Master Your Disaster

Leann Hackman-Carty specializes in economic development, economic recovery, entrepreneurship, project management as well as public and government relations. Since 2009, Leann has served as CEO of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) which is Alberta's economic development network. Its 300+ members are involved in economic development activities including business retention & expansion, business and investment attraction, opportunity identification, tourism, workforce development, business and economic recovery, and industry sector development. At the end of 2014, Leann completed an Economic Disaster Recovery Project with 10 Alberta communities and Treaty 7 Community Futures (Siksika/Stoney). She also helped “Canadianize” the Recovery and Resiliency Roadmap: A Toolkit for Economic Preparedness, which is a toolkit for communities to use in preparing for and recovering from economic disruptions, whether natural or manmade.

Since May 2016, Leann has been working with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray) on their business and economic recovery efforts, including setting up and running the Wood Buffalo Business Recovery Hotline and validating businesses for emergency relief from the Canadian Red Cross. In January 2017, she led a 10-member Economic Opportunity Assessment Team (EOAT) to Fort McMurray for one week to meet with almost 150 stakeholders in order to assist the Economic Development Department with its short, medium and long term economic recovery strategy.