Joni Avram

Principal

Joni remembers family dinners as lively events. Dad would "chair" the debate about an issue and encourage the kids to chew on ideas. And she hasn't stopped.

She has enjoyed a diverse career in public affairs communication, having spent many years in political, corporate, and public policy communication. With degrees in English and Law, Joni has long been fascinated by the world of public affairs. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious, and she is well known as someone who has both the vision for making things happen and the capacity to follow through.

Joni has been the Director of Communications for a national political party and a Senior Consultant with an international public relations agency. Prior to forming Cause & Effect Marketing, she worked as an independent consultant in the areas of public policy, political advocacy, and nonprofit communication.

 

Bonnie Elgie, APR

A journalist by training, one of Bonnie’s greatest passions is to work with nonprofit organizations, specifically in the areas of brand and image building, awareness generation, and inciting positive change with key target audiences. A few highlights of her career include the Sunlight National PlayDay Program, Inn from the Cold, Revv52 (formerly Calgary Choral), Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

 

Colleen Killingsworth, APR, ABC, FCPRS

With more than 20 years’ experience, Colleen’s assignments have included a wide variety of projects such as program consolidations and moves, reputation management and branding strategies, multi-stakeholder communication, product launches, collateral development, communication audits, and special event planning and execution.

Colleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Communication Management from the DeGroot School of Business at McMaster University. In 2002 and 2004, Colleen was honoured with a Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Major Award – the CPRS Lamp of Service – Canada’s most coveted public relations honour for an individual member.

 

Lisa Rushka, BComm, APR

With more than 15 years' experience in private, public and not-for-profit sectors, Lisa's experience includes strategic planning, project management, writing, editing, media relations and special events planning.

Lisa's Bachelor of Commerce degree and her Certificate of Public Relations combine to provide a unique combination of business savvy and practical public relations knowledge. Lisa attained her APR designation in 2002, recognizing personal achievement, experience, and competence in the field of public relations.

An active member of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), Lisa chaired the national nominating committee from 2006-2009. She currently sits on the PR Advisory Committee at Mount Royal University.

 

Advisory Board

Kevin Peterson

An award-winning journalist and former publisher of the Calgary Herald, Kevin has served as Senior Counsel with an international public relations consulting firm and regularly guides provincial and national communication projects. He also serves as an advisor to the Canada West Foundation. Kevin has been extremely active in the Calgary nonprofit sector. He was on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Centre for Non-Profit Management, and the Michener Foundation, as well as a member of the Advisory Council of the Calgary Institute for the Humanities. He is currently secretary of the Peter Gzowski Foundation for Literacy.

 

Lorraine Royer

A senior executive with a national government relations firm, Lorraine has insight into regional and national policy issues in a variety of sectors. She has also managed government relations for a leading Canadian energy company. Lorraine has served as Policy Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board. She has an MBA from the University of Alberta and degrees in Agriculture and Commerce, both from the University of Saskatchewan.

 

Rich Thompson

Rich is an icon in the Canadian advertising community who has been demonstrating his superior skill and passion for strategic marketing communication for more than twenty years.

Rich holds a B.Sc with a specialty in math and statistics and an MBA in Finance. He has a strong entrepreneurial record and is well known as a business leader in Alberta. He currently serves as Canada's representative on the International Board of the Young President's Organization and is owner, part owner, director, president or chairman of a number of venture and merchant banking companies located in Calgary. A veteran of the political world, Rich has also served as strategic counsel on several provincial and national election campaigns.