About Us
Ken Anderson & Associates
Our bilingual team includes writers, communication strategists, trainers, designers, publicists and new and multimedia specialists.
Operating as a virtual agency since 1994, this Ottawa-based firm boasts some of the country’s most accomplished communication professionals, each of whom has a reputation for delivering measurable results – on time, on budget and on target.
Ken Anderson is a media relations, strategic communication and training specialist. He has provided public relations, training, coaching and communications services to clients in the public and private sectors for over 35 years.
A former radio reporter, program host and communications director, Ken has assisted clients ranging from political leaders to some of the world’s leading companies. He has provided media relations, crisis communication, public speaking coaching and training for dozens of cabinet ministers, members of parliament, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, corporate executives, educators, association leaders and other community leaders. In addition, he has created customized training programs on information management, sales and creative problem-solving.
A former director of communications and member of the senior management group with the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ken was responsible for the first commercial special event marketing of HDTV in Canada. He also helped establish a Canadian box office sales record for the stage musical Les Misérables and worked behind-the-scenes as part of the team who created the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards. In addition to co-producing a client’s nine-part promotional series for television, Ken provided unit publicity for the Emmy award-winning film Le Dortoir and a made-for-TV series pilot, entitled Justice.
A popular speaker on topics ranging from media trends, techniques, ethics, employee recognition and careers in communication, Ken was a featured panelist on the future of news at the national conference of the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) of Canada.
Ken is a 1977 graduate of the Political Studies program at the University of Guelph, where he also studied Communications, Agricultural Economics and Extension Education. For several years, he served as judge of IABC’s Gold Quill, Silver Leaf and Excel Awards.
David Coulombe
BSocSc
David Coulombe has worked on both sides of the microphone in the communication, journalism and public and media relations fields for more than 30 years. Over those years he has worked with national, provincial and local candidates of virtually every political stripe and with a range of leaders in the business, health, research and finance sectors.
Fluently bilingual, David is a former press secretary and director of communications for the City of Gatineau, Quebec. He also spent 13 years as a reporter and on-air program host with radio outlets in Ottawa and Montréal.
In addition to his experience as a public speaking instructor at St. Paul University in Ottawa and former lecturer in communications and journalism at the University of Ottawa and La Cité collégiale, David now provides executive training and coaching for media spokespersons and public speakers and media relations planning and monitoring for a range of clients across Canada.
He is also the host of the MA TV program, “Mise à Jour Outaouais.”
A graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he majored in Canadian politics, David also studied print journalism at the Cégep de Jonquière.
Roxanne Deevey
BA, MJ
Roxanne Deevey is an award-winning communications director and former journalist now focusing on strategic communications and corporate, media and public relations consulting.
After four years as a reporter with Radio-Canada radio and television, in Manitoba and Ottawa, she spent five years with TFO/TV Ontario as producer of the popular, French-language program Panorama.
In 2003, she was named Director of Communications with Ottawa’s Bruyère Continuing Care, where she oversaw media relations and was responsible for the management of a variety of internal and external communication initiatives, such as production of annual reports and newsletters.
A long-time communications director with the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), Roxanne directed the CECCE’s communications team from 2005 and 2015. In the process, she earned four Bravo! Awards from the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education and two international Gold Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicators.
More recently, from 2015 to 2017 Roxanne served as Director of Communications and Marketing with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Roxanne was certified as an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) by the International Association of Business Communicators in 2011. She is a graduate of the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University in Ottawa, the Graduate Communication Studies program at Concordia University in Montreal, and Dalhousie University in Halifax, where she completed her undergraduate degree in International Development and Spanish.
Roxanne is fluently bilingual.
Eric Collard
BComm
Eric Collard is a fluently bilingual public relations professional and social media specialist who is passionate about community, wellness and the outdoors. Boasting close to 20 years of experience in media relations, communications and social media engagement, he has managed some of the most high-profile and sensitive files on behalf of clients in government, and the not-for-profit, national association and corporate sectors.
Over the past 10 years alone, he has managed more than 200 high profile issues and media events as a strategist, media relations specialist, emcee and spokesperson and provided social media and spokesperson training in both official languages across North America to more than 200 professionals.
A former print journalist, Eric worked with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to bolster the Big City Mayors Caucus members’ social media and online engagement platforms. He also helped manage and served as a communications strategist and occasional spokesperson on behalf of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada on issues such as the OC Transpo/VIA investigation and Watchlist 2014.
Eric is a graduate of Mount Allison University, where he completed the Bachelor of Commerce program. He also has earned post-graduate certificates in leadership and governance with the State University of New York (SUNY) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Nathan Lockhart
MA, MCATD
Nathan Lockhart is a learning professional and executive coach with more than 20 years’ experience. He provides specialized in-house training for clients in the public and private sectors, including for more than 40 federal departments and agencies, such as the Privy Council Office, Bank of Canada and Canada Revenue Agency.
