Founded in 2013, Prairie Sky Strategy serves individuals, small and medium-sized organizations, not for profits and large international firms to help achieve their next level of growth in western Canada.
We specialize in local insights and strategy, government relations, public affairs, communications, business development and Indigenous relations.
Our name represents the wide-open, endless opportunities and optimism we believe is western Canada and beyond.
Our team is known for their get it done, common sense “prairie folk” attitude while being hyper-focused on getting you results.
Our focus is being the bridge to your sustainable growth.
We are a team of local professionals providing responsive and personalized services – meaning you get access to a local and experienced advisor.
We also don’t need to fly someone into a local area to gather local insights. We grew up here, have families here and built successful careers and networks here.
All of which saves your organization time, and leads to better results.
Prairie Sky’s growing team includes individuals with a complementary range of backgrounds and skillsets that have worked in the highest levels of government and business across western Canada and Ottawa.
President
Jeff brings 30 years of experience in the private, nonprofit and public sectors in Saskatchewan, BC and Alberta. Prior to starting Prairie Sky in 2013, Jeff spent five years as Chief Operating Officer at Impact Society and 15 years in the financial services sector with Investors Group and RBC Dominion Securities.
Experience:
Vice-President
Tara brings almost 30 years of political, government relations and public affairs experience with a focus on public policy advocacy, stakeholder outreach and brand reputation management.
Experience:
VICE-PRESIDENT
Born and raised in Fort McMurray, Mat Steppan has more than 20 years of experience in government, post-secondary and the non-profit sector. Over his career, Mat has established a successful record of building positive relationships with elected representatives, government officials, and their staff on both sides of the government relations table and across the political spectrum.
Experience:
VICE-President
Richard is a highly respected veteran in Alberta’s political landscape, with over 30 years of expertise in public policy, advocacy, government relations, crisis and strategic communications, and issues management. His comprehensive skill set supports Prairie Sky Strategy’s clients in navigating and achieving their public affairs goals across Western Canada.
Experience:
Office Manager
Sacha brings in corporate experience from her 8 year career in the legal industry along with an educational background in Linguistics where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.
Senior Strategy Advisor
Darin has diligently worked to improve quality of life for the people of Saskatchewan for his entire career. He brings more than thirty years of experience in the education and provincial government sectors as a school administrator, chief of staff and senior level civil servant.
He has highly developed expertise in stakeholder relations, public sector governance and public policy development and implementation.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Theo has served in a variety of roles within the Saskatchewan government including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment. He has experience in stakeholder relations, regulatory management, issues management and communications.
Experience:
Senior Counsel
After 20 years of government service and +20 years of business leadership, Jim Dinning brings his experience to PSS.
He is chair of Russel Metals Inc (RUS-T) and Desjardins-owned Zag Bank. He chairs Western Investment Company (WI-V) as well as Ontario Teachers-owned Heritage Royalty’s Advisory Board.
He is a trustee of the Killam Trust and director of the Muttart Foundation. For the last 10+ years, he has served as the lead faculty member of the Max Bell Public Policy Training Institute.
SENIOR STRATEGY ADVISOR
Kevin has vast experience in the private, public and not for profit sectors over the past 30 years. Kevin joined Prairie Sky Strategy in March of 2018 and enjoys working with a variety of clients. Prior to that, Kevin served as an MLA for Regina Northeast and served in Cabinet in several different capacities including Finance, Advanced Education, Parks, Culture and Sport and as Minister Responsible for SaskTel.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Richard joins Prairie Sky after 40 years of experience in elected office, social work, community leadership, private business and academia in Alberta.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Rick has had a distinguished career in health care, public safety, elected office and as a community volunteer and leader over the past 20 years. Based in Alberta, Rick serves clients in AB and SK in the areas of health, public safety, education and social services.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Brian brings with him senior government relations, stakeholder engagement, issues management and communications experience through his 20 years of government, post secondary and private sector service. He has also served on various boards and committees.
Experience:
Associate
Dania is a recent graduate of the University of Calgary, completing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Distinction. Throughout her studies, Dania gained experience working in varying roles including the 2021 Calgary municipal election, the 2019 University of Calgary Students’ Union general election, and the University of Calgary’s 76th Student Legislative Council.
Senior Strategy Advisor
Whitney, a seasoned professional with a 35-year track record, consistently carves out pathways to success for her clients. Her deep-seated understanding of decision-making processes in business and government sectors, coupled with her expansive network, uniquely positions her to steer through the public policy terrain, effectively amplifying clients’ concerns to decision-makers.
With experience on both sides of the decision-making table, Whitney adeptly navigates success routes for the business and non-profit sectors alike.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Tom brings over 17 years of Federal Government experience to the Prairie Sky Team. He has gained extensive knowledge of all government departments and how they operate and has served in a number of strategy, marketing and business development capacities in Regina.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Dan Nielsen is a born and raised Edmontonian who brings over 15 years of experience working in municipal government with the City of Edmonton and through liaising with other municipalities – both urban and rural – across Canada, the United States, and around the world. He spent 13 years working in Edmonton’s City Hall with over eight years in the Mayor’s Office across two Mayors serving as a senior advisor. In addition, he has held leadership roles in campaigns ranging from school board trustees, municipal, provincial and federal elections.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Colleen is a public affairs leader, with extensive expertise in building relationships and influencing diverse groups of people. She has a passion for helping clients understand what matters and why, thanks to her 20 years of experience in industry, non-profit, and political environments. Her specialty is bridging the gap between strategic planning and tactical execution.
Experience:
Senior Strategy Advisor
Bronte brings a range of experience in strategic communications, government relations, and public relations. She enjoys working to create meaningful impact for clients through building partnerships between industry, Indigenous communities, and government.
Experience:
Administrative Assistant
Jessica brings over 17 years of diverse experience in the financial services industry, having excelled in frontline operations, customer service, administration, and head office executive support roles.
Senior Strategy Advisor
Ben brings his expertise in renewable energy and environment, energy, climate and electricity policy to provide strategic policy analysis and insights, government relations, and market intelligence advice to renewable energy and cleantech clients across Canada, the US and overseas.
Experience:
We leverage our many years of board experience and work in the not-for-profit sector to provide pro bono service and financial support to community and charitable groups.
Organizations our team has sponsored or volunteered with include local food banks in major cities across Western Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Canadian Little League Baseball Championships.
We value the vital role non-profits play in communities and our goal is to help them strengthen their effectiveness and expand their impact.
Four weeks to the day following the hotly contested election campaign ending on October 28th, where Premier Scott Moe and the SaskParty won their fifth
