Michelle Colussi is the Manager of the Technical Assistance Division with the Canadian Center for Community Renewal (CCCR), a Canadian based organization working in the field of community economic development. Michelle has worked in education, recreation, with youth at risk, in mental health, the arts and as a board and business trainer. Michelle has an extensive background in rural development projects, multi-stakeholder facilitation and board/leadership development in the non-profit sector. She brings her background in drama and her humour to her work. She was a key staff member in the development of the Community Resilience Manual that CCCR developed, and has recently adapted for the Government of Botswana, and she is currently giving leadership to an update of that tool using applied research methods.