CEO
Our People
Our people drive our business. Each of us is committed and feels responsible for the why, what and how of the clients we serve. While being on a path of constant learning and growth, we are unafraid to push boundaries and discover new and inventive ways to engage diverse groups of people as well as communities we work with.
Get to know more about us!
Jessica Delaney
CEO
Jessica Delaney is a seasoned engagement and communications professional with 23 years’ experience working with government, private and the not-for-profit sector. Prior to joining the family business in 2013, she served in senior communications roles with two B.C. municipalities (Resort Municipality of Whistler and District of West Vancouver). Following 10 years working with Engage Delaney, she became CEO in 2023, and supports all consulting projects, leads the facilitation practice, and is Engage Delaney’s lead IAP2 trainer.
Jessica is a Certified Public Participation (CP3) engagement practitioner, a certified professional facilitator with the International Association of facilitators (IAF) and a Certified Organizational Coach (COC) through UBC.
She has two young boys and lives in the Okanagan in British Columbia.
Rob Needham
Managing Director
As our Managing Director, Rob currently works out of the Engage Delaney Lake Country office, with a primary focus on managing project timelines and financial analysis and reporting for all Engage Delaney engagement projects.
Throughout his career, Rob has fostered a series of collaborative partnerships with a wide range of interested parties to ensure members of a community have a voice in identifying future needs and priorities. He excels in developing and articulating a clear strategic vision, a critical component in guiding the development and implementation of large-scale national programs.
Prior to joining the Engage Delaney team, Rob served in leadership positions in the amateur sport and recreation fields, most notably as the Executive Director Sport at the Canadian Paralympic Committee, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and working at the international, national, and local level to deliver innovative and enduring programs which enhanced participation while also supporting elite performance.
Rob enjoys being outdoors, and in addition to skiing, hiking, tennis, and coaching soccer, he has recently taken up mountain biking (against his better judgement) in order to keep up with his oldest son and to spend time in all four seasons on SilverStar mountain.
Managing DirectorKristi Merilees
Director, Engagement and Communications
Kristi is an experienced public engagement and communications professional with over 19 years’ experience working in municipal government and public sector environments. Kristi has vast experience in detailed engagement planning, client relations, project leadership and facilitation using both in-person and virtual engagement techniques for various sectors including government, industry, healthcare, and transportation.
Kristi is skilled at collaborating and engaging seldom heard voices to create shared understanding and brings experience in professional communications and a collaborative facilitation style. Key experience includes detailed engagement planning, virtual and in-person facilitation, IAP2 training, client relations, leadership development, and coaching.
Kristi is a licensed IAP2 trainer, as well as a Certified Executive & Leadership Coach through Royal Roads University (ICF Certified 2025). She has a Master of Arts in Leadership, and a Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication Management, both through Royal Roads University.
Director, Engagement and CommunicationsDanielle Armengaud
Manager, Data Insights and Reporting
Danielle brings more than two decades of experience in the market research industry to all Engage Delaney projects, with a special focus on engagement surveys, data insights and reporting. Her expertise is largely focused on clients in the public affairs realm. In particular, she has played key roles in projects conducted on behalf of many federal and provincial government departments, municipalities, NGOs and associations.
Danielle is a Certified Analytics and Insights Professional (CAIP) and is based in Ottawa. She studied journalism, a choice largely led by her curiosity into what makes people tick and what leads them to hold opinions and make decisions. Along the way, she became highly skilled at asking the right questions, active listening, and consolidating a lot of information into easily digestible stories.
Manager, Data Insights and ReportingShahla Gulistani
Senior Coordinator, Engagement and Data Analysis
Shahla is an experienced engagement and data analysis professional and supports the development and delivery of inclusive engagement processes grounded in evidence and community insight. Her areas of focus include engagement planning, qualitative coding and synthesis, and the development of accessible, actionable reports that inform strategy and decision-making. Shahla is skilled in working with diverse data sets, applying intersectional lenses to community feedback, and ensuring that insights are clearly communicated to a range of audiences. With a commitment to equity and representation, Shahla works to ensure engagement and reporting processes are accessible and inclusive.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of British Columbia, where she received the Young Global Citizen award. She brings curiosity, attention to detail, and a systems-thinking approach to her work. Shahla is dedicated to advancing inclusive practices and building shared understanding to support thoughtful, community-driven outcomes.
Senior Coordinator, Engagement and Data AnalysisAmanda Lim
Coordinator, Engagement and Learning
The heart of Amanda’s work has always centered around striving to help others live and learn better. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The University of British Columbia and significant experience in the higher education field, where her range of previous roles has sharpened her ability to bring an empathetic and equitable spirit to all the work she does. She believes that everyone has a story and important knowledge to share, and that keeping a curious, open mind is the key to innovation and growth.
As the Engagement and Learning Coordinator, Amanda contributes her keen eye for detail, knack for multitasking, and love of working with others to Engage Delaney’s mission of helping communities find new ways to move forward.
Coordinator, Engagement and LearningShairose Ukanji
Manager, Communications and Storytelling
Shairose is passionate about making a difference through her work. She is a skilled corporate communications and brand management professional and has worked across industries from higher education and healthcare to management consulting, IT, and retail e-commerce.
Shairose believes that corporate communications and storytelling go hand in hand, and whether you are communicating with shareholders, employees, or the general public, what you say and how you say it can make a profound difference in building your brand’s reputation. Creating compelling brand stories is Shairose’s superpower and putting that into practice has enabled her to ignite passion for a shared purpose among the teams she has worked with.
Having worked for more than a decade in strategic communications, content marketing and management, public relations, change management and audience engagement, she takes pride in her ability to look at the big picture not only to achieve objectives but also to influence decisions. Shairose maintains a positive outlook and is constantly curious to learn new things.
Manager, Communications and Storytelling