Carissa Halton

Principal Consultant, Facilitator

With a career spanning many sectors, Carissa is an authentic leader, supportive advisor and fearless facilitator. She has broad experience in leadership and communications roles: in the non-profit sector as the Managing Director of The Mustard Seed Edmonton, in the government sector as a political advisor to the Premier of Alberta and Minister of Seniors and Housing, and in the private sector as a communications consultant and publicist. She is an award- winning journalist, winner of both a National and Alberta Magazine Award and her essays have been anthologized. Her debut book, Little Yellow House: Finding Community in a Changing Neighbourhood (University of Alberta Press), was released in 2018 and through her agent, Speakers Bureau Canada, she regularly speaks to audiences about community development, consensus-based leadership and building better teams.

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Halton Strategic uniquely merges her writer's listening ear, journalist’s perceptive questions, political advisor’s risk analysis, and training in facilitation and public engagement. You can find more about her publications and speaking on her writing and speaking site. She is trained in IAP2 method of public engagement.

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Halton Strategic is a proud member of the Lodgepole Consulting Collective, a consultancy of industry leaders helping organizations build thriving communities.

Trisha Estabrooks

Facilitator & Writer

Trish's exceptional listening and reporting skills were honed over 17 years working as a journalist with CBC in stations across Canada. An award winning journalist, she's worked with Journalists for Human Rights in West Africa and was co-host and producer of the Broadcast, a podcast about women and politics. Her curiosity and tactful, probing questions help clients go deep and get focused. Her editing skills ensure Halton Strategic's reports are clear and to-the-point (because while team conversations aren't linear, client reports should be!)

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Past Chair of the Edmonton Public School Board, Trish was elected as a Trustee and re-elected in the Fall of 2021. This experience has honed her skills in facilitation and organizational communications.

Mat Halton

Facilitator & Learning Design Expert

Mat is an experienced adult educator whose facilitation and notation skills have been honed as an Instructor at MacEwan University and Norquest College, and as a Child and Youth Care practitioner and manager at The Family Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. He specializes in learning design that engages participants to explore theory and practice in creative and non-traditional ways.

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Through numerous musical collaborations, including the Pre-Post Project, he has experimented with the use of music and story as a means of building empathy and understanding. He has performed for conferences and teams to kick start conversations about social justice and community.

Andrea Hasenbank

Facilitator & Learning Design Expert

Andrea's talent at distilling complex and (sometimes) wandering group brainstorming sessions into clearly articulated take-aways has been honed through her doctoral work and research.   With a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Andrea has taught courses on media history and the news at the University of Alberta and consults on learning design and facilitation. 

Andrea has worked as a project leader, writer, editor, and researcher. She has been a political advisor, working extensively in the areas of health policy, mental health and addiction, seniors’ care, and housing.