This month, we pass the ELN member spotlight to Carley Smith Debenedictis—a jack-of-all-trades communicator. After six years with the MS Society of Canada, Carly found the endzone with Canadian Football League, helping it celebrate the 100th Grey Cup, before delivering for Canada Post as spokesperson and media liaison. Now, she’s at the City of Mississauga as Senior Communications Advisor. Passionate about civic engagement, dispelling fake news, and horseback riding, Carly’s a dynamic ELNer all her own!
To learn more about Carley, read her spotlight below.
I was born in …
Stratford, Ontario (Home of Justin Bieber!)
I currently live in …
Burlington, Ontario. Burlington is the halfway mark between my work place and my husband’s work place – but so much more than that. This year, the City was once again named the best mid-sized city in Canada and the second best city in Ontario by MoneySense Magazine and it is easy to see why; a beautiful waterfront, unique businesses and great access to parks and trails.
Diverse leadership is important because…
A diverse mix of leaders leads to more intelligent discussions, smart decisions and ultimately, the best outcomes for everyone.
Civic engagement is important because ….
As Barack Obama so nicely summarized in his farewell speech, “change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged and come together to demand it.”
The issues in our region that keep me up at night are…
The changing media landscape. Local newsrooms are shrinking and “fake news” is now a common phrase. Community newspapers are extremely important; they hold elected officials accountable, shine a light on local government, keep voters informed, and celebrate local accomplishments happening right in your neighbourhood.
My greatest city-building accomplishment to date is …
Recently co-organizing the ELN Explores event in Mississauga – bringing ELNers West to Mississauga to see this diverse, smart and growing City was a great accomplishment.
One thing I do to ensure I continue to grow and develop as a leader is…
Take advantage of every opportunity to learn. Whether it be a attending an event, reading a book or listening to a podcast, there is always something new to learn to make you a better leader.
One characteristic every leader should possess (and why) is …
Agility – the ability to be agile, anticipate and lead change, and focus on continuous improvement.
If you want to get more engaged in your city or community you should ….
Start by signing up for your City newsletter, your Ward Councillor newsletter or to receive the City’s news releases. Information is key!
To me, an inclusive city/region/GTHA looks like…
The GTHA! You don’t have to search very far to find great leaders preaching inclusiveness, incredible networks like Emerging Leaders Network fostering community and countless programs and services geared towards making the GTHA a welcoming and inclusive region.
One of my favourite places in the GTHA to visit/go is ….
The waterfront – anywhere from Pickering to Hamilton. We are so lucky to live along the shores of one of the world’s largest Great Lakes. The waterfront is gorgeous and has incredible unique pockets along the Lake.
A hobby/talent of mine that people may not know about …
I really enjoy horseback riding and have done so for two decades!