Founder & Principal
Who I Am
What Lights me Up
Where I'm From
Kayla Pepper is a passionate leader with 15+ years in emergency management, specializing in culturally safe, community-led approaches.
She blends systems thinking, strategic insight, and respect for Indigenous governance with her training as a yoga teacher and Cultivating Safe Spaces facilitator to help organizations build inclusive resilience and lead with clarity through crisis and change.
Where I'm From
What Lights me Up
Where I'm From
Based at Paul Lake near Kamloops on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory, Kayla Pepper has served alongside communities mostly across BC. Of mixed European descent with Ktunaxa family ties, she weaves the lands she walks on and the people she meets into the heart of her work.
What Lights me Up
What Lights me Up
What Lights me Up
Kayla finds magic in sunrises, belly laughter, well-crafted sentences, and great espresso. Kayla loves honest conversations that draw people closer to what matters most to them. Whether in an EOC, a circle, or leading lakeside, Kayla is continually grateful for the people and places that shape each moment. She’s happiest after a good hike with either a book or a hand on the pontoon wheel.
EXPERIENCE
Workshops and Facilitation
Workshops and Facilitation
Workshops and Facilitation
Kayla has facilitated training and planning workshops with First Nations, provincial and federal agencies, and volunteer teams across BC. From co-leading the 60-member COVID-19 Indigenous Agency Working Group to developing cultural competence tools within BC’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), her facilitation supports collaboration, learning, and systems change at every level.
Key Notes and Conferences
Workshops and Facilitation
Workshops and Facilitation
Kayla has presented at several national and regional forums on topics including cultural safety in Emergency Support Services (ESS), leadership during climate disasters, and reconciliation in emergency management systems. Drawing from her Master’s research, response experience, and policy co-development work, she connects lived experience with strategic insight to spark change.
Relationship Continuity
Workshops and Facilitation
Emergency Management and Disaster Resilience
Kayla supports relationship continuity by formalizing MOUs, LOUs, and communication protocols that uphold trust, clarity, and shared responsibility particularly between First Nations and local governments. Kayla was BC’s lead negotiator on the current Tŝilhqot’in National Government Collaborative Emergency Management Agreement (CEMA). She also advanced agreements with Indigenous Services Canada, First Nations Health Authority, First Nations Emergency Services Society, and the First Nations Leadership Council.
Emergency Management and Disaster Resilience
Media, Crisis Communications, Executive-Level Briefing
Emergency Management and Disaster Resilience
In roles ranging from BC Wildfire Service Information Officer to Regional Manager and Executive Director with the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), Kayla has supported community recovery, First Nation–Local Government relationship-building, and emergency operations during wildfires, floods, and atmospheric river events.
She has led in government, non-profit, and private sector settings, including: coordinating Indigenous interagency response during COVID-19, and helping support over 20,000 evacuees during the 2017 wildfire season through the Canadian Red Cross and Thompson-Nicola Regional District EOC.
Media, Crisis Communications, Executive-Level Briefing
Media, Crisis Communications, Executive-Level Briefing
Media, Crisis Communications, Executive-Level Briefing
As a BC Wildfire Communications Specialist and Type 1 Information Officer, Kayla led field-level crisis communications and supervised high-volume media operations.
Over the past 15 years, she has briefed cabinet ministers, coordinated public messaging across ministries and agencies, and supported community leaders in delivering clear, culturally sensitive communications during critical incidents.
Stress-Resilience Coaching and Strategies
Media, Crisis Communications, Executive-Level Briefing
Media, Crisis Communications, Executive-Level Briefing
Certified in yoga and meditation (300 hrs) and a Cultivating Safe Spaces trainer (Naqsmist Storytellers Inc.), Kayla integrates wellness practices into a systems change approach.
From briefing executive teams during crisis to guiding communities through recovery, she emphasizes psychological first aid, team resilience, land-based learning, circle practice, and after-action debriefs — practices that help restore energy, focus, and wellbeing after prolonged stress.
Training, Academic Achievements and Published works
Training, Academic Achievements and Published works
Training, Academic Achievements and Published works
Kayla has a JIBC Certificate in Emergency Management, a Bachelor of Arts from UVic, and a Master of Arts in Leadership from RRU. Kayla’s Master’s thesis, Cultural Safety in Emergency Support Services, helped drive policy and systems change to ensure evacuee care services in Canada are more culturally safe.
The research was featured in HAZNET and the Canadian Journal of Emergency Management, and earned her the Royal Roads University Founder’s Award for leadership and impact.
Learn More
Training, Academic Achievements and Published works
Training, Academic Achievements and Published works
Strategic Advisor
Who I Am
What Lights Me Up
Where I'm From
Mark Healey is a seasoned emergency management professional and BC Wildfire Type 1 Incident Commander with decades of experience leading complex responses. Known for his calm presence and practical leadership, he brings depth, clarity, and mentorship to every team and operation he supports.
Where I'm From
What Lights Me Up
Where I'm From
Mark is based at Paul Lake, BC on Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc territory. Born in Victoria and raised across the province, he’s deeply connected to British Columbia’s diverse landscapes and communities. He has served in wildfire roles every region of BC, as well as in the United States and Australia, bringing a global lens to local response.
What Lights Me Up
What Lights Me Up
What Lights Me Up
Mark is energized by leading high-performing teams in high-stress environments. As an Incident Commander, he thrives on building trust quickly, making clear decisions under pressure, and creating conditions for others to succeed, even in the most challenging moments. When not working, Mark is fishing, hunting, or chasing a puck around the ice.
Mark's Role:
At this time, Mark Healey serves in an advisory capacity with Ember Leaf Consulting, contributing his extensive expertise in wildfire response, incident command, and leadership development. While not involved in daily operations, Mark continues to deliver specialized training through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and is available to guest speak and facilitate select workshops as part of Ember Leaf’s offerings. His presence adds depth to our emergency management and wildfire leadership programming, particularly in contexts where field experience, operational insight, and strategic foresight are essential.