Kaaren Lewis Email & Phone Number

Victoria, Bc, Ca

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

BC's chief negotiator and lead on developing a bilateral, Canada-BC Nature Agreement to strengthen conservation province-wide and to advance a more collaborative and integrated approach to nature conservation and stewardship with Canada and across the natural resource sector.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Through a 3 year executive interchange agreement between the Province of BC and the Federal Government, I provided strategic leadership and advice to the executive of the Canadian Wildlife Service on transforming the agency's approach to fulfilling its mandate, with a primary focus on the implementation of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), to improve conservation outcomes as part of Environment and Climate Change Canada's Nature Conservation Agenda. Key duties included determining how to move from the current species by species approach to more multi-species and ecosystem-based approaches to biodiversity conservation, working closely with provinces/territories, indigenous groups, industry stakeholders and other partners on shared priority species, places and threats. ‎ One of my key accomplishments was the development and implementation of a new provincial and federal framework called the Pan Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/species-risk/pan-canadian-approach.html).

2975 Jutland, Victoria, Bc

Led and managed a team of 186 professionals and a budget of $20.5 million to develop and deliverlegislation, policy, science and knowledge management solutions related to the sustainable management and conservation of the province's water, air, land and living resources.

Led and managed the Tourism and Small Business division of the Ministry. The division worked to advance job creation and economic growth by ensuring a competitive and sustainable tourism industry, supporting small business, promoting regulatory reform, and enhancing the competitiveness of the creative sector (film, TV, interactive digital media).

Led and managed a team of 60 staff and a budget of ~$170 million (federal and provincial $) to designand deliver labour market training programs and related information and marketing services, andoversee the Industry Training Authority (a provincial Crown Corporation).

Led and managed a branch of over 90 professional and scientific staff, and a budget of $16 million todevelop programs, policy, legislation, and information to conserve the province's species, habitats and ecosystems.

Led the development and early implementation of BC's Conservation Framework, which setconservation priorities for species at risk for the province, and enabled a shift in managementfrom a reactive species by species approach, to a priority and ecosystem-based approach.

Ma, Conservation Biology

Wildlife Management, East Africa, Semester Program

Bachelor'S Degree, Psychology