square-foot metrics to identify opportunities for expansion, optimization, inventory reduction, or reallocation of retail floor space.
• Established and strengthened community sponsorships, donor relationships, and business partnerships, increasing community awareness and support for the ReStore and Habitat for Humanity.
• Used data and reporting to track and analyze donations, pickups, sales, marketing performance, customer satisfaction, and operational trends, applying insights to improve decision-making.
• Recruited, trained, supervised, and developed employees and volunteers, aligning individual strengths with operational priorities and organizational objectives.
• Delivered customer service and volunteer training designed to establish consistent standards, improve engagement, and strengthen the overall customer and donor experience.
• Represented Habitat for Humanity and the ReStore. Served as a community ambassador for the organization, strengthening relationships among donors, customers, volunteers, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Recognized with the Community Social Award from the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce for contributions to the local community.
• Received a WorkBC Certificate of Appreciation for Training in recognition of contributions to training and development.
• Completed OFA Level 1 (2020), Canadian Red Cross COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing Program (2021), and BCCSA Leadership for Safety Excellence (2022).

Core Competencies: Executive & Operational Leadership • Team & Volunteer Management • Social Enterprise • Financial & Budget Management • Sales Strategy • Retail Operations • Data Analysis • Donation Development • Customer Experience • Community Partnerships • Sponsorship Development • Safety & Compliance • Staff Training & Development • Stakeholder Relations • Nonprofit Leadership

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & MEDIA  transitioned to FINANCE SERVICES SPECIALIST

KOOTENAY IMPORT AUTO GROUP — Cranbrook, British Columbia

Provided strategic marketing, media, and finance services across Sun Valley Nissan, Hillcrest Hyundai, Arrow Volkswagen, and Subaru Cranbrook, developing dealership-specific strategies to strengthen brand awareness, generate leads, support sales performance, and improve marketing ROI.

• Developed and executed annual marketing strategies and budgets for multiple automotive brands, aligning marketing investment with dealership sales objectives and revenue targets.
• Led the transition from traditional newsprint advertising to primarily digital marketing, improving the ability to target audiences, measure engagement, and evaluate return on investment.
• Developed and managed quarterly marketing performance and ROI tracking, providing sales management with data-driven insights to guide future marketing investment.
• Created and strengthened social media identities and digital brand presence for individual dealerships while maintaining consistency with manufacturer brand standards.
• Managed co-operative advertising programs and submissions, ensuring compliance with manufacturer requirements while maximizing available marketing resources.
• Planned and coordinated monthly dealership sales events and promotional campaigns, integrating digital, traditional, social, and event-based marketing.
• Represented dealership brands at regional community and automotive events, strengthening local brand awareness and customer relationships.
• Supported Team Subaru and the Rocky Mountain Rally, contributing to regional brand visibility and community engagement.
• Served as Director for a Volkswagen car show, coordinating event marketing, brand representation, logistics, and community participation.
• Transitioned into the role of Finance Services Specialist, applying strong customer relationship, data analysis, communication, and sales skills to automotive finance operations.
• Developed targeted marketing initiatives using the dealership’s existing customer database, identifying opportunities for customer retention, repeat business, and additional sales.
• Leveraged customer and historical sales data to create more targeted and measurable marketing campaigns.
• Continued providing remote marketing support and strategic direction for the dealer group during a period of significant business transition and dealership ownership changes.
• Worked closely with sales management to align marketing activity, customer acquisition, promotional initiatives, and financial objectives, creating a more integrated approach to dealership performance.

Core Competencies: Strategic Marketing • Digital Transformation • Marketing Budget Development • ROI Analysis • Automotive Finance • Customer Database Marketing • Lead Generation • Brand Management • Social Media • Event Marketing • Co-op Advertising • Sales Support • Customer Retention • Data-Driven Decision Making • Multi-Location Operations

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING  — NORTHSTAR GM Cranbrook & Creston, British Columbia

Directed integrated marketing and digital strategy for Northstar GM’s Cranbrook and Creston dealerships, Northstar Collision Centre, and Ron’s Collision Centre, overseeing print, digital, social media, website development, lead generation, community engagement, and promotional initiatives.

• Developed and executed integrated marketing strategies across digital, print, social media, email, website, and community channels to increase brand visibility, generate qualified leads, and drive showroom and service traffic.
• Led the development, optimization, and ongoing management of multiple dealer and collision-centre websites, including FlexDealer platforms, with a strong focus on SEO, online visibility, customer engagement, and measurable lead generation.
• Implemented mobile technology and remote systems to support ICBC claims processing and collision estimates, enabling staff to conduct business more effectively from remote locations.
• Applied data-driven prospecting strategies using online classified platforms and historical customer behaviour to identify and target potential buyers..
• Developed social media policies, training materials, and e-books to educate employees and establish consistent standards for online customer engagement.
• Managed digital coverage of Northstar’s extensive community fundraising and sponsorship initiatives, while training nonprofit volunteers in blogging, social media, and digital communications.
• Recognized as a local resource in social media strategy and digital engagement, presenting to business organizations and community groups on building, managing, and engaging an effective online presence.
• Presented to approximately 75 local business professionals at Key City Theatre on social media and digital marketing, incorporating additional community media perspectives into the event.
• Built marketing initiatives around measurable outcomes, using website traffic, online engagement, lead generation, customer inquiries, and sales activity to evaluate campaign effectiveness.

