Danchilla Strategies – Results through innovative thinking |
HAL DANCHILLAHal J. Danchilla is a seasoned strategic planner, issues manager and negotiator, with demonstrated expertise in public, private and political spheres. He began his successful political career in 1991 with the Alberta government, serving as a primary source of advice and leading strategic planning initiatives for the provincial cabinet, ministers and the government caucus. Hal served as the chief of staff/executive assistant to the Ministers of, Minister of Environmental Protection, Federal and Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs and ended his government career as the Special Advisor to the Provincial Treasurer. In 1998, he established Danchilla Strategies. Political Activities Provincial Hal has been involved in every election campaign held in Alberta since 1982, with extensive involvement in the leadership campaigns of both Don Getty and Ralph Klein. He has served as vice president for Edmonton of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, and as president of the Edmonton Constituency Association for five years. In 2004-05, Hal was asked by Premier Klein to lead the Progressive Conservative party renewal initiative to determine the causes of the decline in support for the provincial conservatives and the development of strategies to enhance support throughout the province. In 2006, he was co-chairman of the Operations committee for the leadership campaign of Jim Dinning. Hal continues to be an active volunteer and advisor, serving on various Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta committees, including the Premier’s Dinner, Progressive Conservative Party Conventions, and the Finance committee. The Federal Front Hal has been an integral part of federal political campaigns and operations, both as a backroom strategist and political advisor. He was the National Campaign manager for the successful leadership campaign for Stockwell Day in 2000 as well as the National Campaign manager for the Canadian Alliance Party of Canada during the 2000 election – which saw an increase of over a million votes and six additional seats for the Alliance Party. Hal served as deputy chief of staff to the Official Leader of the Opposition and the Alberta Co-chair for the 2006 federal election campaign for the Conservative Party of Canada. In 2004, Hal was the National Campaign manager for the Tony Clement Leadership campaign. In 2006, Stephen Harper appointed Hal as the Alberta Campaign chairman for the federal election campaign. Policy Development and Review Throughout his career, Hal has spearheaded complex reviews of key government policies and resulting policy development. Key highlights include:
Hal was also extensively involved in the development of Special Places 2000, a protected land program in Alberta, the Alberta Water Act, the eWaste program, and the establishment of Delegated Administrative Organizations. Public Consultation and Communication Hal was involved in the design and implementation of Alberta’s communication and public consultation strategy on national unity, as well as logistics management for the public consultation strategy. Hal designed and implemented the communications and consultation strategies for a variety of human health issues relating to contaminated sites throughout the province of Alberta, and has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of communications surrounding contaminated sites throughout the country. Hal has lead the successful consultation and negotiation with environmental groups for their return to the “Special Places” process following their initial boycott, setting a new standard for provincial consultation within the province. He also spearheaded the communication strategies for the Premiers’ Conference, Western Premiers’ Conference, and the Ministers of Aboriginal Affairs Conference and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). In addition, Hal often provides political commentary for political campaigns and elections on a variety of media outlets, including CTV News, Canada AM and the Corus Radio Network. He also partners with Paul McLaughlin to present a highly successful presentation entitled “Government Inside Out” which has been presented over 60 times to Canadian corporations, organizations and educational institutions. Issues and Crisis Management Hal Danchilla has extensive experience in issues and crisis management. His experience with Alberta Environment in dealing with high-risk situations, such as contaminated sites and hazardous operations, provided him with a solid basis in dealing with operational impacts, community consultation and media management. Danchilla Strategies have managed issues that have resulted in successful outcomes for Hal’s clients through tax policy revisions, economic development initiatives and health policy changes. Boards and Volunteer Activities Hal presently serves on the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta’s Finance committee, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and previously sat on the International Film Festival and Board of Governors for Grant MacEwan College. Hal was named one of Alberta’s 50 most Influential People in Venture Magazine in 2005. |
