I have spent most of my life on the North Coast of BC and have lived in Prince Rupert since 2000. I was born in my mothers home community of Masset and grew up in my fathers hometown of Hartley Bay. I was out of the territory for a few years pursuing my education and returned to the north Coast in 2000 with a Bachelors Degree from the University of Victoria. I have a broad range of experience from over 15 years in commercial fishing to 20 years of experience working for First Nations communities and organizations. I am a member of the Gitga’at First Nation. I have worked for my community for most of the past 20 years working in Marine Planning and Stewardship. I also have been the Field Coordinator for the North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society where I coordinate the participation of 5 different Nations in the Prince Rupert Area to collect data on a variety of protocols in the Skeena Estuary. I also served two terms as an elected councillor and hold a hereditary role as a Ga’lm’aalyax or speaker for the Chief of my clan. All of these roles give me a strong understanding of both the contemporary and traditional leadership roles and responsibilities, as well as what we see as the right way to manage the resources within our lands and waters. Growing up in a coastal community gives you a different mindset as there are so many different situations where you need to figure things out or you’ll just be stuck where you are. I pride myself on being able to find creative solutions to problems, promote diplomacy and communication to bring people together.