Kayla Pepper is of mixed-European, primarily Ukrainian, descent with family from the Ktunaxa Nation. She recently joined Colliers Project Leaders in a Principal role based in Kamloops, BC, situated on the unceded, traditional lands of the Secwépemc Nation. She brings 15 years of emergency management experience and a master’s degree in leadership, during which she worked with Indigenous organizations and emergency program coordinators to complete a thesis on cultural safety in Emergency Support Services (ESS). Her desire to unpack colonial ways of thinking and participating in systems drives her passion to realize an all-of-society approach to community resilience. Kayla has formerly served in executive-level positions with the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), where she led agreement negotiations, advanced strategic partnerships with First Nations, local governments, and non-governmental organizations, and championed reconciliation approaches including legislation co-development, and the advancement of consultation, collaboration, and cultural competency frameworks. She has also served as an EMCR Regional Manager; Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre (PREOC) Director; City of Kamloops ESS volunteer; BC Wildfire Service Communications Specialist; and Canadian Red Cross Disaster Coordinator. Kayla is passionate about bringing communities and organizations together to create a safer, more inclusive future for this generation and those that follow.