Our principle trainer, Shawna Bruce, has more than 35 years of communications experience as both an Army Public Affairs Officer, and as the Public Affairs Manager for Dow Chemical Canada.

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With a degree in Mass communications from Carleton University, a 2-year Public Relations diploma from Algonquin College, along with being a graduate from the US Defense Information School, Shawna was well primed to start working to support emergency managers better communicate in a crisis or disaster.

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Shawna’s hands on experience working in major crisis situations involving media at the local, national and international levels and her learnings as the Public Information Officer in Emergency Operations settings, offers clients a realistic approach to how to use media as a conduit in providing public information in a timely and accurate manner for various incidents.

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An engaging presenter, Shawna is a self described “Master of Disaster,” and  graduate of the Master of Arts Disaster and Emergency Management program from Royal Roads University.  She has completed several FEMA Public Information courses and has co-instructed the FEMA All Hazards PIO course at the Incident Management Team Academy at NAIT’s Centre of Applied Disaster and Emergency Management. The content for her training combines personal learnings with formalized course material offering participants hand-on tools for their communicator’s toolbox.

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Shawna is currently a part-time instructor for NAIT’s Disaster and Emergency Management program, and the Public Member for the Northeast Region Community Awareness and Emergency Response (NR CAER) where she is an advocate for public safety and emergency communications.