Coaching for Growth at Alberta’s Municipal Climate Change Action Centre

It started with two colleagues sharing a passion for sustainability. Professional coach Paula Melnyk, MCC, wanted to apply her coaching and project management skills to climate action. She approached Trina Innes, MBA, executive director of sustainability services at Alberta Municipalities, with an idea: bring professional coaching to the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC) team.

Alberta Municipalities represents 264 of Alberta’s 334 municipalities, making it the largest municipal association in the province. Through the MCCAC — a collaboration with Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Government of Alberta — they support local leaders in tackling climate challenges and advancing clean energy solutions.

“It was a good opportunity to bring the three partnerships together doing the things that we love, which is giving back to create social change, creating a big difference in humanity, and also thinking about organizations that have a direct impact on the climate change efforts,” said Melnyk.

Launching the Program

Innes understood the potential immediately. She had experienced the benefits of working with a coach herself and knew it could strengthen her team. When she introduced the idea, the MCCAC team quickly expressed their enthusiasm for it.

Over a six-month period, from October 2023 to April 2024, nine team members, ranging from recent graduates to seasoned professionals, participated in monthly one-on-one coaching sessions.

Supporting Early Career and International Professionals

“We had a number of early career professionals, as well as two international professionals (from India and Jamaica), who were really interested in increasing their understanding of the Alberta workplace and international cultures,” Innes said. “From my perspective, especially for those early career professionals, anything we can do to strengthen them, and their leadership, and their confidence, positions us well to advance the sustainable development goals that we’re working on collectively.”

Before the program began, Melnyk held an introductory session to match participants with the coach best suited to their goals. From there, the program was self-driven by the MCCAC leaders.

Workplace Coaching Experience and Benefits

Gaining Fresh Prospective

“People really valued how the coaches helped them gain a fresh perspective on things about their work life that they needed help with to improve their day-to-day engagement,” said Innes. “They came away with a better understanding of their strengths and their personal saboteurs, and tools that they could use to help mitigate those challenges.”

Practical Tools for Professional Growth

Through coaching, team members developed tools and techniques for managing meetings, communicating ideas more clearly, and building confidence in diverse cultural contexts. They also gained insights into supporting their direct reports and strengthening team relationships.

Strengthening Leadership Confidence

“People indicated that they were more confident, they felt that they were showing up more authentically in the workplace, they felt that they were stronger as leaders, and they are actually implementing the strategies and sharing some of these techniques with the people that they work with,” Innes said.

Workplace Coaching Drives Sustainability Goals

The coaching experience sparked real change. MCCAC team members gained fresh insights, sharpened their leadership skills, and developed greater self-awareness. It created space for reflection, growth, and stronger connections — with themselves and each other.

Coaching Impact by the Numbers

These shifts continue to shape how the team shows up: with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Together, they’re advancing bold sustainability goals with municipalities across Alberta. As of July 2025, the MCCAC has completed 1,068 projects in 179 municipalities, supported 1,425 clean energy jobs, and is on track to surpass one megaton in lifetime greenhouse gas reductions in the next year.

Lasting Change Through Workplace Coaching

Coaching empowers leaders to think differently, act with confidence, and create lasting change. Learn more about how to create an impactful coaching culture in your organization.