Mary Pat Barry

Mary Pat Barry has a rich and varied background in communications. She has established a strong reputation in the use of storytelling to enhance understanding, inspire action and create transformative change.

As the Branch Manager of Communications for the City of Edmonton, Mary Pat leads a team committed to building and maintaining Edmonton’s reputation as one of Canada’s premier cities. She has taken the ancient art of storytelling and used it as the foundation for building momentum and awareness of what the City brings to citizens and visitors.

It’s all about Edmontonians’ experiences and sharing them with the world. Since Edmonton Stories began in May 2009, more than 300 stories have been generated.

What distinguishes Edmonton Stories from traditional marketing campaigns is that it crowd sources the City’s brand. The campaign does not present an image beyond belief nor does it stretch the character or personality of Edmonton. It has no logo, slogan or tag line. The promotion and reach of Edmonton Stories is based on social networks, and use of social media through Facebook, Twitter, Connect2Edmonton and YouTube and online advertising.

Mary Pat worked for many years with TELUS Corporation. It was at TELUS where she perfected and grew to appreciate the power and impact of storytelling. Over the years she and her teams have received many awards and recognition for their work in the professional communications field.

Mary Pat believes strongly in giving back to her community and is currently Chair of the Chrysalis Foundation, an Alberta society for persons with disabilities.