Ken Seiling, Past Chair, Region of Waterloo

I can't begin to thank you enough for all that you did for Waterloo Region when you took on the Crime Prevention Council. No one pulled together so many grassroots people and organizations and kept them engaged for these many years - something almost unheard of in today's world. You engaged people and staff and gave the Region a face in the community. In doing so, the Region and the work gained national attention and we (mostly you) were the Go To group for others trying to do similar work in Canada. 

On a personal note, many German speaking people never knew you were my (unofficial) translator who never failed me. Thanks for your friendship and all the best on the road ahead.

The Honourable Kim Pate, Canadian Senator (Ontario)

Thank you for your 25 years of inspirational leadership and demonstrated commitment to fairness, equality and justice. 

Warmest wishes as you head into what I am certain will be an equally bright future. I join your legion of fans and supporters as I send you tons of appreciation and gratitude.

Larry Gravill, former Chief of Police, Waterloo Region Police Service

Christiane - thank you so much for your leadership in helping to make our community safer. Your diligence in maintaining the mission has truly made a difference in our Region. It is your caring nature and persistence that convinced so many community partners to join in a common goal of making our community one of the most outstanding places in Canada to live and grow.

Richard Eibach, Chair, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

For 25 years, Christiane brought vision, expertise and tremendous passion to multi-sectoral issues of crime prevention. Before ‘social determinants of health’, ‘wellbeing’ and the UN Sustainable Development Goals were generally accepted concepts, Christiane was pioneering a community-based, collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to prevent crime, fear of crime and victimization by addressing the root causes.  Christiane’s efforts both informed and improved public policy and programming across the continent, and indeed, around the world.

At WRCPC, Christiane built and operationalized a collaborative model encompassing the wisdom of community, municipal governments, not for profit organizations and other stakeholders, drawing from the vision of WRCPC’s founders that crime and victimization is often best addressed outside of enforcement, courts and corrections. Not only did she create the frame-breaking model, she modelled the values of integrity, collaboration, commitment, courage, and compassion. She showed us all that preventing crime and victimization could be our collective new normal. She strengthened our resolve in driving systems change toward equity.

As Founding Co-Chair of the Canadian Municipal Network for Crime Prevention, Christiane facilitated cutting-edge initiatives, inspired new collaborations and set bold standards. Her work has been presented acfross the country and her contributions have been recognized provincially, nationally and internationally. 

While upstream prevention, community engagement, social justice and the inclusion of people with lived and living experience becoming more widely accepted principles today, these were part of Christiane’s core model from the beginning. She inspired countless people, organizations, and governments to look beyond status quo approaches, embrace innovation, and drive toward equity for everyone.

An African proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Somehow, Christiane managed to do both by building progressive collaborations of citizens and organizations and governments across all sectors, and across all socio-economic strata. We wish to thank Christiane for her wisdom, integrity and leadership - and for the extraordinary legacy she leaves us. 

John A “Jack’ Calhoun, former United States Commissioner,  CEO U.S. National Crime Prevention Council; former Commissioner, Department of Youth Services (Massachusetts)

I met Christiane many years ago as she was attending an international  crime prevention conference.  I was struck immediately by the depth of her listening and the quality of her responses.  Never pat, never hasty or dismissive, she responded on target and totally tailored to those to whom she was speaking.  And she could do this in a way that was acceptable even if there was disagreement.

Subsequently I keynoted one of her conferences and had the opportunity to meet with her staff.  As someone who had built and run organizations large and small in the United States, good staff vibes, mutual respect, shared mission and hard work were all readily apparent.

The rarest of leaders, she never lost sight of her mission.  Many entities lose their way because they start serving the institution rather than the institution’s reason for being.  Her “clients,” were always front and center, she anchoring her work around them, not her.

If you want help from a leader in this field, look no further.

Rohan Thompson, Assistant Director, Equity and Community Relationships, Peel District School Board; Past staff

I have had the pleasure to work with Christiane as both her staff and colleague. Two of the best qualities that she possesses is that she will always speak the truth. Before anything, Chris operates from a place of truth and integrity and she does not compromise that for anything. It is this quality that allows Chris to sit in her truth and be respected for it.

Secondly, Chis is a compassionate leader who has a keen sense of how systems operate, how they can disenfranchise the most marginalized and lead organizations to address these issues at the root, in order to achieve justice and equity. My development as a person and professional is directly linked to the support, supervision and investment Chris made in me. 

Irene O'Toole, Vice Chair, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Christiane, your curiosity, energy, tenacity, integrity, empathy, leadership, love, care and skill have changed our community and many other communities, and made us understand concepts of collaboration, partnership, patience, timing and always respect. There is more to you  than these gifts. You have given us light, shown the community the gift of leadership from behind in social development and taught us to trust in our partners and in our community. Through highs and lows you have steered WRCPC with the same tools: integrity, courage, vision, respect, commitment and always authenticity.

We have shared such wonderful moments over the last twenty five years of working together as the community has been changed by you. We have all been enlightened by your knowledge and leadership.

Words seem a futile way of thanking you, our community's gratitude to you is seen in the health of the pieces you have touched around us all.

Peter Ringrose, former Executive Director, Family & Children's Services of the Waterloo Region

Your achievements in this community, across the country and internationally are far greater than a "thank you" can ever recognize. But, since our language doesn't offer us many other ways of saying it, here's a great big "thank you" to you for all of your creativity, imagination, ability to lead from behind, to connect with everyone, your humility, and your dogged hard work!

It has been such a privilege to have been your colleague from almost the beginning of the Crime Prevention Council and to have been a part of the movement and its many initiatives over the years.

Sue Weare, Community Engagement Consultant, City of Kitchener (former staff with WRCPC)

Chris, you are an absolute powerhouse who truly made a difference in our community - and beyond - through your championing of upstream approaches. I have learned so much from your inspiring example of collaborative leadership and systems change. Thank you for all your guidance over the years.