Board of Directors

Anne Gardner

headshot of Anne Gardner, BCCIC Board member

I recently retired and moved back to B.C. where I grew up and hope that my skills and experience might be of use to BCCIC. I’ve spent my career working in international development and conservation, getting my first introduction to this kind of work as a CUSO volunteer in Nigeria in 1980. I ended up spending much of my life living and working in West Africa, most recently for 7 years in Liberia (which happens to be home to about half of West Africa’s remaining rainforest). Most of my work has been in the fields of community-based natural resource management and sustainable livelihoods although I have experience in other areas as well. Organisationally, I have some expertise in organisational development, including a certificate course from the Canadian Organisation Development Institute and practical experience in various leadership positions. 

The thread running through my career has been a focus on and belief in the value of partnership to effect change and I’ve spent a lot of time with organisations that promote North South partnerships such as Crossroads International and BirdLife International. And while “partnership” is one of those jargon words that can sometimes ring hollow, and while making “partnerships” work practically can be challenging, I continue to believe we do more when we bring together our different strengths and take action together.