In addition to his work with Ken Anderson & Associates, Nathan is a senior trainer and curriculum lead for executive development programs at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute.
A former employee of Health Canada and the Privy Council Office, Nathan’s knowledge spans a number of disciplines including public policy development, negotiation, issues management and strategic communications. He is a dynamic public speaker with a strong understanding of workplace challenges and demands facing today’s professionals. To date, he has delivered more than 500 workshops.
Nathan is a graduate of the University of Ottawa (MA, Political Science) and York University (MC in Adult Training and Development).
Shelley Trevethan
BA, MA
Shelley Trevethan is a senior consultant with over 25 years of experience in areas relating to Indigenous issues, criminal/social justice, and the machinery of government. She has extensive experience in engagement/facilitation and partnership building with federal and provincial/territorial governments, non-governmental organizations and communities. She has strong leadership skills in strategic and operational planning, transformation/change management, project management, research/evaluation, performance management, policy/legislative reform, executive coaching, and corporate functions.
After receiving a BA in Criminology from Carleton University and a MA in psychology from the University of British Columbia, Shelley began her career with the Government of Canada as a psychologist, and worked for many years as a criminal justice researcher. Later, she served as Director of Indigenous/ Community Research with the Correctional Service of Canada, Director of Performance Audit at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, and Executive Director General of the Parole Board of Canada.
Prior to embarking on her career as a consultant, Shelley was the Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat, with a mandate to resolve claims of abuse by Indigenous people which occurred at residential schools.
Heather McLeod
BA
Heather McLeod is a bilingual Métis Cree woman with over 20 years of experience working on Indigenous initiatives. Her background includes work in the areas of corrections, social/criminal justice, victims, restorative justice, well-being, and social and health sectors, including leading a national contribution funding program, managing staff in national/regional offices, conducting re-organizations and down-sizing, directing change management initiatives and championing diversity and inclusion plans and initiatives. Her research and evaluation initiatives have embraced performance measurement, project management, and managing IM/IT divisions.
Heather honed her skills while working with various government departments and agencies, including the RCMP, Family Violence Prevention Program, and Parole Board of Canada, as a team member on the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Pre-inquiry, as Director of Client Services at the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat, as the Director of the Centre for Indigenous Statistics and Partnerships at Statistics Canada, and as a consultant.
Over her entire career, Heather has worked extensively with various communities including First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, leaders, diverse and other racialized communities, organizations, sectors, elders, and youth.
She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, where studied criminology, sociology and psychology.
Bernard Gauthier
PhD
Bernard Gauthier brings a unique blend of academic and professional qualifications to his work as a strategic communication planner and trainer.
His credentials include a BA, MA and PhD in Communications coupled with more than 30 years of experience as a strategic communicator. In that time, he has developed and directed campaigns for marketing, public relations, advertising, employee communication and government relations, in both French and English. His work was conducted both on the client and agency sides of the business, including successful campaigns in the private, public, not-for-profit and association sectors.
In addition to his consulting experience, Bernard served as a sessional lecturer at Carleton University for more than a decade, offering courses in advertising and public relations to students in their highly-regarded School of Journalism and Communication. With his PhD completed, he moved to a full-time teaching position in what was then a brand-new Bachelor of Public Relations program at Conestoga College, in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. His students at both Carleton and Conestoga (where he taught for nearly eight years) were introduced to the original and comprehensive approach to strategic communication planning that Bernard developed, called the CARE Model.
The CARE Model approach to strategic communication planning was refined and put to use over the nearly 20 years that Bernard worked with a full-service communication agency in Ottawa that he eventually led as CEO for three years. He was able to see first-hand what worked well for his clients and what needed to be improved in the approach. The plans he developed and the impact they generated set the stage for the publication of Strategic Communication in Canada, Canadian Scholars Press, 2018.
Bernard offers a disciplined approach to strategic communications planning, counsel, coaching and training. He is fluently bilingual.
Lise Hebabi
PhD
Lise Hebabi is a senior organizational development consultant and IAF Certified Professional Facilitator® with over 25 years of experience. She is passionate about helping groups engage in powerful dialogue that strengthens their individual and collective ability to succeed. Her educational background and experience make her particularly effective in helping groups and organisations navigate through sensitive issues where there are divergent points of view.
Until 2002, Lise was a change management consultant at Deloitte, where she also took on the role of diversity champion for the Ottawa office. She has also held human resources positions at the Farm Credit Corporation and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and has experience living and working in a variety of different cultures.
Lise is fluent in oral and written English and French. She holds a Master of Arts in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University and is currently a PhD candidate in Human and Organizational Development, also at Fielding. She holds a Professional Certificate in Conflict Management from the Sprott School of Business, and has participated in numerous other professional development activities on topics such as Appreciative Inquiry, World Café, Learning Design, Mindful Leadership, and Open Systems Theory.
