Silvia Danscose

Silvia Dancose leads the Welcoming Communities programme at QLDC since October 2021 when the Council joined the programme.

Her career pathway has led her to occupy many roles in New Zealand and Canada in the NGO sector working alongside and advocating for newcomers, migrants and refugees. In New Zealand, she worked for nearly 9 years for New Zealand Red Cross in the areas of settlement and employment of refugee background persons, also led the COVID-19 relief programme in Queenstown funded by government to support temporary visa holders facing hardship. Worked in Canada in support of the national standards of language proficiency for immigration, education, employment and community settings.

Silvia completed a Certificate in Intercultural Studies to complement her Post-Graduate Diploma in Adult Education and bachelor’s degree in education. She is passionate about diversity, inclusion and equity and considers them as integral parts of any welcoming community. She is an accredited practitioner and member of Te Uru Tāngata Centre for Workplace Inclusion.

Canadian-born and from a mixed background; her father was French Canadian, and her mother was Mexican, she is fluent in French, Spanish and English.  Silvia moved to New Zealand in 2011 and has been living in Queenstown since December 2019.