Policy is everything. It affects what we do, how we live, and how we engage with the environment around us. It impacts how we move through space and interact with each other. Despite policy guiding us through each day and night, it’s invisible to us. As a policy development professional, I engage with diverse communities and incorporate feedback from both community leaders and members to create inclusive programs and policies. My colleagues have commended me for my ability to bring unique perspective and ask the questions that others might not be asking. I distill information, gather the big picture, look at disparate viewpoints, and integrate them into succinct policy that affects positive change.With a background in business improvement areas, I learned how municipalities work, firsthand. Engaging with small independent businesses, political and community leaders, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, I learned to navigate conflict and improve both the social, infrastructure, and tourism landscapes in Toronto Centre.Always guided by a commitment to building inclusive spaces, I led numerous initiatives, both virtually and physically, that celebrated diversity, letting people know that Toronto Centre and the City of Toronto was a place where they were welcomed and accepted.I’m always learning and growing. As someone who started working delivering pamphlets for a municipal agency, to earning promotions to eventually become the Executive Director, I have a deep appreciation for people working at all levels and the insights and ideas that each person can offer. Key Skills & Strengths• Program Development & Implementation• Policy Analysis & Development• Stakeholder Engagement & Relations• Program Management• Report Writing & ResearchI love connecting with people over coffee (even though I’ll have a tea), and hear their perspectives on the political landscape, share ideas, and discuss ways to improve the spaces we inhabit. Feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn or email me directly at stephaniemccracken@icloud.com.