Andrea Reimer

FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL, TAWÂW STRATEGIES

Andrea Reimer has been a strong public voice in Vancouver and the metro region for almost two decades, with a focus on working with residents to build green, reconciled and connected communities, and making government easy for the public to access.

Andrea started her public work as an organizer on community efforts to achieve greater social, environmental and economic justice. In 2002, she was elected to the Vancouver School Board, a first for the Green Party in Canada. In 2008, Andrea co-chaired Gregor Robertson’s successful campaign for Mayor, ran for Council herself, and went on to be elected to three terms on Vancouver City Council.

During her decade on Vancouver City Council, Andrea led a number of initiatives, including the City’s effort to be the Greenest City on earth and Vancouver’s nationally significant municipal framework for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. As the long-time political lead on community planning and public engagement at Vancouver City Council and as Vancouver’s representative on Metro Vancouver’s Regional Planning Committee for a decade, Andrea also brings a strong understanding of housing, transportation, and land use issues across the region. She also served as the Vice Chair of the national Green Municipal Fund from 2015-2018.

After leaving municipal politics in 2018, Andrea was awarded a prestigious Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in recognition of her civic leadership. She was appointed in 2020 as the inaugural Policy Practitioner Fellow at UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, where she continues as an Adjunct Professor teaching about power and connecting the theory of policy-making to practice. She also teaches public engagement at SFU and serves as the Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Solid Waste Management Plan Independent Consultation and Engagement Panel, as well as serving as a director on the board of Translink.

In addition to her public roles, in 2021 Andrea founded Tawâw Strategies, a consulting firm that supports courageous leaders to implement bold ideas. Her clients include First Nations, public sector agencies, local governments, and NGOs. Andrea has also been a prolific community volunteer serving on boards of diverse organizations ranging from credit unions to universities to grassroots community groups. She has been recognized with a number of awards including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award and the World Green Building Council Chairman’s Award. Andrea is frequently asked to speak nationally and internationally on her policy achievements and writes a regular column for the National Observer.