As a long-serving employee of the City of Fredericton (NB, Canada), Laurie Guthrie has worked primarily in the field of economic development - spearheading various strategic initiatives to cultivate economic growth and earn Fredericton’s brand equity as a ‘Smart City’.
As an economic developer, she steered a consultant and 250 community stakeholders in the development of Fredericton’s economic development strategy - resulting in a five-year secondment to the city’s economic development agency. She facilitated strategy implementation, and led the agency’s rebranding, development of a regional investment attraction strategy and creation of task forces to drive priority sector growth.
In 2018, Laurie returned to municipal government to project manage Fredericton’s participation in Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge, competing nationally as a top ten finalist among 200 communities. Following the challenge, she identified strategic opportunities; and developed a proactive strategy to support Fredericton’s ongoing ‘smart city’ efforts.
Laurie’s current work includes the design and management of a civic innovation living lab, BoostFredericton , to strengthen Fredericton’s role as an early adopter of new technologies & edge applications, solve smart city challenges, and drive economic development for the benefit of the municipal corporation and community. Efforts are also focused on furthering Fredericton’s digital evolution as ‘Atlantic Canada’s 5G Centre of Innovation’. As a first of its kind in New Brunswick, the lab has received national and international attention as a civic innovation best practice through various engagements.
As a long-serving employee of the City of Fredericton (NB, Canada), Laurie Guthrie has worked primarily in the field of economic development - spearheading various strategic initiatives to cultivate economic growth and earn Fredericton’s brand equity as a ‘Smart City’.
As an economic developer, she steered a consultant and 250 community stakeholders in the development of Fredericton’s economic development strategy - resulting in a five-year secondment to the city’s economic development agency. She facilitated strategy implementation, and led the agency’s rebranding, development of a regional investment attraction strategy and creation of task forces to drive priority sector growth.
In 2018, Laurie returned to municipal government to project manage Fredericton’s participation in Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge, competing nationally as a top ten finalist among 200 communities. Following the challenge, she identified strategic opportunities; and developed a proactive strategy to support Fredericton’s ongoing ‘smart city’ efforts.
Laurie’s current work includes the design and management of a civic innovation living lab, BoostFredericton , to strengthen Fredericton’s role as an early adopter of new technologies & edge applications, solve smart city challenges, and drive economic development for the benefit of the municipal corporation and community. Efforts are also focused on furthering Fredericton’s digital evolution as ‘Atlantic Canada’s 5G Centre of Innovation’. As a first of its kind in New Brunswick, the lab has received national and international attention as a civic innovation best practice through various engagements.
