Chris Corrigan

Consulting in organizational and community development

 

Home

Biography

Open Space Technology

Clients and projects

Consultation

Facilitation

Other Services

Papers and publications

Weblog

Music

Chris Corrigan
RR#1 E-3
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
604-947-9236
chris@chriscorrigan.com

 

 

Biography

Photo of Chris

Chris Corrigan was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and currently lives on Bowen Island, British Columbia, near Vancouver.  He is mixed ancestry, Irish, Scottish, Manx and Ojibway.

He received a B.A. (Honours) in Native Studies and Native Management from Trent University in 1991. His honours thesis, Organizational culture in two aboriginal organizations, looked at models for studying and describing the culture of Aboriginal organizations. His research and conceptual models helped to initiate further research on the idea of Aboriginal management.

In 1991 he moved to Ottawa and began working with the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) as a policy analyst.  During his 2.5 year tenure there he participated in Constitutional discussions, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples hearings and numerous conferences and meetings with a variety of organizations.  He initiated the planning on a devolution process that saw the NAFC eventually take over the management of its $13 million funding program in 1996. As a program developer, he brought over $1 million worth of projects into the Friendship Centre movement.

In 1994 with his partner Caitlin, Chris moved to Vancouver and began working as the Senior Policy Advisor for the British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres. His primary responsibility was the negotiation of an off-reserve self-government framework agreement with the federal and provincial governments and three other Aboriginal organizations.

In 1996, after a brief stint of consulting, Chris joined the Federal Treaty Negotiation Office as a Public Information and Consultation Advisor. He was responsible for overseeing the federal government's consultations with third parties in the British Columbia Treaty Process in several regions around BC. It was during this time that Chris developed a deep understanding of consultation and the needs of stakeholders to have a voice in processes that affect them.

In 1999, Chris returned to his consulting practice, which focuses primarily on facilitation and consultation, working primarily with First Nations communities and organizations. He is an internationally recognized specialist in Open Space Technology and has been trained by Harrison Owen and Birgitt Williams. His Open Space Technology meetings are known for bringing high energy, spirited performance and real empowerment to large groups of diverse participants who are struggling with complex issues. He is particularly interested in how Open Space Technology works with various traditional Aboriginal values and processes. Because of this grounding, Open Space Technology has become his preferred process for working with First Nations and other clients.

Chris is married with two children, Aine who was born in 1997, and Finn, who was born in 2000.

Chris is a traditional Irish musician and has recorded a CD of traditional music with a collection of Vancouver based musicians. He participates in sweat lodge ceremonies and has studied within the Midewiwin.

His current passions and interests include Buddhism, cricket, systems and complexity theory, taekwondo, and blogging.