Meet the RIC

Dr. Terri MacDonald holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia, and M.A. in Policy and Administration from the University of Calgary, and a B.Sc. and B.Ed. from Lakehead University. She has 10 years of experience working in community and economic development across British Columbia, primarily in the Kootenay region. She is committed to rural communities and to strategic decision-making as a fundamental ingredient to planning for positive change. As a former educator and owner of her own research and development consulting business, Dr. MacDonald is uniquely positioned to work with communities to improve decision-making capacity.

Terri has worked closely with municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, Community Futures Development Corporations and economic development organizations in the areas of investment attraction, community engagement, business succession planning, economic development partnership models, and regional marketing. Dr. MacDonald’s research interests also include amenity-based rural development, the role of community capacity in rural economic development, and the linkages between rural schools and rural revitalization. Her commitment to rural revitalization is evidenced by an impressive track record of rural research and dissemination through academic and practitioner networks.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Selkirk College and to oversee and initiate the efforts of the RDI,” says MacDonald. “I’m looking forward to supporting the needs and priorities identified by our communities through the provision of timely, applied research and connecting this research to provincial, national and international research communities.”