In Person

Addressing Mental Wellness & Economic Development

Leann Hackman-Carty
CEO, Economic Developers Alberta
Angela Groeneveld
Senior Manager, Economic Stability and Investment, Town of Strathmore
Munira Mohamed
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Recovery Manager (Alberta), Canadian Red Cross
Thu, Oct 3
Time of Session
1:25 pm
Leann Hackman-Carty
CEO, Economic Developers Alberta
Angela Groeneveld
Senior Manager, Economic Stability and Investment, Town of Strathmore
Munira Mohamed
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Recovery Manager (Alberta), Canadian Red Cross

Addressing mental wellness is often overlooked by individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities, but it is a crucial issue that needs attention. Community leaders are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges, as we’ve seen through our work in business and economic recovery following natural disasters and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In our experience, economic developers frequently encounter business owners struggling with financial difficulties and also dealing with a variety of personal stressors such as addiction, divorce, health issues, grief, depression, and anxiety. It’s a reality—many of us know someone who is personally facing mental health challenges.

Negative news stories and social media can also contribute to increased anxiety for those supporting business owners and coworkers.

To build long-term capacity, it is essential to focus on increasing personal resilience, which in turn fosters business and community resilience.

Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) is currently collaborating with the Canadian Red Cross and Hummingly to develop a course aimed at equipping and supporting community economic development leaders in managing the stresses of daily life at home, work, and in the community. 

This panel will highlight the work currently underway in this area, and explore how fostering mental wellness can help lead to more resilient, prosperous communities.

About the Speakers

In Person

Leann Hackman-Carty

CEO, Economic Developers Alberta
Leann has been the CEO of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) since 2009. She specializes in community economic recovery and resiliency. Leann’s personal and professional experience has fostered a growing interest in supporting the mental wellness of community leaders in challenging times. This includes completing a recovery project with 11 Alberta...
Speaker Bio

Leann Hackman-Carty

CEO, Economic Developers Alberta

Leann has been the CEO of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) since 2009. She specializes in community economic recovery and resiliency.

Leann’s personal and professional experience has fostered a growing interest in supporting the mental wellness of community leaders in challenging times. This includes completing a recovery project with 11 Alberta flood-impacted communities (2014), setting up and operating the Fort McMurray and region business hotline, validating businesses for Red Cross emergency relief, and leading a 10-member technical assistance team to the region (2016-17). Her Master Your Disaster series of readiness, response and recovery guides for families, businesses and communities was launched on Amazon shortly after her work in Fort McMurray.

Leann has also updated the Canadian version of IEDC’s Leadership in Times of Crisis toolkit several times to help communities prepare for and recover from economic disruptions and brought IEDC’s community economic resiliency training to Canada. EDA’s most current version of this course continues to be offered online and in-person, and its Mental Wellness for Community Leaders Course is scheduled to launch early in 2025.

Leann is a Certified Economic Developer through EDAC and has a BA (Political Science/Sociology), BSW (Community Development), Professional Management Certificate (Marketing) and a Certificate in Economic Development.

She is currently coordinating a multistakeholder group focused on building regional economic capacity in response to the 2024 Alberta wildfires.

In Person

Angela Groeneveld

Senior Manager, Economic Stability and Investment, Town of Strathmore
Angela is passionate about helping entrepreneurs because she is an entrepreneur herself. Her vast experience includes the cattle, fashion, health, and wellness industries. Angela’s career in economic development began when she was appointed by the Alberta Government Minister of Recovery to assist in the Emergency Operation Center during the 2013...
Speaker Bio

Angela Groeneveld

Senior Manager, Economic Stability and Investment, Town of Strathmore

Angela is passionate about helping entrepreneurs because she is an entrepreneur herself. Her vast experience includes the cattle, fashion, health, and wellness industries.

Angela’s career in economic development began when she was appointed by the Alberta Government Minister of Recovery to assist in the Emergency Operation Center during the 2013 southern Alberta floods.

As the Business Recovery Officer for the Town of High River, she played a crucial role in creating and leading the downtown recovery efforts, which was the hardest-hit area. She established Canada's first temporary business park and formed a Business Recovery Task Force with local stakeholders. During four years of recovery, Angela and the renewal team had sustained close to 80% of the pre-flood business community.

Later, she used her experience to help support other business and economic recovery efforts including the Fort McMurray business emergency hotline, hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, and flooding in British Columbia.

In 2019, Angela transitioned to the Town of Okotoks, where the business community was experiencing a period of rapid growth. Utilizing her knowledge of the area and expertise in BR&E, she delivered a robust Economic Development plan and formed a local business stakeholder committee.

Since October 2022 she has served as the Senior Manager Economic Stability and Investment, for the Town of Strathmore. 

Angela’s passion for mental wellness, is a direct result of her personal and professional experience over the past decade.  Her work in High River impacted her own mental health issues, including PTSD.

In Person

Munira Mohamed

Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Recovery Manager (Alberta), Canadian Red Cross
Munira Mohamed, is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Manager of Recovery in Alberta with the Canadian Red Cross, brings extensive experience in trauma-informed care, community recovery, and mental health capacity-building.  She has led initiatives supporting individuals and communities impacted by disasters, focusing on...
Speaker Bio

Munira Mohamed

Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Recovery Manager (Alberta), Canadian Red Cross

Munira Mohamed, is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Manager of Recovery in Alberta with the Canadian Red Cross, brings extensive experience in trauma-informed care, community recovery, and mental health capacity-building. 

She has led initiatives supporting individuals and communities impacted by disasters, focusing on integrating mental health and economic development. Munira works closely with community leaders to address mental health challenges including stress, grief, and trauma, promoting resilience and well-being in communities.

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