Key Strengths: Integrated Marketing Strategy • Digital Marketing • SEO • Social Media Strategy • Lead Generation • Website Development • Brand Development • CRM & Customer Engagement • Community Marketing • Team Training • Data-Driven Marketing • Digital Transformation

LEAD PRACTICUM COORDINATOR — LAUNCHLIFE INTERNATIONAL INC., HEALTHCARE DIVISION

Cranbrook, British Columbia

Coordinated national practicum for students enrolled in healthcare and medical professional programs across Canada, from Miramichi NB to Victoria BC. Managed the end-to-end placement process while supporting student success, institutional partnerships, program compliance and technology systems. My approach in seeking and managing contracts with major health centres in major cities in every province created stability for students, program providers and assisted hosts bridging employment gaps.

• Coordinated and monitored national practicum placements for healthcare students, ensuring students, host organizations, and academic program requirements were aligned throughout the externship process.
• Sourced, evaluated, and certified practicum hosts across both the private and public healthcare sectors, establishing relationships with qualified organizations and placement partners, solidified with contracts to five years.
• Prepared students for successful placements through online instruction, one-on-one counselling, interview preparation, professional coaching, and ongoing support before and throughout their externship experiences.
• Supported the acquisition and maintenance of provincial and national affiliation agreements, developing relationships with healthcare organizations and external stakeholders.
• Managed computerized client management systems, software, hardware, and student information systems maintaining security of data.

Core Competencies: Program Coordination • Healthcare Education • Practicum & Externship Management • Partnership Development • Student Advising & Coaching • Staff Recruitment & Training • Program Compliance • Process Improvement • Data & Records Management • CRM Systems • Technology Implementation • Stakeholder Relations

PROGRAM DEVELOPER 

Suncoast Canada Dive College at Capilano University
Sechelt, British Columbia

Provided strategic and operational leadership in the development of a post-secondary diploma program – The Proffesional Scuba Dive Instructor Program, a first of it’s kind in the world, partnership with global dive training PADI

• Developed objectives to align with institutional policies, business plans, to support initiatives, and meet eligibility requirements for student financial assistance programs with then PCTIA.
• Implemented public awareness, marketing, and promotional strategies that generated national media exposure, and demonstrated measurable improvements in student recruitment.
• Planned and coordinated the establishment of major organizational departments, defining staffing requirements, roles, responsibilities, and operational structures.
• Allocated human, financial, and material resources to support program implementation while establishing financial controls and budget-management procedures.
• Organized Event commemorating the 25th anniversary of National Geographic’s exploration of the Emerald Sea. 
• Provided comprehensive administrative oversight for dive education and training programs, ensuring effective coordination of students, instructors, facilities, equipment, and program requirements.
• Coached and prepared students for international employment opportunities and professional experiences, providing guidance on career readiness and international placement requirements.
• Directed corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and administrative procedures, ensuring institutional operations aligned with applicable requirements and organizational policies.
• Oversaw records management, information security, purchasing, contracts, equipment, and budget controls, establishing systems to support accountability and operational efficiency.
• Represented the organization at trade shows, industry events, official functions, and community engagements, developing relationships and promoting institutional programs and opportunities.
• Contributed to the development of an institution positioned for sustainable growth through strategic planning, financial forecasting, program development, marketing, and operational infrastructure.

Core Competencies: Strategic Planning • Institutional Development • Business Planning • Financial Forecasting • Budget Management • Program Development • Marketing & Recruitment • Regulatory Compliance • Corporate Governance • Human Resources • Student Services • International Education • Stakeholder Relations • Operations Management

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP

Kimberley Dynamiters Hockey | Kimberley, BC | 1999–2000

Recruited by the Kimberley Dynamiters ownership team based on my community involvement, event promotion, marketing, and volunteer management experience. Appointed to develop and execute revenue-generating sponsorship, marketing, and promotional strategies for the 1999/2000 season.

Core Competencies

• Corporate Sponsorship & Revenue Development
• Strategic Marketing & Promotions
• Business Development & Partnership Building
• Community & Stakeholder Relations
• Contract Negotiation & Account Management
• Revenue Strategy & Financial Performance
• Event Management & Promotions
• Regulatory Advocacy & Compliance
• Media Relations & Advertising
• Community Engagement & Volunteer Management
• Strategic Problem Solving
• Leadership & Project Execution

Key Achievements & Responsibilities

• Developed and implemented revenue-generating marketing, sponsorship, and promotional strategies aligned with organizational financial objectives.
• Identified and cultivated corporate sponsorship opportunities, negotiating advertising contracts and developing strategic business partnerships.
• Secured a $21,000 corporate advertising agreement with Howard Johnson Hotels, the largest single advertising contract in the team’s history at that time.
• Evaluated community initiatives and promotional projects based on their potential contribution to revenue generation, visibility, and organizational objectives.
• Introduced innovative media and advertising concepts to strengthen corporate partnerships and maximize sponsorship revenue.
• Successfully challenged and navigated Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) regulations, securing approval for beer sales during hockey games.
• Implemented the expanded licensing opportunity as a new revenue stream, contributing to league-leading revenue performance and surpassing previously achieved team rankings.
• Built relationships with businesses, community stakeholders, volunteers, and event partners to strengthen the team’s community presence and financial sustainability.