About Laura

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Born and raised in Niagara
Regional Councillor since 2018
Work experience in public, private, and non-profit sectors
Certified by AMCTO in Municipal Administration
Founder of Underdogs Boxing Club

The Details

Laura has lived in the Niagara region her whole life, having grown up in Niagara Falls and moving to St. Catharines more than 30 years ago. She has been an extremely active community member since she was a teenager, volunteering for numerous initiatives.

Laura is a graduate of both Brock University (Hons. Bachelor of Arts in Sociology), Niagara College (numerous management certificates and a Teaching Adults certificate), and she holds a certification in Municipal Administration from AMCTO. She has worked in public, private, and non-profit sector roles and is currently a freelance researcher/writer, as well as the Project Manager, Responsible Media Reporting of Gendered Issues for Gillian’s Place. Laura is also the founder, president, and head coach of Underdogs Boxing Club, a local, entirely volunteer-run, non-profit organization that offers recreational non-contact boxing programming to the community, including women-identified survivors of violence, and youth.

Below is Laura’s resume for the last 25+ years of education, work experience, and selected community involvement.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Gillian’s Place (2021 – 2024, non-renewable contract)
Project Manager: Responsible Media Reporting program & Uniquely You program

Accomplishment: Researched and produced a Guide for Journalists, a multi-part docuseries, including content creation and team guidance for production. Additionally, created a comprehensive online training program (TalentLMS) with written and video materials. The Responsible Media Reporting Training Program’s final product received high praise from the author of the reports used by Gillian’s Place for the grant application that secured $300,000 in federal grant dollars.

Key Duties:

• Managing, producing, and executing the Responsible Media Reporting Training Program to educate media partners on re-framing the way in which gender-based violence and women’s issues are covered.
• Conducting the community consultation for and facilitating the development of the Uniquely You: Healing from Trauma for All Identities Outreach Program for members of gender- and sexually-diverse communities experiencing gender-based violence.
• Working within and applying intersectional feminist, anti-oppression, anti-racism, equity, and inclusion frameworks to programming.
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with key community partners in the public and private sectors.
• Organizing community events to engage the public in conversations about responsible media reporting on gender-based violence.
• Facilitating training on media relations and communication strategies to journalists and students of journalism, police, victim services agencies, public relations professionals, educators, elected officials, and others who work with the media.
• Overseeing the development and implementation of multi-year budget plans.
• Chair of Gillian’s Place’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee (2022-2023)

OUTniagara (2021)
Project Manager
Key Duties:

• Led the development of a Community Strengths and Needs Assessment for 2S&LGBTQQIA+ communities in Niagara.
• Managed a multi-year $300,000 budget, including submitting and justifying budget change requests.
• Governance and organization building to streamline project operations.
• Engaged in community advocacy to promote inclusivity and equality.
• Built and maintained relationships with project partners to foster collaboration and communication.
• Implemented strategic initiatives to achieve project goals effectively.

Gillian’s Place (2018 – 2019, non-renewable contract)
Developer of Volunteer Programs
Key Duties:

• Researched and developed volunteer programming and initiatives to meet the needs of the shelter. This included strategies and documentation for recruiting, orienting, and managing volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the shelter for the women, children, and 2S&LGBTQQIA+ people it serves

Brock University (2012 – 2020)
Teaching Assistant and occasional Research Assistant, Department of Sociology

YWCA Niagara Region (2015 – 2018)
Resource Development Coordinator
– Raised $100,000 in new dollars and improved donor retention
– Developed a partnership with Beechwood Doughnuts that, as at end of 2025, has raised $144,000 to date

Niagara College, Canadore College, Humber College (2000 – 2015)
Online & Continuing Education Instructor and Course Developer – leadership, management, and computer courses, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

City of Welland (2003 – 2005)
Executive Assistant to the Mayor and City Manager

EDUCATION

Toronto Metropolitan University (2025)
Certificate, Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Management

University at Buffalo, School of Social Work (2025)
– Trauma-Informed Organization Certificate Program: Basics for All Staff
– Trauma-Informed Clinical Foundation Certificate Program
– Trauma-Informed Care and Counseling Certificate Program (educational criteria met, but not professional)

Centennial College (2022)
Certificate, Leadership and Inclusion

Brock University (Paused: 2015)
Master’s Degree, Social Justice & Equity Studies – courses, research interviews, literature review completed

Brock University (2012)
Honours Bachelor of Arts with Distinction, Sociology: Social Justice and Equity Studies

Niagara College (2010)
Certificate, Teaching Adults

Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers Ontario (AMCTO) (2007)
Municipal Administration Program

Niagara College (1998)
Office Administration – Executive (Co-op)

TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS

OUTniagara (2024)
Inclusion for All

Gillian’s Place (2024)
2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusion: Creating Safer Spaces for Clients and Staff

Learning Network & Knowledge Hub, Western University (2022)
Gender-Based Violence Against Two-Spirit People

First Nations University of Canada (2022)
Reconciliation Education

Women and Gender Equality Canada, Government of Canada (2021)
Introduction to Gender-Based Analysis+

Canadian Red Cross (2020)
Psychological First Aid: Caring for Others & Self-Care | Standard First Aid & CPR/AED Level C

COMMUNITY & POLICY EXPERIENCE

Niagara Regional Police Foundation (2024 – Present)
Founding Director; Selection Committee of Inaugural Board; and Police Service Board Appointee to Inaugural Board

TOES Niagara and Brock University (2024 – Present)
Steering Committee Member, The Code of Conduct for Human Trafficking Prevention in the Niagara Region

Niagara Region (2018 – Present)
Regional Councillor

• Representing the interests and concerns of the community and working on issues relating to public health and social services; corporate services; capital and operating budgets; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and procedural by-law review.
• Initiated the work to have Niagara Region and all 12 local area municipalities join the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities, which resulted in the development of Niagara’s DEI Action Plan.
• Current Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee; Co-Chair of the Reaching Home Community Advisory Board; member of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy Advisory Committee; member of the Downtown St. Catharines Community Safety and Well-Being Committee; and Niagara Regional Police Services Board Member.

Underdogs Boxing Club (2017 – Present)
Founder, President, and Head Coach

• Lead all operations and activities, ensuring a trauma-informed and safe environment for cis, trans, and non-binary people.
• Develop and implement programming and initiatives that promote empowerment, skill-building, social inclusion, and reconnecting the mind and body through recreational boxing for all members.
• Undertook and led a 10-month fundraising campaign from incorporation (February 9, 2017) to opening the doors on October 1, 2017

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