Meet Our Team

Kayla Pepper is a passionate leader with 16+ 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.

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. She has worked across Syilx (Okanagan), Tŝilhqot’in, Secwépemc, Nlaka’pamux, and St’át’imc territories.

Kayla finds joy in quiet sunrises and good espresso. She values honest conversations that help people reconnect with what matters most. Whether working in an EOC or facilitating a circle, Kayla is grateful for the people and places that shape each moment. Her life’s mission is simple: to bring people together to do great things. She feels most at home near the water, or out among sage and trees.

Michelyn Lepage is a project leader, writer, and Cultivating Safe Spaces Facilitator with experience in community engagement and development and systems change initiatives. Michelyn is passionate about supporting communities through collaborative processes that build up resilience and establish lasting relationships.  

Michelyn is of mixed-European descent, with primarily French, Eastern European, and Nordic roots. Now based in Victoria on the territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, Michelyn was born and raised on Syilx territory in the Lower Similkameen in the unincorporated village of Cawston, BC. Family ties to the Syilx nation through her siblings guide her heart through this work. 

Michelyn loves organized systems, stream-lined processes, and well-laid-out documents. She is most inspired when serving others and building lasting systems. She is passionate about public libraries and building up her community. Michelyn is an artist who loves to paint and create, and is happiest when unwinding with a good book with her two cats. 

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.

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. 

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.