OUR PEOPLE

M. DANIEL ROUKEMA

President & CEO

M. Daniel Roukema is the Principal of MDR Public Affairs, responsible for overseeing all corporate functions.  He has worked with not-for-profit organizations, the private sector, and various governments for almost 25 years, acquiring an expertise in corporate communications, government relations, and public and stakeholder engagement.  [Continue]

STACI MASON

Senior Associate

Staci Mason has an extensive background in operations management.  She is highly experienced in helping clients develop strategic project planning and research initiatives that drive process improvement, customer relations, and professional development activities. She also works closely with clients to develop action plans and road maps to achieve short and long-term operational and project goals.   [Continue]

PRIYA RAMSINGH

Senior Associate

Priya Ramsingh has acquired almost 25 years of experience in communications, public affairs, and media relations. A results-driven professional with expert insight into recognizing and delivering audience needs, she has led communications departments at three regulatory bodies in Ontario.  [Continue]

MYCHAYLO PRYSTUPA

Video Production Lead

Mychaylo Prystupa has been creating authentic and well-crafted video stories for more than 15 years.  He is an award-winning broadcast journalist and a recognized expert in strategic video communications, media relations, the art of storytelling, and marketing.  [Continue]

WAEZA S. AFZAL

Associate

Waeza brings extensive experience in regulatory policy development, stakeholder engagement and policy research, and analysis on a variety of social and urban issues.  In the regulatory sector she provided important policy analysis on regulatory reforms, governance, and emerging issues and trends in the sector.   [Continue]

OUR WORK:

THE ERA OF GOOGLING REGULATORY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IS OVER

Getting hired is often challenging enough, but finding the right jobs to apply to can be a tedious adventure and emotional roller coaster for people looking for work.  

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Canada has over 500 regulators, and in the past, anyone wanting to work in the sector had to visit websites of umpteen organizations to find the right employment opportunity.  Oftentimes and to their dismay, they'd see the familiar line "no opportunities currently available, please check back later."

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We just launched RegulatoryJobs.ca, an easy-to-use and beautiful website featuring job opportunities exclusively from Canadian regulatory bodies.​ The era of Googling regulatory employment opportunities is over.

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After consulting with regulators for almost a year, we built this website to:

• provide HR staff with an industry-specific hub to post employment opportunities;

• establish a site as the go-to place for the public wishing to enter the regulatory sector; and 

• serve as a valuable resource for professionals in the sector seeking new opportunities.

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Mission accomplished! The site is pretty cool and we're very proud of it.

Check it out: www.regulatoryjobs.ca 

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LEADING A NATIONAL EFFORT TO PROTECT CONSUMERS AND PATIENTS

We discovered that when asked most Canadians did not know the purpose or existence of regulatory bodies.  Yet here are more than 500 of these organizations in Canada employing thousands of people and doing great work to protect the public. 

All of them are mandated by a provincial, territorial, or federal government ministry to protect the public by overseeing the conduct of dozens of professions including lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, real estate agents, social workers, dentists, and architects.  These regulatory bodies set standards for entry-to-practice, enforce laws and codes of conduct, and manage complaints and discipline processes to resolve conflicts and impose sanctions against professionals when necessary.

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MDR Public Affairs has taken the lead to increase the visibility of regulatory bodies and provide the public with easier access to them.  By working with organizations across Canada including governments and non-profit organizations, we developed the Canadian Regulatory Index, a multilingual online destination where the public can easily access important information from every Canadian regulatory body.

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To launch in the fall of 2019, the site will provide tips on making informed consumer choices and link to all Canadian regulatory bodies' websites.  In three clicks or less, the public will be able to access databases to determine the status of individuals in a profession, learn how to file a complaint, be updated on disciplinary processes of particular cases, and also learn how to become licensed with foreign credentials.in a Canadian province or territory. 

The Canadian Regulatory Index is the first of several regulatory resources at www.consumerprotection.info.

