John is an innovative thinker and motivator who brings a positive and empowering approach to building strong and effective working relationships both at the negotiating table and in his coaching practice.
John is a seasoned professional working as a negotiator, certified coach, facilitator, mediator, and community leader. For over 25 years he has worked actively with First Nations, local, provincial and federal governments, individuals, groups and communities of difference to achieve innovative and measurable results.
John has worked with First Nations to negotiate numerous major agreements with proponents including Impact Managment and Benefit Agreements, Accommodation Agreements, Environmental Assessment Participation and Funding Agreements, and community investment agreements realizing significant benefits for First Nations communities. At the core of these agreements is the requirement for proponents, such as oil and gas companies, to maintain workable and effective long-term relationships with First Nations communities that ensure those communities can hold proponents accountable for their actions for the life of their project.
John has also coached individual and corporate clients to achieve life and business changing goals. John’s approach is to clearly identify goals, understand the realities of his clients and then work to challenge them to look at their life from new perspectives to make decisions that lead to fundamental change.
Prior to starting his own practice, John led the BC government’s Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Negotiation Division for many years responsible for provincial government negotiations with First Nations people. Key responsibilities included managing priority and emergent issues as well as the operations and staff of the Division during the exciting years when modern day treaties were achieved in BC. John also has 25 years of direct negotiation experience as the lead negotiator at treaty and non-treaty tables achieving many firsts in areas such as First Nations-local government relations, self-government, and resource development conflict resolution.
John also worked for the Capital Regional District changing its approach to First Nations relationship building and strategic and business planning, and then setting up a new and innovative Environmental Partnerships Department.
John is committed to being a leader and role model in communities of difference specifically working for About Face International as a board member, coach, facilitator and public speaker.