The Columbia Basin Trust (CBT)'s newest community liaison for its northwest region will be based in Nakusp and continue to provide meaningful support to local initiatives, thanks to her small-town roots.
The CBT has announced Amanda Murphy is taking on the role, which will support the communities of Revelstoke, Nakusp, New Denver, Silverton, Slocan and elsewhere in the corporation's Northwest Basin region.
Murphy, originally from New Denver, raised in small-town West Kootenays and now residing in Nakusp for her new role, said in a release she's "always felt deeply invested in this region."
Her professional background spans the public, private, non-profit and heritage sectors, including infrastructure planning and sustainable service delivery. Communities can count on Murphy for support in accessing resources, building connections and advancing local initiatives.
“Working with diverse organizations and developing programs in the Basin has shaped my approach to collaboration, and I’m excited to support communities in meaningful ways," she said.
In particular, Murphy brings previous experience managing community initiatives for the Village of New Denver, as well as working with the Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative on building FireSmart wildfire resilience for the Slocan Valley.
“We’re excited to welcome Amanda, whose strong facilitation skills and deep community connections will be an asset to the region,” said Katie Kendall, the CBT's senior manager of benefits delivery, in the release. “She has already integrated seamlessly with our team and will be a great resource for the communities she’ll be working with.”
Kendall told Black Press Media that Murphy, an "extremely skilled communicator," will play a key role as the CBT's first point of contact for communities.
"She supports all of the trust's programs and all of the community aspirations," Kendall said. "Her role takes her on the road really more than any other role in the trust, basically."
Murphy's tenure isn't fixed and previous community liaisons have held these roles for as long as a decade, Kendall said. She added that the CBT is also increasing the number of regional community liaison roles from three to five.
Residents of the Northwest Basin region can learn more about Murphy and contact her at ourtrust.org/community-liaisons.