REPORTING GREENER AND FAIRER CORPORATE PRACTICES

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If you think about companies that produce cars, no doubt Ford, Chrysler, Honda, or Mercedes will likely come to mind.  But behind the scenes of the world's great manufacturers are many other corporations that are world leaders in innovation and technology.  Nexteer Automotive is one of them.

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Nexteer Automotive is a global leader in advanced steering and driveline systems, advanced driver assistance systems, and autonomous driving enabling technologies.  Traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1316:HK) and headquartered in Saginaw, Michigan, Nexteer is required to file an annual Sustainability Report to demonstrate its compliance to the Stock Exchange's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Guidelines.  Beyond environmental practices, reporting include disclosing a company's labour practices, human resources commitments, safety, security, as well as board diversity, executive compensation, and business ethics.

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MDR was privileged to advise a group of highly talented sustainability professionals on this document and polished drafts that led to the recent release of Nexteer's 2018 Sustainability Report.

ENVISION A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) won't hesitate to let you know that there's nothing sexy about infrastructure.  You can't take it home, it has no voice, and it's not cuddly. 

But it is critical and affects us all.

The reality, as they would have you know, is that "infrastructure is the foundation on which our communities live. It provides us with drinking water, handles our waste, creates spaces for us to enjoy, and allows us to effectively communicate with one another."​

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You might have never heard of ISI, but this Washington, DC-based organization is leading the global effort to make infrastructure more sustainable.  Their Envision Framework is a game changer and governments and corporations across the U.S., Canada, in Europe, South America, and the Middle East are coming to ISI to have their projects assessed.  

MDR Public Affairs produced this two-minute video that tells the story about infrastructure, our changing world, and the impact of Envision.

Other Pretty Cool Projects: 

MDR recently provided communications and government relations advice to prepare a client to appear before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

We identified a solution that improves the way in which organizations manage their correspondence with journalists and track social media and news broadcasts.

Pro bono client

The Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) is a national, non-profit organization, driven by Black organizations across the country. The Federation of Black Canadians advances the social, economic, political and cultural interests of Canadians of African descent.

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MDR Public Affairs is honoured to provide FBC with communications advice and leadership. 

Learn more about FBC here.

OUR APPROACH

WE LISTEN

At MDR Public Affairs we recognize that people seek our counsel because there's a challenge that needs resolving.  Sometimes, only part of that challenge is known, and sometimes it isn't known at all.  But we recognize that there's a challenge and we've been called upon to provide an outcome.  So we listen carefully and apply in-depth fact finding methodologies to get a clear picture, and then articulate the challenges to make sure that we are all on the same page before deploying important next steps.

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WE STRATEGIZE

In all of our work, we meticulously plot each move and apply the most appropriate and measurable data-driven approaches.  We ensure that we keep the lines of communications open with our clients.  We also commit ourselves to capacity building and provide our clients with the right tools to succeed once we've concluded our work.​

WE PARTNER

Sometimes our clients need more than communications help, so we partnerships with experienced and highly credible law firms, human resources consultants and other professional service providers and call upon them as needed to benefit our clients' ultimate outcomes.

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WE IMPACT

How your organization is perceived and grows as a result of our work is of utmost importance to us, so we deliver with the knowledge that our outcomes will drive organizations beyond their current position.  We have a deep understanding of impact, both internally and externally, and work with clients on effective employee engagement strategies, essential media relations, and appropriate thought leadership to prepare them for that next level.

JOIN OUR TEAM

There are no employment opportunities at the moment, however, we will be hiring to fill the following positions in the future:

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• Account Manager(s) - Canada

• Graphic Designer(s) - Canada or USA

• Social media strategist - Canada or USA

• Bookkeeper/Accountant - Canada

• Communications Manager - Canada

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We encourage you to apply when our searches commence.  Positions will be posted here and on www.regulatoryjobs.ca.

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MDR Public Affairs embraces diversity, encourages applications from all qualified professionals, and is pleased to accommodate gender, religious, and disability needs.