In the Spotlight - Tannis Topolnisky, CP3

---

The IAP2 Wild Rose Chapter is excited to highlight the outstanding P2 professionals who guide and shape our community of practice in Alberta! 

This month, we are honored to feature Tannis Topolnisky, CP3, whose career spans over 20 years of contributions to the P2 community. Tannis is widely recognized for her exceptional leadership in training and mentoring. Learn more about her story below!

What do you value about being a Wild Rose member?

Knowing that I’m not alone! This work of engagement can often feel very lonely, and it’s a great feeling to have others experiencing similar challenges and amazing practitioners to learn from.

Can you share the story of your career path that led to your present position?

My story started by following my interests and what held my curiosity. This led me on a very non-traditional path, resulting in a Masters's Degree in Textile Science, specializing in protective clothing. 

My first job out of university took me to work at the Department of National Defence's research establishment just outside of Medicine Hat, Alberta, working on their chemical and biological protective clothing research team. Those familiar with the area will know it's in the middle of the prairies. 

One day, I got a call saying the helicopter pilots were not wearing their protective hoods in a potential chem/bio threat situation because of the heat stress and pressure points. They were choosing their ability to fly safely over the potential threat of exposure. 

It was suggested I go to the field to fly with the crews and see what they had to deal with. This got me out of my lab in the basement of the prairies and saw me spending the week in New Brunswick at their training site. 

I took some prototypes and survey questions, and my eyes were open to a new experience. My curiosity was piqued in creating the space of bringing together lived experience and expert knowledge to find the path forward. I enjoyed this so much that I asked myself if this was something I could actually do for a living.

As I discovered, this is the space of engagement. I took a leap of faith and applied for a regional public engagement position in Edmonton for Health Canada; they were the first federal Department to have an office of public engagement.

That was over 20 years ago, and my career started there. Since then, I've had the opportunity to work as both an engagement advisor and manager for the City of Edmonton, and now I own my own consultancy, where I provide engagement, facilitation, training, and coaching. I've been an IAP2 licensed trainer since 2011. I am a mentor for new licensed IAP2 trainers and a mentor for new practitioners through IAP2 Canada's mentorship program. I also volunteer on IAP2 Canada's Professional Development and Training Committee.

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

People’s knowledge and stories have always intrigued me. I have been reading biographies and autobiographies since I was a teenager. This work allows me to meet so many different people, and I am constantly in awe of learning from and being inspired by others. I’m also a collaborative problem solver at heart. I love digging into complex issues and helping organizations and communities find a way forward that leaves them in a better place than they started.

Why did you decide to apply to become a CP3?

I wanted to become a CP3 to support our practice, to support IAP2 (as it’s a pretty great association to be part of), and to support myself in my continual growth as a practitioner. 

There is so much rigour, careful thought, and skill that it takes for us to do this work. But it’s not well known. I love that IAP2 has put the work into having the CP3 program in place to elevate recognition of our practice and to ensure certain standards are met.

What advice would you give to someone starting in the field of engagement?

The biggest advice is what they’ve done because if they’re reading this, they’ve already joined the IAP2 community. Find peers and learning opportunities and always be willing to ask questions. What my practice looked like 20 years ago is much different than it is today. Welcome to this amazing practice that really has so much to offer. For me, this profession has given me the gift of becoming a better human.

Do you know someone in the field of public participation who you think should be our next member in the spotlight? Email your suggestions to info@iap2wildrose.ca