Keren Nafte
MBA
Keren has over 36 years of experience in the field of management, organizational design, and leadership development. He began in 1983, conducting workshops on management, team building and competitive strategies for clients. Coming to Toronto in 1987, he was hired by the Bank of Montreal and tasked with developing training materials for the Bank’s newly launched suite of mutual funds and retirement products. In addition, he taught several financial securities courses for the Bank.
In 1990, Keren founded BelEsprit Inc., which initially offered educational workshops in the financial industry across Canada. By 2004, the company implemented an Executive Coaching Program, focusing on leadership, communication, conflict management and the creation of high-performing teams. In this capacity, Keren partners with senior management to successfully work through organizational issues and tackle their leadership and talent management needs. Over the years, he has worked within a variety of sectors (from financial, technology, and engineering to waste management) and at different levels within organizations from Presidents, portfolio managers, C-Suite Officers, senior managers, and US Marines. The organization services clients in Canada and the US.
From 2014 to 2017, Keren was an adjunct faculty member of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he taught two courses in the Graduate Program in Conflict Management: International Organizational Behavior (CMR 543) and Decision Making and Negotiation (CMR 503).
Keren was formally educated in South Africa graduating with a BA (Honours) in the social sciences and an MBA. He obtained the Canadian Securities Course and the Investment Funds designations, as well as the psychometric MBTI accreditation.
He was an advisory board member of the Canadian Basketball Academy, a sports organization providing sports and educational opportunities to at-risk kids for 8 years.
Antonia Morton
BA (HONS.), BJ
Antonia Morton has worked as a freelance writer and editor since 1992. She specializes in plain language editing and editing complex copy. As an editor, she translates clients’ copy into clear, reader-friendly English.
As a professional editor, freelance journalist and occasional teacher, Antonia has the talent it takes to tidy up your academic, literary, online, popular, government or promotional writing while retaining your own voice.
A former newspaper writer, editor, columnist, and theatre/book reviewer, Antonia is an active member of the Editors’ Association of Canada. After earning a Diploma is Advertising and Marketing from Algonquin College in Ottawa, she went on to complete a Honours B.A. in English Literature at Carleton University in Ottawa and the Bachelor of Journalism program at Ryerson University in Toronto.
In 2009, Antonia collaborated with Ken Anderson to bring together eight separate sections of a complex records management manual into a unified document. She then focused on integrating the manual’s contents into two new training programs—one for intermediate personnel, and one for supervisors.
Steve Kee
Cert. (Radio Broadcasting)
Steve Kee is a multi-award winning strategic marketing and communications consultant. A former broadcaster and finance and insurance sector executive, Steve now works on the agency side. Over his impressive career, he has generated the global media coverage on behalf of his clients and, in so doing, has developed a wide range of trusted relationships within the investment, finance, insurance and media sectors.
Most recently, Steve served for 9 years as director of external communications with the Insurance Bureau of Canada where he was responsible for both traditional and social media activities, all digital platforms and the events team. His focus was helping deliver results on key industry files such as auto insurance reform, adaptation to severe weather and managing climate crises, and the fight against insurance fraud.
A former part-time communications instructor at Humber College, from 2008 to 2010 Steve was assistant vice president, Communications with Sun Life Financial where he was responsible for setting and managing the strategic direction for the firm’s communications programs across the company. Before Sun Life, Steve was director of corporate communications with TMX Group Inc., the company which operates the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange.
Along his professional journey, Steve has assembled an extensive list of local, national and global business and financial media contacts. In particular, he directed communications leading up to TSX Group’s Initial Public Offering in 2002, the first stock exchange in North America to take this step. He also helped create the TMX Broadcast Centre, a multipurpose high-tech presentation and media facility and home to many of Canada’s national television broadcasters.
Steve is a graduate of the Radio Broadcasting (1983) program at Humber College. He has also completed executive studies in Leadership Development (2003) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the Leading Across Boundaries Program (2009) at Duke University.
Roddy Heyliger
BA
E-publisher, and PR and communications consultant Roddy Heyliger is based in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, and serves as our Senior Counsel (Caribbean). As publisher of the popular online news source www.soualiganewsday.com, he is one of the most respected voices in the Dutch Caribbean.
A graduate of Webster University in The Netherlands, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a minor in Media Communications, Roddy has extensive experience in the public and private sectors. His work encompasses strategic communication planning, publicity, information, issue and risk management, disaster communication, and health promotion.
Originally from nearby Saba, Roddy has earned the trust of clients from far and wide, particularly in the government, tourism and transportation sectors such as the Government of Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten Tourism Council Foundation, Port St. Maarten, and Ogden Aviation Services. Having served for several years as Press Secretary to the Parliament of Sint Maarten as well as counsel to certain members of the Council of Ministers in Sint Maarten, he keeps close tabs on political and socio-economic developments across the Caribbean.
He is a former columnist with The Guardian newspaper, editor of Youth LinQ, reporter for The Chronicle (Sint Maarten), and contributor to publications such as the Saba Herald and The Clarion.
