Emanuel Machado, Member of Leadership Team
Emanuel Machado
Emanuel Machado is the Chief Resiliency Officer of the Town of Gibsons, BC and the Chair of the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI).
Since 2001, Emanuel has worked with communities throughout Canada, promoting a greater use of renewable energy, net-zero buildings, water strategies, social plans and sustainability frameworks, all with a focus on people, recognized with numerous awards including the Arbor Vitae Award from the Province of British Columbia and the Professional Award for Innovation in local government.
More recently, Emanuel led the development of the Town of Gibsons Eco-Assets Strategy, a first in North America to formally recognize the role of nature as a fundamental component of the municipal infrastructure system, leading to a greater understanding of the value of ecosystems services and improved financial and operational management plans of the community’s natural assets.
Nature’s Assets Support Local Government Services
Emanuel Machado changed the local government conversation. As the ‘face of MNAI’, Emanuel’s philosophy and local government credibility continues to generate interest in replicating the ‘Gibson’s Model’ in other communities.
The second video in Watershed Moments Video Trilogy features Emanuel Machado in conversation with Tim Pringle, also a member of the Partnership Leadership Team. Emanuel and Tim independently ventured into uncharted territory. They took an abstract concept – nature’s assets support local government services – and they made it tangible so that it is implementable. Their pioneer efforts in leading parallel initiatives have established provincially relevant case study precedents.
To Learn More:
Click below to watch the Watershed Moments video on YouTube. In the video, Emanuel Machado and Tim Pringle share their perspectives on how to take into account the social, ecological and financial values of ecological assets when developing metrics and calculating the financial value of ecological systems such as streams and adjoining riparian setbacks.