As President of the Burlington Lions Club, Olivia has played an active role in supporting volunteer-led community initiatives, fundraising efforts, and local events that strengthen connection and wellbeing across Burlington. Working alongside fellow Lions, volunteers, community organizations, and local partners, she has helped support initiatives serving residents across different stages of life and areas of need.

In 2025 alone, the Burlington Lions Club contributed more than $300,000 back into the community through funds raised locally. That impact reflects what can be achieved when volunteers, residents, businesses, and community partners work together toward a shared purpose.

These experiences continue to shape Olivia’s understanding of service, civic leadership, and the important role strong community networks play in building a connected, resilient, and supportive community.

As a member of the organizing team, Olivia’s involvement with the Appleby Line Street Festival has included supporting sponsorship development, community partnerships, fundraising initiatives, and event planning alongside local businesses, volunteers, and community organizations.

Each year, the festival welcomes more than 10,000 local residents and brings together over 150 local vendors and community partners to create a vibrant, family-friendly celebration of Burlington’s community spirit.

Events of this scale require strong collaboration, careful planning, and coordination across many partners. This experience has strengthened Olivia’s appreciation for the role local events play in fostering community pride, supporting local businesses, and building strong, connected neighbourhoods.

As a member of the organizing team, Olivia’s involvement with the Burlington Festival of Lights has included supporting community fundraising initiatives, volunteer coordination, sponsorship development, and one of the city’s most cherished seasonal traditions.

For more than 30 years, the Festival has brought residents and visitors together to experience Burlington’s waterfront in a way that celebrates community, connection, and local pride.

Events of this scale rely on dedicated volunteers, strong partnerships, and extensive planning behind the scenes. These experiences have reinforced Olivia’s appreciation for civic pride, community connection, and the important role shared public spaces and local traditions play in bringing people together across Burlington.

Through her involvement with Meals of Hope and other community support initiatives, Olivia has worked alongside volunteers and community partners focused on addressing food insecurity and supporting residents with dignity and care.

For the past five years, she has personally helped prepare approximately 50 to 100 meals each week, contributing to a broader volunteer effort that supports hundreds of meals for residents and families facing food insecurity.

This hands-on experience has strengthened her understanding of how economic pressures, rising costs, and food insecurity affect people differently across the community, and has reinforced the importance of compassionate, community-based support systems.

Olivia’s involvement with PACE Canada as Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer has focused on aging in place, community wellbeing, and exploring coordinated approaches that support older adults in remaining connected to their communities. This work has included discussions around social connection, accessibility, housing, healthcare, and integrated community supports that help people maintain independence, dignity, and quality of life as they age.

These experiences continue to shape her thinking on long-term planning, healthy aging, community design, and the importance of creating communities that support wellbeing and connection across all stages of life.

Olivia’s service as the Chair of the Executive Board with Pearson Nursery included supporting nonprofit governance, organizational planning, and community-based early childhood programming during a period of significant transition and change. During the pandemic, she helped support the organization’s efforts to adapt programs and operations in ways that maintained employment for staff, preserved connections with participating families, and responded to emerging community needs.

Her involvement also included supporting local initiatives and partnerships focused on giving back to frontline healthcare workers and families across Halton. These experiences strengthened her understanding of leadership, collaboration, organizational resilience, and the important role stable community institutions play in supporting families and communities during times of uncertainty.